Watch Out, Lance Armstrong!

Today I picked up some new exciting toys… bicycles! I don’t think I have ridden a bike since I was about 12 years old, so this will be an interesting adventure. But Stewart and I have been thinking about getting bikes for a while now, and since summer seems to have (finally!) officially begun in Seattle, we figured there’s no better time than the present.

We’ve already identified quite a few friends who also like riding, so we’re planning some little trips and I’m so excited!

Don’t worry though… I promise I’ll never be one of those annoying Seattle bikers… you know the type. The ones who ride 20 miles per hour below the legal limit down the middle of the street with a line of traffic behind them. Who dodge in and out of cars waiting at a stop sign in order to fly right through the intersection against the light. Who ride down the sidewalk screaming “LEFT” while little old ladies careen to the side, walkers and canes flying. Basically the people who give me road rage on a daily basis. No no, I won’t be that type of bicyclist.

Instead, I plan on some leisurely afternoon trips up the Burke-Gilman Trail to have lunch and drinks at the Redhook Ale Brewery. Or an evening ride down to Golden Gardens Park for a barbeque. Or hauling our new fancy toys across the state to ride around on one of our many camping trips.

So basically… watch out, Lance Armstrong!

Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!

I am so ridiculously, incredibly lucky to have such wonderful friends. And some of them come with an added bonus… ski boats. I look forward to boating season all winter long, and now that it’s upon us, I am once again reminded of my good fortune.

When I was a kid we didn’t have the boating luxuries a lot of my friends got to enjoy. Apart from pulling crab pots on the Hood Canal in my grandpa’s fishing boat, my water sport activities were somewhat lacking. If I was able to snag an invitation to a lake house party once or twice, it was a really good summer. I had a couple of thrilling inner tube rides and attempted water skiing one August at my cousins’ lake house, but other than that I spent hot summer days at the public beach jumping off the dock.

The tides have finally turned. Somehow, both Stewart and I each ended up with very good friends who in the past couple years purchased huge, shiny ski boats complete with towers, speakers, and every other kind of boating luxury you can imagine. And we always get a VIP invite whenever our friends have a day of boating planned. So for the past few summers I’ve spent my weekends on various Washington lakes basking in the sunshine feeling exceptionally superior to my 12-year-old self.

This past weekend was my maiden voyage of the season with Tara and Winston. Although Lake Washington was FAR too cold to attempt any water sports, we had a wonderfully day lounging in the boat while drinking, eating and talking. Dreamy. I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be than in a boat. I should have been a pirate.

S is for Swift Walkers

You heard it here first: Swift Walkers for a Swift Cure is back in action! I have lost several loved ones to cancer, and am a huge advocate of the American Cancer Society. Last year, I really got involved by becoming a Planning Committee member and Team Captain for Seattle’s Green Lake Relay for Life.

My team, Swift Walkers for a Swift Cure (named after my Granddad, John D. Swift), walked for 24 hours straight and raised $6,633 to benefit cancer research. This made us the #2 fundraising team for 2008!

Unfortunately, this year my schedule doesn’t really allow for the frequent meetings and intense planning that is required of the team captain. So I have passed the torch to my cousin Mary, who has generously agreed to lead our team this year!

This is such a fun event and such a wonderful way to commemorate the people who have lost battles with cancer, as well as celebrate those who are still with us. I’ll be doing quite a bit of fundraising throughout the next few months, so feel free to check out my personal page and even make a donation if you are so inclined…

P is for Plants

I definitely do not have a green thumb. Which is weird, because when I was growing up my mom was obsessed with indoor plants and it sometimes felt like we lived in a greenhouse. She also loved gardening, and tells me that when I was super young I would follow her around in the yard and knew the names of different types of plants based on the shapes of their leaves. This is not the case anymore, I assure you.

I love the idea of plants and gardening; I just have no idea how to go about it. Every single time I buy a house plant, it dies. I put it in an area with the correct amount of light, water it at appropriate intervals, talk to it like a crazy person (okay, not really), but a few weeks later... I'm having a funeral for the poor thing.

For example, here is the orchid my friend Tara gave us for a housewarming gift. I followed the directions exactly: I put it in the bathroom where it's steamy, I watered it every 10 days, etc. but as you can see, no bueno. The blossoms fell off, followed by the leaves, and now I just have one big ugly mess. Which is sad, because it was a really beautiful plant.

However, I think I may have discovered the indestructible plant: BAMBOO. You know those super cheap bamboo shoots that you buy at IKEA? I bought some as an impulse purchase shortly after we moved in, and check it out!!
It's still green! The leaves are still attached! And I haven't done anything except fill up the water every now and then! I've finally discovered something I can keep alive!

Oh and there's also this plant I bought myself for my desk at work back in August. Even though it hasn't bloomed (and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to), I've been able to at least keep the leaves green.
Now here is my next dilemma... Spring is coming and I would really like to have some sort of planter box on our deck. I haven't had my own outdoor patio in years, and I'd really like to spruce it up a bit, but I'm terrified anything I put out there will die. But since I was able to keep the bamboo alive, maybe my thumb is getting a greener. Or it might be time to call Mom...

Relay For Life... Finally!

After months and months of planning, the American Cancer Society Relay For Life finally arrived! My team, Swift Walkers For A Swift Cure, spent 24 hours walking for all of our loved ones whose lives have been touched by cancer.

• The entire Relay raised almost $90,000 to benefit cancer research.
• Swift Walkers For A Swift Cure raised $6,633 to benefit cancer research.
• This made us the #2 fund raising team!
• And with unbelievable efforts, Stewart raised $3,575 to benefit cancer research.
• This made him the #3 individual fund raiser!

The Relay itself was super fun. Stewart and I arrived in the early morning to gorgeous sunny skies and helped set up. However, by the time the Relay began at 10 a.m. the clouds had begun to roll in and we had to rush to get our tents and canopy up before it started pouring. However, we didn't let this discourage us. Throughout the day while some team members hit the track, the rest of us participated in events and contests to pass the time. It was a great time to just chill out and hang out with my family.
At 11 p.m. the Luminaria Ceremony took place. For many people who attend Relay For Life, this is one of the most moving parts of the event. As the light dims over campsites and team members complete laps, the night is brightened by the glow of lighted bags called luminaria, each of which has a special meaning. Some luminaria celebrate the survivorship of people who have battled cancer and lived to tell the tale. Many commemorate the lives of those who have been lost to this disease. All represent a person who has been profoundly affected by cancer and the family and friends who continue to be touched by that experience.
Swift Walkers For A Swift Cure lit many luminaria candles for our friends and family who have been affected by this horrible disease. It was a great way to remember those we have lost and those who continue to battle for their lives every day.

As you would expect, the night got REALLY long pretty fast. The point of the Relay is to have someone on the track at all times, so this means while some of us slept in the tents, other people took their 1/2 hour turns walking around the track. It was cold... and dark... but it was a great opportunity to chit chat and heck, sleep is really over-rated, I think!
The next morning at the final ceremony we were in for a surprise. Swift Walkers For A Swift Cure had earned the most points in contests that had taken place during the Relay, and we won a prize package full of gift certificates to local restaurants and stores. Sweet!
Overall, even though it was completely exhausting and stressful, I am so happy that I was a part of Relay For Life. The event allows participants to fight back against a disease that touches too many lives. It's something that we forget about in our day-to-day lives, and this event really brings it into perspective.

If you'd like to be a part of my team next year, please let me know!

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Today, the first day of spring, the folks in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood back in Pittsburgh are celebrating what would have been Fred Rogers’ 80th birthday. And they’ve asked that “everyone, everywhere – from Pittsburgh to Paris” wear their favorite sweater that day. Although mine isn’t a red zip up and I didn’t kick off my heels for some worn in tennis shoes, I did wear a sweater to work today. I liked this little reminder of my childhood, which were filled with educational programming that always included a very personal visit with Mister Rogers, and usually a journey to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, my favorite part. I think this plain and simple goodness is something that I often lose sight of in my day to day life, so it’s a nice little reminder today.

When I was growing up my sister and I were not allowed to watch commercial television. However, we were allowed to watch a fair share of “educational programming” – which mostly included shows on PBS channel 9. And ironically, tonight – the day of Fred Rogers’ birth – I will be a volunteer at the evening’s KCTS Telethon! Remember watching those when you were growing up? My personal favorite was Anne of Green Gables. And I remember that as I watched there would be periodic breaks where announcers would come on begging for pledges to help continue to support educational broadcasting, with tons of people on phones sitting in the background. As a child, this meant “snacktime!” But for tonight, I will be one of those “people on phones sitting in the background.” Oh how my life has changed since age 7.

So even if you’re not interested in watching the Osmonds 50th Anniversary Reunion or Andre Rieu: In Wonderland, flip to channel 9 this evening if for nothing else than to point and laugh at little ol’ me. At some point during my shift, a spokesperson for Relay For Life will be interviewed on-air to give viewers an opportunity to learn more about our efforts (the main reason why I am volunteering). And hey, give your support to public television, especially if it was a huge part of your life growing up, like it was for me.

Relay For Life

When I was in high school, my granddad got lung cancer. He underwent major surgery that took him almost a year to recover from. The diagnosis – it was already too late. The cancer had spread to the rest of his body and he had developed a tumor in his brain, which was what eventually killed him. He underwent months of hospice care at his home. We had never been close, and I only visited once, toward the end. By that time he was so out of it that I got freaked out and wasn’t able to force myself to go near the huge hospital bed that had overtaken his bedroom, which I had never been in before. I still feel guilty.

A few years later, my aunt Kathe started having seizures. She was soon after diagnosed with brain cancer. My mom and her sisters drove over the mountains to Eastern Washington to visit her several times. I was busy with college and was never able to make a trip work out. I didn’t realize that in less than a year she would be gone. One weekend that summer my mom had promised to come up to Bellingham to help me move, instead of taking another trip to Eastern Washington to visit her sister. My aunt Kathe died that weekend. I wasn’t able to fly back from Hawaii for her funeral. I still feel guilty.

More than 1.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year. These are staggering statistics, but there is hope. Each of us can do something to save lives and help those already fighting the disease. In an attempt to alleviate the guilt that still sometimes consumes me, this year I have formed a Relay For Life team.

Relay For Life is 24-hour event that brings communities together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early.

I’m sure many of you have already received emails from me about Relay For Life, but I had to include the info here too. I want to invite everyone to join me in this fight against cancer by either becoming a relay participant or making a donation.

Click here to be connected to the main page, where you can make an easy online donation. You can either search for me by name or search for my team: Swift Walkers For A Swift Cure. I really appreciate your support, and you will make a real difference in the lives of people facing cancer and in the lives of the people who love them.

Thank you!

I Am The Champion, My Friends

Even though I've been in a bowling league for quite a few seasons now, it's pretty well-known that I'm not a phenomenal bowler, usually scoring around 120 per game or less. Well I've come to the conclusion that the stress of competition is really cramping my style. Because when I went bowling with some friends last night for fun to celebrate V-day, I bowled the absolute best game of my life! Six strikes total in one game and FIVE IN A ROW toward the end for a total score of 187!! I have no idea how I was doing it, but it was pretty darn exciting. Now if only I could translate my newly-found skills to the Sunday night Lucky Strikes games.

Snow Bunny

Snowboarding this season has so far been everything I dreamed it would be and more. I went to Alpental with Stewart, his friend Drew, and Drew’s girlfriend Laura for my first time up. Luckily Laura and I are pretty much on the same skill level, so we were able to spend the day together practicing on the green runs, and even went on a couple blue ones toward the end of the day. The boys came down from the black diamonds every once in a while.

A couple weeks later I met my friend Christi at Sonqualmie’s Summit Central, where Stewart was working Ski Patrol for the day. Christi dropped her son off at ski school and we were free to spend the rest of the day boarding. Once again we were at about the same level and so after a warm up on the green runs we headed over to the Central Express chair. We spent the rest of the day going up and down the blue runs and I was really starting to get my toe side down.

Then this past weekend I headed up to Steven’s Pass with my friends Tara, Winston, Carolina and Jeanna. Since Carolina had never gone snowboarding before she spent the majority of the day in a private lesson while the rest of us hit the slopes. I’m still working on my toe side and in all honesty I think the only problem is I’m too hesitant. If I could just suck it up I think I could get it down.

I’m hoping to continue to go up snowboarding at every opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to our three-day trip to White Pass next month. Hopefully by then I will be doing backflips over Stewart.

Girl Power Hour

Last night Jeanna and I decided to attend Girl Power Hour, which is a monthly social networking experience for young professional women in Seattle. The event was supposed to be a “stylishly inviting environment conducive to meeting other cool women, sharing ideas, inspiring each other and connecting on a personal or business level, over cocktails.” The goal is “to get like-minded women together in a comfortable environment that facilitates relationship building in a non-threatening way, allowing socializing and networking to occur naturally.” Sounded like a pretty sweet deal to me. I loved the idea of an opportunity to meet other fabulous ladies in a situation where they would be no men to complication the experience or create pressure / competitiveness. I convinced my co-worker, Joni, to come along and check it out.

Held at Solo, the same location of Jeanna’s birthday party, we arrived in style to red carpet – fancy! The tables contained tasty little pink cupcakes and appetizers, and the bar provided fantastic drink specials for the ladies. After sipping our cocktails and socializing for a while, the co-founders of Girl Power Hour, Darnell Sue and Samantha Lawton, got up and talked about one of the evening’s sponsors: Women of Purpose. At a table in the corner the organization was selling beautiful, hand-crafted necklaces made especially for the event, and they had come directly from women in Thailand. By purchasing a necklace the proceeds would go directly back to those women – pretty awesome. (I would have bought a necklace but by the time I got there they had all been snagged, bummer).

Afterward, author Rebecca Agiewich talked about her book, Breakup Babe (also available at the event), and read some funny excerpts about her cheating boyfriend, which I’m sure everyone could relate to in some way or another. The night ended with some killer door prizes and I actually met some very nice women before the night was over. We left with a swanky bag full of goodies that was more than worth the $10 cover charge.

I definitely plan on attending the next Girl Power Hour (they occur on the third Thursday of each month). Let me know if you want to come and partake in what the girls call “changing the social norms of run-of-the-mill women’s networking groups.” Bottom line: cocktails make any get-together more fun.

5th Grade Rejects

So this fall I finally realized my earlier dream of paying on an Underdog Sports League kickball team. I connected with my friend Hannah, who I knew had played on a kickball team before, and we organized some mutual friends into a team. After much deliberation we landed on the name “5th Grade Rejects” in honor of our elementary school days.

The first game was awesome! We won by two runs and I couldn’t believe how much fun I had! I used to hate kickball when I was a kid and always dreaded when my turn came to kick, but playing as an adult is so much better! First of all, you can drink beer in the dugout. Second, the entire team gets to wear matching, lime green shirts, which is obviously super rad. And finally, it’s just entirely entertaining to see how competitive people get about kickball! I personally prefer to play in the outfield and hope that if someone kicks a fly ball one of the guys playing a position near me will run over and catch it. But kicking is much more fun, because girls get to bunt, which means if you do it correctly you are almost guaranteed to get on base. And I actually scored a run the first game!

Unfortunately, our success in game one was not carried over into the rest of the season. We ended up with only two regular season wins and four losses, which somehow still put us into the semi finals, and due to the other team forfeiting halfway through the game, we made it to the finals! Where we inevitably lost 2 to 10. Oh well though – sheesh it’s just kickball! The entire season was great and I always looked forward to heading out to the fields at Greenlake after work. Our only problem was that even though our Facebook page boasted 18 members we always seemed to have a problem scrounging up enough players each week. But they players who did show up regularly often went to Leny’s Tavern after the games for beers, so I got to make some new friends and hopefully I became super popular, just like elementary school! (Of course without the poofy bangs and stretch pants).

Stick it in the Hole

Well, our team officially placed 16^th out of 20 in our summer Drinks on the Links mini golf league. This obviously doesn’t sound too impressive, but considering the fact that I think we were the only team that never cheated, I think we may have done relatively well. In any event, the league was super fun, and I even managed to get a hole in one!

Stick it in the Hole is always up to par on the intercourse. I’ve really enjoyed my Tuesday nights at Interbay Golf Course, although I wish the weather would have been better. Playing 18 holes while sipping beers on the course is definitely much more enjoyable in the sunshine. The only other downfall? That whole having to pee in the bushes thing. Classy.

Let's Kick It

Since my wedding mania is almost over, I’ve decided that I definitely need something new to occupy my time. Enter Underdog Sports League. I’ve become convinced that this organization is the best thing Seattle has ever experienced. It was started with concept of providing laid back leagues for everyday players – everyday Underdogs who want to play a game, meet some people, and then go talk about the game afterward at a local bar. Sweet.

I’ve already been on three Underdog Bowling Leagues and had a fantastic time on each. But this summer Jeanna and I decided to branch out a bit, and today we took the plunge… signing up as individual players on a Kickball League! Welcome back to fifth grade, I am so excited! The description of Underdog Kickball on the Web site is absolutely brilliant – this is my kind of sports league.

This great playground pastime is now back for adults 21 and older to enjoy. We at Underdog Kickball encourage rivalries, cheering and general fun; Remember, it’s just kickball, and you can’t really get that worked up or mad about anything… it’s just kickball. The idea behind kickball – past and present – is to have fun first, win second. And… the upside of kickball for grown-ups is the chance to go to a local sponsor bar after the game, socialize and hang out.

Signs that you are probably an Underdog:

• You spend more time coming up with nicknames for your teammates than coming up with plays to run.
• Your pre-game preparation consists of remembering where you left your glove and cleats.
• You remember half the lines from Office Space and Caddy Shack but often forget what your team record is.

Love it. Let’s kick it.

Also to follow this summer: Drinks on the Links Mini Golf.

Underdogs

The Lucky Strikes really rocked it this week! Bowling is my new all time favorite activity. At least for Wednesday nights, that is.

With RT and David replacing two of our male players from last season, this league has turned out to be pretty fantastic! I’ve actually gotten pretty good, and last night I bowled a 135, which I think is my top score ever! The guys are all really good bowlers as well, and our games last night actually managed to bump us up in the ranking, and we are tied for second place in the league – this means next week = Bowling Finals!

I can’t really explain to you why I find bowling so entertaining. Perhaps it’s the fact that we can place Dance, Dance Revolution every night while waiting for league play to begin. And the cheap, warm beers. And the awesome t-shirts Jeanna designed. And the non-strenuous athletic activity. And of course gossiping with Je and Vanessa. All while cheering on our teammates in unnecessarily loud screaming voices.

Since our bowling league starts so late this season (9 p.m.) I often get home from work, eat dinner and am almost asleep on the couch before I drag myself up and out the door to Ballard. I’ve been tempted to bail out a number of times, but have never done it. And good thing, too, because I always manage to have an absolutely great time at Sunset Bowl every Wednesday. I never end up pouring myself into bed until at least 1:30, but it’s all worth it.

Go Lucky Strikes!

11/9/06 Update: The finals didn't go as well as we'd hoped, but we still did ok. Second place, which in reality is first loser, but I'm trying to stay optimistic. Jeanna was out due to a spastic back problem, so Vaness and I had to carry the girls side of the team on our own. The first game went really well, which bumped us from the semi-finals into the finals. But as the last game began and we tried to compete for the win, we knew it was pretty much over from the start. I don't know if it was the pressure of the competition or what, but every single person on our team played his or her worst game ever! It was completely ironic, and we all finished up a little frustrated and annoyed. Overall though, it was a great season, and we collectively agreed that the Lucky Strikes will join the winter league when it starts. And this time, we're going to win!

Leyl Al Arab

This Saturday I had a random start to my night. Jeanna, Larisa, Vanessa and I attended a performance of Middle Eastern dance. Random, I know.

Most people will remember that the four of us take belly dancing classes on Monday nights at the YMCA. Our teacher, Katia Sahar, is an amazing dancer and was performing Saturday at Enat Ethiopian Restaurant in Northgate. To show our support, we decided to show up, pay our five bucks and have dinner while watching the show.

I’ve never been to an Ethiopian restaurant before, and I have to say eating dinner there was an experience in itself. Dumbfounded, I looked at the menu and didn’t see a single recognizable item. I decided to go out on a limb and split the combination platter with Jeanna; at least I would get a taste of several authentic foods all at once.

It was by far the strangest meal I’ve ever had. When the steaming platter of food arrived, it was covered with many small piles of pureed meats and vegetables. I looked around for my fork to try a tiny bite of the yellow stuff, and realized that silverware was not an option. We were instead expected to eat finger foot style, tearing off pieces of gray, dough-like bread and using them to scoop up mouthfuls of the strange-tasting food.

Not so daring in her order, Larisa had requested a small bowl of lentils. She then made the mistake of asking for a spoon to eat them with. The waitress scoffed and reprimanded her with a stern shake of the head before stalking away. Apparently in this sort of place you’re just supposed to go with the flow – asking for a little something extra seemed to be strictly off-limits. As Larisa stealthily grabbed the tiny spoon out of the sugar bowl and began to eat with it, I was sure we were going to be kicked out immediately.

About halfway through our meal the performance began. If you’ve never seen true belly dancing before, it’s quite an experience. It was hard to understand how these women could gyrate their hips while following complicated steps, smiling and seductively waving their arms at the same time. I don’t think we’ve quite gotten to that in our class yet: I’m still working on my shimmy.

Although the food was tolerable, I don’t think I would go out of my way to eat it again. About halfway through the performance we collectively agreed that our stomachs were churning and rocking to the music. However, the dancers were highly entertaining, and I think Katia was surprised and pleased that we had shown up. Overall, I think it was a great start to the evening.

To be continued…

Organized Activities

So last night I went to the second meeting of my book club, which I still find very entertaining. We are discussing Nuala O-Faolain’s My Dream of You, which is about a middle aged woman travel writer who has been estranged from her family and native Ireland since she was young. But the death of a close friend prompts her to return to her homeland to make peace with her family and research a 150-year-old mystery. I know – YAWN!

But surprisingly, our book club meetings are lively and fun! I think this is mostly because the main character in the book sleeps with almost every man she comes across throughout her life, and this has often become the dominating topic of conversation at our little meetings. I was shocked and appalled when an old woman from my department who I barely know blurted without shame: “Well, as a reformed slut myself, I can understand where she’s coming from.” Thanks, but TMI.

And speaking of this particular book clubber, I just have to say something about the only drawback of our meetings. She always chooses to sit next to me. Which is fine. But if you’re going to wear sandals in a closed-in space filled with lots of people, please wash your feet. I honestly tried not to gag like three times, and the visual image was not any better, with her long, gnarled, discolored toenails. And on top of that, the room had no open windows, so as the temperature rose it quickly became apparent that she did not believe in foot fungus medication or antiperspirant. I had to get up and “use the bathroom” just for a breath of fresh air!

Anyway, I feel a little bit smarter today, even though I didn’t finish the book, which I plan on reading this afternoon at work while I have nothing better to do.

In other news, if I don’t get some sleep soon I think it’s quite possible that I may kill myself. I have no idea what’s up with my brain, but it is refusing to cooperate and enter that lovely world of REM sleep. Every night I have nightmare after nightmare about my ex boyfriend, and I wake up almost every hour crying, sweating and gasping for air. It totally sucks, as you can imagine. Now I must admit that I have had a couple more “pleasurable” dreams, but these have been few and far between and in no way make up for the night terrors. I am a walking zombie (I actually bumped into the frame of my bathroom door this morning) and I think I’m getting sick, too – NOT good, considering the weekend of camping and drinking I have planned.

Maybe I’ll try to nap underneath my desk this afternoon. I really don’t think anyone would notice…

Shake it like a Polaroid Picture

I'm one of those nerdy people who enjoy joining organized activities, from bowling leagues to book clubs, and last night I began yet another fabulous class – Belly Dancing! While learning the art of Middle Eastern Dance has never been high on my list of priorities, I just couldn’t say no when Jeanna invited me to join her, Vanessa and Larisa at the YMCA on Monday nights. And since Larisa works at the Y, the classes are conveniently free, so what the hell.

Belly dancing is all about the female body; from building confidence to helping maintain a level of fitness that even improves things like pregnancy and child birth. This became immediately obvious to us when the instruction walked (no, waddled) in, roughly seven months pregnant! Although I can’t imagine trying to belly dance while carrying around that much extra weight, we immediately forgot about her pregnancy as she began the class.

I was pretty nervous about looking like a complete idiot in a room full of people who have been dancing for months or even years, but the instructor started with the basics. She taught us the proper posture, and we did some light warm ups. Then the fun really began, as we walked – toe, heel, toe, heel – in a circle while raising and lowering our arms and presenting our energy to the sky. Seriously. Apparently belly dancing is all about energy, which must enter through your pelvis and then explode out of your chest. This allows your inner goddess to be free (or something).

The class was really fun, but about halfway through I was convinced I was doing something wrong. Although I tried to follow the instructor as closely as possible, I never really felt like I was getting any sort of a workout. The woman in front of me, however, was literally dripping with sweat. Maybe she just took the class more seriously. I mean, she did have a skirt lined with traditional bells, and the front two inches of it could not be seen, due to her belly sagging down. I’ll have to work on that. Perhaps beer will help.

The last 20 minutes of the class were the most fun. We got to listen to some lively Middle Eastern music while we learned the basic steps to a dance. Most importantly, the instructor taught us the importance of breathing, and sound. We were supposed to grunt and moan with the music while presenting our energy to the sun, collapsing back in on ourselves, and shaking our hips. I’m pretty sure any guy who walked in the room would have spontaneously combusted to see all those women wiggling around while grunting and moaning.

After the class we went back to Vanessa’s house to make a healthy South Beach approved dinner, which was actually really good! It’s pretty easy to trick yourself into thinking that pureed cauliflower with imitation butter spray is real mashed potatoes! Overall, I was pretty happy with my first belly dancing experience, and will be coming back next week for sure. My only hope is that this activity will help reduce my belly, and not enhance it…