Dance your bottom off!

So up until very recently life has been pretty crazy, but I am absolutely not complaining. The last several months have brought an absolute abundence of blessings. As I was just discussing with Lisa today, the troubles in our life are a lot like manuer: they're poo, but out of the poo can grow some pretty great stuff. So yes, I've had some poo this year but out of the manuer has grown some pretty beautiful flowers.

For starters, a couple of weekends ago I finished a 9 show run of "Little Shop of Horror's". LSOH is my #2 favorite musical of all time (#1 is Rent, sorry Alan Menkin!). Not only did I get to perform in the ensemble of one of my favorite musicals but I have also made some pretty incredible new friends. The cast of the show is the best cast I have ever worked with (in all fairness the last time I did a show was in high school, so there is a considerably larger amount of drama in high school theatre productions). My cup runneth over with new friends and activities! I thought my life would come to a screeching hault when the show was over but my December calendar is already filled with fun things to do with my new friends.

In addition to making new friends I have discovered a new way to work my butt off: Zumba! It's basically dance aerobics and it's an absolute blast. I am by no means a graceful or even coordinated dancer, but who among you doesn't want to kick your legs forward when you hear "Foot Loose", whether or not you've got the Kevin Bacon dance skills? Well I sure as heck do! In my head I can move like Beyonce (even though in reality I may look like I'm having full body fits). Dancing capabilities aside, my entire body is moving and there is not one square inch of me that isn't benefitting from this exercise. I can't wait to go again.

I have been struggling with watching what I eat lately. The grey and rainy cold weather has rolled in for the season and with it has come my insatiable appetite for comfort foods. Since the show has ended I haven't been drinking as much but I have been eating crap. For a week I had a sinus and upper respiratory infection and H1N1 and all I wanted to eat was cereal. Not just any cereal though, I wanted Coco Puffs. I didn't have just one bowl either, I had 2 bowls in a row! I have finally finished off the last of my sugary cereal and I have resolved not to replenish my supply.

So a poll: when the cold and rainy season begins, what do you do? Do do you give in to your creature comforts for the winter? Are you able to stick to your healthy diet? If you are able to stick to your diet, what are you doing to keep yourself on track? Seriously, I need some advice here or I'm going to staple my mouth shut! I'm sending this plea out from Cupcake Royale, where I just finished a maple pumpkin cupcake....and it was worth it!!! I told myself it's okay because I had an Americano with Splenda instead of sugar. It's amazing how our brains are able to justify certain things...

By the way, Cupcake Royale is playing the best music right now. Since I've been here I've heard music from "Flashdance", "Foot Loose", Genisis, Blondie and Men at Work. It's an 80's music marathon and I don't wanna leave.