Thursday started out like any other ordinary day. I was working from 9-5, so I got up, ate breakfast, went to work, and eventually came home. Life was stable. Nothing new, nothing upsetting - I was working out plans for Carleton in the fall, studying for diplomas, relishing the idea of being done school soon. And then I got home and got my phone messages. One was from Ario Khoshbin, casting director for Wildfire Dance Theater.

Those who have known me for a long time have probably, at some point, heard me talk about Wildfire. It's a Baha'i dance troupe out of Ontario that tours, usually around Canada and the US. For those who know what Pillars of Peace is, it's like that but more professional. Anyways I saw them for the first time when I was about eight years old and decided that after high school I would take a year off, dance with them, and then go to University. About a year and a half ago I sent in an application, wasn't accepted, and moved on with my life. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I put it behind me.

On Thursday Ario called to offer me the last spot on their September tour. Turns out that when they started casting for this tour, they had remembered my application and wanted me to come, but had lost the paperwork. So while the rest of the cast was contacted two months ago, they only just found my forms again last week. But they had been saving the spot for me, while they were trying to find it. They really want me in the troupe next tour.

So I'm faced with quite possibly the hugest dilemma I have ever seen: I made a promise to Jess and Katherine and to Carleton for next year, but now have an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity sitting on my doorstep (figuratively of course). I don't think I have ever felt this conflicted about anything. Wildfire was my dream for such a long time and it hurt so much to give it up, but I've known Jess forever, and couldn't bear to hurt or disappoint her. Ario said I can have two weeks to make a decision. I don't know if that will be long enough...

To my blog readers whose email addresses I could not track down so as to send this out with the mass email:

As some of you may, or may not depending on how often I get to talk to you, know in August I will be moving to Ottawa to attend Carleton University. I will be taking the political sciences program, focusing on international relations, and living in a small apartement with my friend Jess and her friend Katherine. As I have begun making preparations for next year, I have discovered that my contact information for the people in my life is scattered around my room, books, and computer in various forms of ephemera. My goal is to bring all of that information into one address book but I am worried that I will be missing people anyways. So I'm asking you all to send me an email with the spelling of your last name, your address (incl. postal codes please) and your phone number. If you are also moving soon just let me know and I can get your new address once you know what it is. I don't want to lose touch with the people I love next year, so help me out. Thanks.

Love,
Red-Headed Pixie

((If you don't have my email address, there is a link to it in the left-hand side bar))

My plans for the night got changed, and being that I am the kind of person who responds oh so well to that, I got deeply depressed and grumpy. Luckily my fabulous boyfriend recognized the "needs-to-get-out-of-the-house" desperation in my eyes and called up Davyd and Myrna. "Catan?" he said. "Come on over!" they said. So garlic bread and cookies in hand, we arrived at their place for dinner.

After incredibly tasty spaghetti and slightly odd (see: whole grain with seeds on top) garlic bread, we cleared the table and got ready to settle Catan. The first board was awful! The game was much longer than any other game I'd ever played because some of the resources were sooo scarce. It ended up being a fairly sheep intensive game. Cities, settlements, and roads were all built out of smushed out lambies. Baa... But in the end, I won shockingly. After recapping the game amongst ourselves we realized it was only just 9:00, and decided to play again. Rob laid out the board a second time, and once again it was an awful setup. It became, practically, an entire game of developement cards. There was a large amount of grain as well, at least for me, which led to another victory. It was bizzare. In all of the times I've played Catan, I think I've only ever won twice before and now two times in one night. Whee!

A bit more talk followed along with a lending of Angel Season 3, and then Rob and I were on our way home. And here I am now - considering my bed and my day tommorow. There have been some other stories in my life recently, but nothing of terrible interest. I mean how many times can anyone hear, "Pixie's poor" before it starts to seem redundant. I know I'm tired of hearing it ;) Other than that it's school as usual, starting to worry about exams, and beginning to ponder the move to Ottawa. Should be at BPs tommorow night though, so hopefully I will see some of you there... Guten Nacht.