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‘Tis the Season for Silliness

Every December, Jason and I invite a small group of friends to celebrate the season with us via ugly sweaters, even uglier mustaches, dinner, white elephants, and games. This year, our get-together provided acceptable amounts of hilarity, eatability, and nonsensicality, plus maybe a little indignity.

Just Dance is comical to watch and play.
Just Dance is comical to watch and play.

We decided to hold our party this time in the Game Room at the South Jordan Noah’s. This space has a ping pong table, billiards table, arcade machine, and shuffleboard table. Although all of these distractions saw some action during our gathering, the room’s large projector screen got the most use.

I took a lot of senseless pictures of our guests.
I took a lot of senseless pictures of our guests.

We ate dinner on the ping pong table as if it were the most formal of slabs and then played Just Dance 2014 for hours. Just Dance, unlike solemner dance games, is more for laughs than competition. Its moves range from blaringly dramatic to borderline asinine. Simone and Jacob’s passionate performance inspired by George Michael’s Careless Whisper was an evening highlight.

I forgot to take a picture of our crowd until after half of them had left.
I forgot to take a picture of our crowd until after half of them had left.

Eventually, we got around to the white elephant gift exchange. Frankly, this time, the elephants were pretty respectable, which is more than I can usually say. They included videogame console ornaments, superhero collectables, a restaurant gift card, and Loot Crate leftovers…along with a few less desirable items like a homegrown wedding video and a loaf of bread that Jason probed into a misshapen mass.

Our group shot quickly deteriorated into this mayhem.
Our group shot quickly deteriorated into this mayhem.

Our party was spot-on: an intimate group of friends dancing for each other’s comedic pleasure and bestowing gifts of marginal usability upon each other. ‘Tis the season for sharing and Jason and I are glad we could share this lighthearted tradition with you once again.

Rachel January 7, 2015 No Comments

A Routine Festival

As I mentioned a couple of months ago, Jason and I recently achieved unprecedented dancing fame and by “unprecedented dancing fame” I mean fame that is not satisfied until unprecedented amounts of dancing have occurred. Our most recent performance was at the Festival of Trees, an annual fundraising event for Primary Children’s Hospital. Here are all the twists and twirls of that affair.

Our group had a great time preparing and performing together.
Our group had a great time preparing and performing together.

In addition to the significant stints spent at our regular dance class, our group of twelve performers practiced almost ten extra hours to perfect our routine. Although these rehearsals sucked up so much time that it seemed like all Jason and I did everyday was go to work and prance about, preparing for FoT was tremendously fun. Laughter and banter erupted so frequently at our practices that they felt more like hangouts than workouts.

Many vintage dances are done in a round.
Many vintage dances are done in a round.
Soldier's Joy is one of my favorite vintage dances. It involves a lot of spinning.
Soldier’s Joy is one of my favorite vintage dances. It involves a lot of spinning.

Our show at FoT was half an hour long and included nine different songs. We had a few wardrobe malfunctions, namely flying shoes and falling pantaloons, but our on-stage romping proceeded relatively smoothly otherwise. The crowd of onlookers started pretty small but it grew throughout our segment.

The Oslo Waltz is a very elegant dance that is performed in a circle.
The Oslo Waltz is a very elegant dance that is performed in a circle.
When wearing a massive skirt that flips regularly, appropriate undergarments are necessary.
When wearing a massive skirt that flips regularly, appropriate undergarments are necessary.

For me, the greatest challenge of this recital was my costume. My proper 1860s attire included a corset and a hoop skirt that was nearly as wide as I am tall. I can’t convey how preposterous trying to dance is when you have a five-foot girth and are bound up tighter than a mummy. Leaping Jehoshaphat! After our performance, Jason and I walked around the exhibit hall where I was constantly bombarded by children (mostly girls) that wanted to talk to or have their picture taken with a princess. Yes, that “princess” was me with my excessive skirt. My royal ascension was unexpected but amusing.

Out of all the enormous skirts in our group, mine was the hugest.
Out of all the enormous skirts in our group, mine was the hugest.

I suspect that Jason and I will be prancing around town more frequently in the future. Our Festival of Trees premier was so enjoyable that I’d even willingly submit to hoop-skirt ungainliness again for a chance to repeat the experience.

Rachel December 31, 2014 No Comments

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not a relaxing holiday for Jason and me. Between cooking and making rounds with our families, there’s little time for rump ease.

This year, Jason and I were up baking caramel apple pies and rum cake until Thanksgiving’s wee hours. After a sleep break, we recommenced the cooking with phyllo wrapped asparagus before heading off to the first in our succession of family meals.

Jason's family is notorious for their inability to take a normal picture.
Jason’s family is notorious for their inability to take a normal picture.

Our opening dinner was really lunch and it was with Jason’s side. As usual, at this get-together there were more spuds and ham than most could consume and more teasing than most could tolerate. Luckily, my skin is thick and my love for taters nearly infinite.

One of my culinary concoctions this year was a rum cake. It turned out rather sinfully fabulous.
One of my culinary concoctions this year was a rum cake. It turned out rather sinfully fabulous.

Following our first gorging, we ate supper with my folks. My dad made his delicious from-scratch stuffing and my mom her celebrated cranberry sauce. Although we were still digesting our earlier crammings, we filled up heartily. Not all of my clan was present but, nonetheless, the games and conversations overflowed almost as much as our bellies.

I only had to take about forty photos of my family to get one that turned out.
I only had to take about forty photos of my family to get one that turned out.

For Jason and me, Thanksgiving is not a break from busyness. Yet, its camaraderie is as plentiful as its turkey and that is indeed something to be thankful for.

Rachel December 23, 2014 No Comments
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