Diet Changes – 2019

Last Thanksgiving, I went on the scale and got really down on myself.  I weighed 135.  I couldn’t believe that despite working out so much, I keep putting on weight.  A few weeks later, I ate pasta at work for lunch, and right away my belly got bloated.  The last few months I have been feeling quite sick, lack of energy, sleeping lots and moody.  It then dawned on me, what if its the food I’m eating? So I tried a little experiment where I cut out gluten for a few weeks to see what happens.  Well, just in a few short weeks, I was feeling better and I lost weight.  Then when I ate a food with gluten, I would feel sick and get extremely bloated.  So I have a gluten intolerance.  I also have discovered that along with gluten, I am intolerant to soy as well.

Going gluten and soy free has been easier than I thought it would be. There are lots of substitutions now so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.  The hardest part is when I am eating out, at an event or social gathering.  I can be tricky finding something I can eat.

Seven months later, I have lost 20 pounds! I am no longer getting sick. I have so much more energy. Life is back to normal.

I have been getting so many comments about how good I look.  Really, I’m just back to the weight I typically always was.  I think I have been intolerant for 5-6 years, I just wasn’t listening to my body.  I attributed the throwing up, mood swings, depression and lack of energy to stress.  Wrong.  The weight gain was very gradual, a few pounds here and there gained.  I attributed it to muscle gain.  Wrong.  Lesson learned, listen to my body better.  I went through so much suffering just because my body didn’t like what I was putting in it.

End of an Era – June 2019

The SASS summer showcase was a bittersweet one. That is because it was the last showcase, and very last day at the Stoney Creek SASS studio. The amazing part is the opening of the SASS studio in St.Catharines.

I choose to perform a pole silks routine. It took me a long time to choose a song, ended up getting inspired when I seen the band Live in concert, so choose the song Lightening Crashes. I had the basic structure of my routine choreographed, left the spins to freestyle.

The routine went well, everyone was very impressed with the pole silks. After the show, we took a few group photos as we said good bye to the Stoney Creek studio. I’m really excited for the new studio, but also sad as not all the girls will be joining us at in St.Catharines. Overall though, I’m looking forward to having the studio much closer so I can attend more classes.

Paradisaea Summer Recital – June 2019

The Paradisaea end of semester showcase was June 15th and the theme was Through the Eyes of Tim Burton.  The Sunday night class I’m in did a routine to a song from Beetlejuice.  This routine was exciting for me, as I got placed in the middle because I was the one consistently getting the tricks.  It was big for me since when I first started silks, I was given easier tricks to perform at the recitals, now I’m being challenged with more advanced tricks and being placed in the center.  I felt like I practised enough and was ready, wasn’t even really nervous. The showcase went really well and so did our routine.  The only disappointing part was I didn’t have any friends or family there to watch me.  I work so hard and I don’t think people realize how much it means to me to have them there to support me.

Dropped it like its Hot – May 2019

2019 IS my year. Wow. I was hired to dance on stage at a Snoop Dogg concert!!

Lets rewind a bit and start with how this happened. I follow an exotic dancer, Onyx, on social media who has been an inspiration to me. I seen her perform at a few Verticalove shows and she blew me away with her strength. She had posted on Facebook that she was looking for dancers for a few upcoming Snoop Dogg concerts in Ontario. I sent her a message that I was interested in the Sudbury concert. I figured, what’s the worst that can happen, I don’t hear back or get a no. But you never know unless you try, right?

I had forgotten about it as a few days had passed. She replied back 3 days later, asking for my Instagram, so I gave her my handle. Again, a few days had passed and then I got added to the Snoop Dogg Dancers group chat. I got really excited. I called my husband and asked him if he could fly me to Sudbury next week. I explained why, he said make it happen, and he will make sure the plane he just bought is ready to fly. The next day, I was officially confirmed for the Sudbury concert!!

I called my mom and we made arrangements for me and the kids to stay with her in Sudbury for the weekend. During the week, I spent a lot of time figuring out what 3 outfits I was going to wear. I walked around my house in my heels and practiced freestyling to Snoop songs to prepare. Of course I got my nails done and spent some time tanning as well.

The day of, my husband just got the proper documents needed just in time to be able to fly. It was super cool flying in our own private plane to go dance for Snoop Dogg.

My husband went back home as he had to work so he would come back to get us on the Monday. Once we got to my mom’s, we took the kids to the park since I had time before the concert. Of course I found a pole to play on!

I met the other 3 girls at a hotel and we all went to venue together. We had our own designated parking spot in the restricted parking lot. We met the tour manager and he brought us into the arena and showed us our dressing room. This is when everything hit me, this was really happening.

Since the 4 of us were novice to this type of event, we had a few drinks while getting ready to help with our nerves.

We were given backstage passes so we could go anywhere we wanted. There was a table full of food and drinks. We met Snoops 2 regular back up dancers that we shared the room with.

My lingerie outfit was a costume I originally bought for a showcase that I didn’t end going to. I thought it was perfect for this. I felt so sexy in it!

While waiting backstage, watching Snoop onstage and looking out at the crowd, my nerves were in overdrive but so was my adrenaline.

I was onstage for 3 songs: I Wanna Fucc You, Gin and Juice and Drop It Like It’s Hot. The songs went by so fast and then we had a little dark spot to change outfits. The other 2 outfits was a wife beater and booty shorts and a bathing suit. I really struggled changing into my bikini, as it had a lot of straps. Lesson learnt there, make sure costumes are simple to change into.

After the last song, we went back to the dressing room to get changed. I was kinda sad I missed the last song Young Wild N’ Free, as it’s one of my favourites. That is when we we got our $200 US each for performing.

Then….I met Snoop!! We entered Snoop’s smoke filled dressing room, and again, I thought to myself, is this real life? Well it certainly was! He asked us where we all of us are from and we each got photos with him. He was extremely chill and very nice.

As we exited his dressing room, the guy that plays Snoops mascot Nasty Dogg onstage had a massive bag on weed with him. He gave each of us a take home “Doggy” bag of Snoop’s own personal weed.

I had some drinks and food with some of the girls and then went back to my moms. I could barely sleep that night, as I kept replaying the nights events in my head trying to process everything.

While me and the kids were in Sudbury, we visited with my brother and his family. We also went to the Big Nickel and had some fun exploring the area.

The reason why this whole crazy experience happened is because I seized the opportunity when it was available. My photos and videos on my social media that I’ve been building is what got me selected. You are in control of your own destiny. Nobody is going to come knocking at your door handing you opportunities when you are sitting on the couch. It’s up to you to live your best life. Stop waiting and start living!

Inked – March 2019

I got new ink! And of course it’s pole related.  I have been wanting another tattoo for years and keep putting it off. I made a pact with myself that 2019 is the year I am going to get things done.  So I did some research on artists, found one I really liked.  I took her my idea and booked it.  A few short weeks later, it was actually happening.  The design is a pole dancer in the middle, with Matthew Good lyrics from the song “Fearless” Stay Yourself and Nothing Less Stay Fearless around the dancer.  Flowers and music notes are integrated around the lyrics and dancer.   The tattoo took almost 5 hours to complete, which was a lot to sit through.  But it was worth it, as the end result is beautiful.  Now I have a very meaningful words and a dancer on my side, to remind me to Stay Fearless whenever I could use encouragement.

2nd Annual SASS Wing-Ding Shindig! January 2019

This year’s Wing-Ding theme was 80’s.  That was a struggle for me, as I’m not huge fan of the 80’s.  But between stuff I already had and purchasing a few items, I pulled off a pretty good 80’s outfit.  This year, there was a massive snow storm, making the party a little more low key than last year.  Again, we rented a party bus with a pole.  We hit up a winery, a restaurant and partied on the bus until going back to the studio.   At the studio is was pretty chill, with one of the girls singing for us as we gathered around a pseudo campfire.  I went to sleep early, having my Jeep I didn’t worry, but others had to dig their vehicles out front the mountains of the snow that fell as we were out.

The reason why I look forward to this event, is its an night where I get to hang out with my pole family.  We all understand each other in ways non-polers (muggles) don’t. Because we are all so busy, its not often that we get a chance to get together.  So its awesome that owner of SASS, Shanyn, organizes this event for the studio.

2019 Goals

It has felt like that I haven’t been able to get any new tricks in quite a while. I go to class, watch all the girls do amazing things, and fight back the tears of my own frustration. I would stare at the pole in anger, why can’t I do things everyone else is? There were many classes that I felt like leaving early. Usually, I would put on my pants, and play on the silks as that would make me feel better.

I’ve been working on handspring for years, I just can’t seem to get it. I’m made some progress at the end of the year, I did get my extended butterfly back, which I lost for a few years. But handspring remains my nemesis so I decided to leave that for a bit, and make some new goals.

1. Titanic

2. Aerial Shoulder Mount

3. Ayesha

4. Brass Monkey

If I can get some of these, I will then return to handspring. I’m going to set aside time daily to do some conditioning, and work on some tricks. 2019 will be my year!