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December 24, 2003Sunday was stellar. After breakfast, Mom, Dad, and I drove up to Baltimore with 3 goals: see the paternal grandparents, buy out a Russian food store ("International" Food Store), watch The Nutcracker. Dad&I hit up the apartment of my grandparents, Riva&Misha, while Mom started on the shopping. Apparently they've got the future on the mind, because they gave me a monetary gift for my wedding, "In case we don't make it." But my grandmother assured me, that if they do live long enough to see the big day, "We'll give you some more on top of that." I told my grandmother I'd try to find someone soon haha.We purchased some Russian food, then Mom&I were off to watch the dancing. The particular production we saw is the one I grew up on and was a part of from the year it started (90? 91?). Small Snow, Medium Snow, Big Snow, Marzipan, Russian Hoops, Spanish, Waltz of the Flowers, Clara, Columbine Doll, Soldier Doll... LORDY. I forget what a huge part of my life ballet and the Nutcracker were once upon a time. During the intermission, I ran into Cassidy, a girl who danced the part of Clara the year after I did. She's up at Suny Purchase as a dance major, dancing her ass off every single day :D She gave me a ton of updates on girls we took class with, and the following: Cassidy: Do you remember Jane Murray? Anna: Yeah... I didn't really like her much. Cassidy: She committed suicide a couple months ago. Check out that timing. For years I took ballet with Ms. Laura, Laura Dolid officially, the woman behind the Baltimore County Youth Ballet who makes The Nutracker happen. My sophomore year of high school, someone (my mother? Ms. Laura?) convinced me to take the Advanced Ballet class instead of the Intermediate. Jane Murray ran the advanced class, and I say "ran" because she certainly did not teach. The class was more of an opportunity for the advanced girls to practice double/triple turns and discouraging for me, because I wanted to learn, but didn't feel like Murray wanted to teach. I stopped taking ballet that year, for many reasons, but I think that class convinced me I was done with ballet. I just might start taking a ballet class next semester... Mom&I even spotted Ms. Laura and showered her with flowers. She seemed thrilled :D Back home for the evening... What's a single girl to do for her birthday but chill with the neighborhood Russians twice her age? Rockin. Nikka's family came over, along with the Dvoynoy's. Ira Dvoynoy is one of my mother's closest friends from Odessa, and the family lived with us when they first moved to the US during the summer before I went off to MIT. There was cranberry vodka on the table, Russian food all over the place, and lots of toasting. I made some truly direction-less toast that involved quite a lot of meandering, some standard thanking, nearly insulting the "older" members of the party haha. Hey, they know what's what. No problemas. As I just explained to someone: They’re past the wild nights on the town, but absolutely retain the ability to have an awesome time. They can offer some perspective on the coming years, but still remember what it was like to be my age. They love all kids of celebrations, especially birthdays, and know how to make you feel like there’s really something to celebrate, to appreciate, to enjoy. And Nikka was there too, which was lovely :D I cannot WAIT to hang out with that girl next semester :D We are gonna tear up the opera scene haha. In the end, I managed to do all the things I wanted: jog outside, read a lil, and spend time with people very close to my heart. Today, I worked on some overdue math and wrapped all but 1 of my presents. God I love this process. If MIT turns out to be a worthless investment, I'll open my own gift-wrapping company. I'll take some pictures and post later, as a substitute for the memory I don't have. Tomorrow... a cathedral choral concert with Nikka's family, and dinner at Nikka's afterwards. On Thursday, Lord of the Rings, and a dinner in honor of the Dvoynoy's 25th Wedding Anniversary. Recently, my mother has been having trouble with soap. Three times in one day, she flushed the toilet, went for the soap, and watched as it slipped out of her hands and into the flushing toilet. Mother: You know, you have to close the toilet seat before you wash your hands, so the soap doesn't fall into the toilet. Anna: Maybe you do. I can control my soap. I've been listening to 92Q's, 93.9's, and WPGC's slow jams these past evenings. Fav songs of the night: On Bended Knee by the Boyz, and Fortunate by Maxwell. And although R.Kelly isn't particularly appealing to me in any way, I do like his Step In The Name Of Love. The video is pretty sweet: all kids of couples dancing, dressed in white, and on a boat. ha. His album is called CHOCOLATE FACTORY!? HA. NICE. Way to go man. Quality. "Step step side to side round and round dip it now separate bring it back let me see you do the love slide." I wanna learn the love slide!! ha. |
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