Savoy Ballroom Field Trip
So, I've been keeping up with Lindy Hop lessons and in the interest of nurturing that interest I decided to take a trip to Harlem to visit the site of the Savoy Ballroom, where it all started (I'm in New York City for a work trip, I didn't fly up here just to see the site although don't put something like that past me).

Chick Webb "the daddy of them all"


Me pretending to do the Charleston but really just holding the pose. You can probably tell.

I am trying to imitate the woman on the plaque. I am not dancing with anyone else though. You can probably tell.

Boo

This would have been funnier had there been more than two arms and legs but alas it was just me. You can probably tell.

It was a fun excursion. I have some "live action" videos I hope to post.

I've been to the Waffle House two times in the 2+ years I've been in North Carolina. Here's the funny thing. The first time I went, it was prom night in Durham and the couples who weren't makin' out were at the Waffle House. The second time I went, almost a year later, it was prom night again. Next time I have a formal occasion, waffles it is.

I enjoyed the Big Boss Brewery tour almost as much as I enjoyed the Bull's game last night.

Opening Day. Durham Bulls. Oh, what a night.
Especially those firecrackers.

Got a voice-mail from my NYC pal of 301 Cathedral Parkway fame, Adam Brown.
It made me chuckle.

"Been a little discombobulated. Baby number two came. Yeah - a couple week ago and so not getting much sleep."

"Cute. He looks just like me so he’s a beautiful kid."

Congrats. From Adam's Animal Kingdom to Adam's family. The roommates that came and went through that spare bedroom. Myself included.

Also, today or yesterday is Adam's birthday so Happy Birthday Mr. Brown.

Stay classic.

Someone said I looked middle aged and angry in my hairdo picture.
It might not be up too much longer if I start to believe it.

A little trim for the warmer weather.

Happy Birthday Papene Nana.
I miss you.
Mom does too.
But not the weeping willow that you killed with nails and a hammer.
I think of you every time I vacuum.
Bacis Nonna.

Swapped

Hosted my first ever clothing swap.

It felt like shoplifting. Really. You try on clothing that's not yours and if you like it you take it.

I ended up with some goodies, gave some away. My top two "takes" were a black and pink polka dot dress as well as a pair of hot green pants I'm dying for an opportunity to wear.

We were going for a Nordstrom vibe (piano music) but if you look at my apartment and the staging of the clothes (How obvious is it that I've worked in retail when I write "the staging of the clothes"?) it looked more like Filene's Basement on Black Friday. I think my couch is underneath all those clothes.

Today's Numbers
55 and 40.

Rain.

There's always an upside. The river is back on.
This is on the evening news.

Champions by Default. We'll take it.

In addition to the basketball team, McKinney also formed a Dodgeball team - "The After School Specials" and I was slated to play on the team.

Unfortunately the Durham Parks & Rec organization cancelled the Spring League.

But, here's the best part:

Since we were the only team in the Durham League, this made us immediate Conference Champions. Exciting, I know. As a celebration, we will be going out and getting "ridiculous" (terminology decided upon by Michelle and Joel from an earlier conversation). And to make the celebration appropriate, we will wear our team shirts (pictured below).

Love it.

"Finally, I'm Mrs. You."
-Cossette from Les Miserables on her wedding day. Hands down, the funniest line in the five hour movie I just finished watching.

More Daily Numbers.

Maybe I will title all my blog posts with number that start the story.

22: miles I biked
42: Degrees

In the rain.

Now, how is it, that on Friday it was 80 degrees and North Carolina remains in a severe drought and on Saturday, when I decide to ride, it's half the temp and there's a downpour? Why, why, why?

For the second Saturday, I decided to join some GSK et al road bikers for a training ride.

I always overdress (by that I mean I dress too warmly, not glamorously) for riding and end up stripping and carrying most of my clothes. I forget how hard my body works and how quickly I warm up. So, when I'm preparing for this morning's ride and it's a touch chilly methinks "Not falling for that again" and I dress lightly.


Ride starts at 9:30. Mile 6, it starts to rain. It's heavy rain and we think to ourselves "This can't last too long" so we pass our opportunity to make this a short ride and continue on. This is what is meant by "past the point of no return."

We continue on. So does the rain. It becomes increasingly unpleasant. Have you ever been passed by a 18 wheel truck on the highway on a rainy day and been sprayed? Recall that I am on a hybrid and everyone else is on road bikes so effectively, I am the 18 wheeler passing and spraying them. And I don't know these people very well.
Hmm. Persona non grata? This is the second time this week I've felt like an 18 wheel truck (the first time was out dancing but that really is another story).

I don't mind being wet. I don't like being cold. But, I really can't stand being cold and wet and around mile 16 I am very cold and very wet. My hands especially. Fingers so cold that I'm switching gears with the back of my soggy hand if I bother to shift gears at all.

When I come home after the ride I proceed directly to bed. Under down comforter. In my wet spandex. Shivering. Somewhere, I find the movitation to get out of bed, remove wet clothes and turn heat up to 80. Back in bed. And then I'm sweltering, but somehow still cold. I take a hot shower, then a bath, then another shower.

I do finally warm up. And then I'm off to the mall.

None of this, however, stopped me from snapping a photo in the parking lot. It's times like this that I feel like I'm at risk for being one of those parents who won't put the camcorder down even if their child is in some of precarious situation because they are so preoccupied by making the recording. Which reminds me about a family video of me slipping into the deep end of the pool at a family party. My Uncle Frank grabbed me out immediately somehow this is all on tape. Thanks Dad.

While I don't think I'll forget the feeling of being chilled to the bone (which is different from being cold), I'm glad I was still smiling. On the outside.

Random Musing at the BP
If you're paying with a credit card, why does anyone bother trying to get nice even numbers for the dollar total? Especially once the pump has made it quite clear "Tank is full" people need to eek out those extra pumps.

I tend to fall on the higher end of being precise, orderly (and at times neurotic) but this one I do not understand. You are never going experience the pennies associated with your purchase. Ever.

My girlie girl Barb (do not call her Barbie) just got promoted.
At the risk of sounding more like a Mom than a friend, I must say I am proud.

This is where we celebrated

Anderson and Barb, they look grumpy in those sunglasses. They're not.

Barb and Jamie (taken by Anderson after a few too many attempts).

I toodled on down to Raleigh afterwards. Traffic was a bit backed up around the RBC Center. Hmmm, I wondered. A hockey game? No, Barry Manilow. Oh. Dear.

Cleaning Out the Camera Phone

Bowling in Chapel Hill. I did alarmingly well. The girls bowling next to us were in short shorts. Who bowls in short shorts?

Was able to visit Princess in Seattle on the tail end of a work trip. This is Teri's pooch, Pilot. Smoochies.

Then we went skiing. And look what we found on a black diamond.

If you read this blog, or know me, you know that I love to play Taboo. I made my sister buy her very own game so that we could enjoy it together in Seattle.

I was taking all the pics so asked Teri to snap a few and maybe get me in one of them. I'm sorry, Ter, but my hair tendrils don't count. She gets tons of pics of her man and dog but forgets about sister Jamie. Loving you too, Princess. MmmBill in the mmmbackground.

Oh, I love you anyway Princess. Why we are yellow in my pics, I don't know. My camera phone was feeling creative.

Retro Blogging.

Here's a post from a friend's blog back in 2002. Came across it today and thought it was funny. And since nothing interesting has happened today (so far), I'll cut and paste from the past. Even if it reflects poorly on me.

***
Just ran into Jamie Foehl in Union Square. I stop her to say hello, and she stares blankly into my face. This is someone who I have had two separate conversations with, mind you. As thrilled as I am to discover that it is acceptable for me to stop good-looking women on the street, I am still apoplectic that there is no recognition. "I know you," she informs me after a very pregnant pause. "The Devil."

Is it possible that I am not as witty and charming as I think I am? Does my presence not enrich the lives of those to whom I deign grant an audience? Did Carly Simon not sing a song about me? Is my narcissism based on a self-absorption so shallow as to be flagrantly out of touch with reality?
...
No.
It is Jamie who is wrong.

posted by Michael Malice @ 4:24 PM
***

I think I had a fever or something and was extra out of it. I don't know. Generally, I have an alarmingly good memory.

Sunday Numbers: 42 and 43

42 - minutes it took me to do the first orienteering course
43 - minutes it took me to do the second orienteering course

Had so much fun last weekend orienteering that I did it again. This time in the company of a more experienced Orienteerer. Lots of people ran and one person did the course in 12 minutes. I wasn't up for running after yesterday's ride but we did run to the final checkpoint just so we could appear hardcore.

I actually could have worn my skirt today, weather was nice. But it wouldn't have gone with the trail shoes. Or worked well in the woods.

Numbers of the Day: 77 and 32

77 - Temperature today (disregard previous post about being too cold).
32 - miles I biked. On a hybrid bike.

With a team of road bikers with clip shoes. I had sneakers and toe cages.

I kept up through mile 26. Then, I was a slow, slow poke.

When I returned to the start I stopped the bike, released one foot, tried to release the other but my whole leg kind of gave out on me and I couldn't get out of the cage and I totally fell over. In front of my fellow bikers (good thing I already had their admiration for keeping up). It was one of those moments where I knew I was going to fall and there was nothing I could do about it except grin. And that's exactly what I did.

During the ride I was having that terrific feeling of "If I were to be doing anything right now, it would be this." I guess that's called satisfaction.

I am smelly, sticky, and hurting.

It was awesome.

Three months ago I bought a skirt at Anthropologie that I immediately dubbed my Easter skirt. It was baby blue and white, with flowers and pink and yellow. Very spring. The problem is I didn't realize that Easter would be in March and it's still really cold (by my wussy Southeast standards). So, maybe this will just have to be my summer wedding skirt.

Should I be concerned that I'm blogging about a skirt? Am I more bored than I realize?

Not a Good Friday.

Lovely spring weather today. And I took advantage of it. Went to Umstead State Park and went orienteering. They had Easter candy at some of the checkpoints - what motivation! I really enjoyed the experience - it was like a walk in the woods with a purpose.

And when you're done, you get a receipt (record of your times). Oh yeah, and I learned how to use a compass, which I probably already knew how to do at one point in time (Ahem, 13 years of summer camp).

And got to use my old whistle from the lifeguarding days (well, I actually didn't use it because I didn't get lost, but I had it with me).

Didn't take any pictures along the way, but here's some of the evidence on my kitchen table.


UPDATE: I didn't take any pictures. But a Garmin GPS did. And here's the route. Can you spot the wrong turn?

To heck with the ACC, I'm all about the Chicklets.

Yes, this weekend the Triange felt like a dead town (even moreso than usual) because everyone was watching the ACC. And it rained, which tends to keep folks inside sometimes.

But not Jamie. I went out and cheered for the Chicklets - the McKinney B'ball team (named after Chick McKinney, founder of the shop).

They had an undefeated record and played for the Championship.

And sadly, lost. Mostly due to the absence of players. One of them was getting married, which I guess is excuse enough not to come on out and play.

So, here's the question of the night.
What time are my shows on MST?
It's not really obvious when you think about it.

I took a sunbath at the spa. There was snow.

View into Tamiscape.

Vanessa and Jamie rocking it out. Woohoo. I am on the right.

I am in Denver.
There's a goldfish in my hotel room.
That's what I get for joining the loyalty program?
It's creepy.
I just called the concierge to take it away.
I can barely keep a house plant alive, the last thing I need if for this freelance goldfish to die on me.

From a fellow Tamiscaper

Funny

After lecturing me about not getting a flu shot, the doctor I saw yesterday says to me:
"So let me get this straight. 13 women in one house. And only one in 13 had gotten a flu shot?"
Me: "Yes, yes that's correct."
Doc: "And how many of you are sick now?"
Me: "Hard to say at this point."
Doc: "Well if you were really living out the male fantasy of 13 girls in one house, you'd all be sick as dogs. Now don't go sharing any spit for at least 5 days."

Heh.

From Birthdayscape to Tamiscape

I might have to recant my enthusiasm for Birthdayscape in light of the post-scape events. One of the women on the trip wasn't feeling well. It got so bad that we ended up taking her to a Dr., learned she had the flu and was so highly contagious that she couldn't fly home for five days.

When she got home from the Dr. in a face mask we whipped out the Lysol, hand-sanitizer and Emergen-C.

We soon learned it was too late.

Within days of our returns to our respective homes (Maine, NYC, Minneapolis, Portland, Boston, NC) the "I'm so sick" e-mails began. The sickies were raving about a drug called Tamiflu that seemed to stave off or shorten the illness and Birthdayscape was dubbed Tamiscape.

I went to bed a little earlier than the others, probably drank less and was hoping my more mellow ways had saved me from influenza. I thought I had avoided it.

Until Thursday, when I felt so dizzy during an all-agency I almost passed out and then ended up in urgent care with a face mask myself and my very own prescription to Tamiflu.

So, here I am. Blogging from bed.

Damnit.

A very happy Jamie

Thirteen women, one house, a foot a half of snow at Taos, sixty minutes of massage and four fantastic days in Santa Fe on my very first "Birthdayscape" adventure. I am such a happy Jamie and I can't wait to tell this story.

We actually had a designated photographer (I think there were at least 5 Art Directors so what else would you expect) and I'll flow those in as they support my tale o' fun but in the meantime, here are a few of my own.

This was fun. Really fun. It was like camp. With wine. And snow.

Where's my Garmin?

That's wine.

And this might as well have been Tuscany.

Saying Goodbye to one of the Amie's

Had the Qwest Ladies over under the guise of having a Goodbye dinner party for Ms. Amie M.

Really, I just wanted to get these gourmets over to cook for me. And I was hard up for a good game of Taboo.

Look at all the action in the Foehl kitchen.

Poof! Quinn's Pie. Wow.

Team DDB's versus Team LFB's. KQ and AM deep in thought, trying to make sense of Andrea's clues.

Hands on Hips.

Hands off Hips.

Dillon the Ref ready to Bzzzzzzz Andrea. Next game, Andrea is being drafted to Team LFB.

Dillon the Ref ready to pounce.

Gotcha!

No mercy. She goes after the Guest of Honor.

Even though it will be less confusing to have one less Amie/Amy(We've still got Jeannie/Jamie to keep us confused), Martz, we're going miss you and your three inch heels. Stay Warm in Michigan.

"Eat Drink and...Who's Mary?"

I went to an extravagant 30th Birthday Party the first week in January. I was a guest of a guest and on the way over I had to ask "Um, Who's party is this?" The birthday girl must've known it was going to be big party with friends of friends because the title of this post was also printed on the cocktail napkins.

Here I am at the cake, imagining that I'm 30. Oh wait...

Jamie’s 2008 Resolutions

(yeah, yeah, should’ve been posted on 1.1.08).

Once again, I’m going to get more personal than I’m inclined to be on a blog, but somehow sharing these goals with my readers, um reader, will help me stick to them and perhaps tie back and give meaning to some of my silly stories.

Also, this is purely organizational. If you’re the type of person who even writes down resolutions what are the chances you’re going to be able to find them a year later? I’m certainly not going to forget my URL.

The good news is that I delivered on my resolutions for 2007. It was a good year.

So, here’s 2008. Also, having turned 30 this year and all, maybe some of these are “New Decade Resolutions.”

Health

My resolution for this year is not so much about weight loss as it is about strength gain. I am very close to being able to do a pull-up so I’m going to make doing that pull up my fitness resolution. I hope to have that nailed in the first two months of the year.

Also, I have this crazy idea in the back of my head that I should get certified to be an Aerobics Instructor. There are times when I think that was my calling.

I eat like crap. Seriously, I sneak to the vending machine at work at eat packaged Rice Crispy treats. We're always celebrating something at work and I don't do well with sheet cake. At social events I pick and pick and eat without even realizing it and then I feel yicky. Sometimes I don’t eat during a “mealtime” because I’m just not hungry and I always end up eating later anyway, and it’s usually junk.

I go out to eat way too much. It’s expensive and the food just isn’t going to be as healthy as what can be prepared at home.

I’m trying really hard to plan meals and be more deliberate and aware about what I feed my body.

I’m attempting to cook but I often lack the motivation to do so.

I’m taking care of my body with exercise. Now I need to take care how I feed it.

Community

McKinney provides me with wonderful, wonderful friends. Still, there’s a bit of a yearning for a sense of community. I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to address this one but I hope that at year’s end I feel a deeper sense of connectedness with my place.

I’ve become active in the North Carolina Carleton Club. I have a dentist. I know exactly where to find the things I want at Whole Foods. I see people I know when I go out. I’m learning my way around and finding new surprises, theaters, restaurants, trails and bike rides. I found a place that can fix my Dyson vacuum. That’s all a start.

Professional

Mentors have made a huge difference in my life – professional and otherwise. I’m in a place where I can be that mentor and it makes me happy to know that in some way I’ve affected the people I work with and perhaps provided some wisdom or direction or support that was meaningful. I want to continue to do this.

I want to improve my poise. I get very energetic sometimes which makes me appear nervous (and sometimes I really am nervous and need to learn how to mask it). I want to improve my ability to articulate my thoughts cleanly (sometimes I repeat myself) without interrupting (my interrupting has something to do with my energy. I’m even interrupting my writing with all of my parentheses. I should use footnotes). I think that this, above all, will help me professionally.

But, there are some hard skills I need to continue to acquire.

Ten years ago I kept in touch with friends and family by sending letters and making phone calls (from a land line). I recorded interesting events in a journal. Now, I have a blog. In other words, we’re living in an interactive world and I’m extinct professionally if I don’t continue to learn about this.

Being in a creatively driven environment is still what makes my heart beat. A TV spot that evokes something. I am lucky to have that passion. I need to continue to seek creative outlets outside of work, because there are many ways I can get creative fulfillment.

I want to turn up my career a notch. There are many ways this could happen in 2008. I hope I have the opportunity.

Dancing

I did some East Coast Swing in college and loved it. When I moved to New York City I continued to dance all nights of the week at a club called Swing 46. Then I moved to Minnesota, got out of the habit, and when I returned to New York, Swing 46 was closed and the pals I used to dance with either moved, married, parenting, or busy.

Anytime I hear Swing music or see it on TV I get excited and say to myself “I want to do that!”

I’m off to a good start. I had a few private lessons, I’m taking a Monday night class, and I’m showing up at events here and there as I get more comfortable with my dancing skills and meet more people.

In fact, I’m supposed to be dancing at the Durham Armory tonight but the micro-layer of snow we’re having resulted in a canceled dance, so I’m home.

I had attempted to kick this one off early in December by going to a Dance Camp in Asheville (“One time, at dance camp”…There. I beat you to it). I ended up not feeling well and stayed in town. There’s another Dance Camp in Seattle on Memorial Day Weekend and I hope to attend so I can dance and see my sister.

Travel

Speaking of seeing my sister, Teri and I are planning a trek to Mt. Kilimanjaro for October 2008. There are a lot of moving parts but here’s hoping it’s another incredible life experience (In 2007, we went Southeast Asia).

I’ve flirted with the idea of living out of this country. Vacations are great, but I’ve never had the experience of living or studying or working in another country - that’s an experience worth having.

On occasion I think about the American work ethic and my own work ethic and there are times when I’ve felt if you put these two things in the same person (me) well, you end up pretty stressed and do things like checking your Treo under the table at dinner (people make fun of people like that).

I wonder what life would be like in, say, Italy, where nobody works for the whole month of August.

Stressing Out

Speaking of stressing out, I’ve got to stop letting work stress and frustrations follow me out of the office. This is crucial. Sometimes I come home so tired I end up just staying home and then I end up working more. Not good. Need to work just as smart and I do hard.

Needing to do things all the time

This may sound dumb, but sometimes I get really mired in lists and having to take care of things. I’m very good at getting stuff done but I need to get away from the list otherwise I’ll have to start putting “have fun” on the list. And that's pathetic

Like the shows on my DVR. Because they’re stored I feel like I need to watch them. I really don’t

I've got a sense of whimsy (at 4:00 pm on New Year's even I entertained the idea of driving 3 hours to watch the "pickle drop" in some random NC town).

I think it’s good that I need to be engaged and active. Consider the alternative. But I need to turn it down.

Friendships

I wrote about this in an end of the summer post but I have met many “Waukeela-like” gal pals down here and my goal in 2008 is to maintain, strengthen and initiate friendships.

Being 30 and figuring out some stuff

It’s funny. When I was in my 20’s everyone said, “Your twenties are all about working hard and you can have fun because you’re young and energetic and then you’ll be in your 30’s and you’ll want different things.”

I do feel like a different person than I was ten years ago. Had I made a list like this at 20 I know I would have checked off some key boxes.

But now, like clockwork, I’m like “Hmmm, I’m 30. How am I living my life? What do I want?” It’s changing.

I’m not in any kind of “need to get married panic” (I should be, based on the number of weddings I’ve attended).

And I’m not even sure if I want children (there are tummies and babies sprouting all over the place around me). I’m not sure you can know until you’ve got the other half.

I am at the point where I’m feeling a need for connectedness as much as I feel a need to be accomplished.

Can a woman have a family and have a kick ass career? To be honest, I’m not sure. Sometimes I joke that I want a stay at home husband. A woman should be able to “have it all” and I struggle with what that looks like and how to achieve it.

I’m in place in my life right now where I have a lot of freedom and flexibility in my choices. At times it’s empowering to know that “I can do whatever the hell I want” but at times the freedom makes me feel lonely.

The best thing I can do for myself is take advantage of the freedom – I have no mortgage, college tuitions to worry about. The only person I have to take care of is me and I oughta do a damn good job of it.

That’s all.

Jetta Got Jumped!
By a hot, brand new, black, Audi.

Or, the tale of how I spent my holiday vacation.

Actually, Jetta died. And got jumped by Dodge. And worked. For ten minutes. So,
she got another jump from Audi. And then she sputtered. And I called roadside assistance.

And the tow truck wouldn't fit in my parking garage and the Roadside Assistance guy told me I would have to push the car out of the garage. And I first I was like "Are you kidding me? Push the car?"

But then I tried. And it moved. I felt like I was on a strong man competition. It was kinda fun because the car really got going on the slopes down. And she was pure weight.

Boy oh Boy do you miss power steering when you don't have it.

Below, Jetta, and the brand new Audi that jumped her.

Doesn't it kind of look like the car ran someone over?

She's waterskiing.

Winch?

When you buy a new car here, they just drive it inside.

10 miles probably from the test race track in Germany. Das ist cool.

I'm watching 20/20. It's a special on Happiness.
Happiest place in the USA? Asheville, NC.