I've been busy.  Since I last wrote, I found employment as an administrative staff member at a local marketing company.  On top of that, I went to visit my family down near Columbus one weekend, we had a group of friends in town another weekend, and David and I took a joint private dance lesson from Mike "the Girl" Legett and Dan Rosenthal.  Also, this coming weekend we are attending Mile High Blues in Denver.

The job is going well.  The people I work with are really fun and the office is very open and surrounded by windows, so there's lots of sunlight.  I feel pretty comfortable with my work; it's similar to my last job in a lot of ways, and I'm getting a fair hand on the parts that are new and different.

Visiting my family was really nice.  I went down to volunteer for Rick and Rose's Destination Imagination competition. DI is a creative problem-solving competition that helps kids develop skills in creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and project management.  Rick's team placed first in their division, and will be going on to the state tournament next month.

Elizabeth also volunteered for the tournament (every team had to bring a volunteer).  She and I got to spend that evening back at her place where we curled up with some cups of tea and pretended for a couple of hours like we still get to live near each other.  It was so wonderful to see her; it makes me sad that we don't see each other as often now that I'm in Cleveland.

And we celebrated Rose's ninth birthday at Coco Key - the local indoor water park.  Elizabeth joined us for the party as well. The party was on Sunday night, so the girls were able to have the place mostly to themselves.  (It is so incredibly weird to realize that Rose is nine.  And Rick is nearly eleven!  When did they get to be so old?!) 

The weekend David and I hosted a group of friends who are also local-ish dancers was bucket-loads of fun. We hung out at our apartment and talked, drank, and watched movies (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Despicable Me), which is something we don't often get to do since we are typically too busy dancing. We also went to Wooster's new monthly dance, which was particularly neat for me because I went to school there (when there was no swing club and definitely no blues dancing).  Fenna also attended the dance and took some incredible pictures.

And she took photos at a dance that David and I attended in February.  

 Which brings us to David and I taking a lesson together.  It may have been the best thing that's ever happened to our dancing as a couple.  Something about the way we danced was fighting each other, and Mike and Dan worked with us both separately and together. We started out with David and I working with both Mike and Dan, and then I went with Mike and David worked with Dan.  Then we switched instructor/student pairs so that I was working with Dan and David with Mike. At the end, we came back together and worked as four again. The result is a clearer connection that is more comfortable for both of us.

I have a theory, of which I am rapidly growing more and more fond, that the key to improving your dancing is direct feedback and an open mind.  Because I am about to slam large group workshops, I want to be very clear that I am NOT saying that private lessons are necessary.  All you need is someone or someones to work with, with an open, stated understanding that constructive criticism will be given and received.  There are a lot of ways to achieve this, but I am very certain that workshop classes don't cut it.  Instructors cannot (or will not) say to a specific person that they are or are not doing something, and group criticism generally won't do the trick.  More often than not the result of a mass correction is that people who needed the criticism think they're doing it right and don't correct it and people who were doing fine start to over-correct.

BUT - if you take what you learned in said workshop and bring it to your friends with a "let's see if we're doing this right" approach, you can work through it and make sure that the move/ connection exercise/ stylization/ alignment/ whatever is turning out correctly (or at least in a way that is not uncomfortable for anyone involved).

This, then, is why David and I had such an incredible lesson.  We gave each other feedback, Mike and Dan gave us feedback (both from watching us dance and from dancing with us), and between the four of us we worked through several major issues in our dance. 

On that fabulous note, David and I are going to head out this weekend to Denver for the Mile High Blues exchange.  More words when I return.

Haircut!

I love my hair.  It's wavy and full, fabulous, and totally not under my control. I've been growing it out for seven or eight years now, and I loved the length -- right up until about three weeks ago when I just got so tired of pulling it out of my way.  It was heavy when up and everywhere when down, and I got to be so annoyed with it that I threatened to shave my head (which would have looked REALLY awful).  

Finally, I said to David, "I'm going to cut my hair short." And he said, "Ok."

"Really?  You're ok with that?  I thought you really liked my hair?"

"Yeah, I like your hair.  I'll like it short, too.  In fact, I think it'll be really cute."

Excellent.

Obviously in the "after" picture my hair is straight, which my fabulous stylist did just to help with the cutting.  It remains full and wavy -- I just don't have a photo of it yet. 

EDIT: Here it is curly.

Boston Adventures, January 2011 - Part 1

New Year's Eve, December 31, 2010

We flew into Boston a few days early so we could attend their New Year's Eve Gala. It was a lovely night of dancing to the sounds of Shawn Hershey and the Fried Bananas and guest vocalist Jan Marie, hosted by Boston Swing Central. Jan Marie, in addition to being fabulous company and a very talented dancer, has an unbelievable voice.  (I told her at dinner a few nights later that she may look like a small white girl, but it is evident from her voice that she is in fact a large black woman.) David and I got all dressed up for the occasion in black and green, but we unfortunately completely failed to get a photo of ourselves.

The evening also had a short break for some entertainment: The Harlem Hobos

The Boston Museum of Science, January 2, 2011

Saturday - New Year's Day - we spent with Grayden and Koren, who were hosting us for the night.  We hung out in their kitchen, partaking of an excellent breakfast, courtesy of Koren's housemate, Phil, and Phil's friend, Tasha.  After breakfast there was a long period of iPad fascination and chit-chat that culminated in evening plans that never happened.  Instead of exploring downtown Boston, David and I explored a hotel swimming pool and some really terrible pizza.  I highly recommend a heated swimming pool and pizza as a post-New-Year's-Eve-in-Boston activity. 

On Sunday we had brunch at Jacob Wirth, well known for their beer selection and their chowder, both of which turned out to be excellent.  

After lunch we were torn between visiting the Robotics exhibit at MIT, the Natural History Museum at Harvard, the New England Aquarium, and/or the Boston Museum of Science. It was a really tough call (yes, I know; we're geeks), and we had originally hoped to get to two of them, but a late start meant we had to pick only one.  In the end, we decided on the science museum.

We saw neat exhibits on M.C. Escher, optical illusions, the senses, light, and math.

In the first one, the reds are both the same color and the blues are both the same color.  In the second one you have to pick out the one + or O that is not like the others. If you click on the image, you should be able to view the larger image.

When you click the button on any side of this box, the shape(s) hanging on that side dip into the soap solution below and come up with bubbles in the shape. I actually didn't read what mathematical hoopla this proved or demonstrated, because I was so fascinated with the shapes the bubbles made. 

 

  

There was a lot of cool stuff in the math exhibit; even though I don't particularly care for math, the machines and demonstrations were very impressive.  David particularly enjoyed the probability illustration: balls were dropped from the center top of the box, and they fell randomly through the pegs to create a bell curve. [Quote on the probability box: "The theory of probability is nothing more than good sense confirmed by calculation."]

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

David and I visited the Cleveland Zoo.  It's December, so it was cold out, but the zoo prepares for that.  The rain forest area is in one large (and well heated) building, and they have coat racks so you don't have to haul your coat around.  And when you're ready to head into the zoo, they have a shuttle (also heated) that takes you up to the aquarium and cats building (I know! Really weird pairing).  

David took a LOT of pictures.  When we got to the zoo, I discovered that my camera battery was almost dead. So I got some shots (like this one), but David got many more. 

Sometimes, we were not entirely clear about who was on display -
the animals or us:

River otters and children

Orangutans and children

Gharial and woman (tasty snack?)

 

Something cute and small (and us, not pictured)

 

And we saw bats, of which David managed to get several very nice photos, despite the room being completely dark.

And a dwarf crocodile. He was only about three feet long, and didn't move, blink, or twitch the entire time we looked at him.  (David wanted to know if he was fake.)

 

These guys were off display for the winter, as was the entire Australia section of the zoo.  However, when we left the rain forest and headed to the aquarium/ cat building, the shuttle was no where to be found.  It was rather nice outside, despite the cold, so rather than wait, we decided to walk.  On the way, we encountered the kangaroos' winter home. Two were outside when we came upon the building, and while we stood, a couple more went in and out. They looked very cold, though.

 Just as we were getting ready to continue on, along came the shuttle, whose driver very kindly stopped and let us board. 

This is a prehensile-tailed porcupine.  At first we just saw two sleeping, but then a third came up and started running all around the trees. They have an enormous nose.  It's a little hard to see in the picture, but it's that large pink spot at the end of his face.  (It looks really fake.)

And cute turtles.  There was a large section in the rain forest with turtles and frogs for a very long time.  They were all cute, but they just didn't differ that much from each other. 

The ant eater seemed bored.  Unlike the otters and the orangutans, he had no interest in us, and just wanted back through his door.  So he paced back and forth.  It was very sad. 

This is a spiffy pink bird that pretended like I didn't bother it.  We looked at each other, and then I casually strolled up to the railing and we chilled for awhile.  He kept looking at me and shuffling his feet like he wasn't sure if he should come closer or move away. 

And then there were the R.O.U.S.es.  I don't actually remember how 

the zoo had this guy labelled, but really, could he be anything other than 

a Rodent of Unusual Size?

 

And we couldn't quite figure out what kind of animal was in this cage, 

or why it had so little room.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or *insert holiday of choice*)! And I hope you have a fabulous New Years Eve! We'll be in Boston for New Year's and for an exchange the weekend after.

Settling In

We're getting well settled in.  David's apartment was decorated very nicely, in a neutral-tone, clean lines, somewhat (but not excessively) modern style.  He's very techie, and consequently he has plenty of  equipment.  This meant that there was room for me to move in with my style, and I feel like we've meshed them pretty well, with bits of color (me) here and there, filling in around the neutral base (David). 

For my sewing, crafting, and other workspace needs, I am allotted a closet for storage and sufficient room for my desk in the den.  The closet is awesome.  It's a little crowded, but in a comfortable sort of way, and I had the brilliant notion to separate my fabric by color in a couple of those hanging shoe racks, which not only fits much better than a giant tub; it also makes the fabric much more accessible.  Plus, the wall is covered in hooks (there are 5 - FIVE! - hooks in the closet), so I have lots of hanging space.  

As for the desk space, I've taken the doors off my desk, which makes it a little more accessible, but it looks not so chic.  To help with that, we purchased a large square basket (the size of the crate which is in the picture) to hold my fabric scraps.  It looks much nicer.  The teddy bear lamp (a relic from my childhood) is something I worried a little about David accepting, especially since it's right near his desk.  But it's situated in such a way that he gets a lot of the light from it, and although he objects (slightly) to the form, he loves the effect.  I've used my desk now a couple of times to work on my computer, and I'm pleased with the set-up thus far.  The real test will come in the next couple of days as I use the space to get some sewing done for Christmas.  

 

I also come with plants.  I like plants. I feel that they liven up a space considerably, and without a plant, a room looks rather dead.  David's reaction to the first plant was enthusiastic. He had a very large aloe already, and he seemed to think it was neat that I had a plant, too.  But when I brought up all my plants, his reaction went more along the lines of: "If we get any more plants, we'll be living in Fern Gully."  Which I understand to be a good thing, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to live in a tropical rain forest full of tree-hugging fairies?  We got another plant last night, anyway (an ornamental pepper for the kitchen!), so I guess we're done for.  (In addition to the window sill, which hosts four plants, there's one on in our bedroom, one on the bookshelf, and now one in our kitchen.)

I still have one non-book box to unpack, but that's today's project. The five boxes of books have to wait a little longer. Everything else is pretty much settled in. Of course, there may be a period of adjusting as we start living with the new arrangements, but so far it's working out pretty well.

We have Christmas coming up this weekend, so merry Christmas or happy holidays to everyone, and safe travels, if you're going anywhere.  

Moving!!

I've moved to Cleveland!  Saturday was moving day. I packed up boxes and bags and containers for a week, and Jack, my incredibly awesome brother, helped me cart it all up to David's - now OUR - place.  

David already has quite a bit of furniture, so I only brought my desk (I have to have a place to sew!), my beat-up old red chair (and a place to read!), and a bookcase (and a place for the books!). 

Despite the lack of furniture, I have books, crafting supplies, sewing supplies, a cat, and all of my "normal" stuff (clothes, toiletries, computer, etc.), so there was still quite a bit of hauling to do.  I had taken a little up on previous trips, and I'll wait to take a few things at Christmas and the second week of January - when I come back to pick up Ginger, but the big move has happened.

 

Now the hard part - finding space for everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving weekend! I am in the process of writing a post for our trip to Seattle which you can expect to come out in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I hope everyone can find something to be thankful for and that everyone has their fill of Turkey Day feasting.

David and I are splitting the holiday, joining his parents yesterday and mine tomorrow. I am pleased to report that our visit with his family (a.k.a. the meeting of the parents) went fabulously.

In the spirit of the holiday, things for which I am thankful include, in no particular order: my family, David, Renata, Elizabeth, the cup of coffee that is getting me through today, my impending move and the ensuing adventures which the move represents, my library, my cat, the incredibly fluffy blanket purchased in Seattle in which I am currently wrapped, and the sunlight streaming in through the window.

I would love to hear what you are thankful for right now - please make use of the comments section to share!

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear (and a Halloween Dance...)

We danced in DC this past weekend.  David and I drove to DC on Friday night and attended Saturday's Halloween swing dance at Glen Echo Park, and the blues dance at Du Shor dance studio.  And it was fun. The attendance was a little lower than expected, and we didn't pull together much in the way of costumes (David had a vague pirate theme and I wore a t-shirt with a skeleton), but it was a good end to an excellent day.

Because although we danced in DC, we went for the Rally.  That's right.  David and I were 2 of the 215,000-odd people that attended the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on October 30, 2010.

While initially we planned to go into the thick of it and attend the Rally from within the crowd on the National Mall, the sheer, overwhelming size of the crowd made it insane to stay there, and we wandered the edge of the crowd until we found ourselves at the back of the stage, between the stage and the Capitol Building.  After wandering a bit more, we discovered the media tent. From the entrance to the tent we watched a live feed of the stage and heard every word and saw everything that happened.

 Most of the show was comedy: a battle between Stewart, promoting sanity, and Colbert, arguing for fear.  There were musical numbers, costume changes, guest appearances, and outrageous props (a giant, papier-mache Stephen Colbert puppet?!)  At the end, though, Stewart spoke for ten minutes very sincerely, and what he had to say was less a political message and more an appeal to reason.  "This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or to look down our noses at the Heartland or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies."

Stewart argued that politically we need give and take, just as in our daily lives where we don't push and shove and cheat to have our way.  No matter what political view the people around us hold, we work with them to accomplish those things in our daily lives that we need to accomplish (such as merging on the highway).  "Because we know, instinctively as a people, that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness.  And  sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the Promised Land - sometimes, it's just New Jersey. But we do it anyway. Together."

He also took time to criticize the mainstream media's habit of blowing everything out of proportion, calling the media "the country's 24-hour, politico-pundit, perpetual-panic conflictinator."  He doesn't blame the media for our country's problems; he says they've skewed our focus because they've become misguided: "The press can hold it's magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or, they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire. And then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected, dangerous, flaming ant epidemic.  If we amplify everything; we hear nothing."

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity
www.comedycentral.com
Rally to Restore Sainty and/or Fear The Daily Show The Colbert Report

FEAR!!!

Elizabeth's Wedding and Not Going to Baltimore

So David and I were supposed to have driven down to Baltimore, Maryland, Friday afternoon to attend Hi-De-Hon, a lindy exchange weekend. But as it turned out, I needed a weekend off and David had plenty of work that needed to be done, so we decided not to drive to Baltimore.  Instead we are in Cleveland, taking a weekend of not doing much.  David's working a couple of hours each day, and I'm reading and tooling around online while he works, and we're enjoying not doing much else.

The reason for the weekend off is that the last two weeks were VERY full.  We went to New York for Blues Blaze, which, as I've mentioned before, was a little chaotic, and then I was sick for three days, and then Elizabeth Kerr got married last weekend.

Elizabeth and I have known each other since the fifth grade, and we've been close friends since early high school.  (There was a rough period in college when we both needed some space, but we made it through that.)  When Elizabeth and Paul announced their engagement it didn't come as a surprise to me or to any of their close friends or family.  They have a strong, playful relationship; it is a joy to be with them, and I am so honored to have been involved in their wedding.  Because Elizabeth and I have been sewing together for as long as we have been friends, she asked me to help make her wedding gown.  After a handful of very long evenings and days, we completed the most complicated and beautiful project either of us has ever worked on.  An incredible garment in it's own right, the dress looked even more spectacular on the bride, and (a triumph!) she professes to have been comfortable in it all day.

Elizabeth and Paul at the costume-prop photo booth.

In addition to helping with the dress, I got to be part of the weekend festivities: the bachelorette, the set up and decorating, the rehearsal, and the day-of preparations.  I read a beautiful piece that Elizabeth selected from The Little Prince in her ceremony, which was short and sweet and made me cry. Elizabeth and Paul decided on ribs and perogies for their wedding dinner, and they and her family prepared all of the food themselves (Paul prepares some seriously incredible ribs.)  Instead of cake, they elected to have pie served, and Elizabeth's aunt made most of the pies. When I asked how the pies were to be served, Elizabeth told me that they wanted pies put on the tables, and if folks wanted a kind of pie that wasn't at their table, she and Paul wanted them to get up and find the kind they liked at someone else's table and to meet the folks at that table (this was announced when the pies were served).  Everyone seemed to really enjoy the wedding - there were a lot of smiles, and it was a very relaxed, casual atmosphere.

I love that Elizabeth and Paul achieved a traditional wedding that was fun, comfortable for everyone involved, and low-stress and low-budget.  They chose to not subscribe to the big, flashy, expensive wedding that the wedding industry markets as "every girl's dream wedding" (which in reality is an unattainable, stress-inducing, way over-priced nightmare - and come on, who wants that?)  So kudos to Elizabeth and Paul on the wedding, and many blessings on their marriage.