Zumba Exhausting!

Peter and the girls heading to the pool

Mist, Me and the Pip

I am so tired--all day dancing and dancing 

and dancing. I learned so much new choreography, new moves. A total workout for the mind, body and spirit. There were 3 Canadians taking the training. The other 2 were from Vancouver. Joy Smith, our trainer is from LA. I love Zumba. I love the music and the dancing. Though, I will have to go crazy doing Zumba every single day if I want to teach this stuff. I figure I will attend other's classes 3x a week and practice my dvds everyday at home. I need to teach about 12 songs per hour of class. That is a whole lot of choreography! And it is a hard core cardio workout, so I must get myself super prepared. Like I mentioned, I love the dancing so it will be fun preparing to teach. 
I almost thought I'd leave Zumba Atomics training for later because the day was exhausting and so much info to digest. But Joy said I should just go ahead and get Atomics certified too as she doesn't know when she'll be back up in Washington again. And who knows how long I'll have to wait until they teach it again in BC. So....as pooped as I am tonight, it looks like I'm going to get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
I will post this tonight as I will be too busy in the morning. I have to pack up everything--we are leaving for home after my course ends tomorrow. That means driving through the Coquihalla at night and arriving home sometime after midnight. Monday, I have a meeting with my thesis committee. This is a crazy busy time for me. I will be so very, very ready for the meditation retreat on the 13th. I'll probably go into shock though--suddenly silence and stillness after this crazy month may be too much for me!
Seattle is such a cool city--would love to spend more time here. I've flown in and out of Seattle hundreds of times but never stopped and enjoyed the city before.

Piano and Dancing

Tabs, Me and Pip enjoying the hotel balcony

Mist not wanting to practice the piano

Dancing...

Mist practicing her music festival pieces

Tabs practicing

Pip dancing

Pip and Mommy

There's never anyone on the piano balcony at this hotel-- a perfectly quiet place to play...

Finished revising my thesis and sent in an abstract for a conference in Spain--all this before 8 in the morning. Spent yesterday at the fashion outlets. Ralph Lauren was the prize. Purchased a dress and blazer which I love. Today nonstop Zumba 8 until 6. 

Nervous...don't know what to expect.

Wish me luck. Here's hoping I can keep up with the choreography.

Seattle Morning

Peter and the Girls in Seattle

Peter and the girls

Tabs at the world'd highest Starbucks.

Tallest building in Seattle

The lobby of our hotel: Hotel Olympic Fairmont

I love Seattle. I need to move to a big coastal city. Sure, staying at the Fairmont adds a rosy glow to my visit, but I love the whole West Coast feel. I feel it in San Francisco, Vancouver and here. 

Yesterday, my first Seattle morning, I got up early and worked out in the hotel gym. I went across the street to the 4th Ave. Starbucks (my very favourite Starbucks ever: big, historic building, comfy chairs, good people watching) and worked on my thesis revisions. It was the very best place to work on my thesis.

 Peter and the girls went swimming, out for breakfast and toured floor 73 of the tallest Seattle building while I enjoyed my work time.

The afternoon was spent walking around the down town. We had lunch and went to floor 40 of the tallest building in Seattle and went to the world's highest Starbucks (only in Seattle). We toured Pike Market on the water front and then went to the SAM (Seattle Art Musuem)--was the best--will post more pics of that tomorrow. Many cool exhibits. My favourite was by American performance artist, Nick Cave "Meet Me at the Centre of the Earth."  The exhibit housed many cool costumes made to fit Nick--made out of stuffed toys, fun fur, yarn, buttons , etc. The videos of him dancing in the costumes were so fun.Of course, I am drawn to the paintings--so excited to be getting back to my painting. I love to paint.

We ate supper at Wild Ginger--Asian fusion. Most tasty and our waiter was the best.

SEATTLE, Hotel Olympic Fairmont

Pip and Tabs

Our Suite

Me

Pip and I

The customs officer threw out an entire bag of our navel oranges at the border--I forgot about not bringing in oranges. They were from California! The entire family has arrived. At first I was going to fly by myself, but then it is spring-break so I wanted to bring the girls and then, since the girls were all coming, Peter decided he wanted to join us. He arrived home last night from Vancouver so we all drove down here together.

I met with my supervisor yesterday morning before we left--found out the thesis changes I need to make. Thus, this morning I must hang back at the hotel and work. Peter and the girls will explore. I hope 4 hours of work will do the trick--I don't want to miss all of the Seattle fun. I like the hotel Olympic. Reminds Mist and I of The Sound of Music house on a larger scale. There is a grand piano on the balcony level above the lobby. Tabs played all of her music festival pieces on it last night and it was beautiful. Mist was too shy.

Last night we went swimming and out to an Italian Restaurant, Palomino.
I will go to the gym and then to Starbucks to work for a while.
Seattle is so much like Vancouver. I like it. It is very green and lush and all of the spring blossoms are out. But of course, it does nothing but rain on the coast! Once I'm finished the thesis revisions, I hope to join the rest of the gang and walk to the Pike Market walk and visit the Seattle Art Gallery.