Say Cheese... Now Smile!

:) Convention came... and convention has gone. How sad!! In fact, convention ended around 12:30ish today (sunday)... but I just got home now from Woodland Hills because we were just having a lot of fun and we never want convention to end. Nah... just kidding. We were just chilling and lost track of the time... really REALLY lost track of time, but still... it was nice to be stuck in that bubble of cki-goodness for a little longer. :)

I'm getting tired and my mind is wandering.. so I'm not sure if this blog is gonna make any sence. So I apoligize now for the many grammar and punctuation errors your eyes will be coming across. Sorry.

Thursday night.. it was HARDCORE practicing for the talent skit at Janelles. :) Kristin brought her video camera and we fixed a lot of weird movements that were looking a bit *eh*. I was still a bit worried though since the Joe(s) weren't able to make it and we wouldn't be able see the entire picture of everyone particpating until Friday night... but after a few run-throughs.. those worries shrank... just a bit.

Friday... Finished my packing bright and early, then it was off to the oh-so-ghetto-but-somewhat-quaint Burbank Airport to pick up Phuoc and then it was off to the Valley. *like... for sure. (sorry... couldn't help but insert lame joke.) Since it was still early, we went to the mall so that Phuoc can get some weightlighting gloves from a tall guy named "Anthony" who worked in the sports equipment section of Chicks Sporting Goods Store. Afterwards, it was off to the hotel to help out with anything that needed some helping...

... and that was the BACKDROP. :) Let me say that this year's convention backdrop was massive and incredible. :) After putting up the pipes and draps (Yes!! I knew my work-skills would come in handy!)... I was on my hand and knees sticking tissue to a wall of chicken wire and tape. It was HUGE... and oh so sticky! I would get stuck every so often to the tape and I think I know now how mice feel when they get trapped in those sticky mice traps. It wasn't very comfortable. But it didn't matter since the end result was awesome.

Convention... yay! It was actually starting!

The "front table" (aka Pic, Carrie, Helen, Lani, Gina, and myself) had this "wonderful" idea during rehearsal that when Petey says "get your groove on" during his benidiction, we would stand up and boogie down for a good second or 2 so that everyone would know what "getting your groove on" actually is. ;) So while waiting to get introduced for opening session, we came up with this idea and made sure that everyone in our front table knew what we were gonna do. Dustin heard "somewhat" of our plan and makes us do our "boogie down" part too early... the result... a usual clumsy Carrie falling off of her chair in front of the audience :( Poor thing... but it was darn funny.

How many people in the audience were wearing Afros, you ask? 18.

Later that night, assembled the club one final time to do some hardcore practicing... with EVERYONE! :) Talk about a *YAY* moment, we were complete! Cleaned up a lot of stuff and worked on the formation... and definitely felt more confidence... despite Joe's horrible attempts to mess me up. :P

Slept. In my own bed. Carrie and I decided that since this was gonna be our last convention, we were gonna get a double instead of a quad with our homeclubs. It was very nice... but I do feel bad for not staying with my club. But then again... I was coughing quite a lot, so had I shared a bed, I'm sure my bedmate wouldn't have been too happy with me anyways.

Saturday: Caucus and then the Talent Auditions. :) I flubbed the lyrics during the auditions and said the ill dreaded and unprofessional "sorry" after doing so. But other than that... we rocked. :) The other talent skits were pretty awesome as well and honestly, I was really nervous if we were able to make it in the programe or not... but we did. "YAY."

OH! I got to see oh so dreamy Joe *he's soooo cute* there. :) Hiiiiii Joe Bussiere.....

I knew who won the election results outside in the hallway from Carrie's shrieks. Good gracious.

At 4pm, it was my workshop. What was I teaching? DISCO. Do I know how to disco? NO. How did I get stuck teaching a disco workshop? I BLAME JOE REGALA. :P But actually, it wasn't the train wreck that I thought it was going to be. Thursday night, I rented "Saturday Night Fever" and Mom and I taught ourselves the disco linedance from the movie. The thing however, was that though I was teaching this at a snail's pace, they got the moves down pretty fast and we were line dancing away within 15 minutes into my 60 minute workshop. Sooo what to do?? Well, I got nervous and decided to just play the music... put the girls in a line on one side of the room, the guys on another... and we had a 70's disco SOUL TRAIN LINE. :) Yeah... that totally rocked!. After the line, we went over the linedance again and we were done. *Whew!* I didn't suck! At least I don't think I did and I think that everyone had fun. I hope at least. Well.. no one ran out, so I guess thats a good thing.

We performed our talent skit at the awards dinner... and we got a standing ovation which was pretty great. :) Actually, all the acts that performed were good... but oh my goodness, Solano College's was IN-FREAKING-SANE. :) This one guy danced like Michael Jackson and he seriously was GOOD. Not like.. "Darrin's Dance Grooves" good... but like... way better. WAY BETTER. They totally deserved first place. And we were very happy getting 2nd... :)

Dance dance dance... fire alarm goes off... everyone gets evacuated from the conference part of the hotel... a fire truck comes... and we're allowed to go back in. Same ole same ole. :) I actually didn't know what to make of the situation... there was a bit of seriousness in the air, but since there were 300 college students going buckwild outside the center it was crazy. So I didn't know if I should have laughed when I saw kids standing in front of the firetrucks and taking pictures... or cringe. Luckily nothing bad happened... so I laugh now. :)

A tired slumber party upstairs with Petey, Jean, and a sleeping Sakura. We had Denny's take out and watched informercials for whorish makeup. *Yes... I wanna look like a pornstar! Kids.. please ask your parents to call!*

Sunday... The Longest Farewell Session... EVER. :) Mondo had a really really really really really long speech... but its all good. :) We also learned that we raised over 20,000 for PTP. Isn't that AWESOME!!! Like I said earlier... Convention ended around 12:30ish... Left the hotel around 2ish to have lunch with Beth, Ryan, Halgren, Billings, Mondo, Carrie, Jean, Joe, and Scott... had a good time just talking and chillin in the restaurant till 4ish. Had a goodtime talking and chilling outside the restaurant until 7ish. Then went and had a *warm* goodtime talking and chilling inside denny's till 10pm. Oh my. What dorks. :) Oh.. I also lost my keys... I found them in the fountain outside the TGIFs. :O

Anyways, in the end, Covnvention was supder uber cool and Joe did a great job organizing it. :) Congrats Joe! You're done and you rocked! :)