"Today marks the beginning of intensity..." Mrs. Carol opened with. I was a little intimidated at first, not going to lie! We began rehearsals today in the Civic Center. Thinking about being on that stage Saturday night gave us all chills. We've got to think of stress-relievers to channel nervous energy into excitement, as Miss New Hampshire and I decided.The stage is amazing, although a tight fit for 50 girls. We even practiced in our stilletos (opening number shoes) today, which went surprisingly well. No one fell or slipped. We spaced ourselves with the levels on stage and worked on entering and exiting. While blocking our color groups, we also got the chance to take a nap :).
Lunch today was at the famous Wintzell's Oyster House in downtown Mobile. This is probably the most talked about event for the Junior Misses; there is an annual raw oyster eating competition among the girls. I had never tried an oyster, much less a raw one. So, like many other girls, just trying one was enough. I drenched it in lemon juice and hot sauce... otherwise I might have gotten sick. I did as I was told and did not chew. Sam tried it with a cracker, chewing the oyster, and did not have such great results. I will say it wasn't that bad, but I don't know that I would ever eat one just for fun. Slimy things for food aren't really my cup of tea. However, Wintzell's fried shrimp and catfish were awesome! Ha, their bread pudding wasn't too bad either. The winner of the contest, Kali, Miss Maryland, ate 34 raw oysters... Can't say I really envy her. Mayela, Miss New Mexico, was second with 15. Good job girls!
Tonight we ended with a pajama party with Dauphin Way Baptist Church and several other churches partnered together. We did makeovers, massages, nail-painting, hairdos, and crafts with little girls at the event. If my pictures get posted, be sure and check out my lipstick mustache... Evey, who was 4, was kind enough to do my make up for me :). I missed out on the massages for my "20 seconds about myself" interview with Darwin (that should be posted tomorrow), which I am somewhat regretting. It was very special to get to interact with the girls and have some time for pampering.
So, tomorrow we begin talent rehearsals and a few other things... Oh, and the North vs. South Bay Bears softball game is tomorrow. Go South! I'll keep you posted on how I play and how bad we crush the North :). I'll get to see my family as well, so I can't wait!
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Maggie
