Well, here we are April 2010...how did this year already pass through one quarter? It has been a very busy first quarter of the year and relatively eventful- some good and some bad...

Work has been very busy this year and that is a wonderful thing, I am happy to see people traveling and wanting to spend money on travel. I have been blessed with many great referrals and I think this year is going to be a good financial year. Bill's shop is very busy, they have just bought 2 new machines and a new air compressor to handle the needs of the new machinery..this is a HUGE purchase and they have one client who has expressed a desire to double or triple the amount of output for their jobs..so all in all- great news on the job front.

Fitness Career- well this is the year that I want to make things happen. I said I wanted to get my teaching schedule a little more diversified and I'm trying. Not sure what else I can do on this..but I have put my feelers out there for just about any place that has Body Pump and to this date still have not gotten my own class. The BP market is extremely competitive and in many cases, I really feel that I've been a victim (hate that word) of circumstances. I.E.- easier to give a class to someone already on the payroll, etc. But I have added a line dance class and a zumba class to my weekly schedule- so progress is being made. I am not so sure the line dance class will stay on the schedule, it's a quiet facility and they don't do a good job on marketing. But I have a few other options that might pan out. The Zumba class just started last week and I had two people (same quiet facility, so not sure it's going to stick either)- however, this week another Zumba instructor needed coverage for her classes and I agreed to teach two of them. I got to teach to full classrooms and had the most amazingly fun time!!! Well, today this same instructor, after meeting with a Doctor found out the she tore her ACL skiing and now has to have surgery. There will be many Zumba classes on my schedule for the next 8 weeks. I am totally psyched, but feel very sad for Ruby whose injury is making this opportunity possible for me. Who knows maybe this will inadvertently lead to a Body Pump class because it's at the facility that is going to be launching BP soon- so maybe this foot in the door will lead to something bigger! I remain positive in my thinking, even though I've been batted down so many times.

I plan to walk and maybe run a little in the Nike Women's Marathon again this year, assuming we get pulled in the random entry draw. It was a fun experience last year, so would be fun to do it again- maybe get some running in this time.

February we went on our Country Cruise on MSC Cruises. The Cruise Line itself has some things to work on, but we did have an awesome time dancing every night and taking dance lessons throughout the cruise. We were with a great group of people and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Great weather, enjoyed a day in Florida the day before and day after.

Unfortunately, we came home to find our beloved furry child, Spaz who had just passed away. According to the vet, he had probably passed about 10 minutes before we got home. I miss him terribly. He was such a wonderful kitty and such a great companion each and everyday. I've never had an animal who was so much a part of the family. We will get a new furry child soon, we have a few home repairs to make before we do, I've already been looking at the cutie pies at the various rescue websites and have made a visit to the pet store. He passed on 2/28 ~ although for all intense purposes, I felt like he passed in March and overall the month of March really sucked...so I was happy to see March end.

Why did March suck- well I got sick a few days after Spaz passed away, was down for the count for about a week. We ended up not going dancing for about 3 weeks..and then found out our favorite band at the Saddle Rack got fired. This has since worked itself out- we have a great new band and our former lead singer has formed a new band and is now working at the Rodeo Club and they are working with her to make that place more acceptable to customers. So I think it is safe to say we have two great country places to go dancing now on a regular basis and we get to support both our favorite local bands.

Work remained super busy and I went to Tahoe for a weekend with the girls for Janet's birthday (45th)- we had a blast, I did work all day saturday thanks to remote log in and laptops! But it really was a fun weekend out of town. The end of March was Palm Sunday and youngest nephew Rob was confirmed. So very proud of him- it has been a long road with him to get him to do his work..now to make it to graduation! March 3rd, my dear friend Jocelyn gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Gabriel and he is absolutely adorable- we finally got to meet him on Palm Sunday at Stack's when we went to breakfast- they were there also! Palm Sunday ended with the passing of a dear friend's mothers passing.

Here is April and probably the big event thus far is that I have lost a friend. Although as I examine all the circumstances leading up to it and evaluate the friendship over the years, I'm not really sure that I've lost anything - I think it's more the other way around. I have come to learn that she lies, fabricates stories, exaggerates stories to make herself look like the victim. She has always lived the "poor me" type of life and I never really focused on it over the years- the 6 years that we've been friends. But she is and always has pretty much been a downer, she is always negative, when she appears to be "happy" it feels fake. I have counseled her through numerous failed relationships and am now looking back and thinking that she might have been the problem in those relationships. I'm absolutely amazed at her immaturity and the way she is handling things. There is one big issue between us, which I won't go into detail and when I would not discuss it with her, she completely closed up on me. I told her I didn't think it was wise that we discuss anything until the issue was finished and resolved. I never said I didn't want to be her friend anymore (although in all honestly, I don't want to be her friend now)..but she then proceeded to "un-friend" myself and hubby on facebook and then when she realized that she might still see me comment on mutual friend's posts she completely blocked her profile to us. This is so "high school", which again just reconfirms how crazy this situation really is. We are in our 40's people, grow up!

Our paths are likely to cross at some point, unless she steers clear of places we both frequent and I really don't care if I see her or not- I know I can be civil to her and/or just ignore her in a room full of people..I am just so disappointed in her and actually pretty pissed off at myself for not seeing her true colors a long time ago- I mean this woman was my maid of honor and I know at the time I asked her, it all made sense--but I even doubted my decision then and have regretted not doing things differently ever since. I have high expectations for my friends and I expect them to be honest, true and have a great deal of integrity. As I discuss this with other friends, I'm actually pretty amazed at how other friends of mine who didn't know her very well, never got a warm and fuzzy feeling about her. I guess that just reconfirms that people outside can see things much clearer than those of us on the inside.

Anyway, I am sad that the friendship had to end in such an ugly manner- in the end it is her loss, not mine. She actually walks away from this relationship a very rich woman in more ways than one (which is related to the issue between us)- she made out like a bandit and doesn't even know it because she is so ignorant. Oh well, it is what it is! Can't wait for karma to work its' magic on her, because I know it will ~ it always does.

Looking forward to the rest of April because it can only get better at this point- this week has been way too stressful dealing with childish behaviors. Although they say things come in threes- well, I just got word that another friend who I've know forever just lost her father...hoping that somehow my "three" is covered - kitty, friend's mom, friend's dad...hopefully that is it for bad news...