Monday is Grain Day

Last night marked a milestone in dancing for me. Seeking to continue dancing and keep our steps fresh and up to date, I decided to try a different teacher. For over eight years we have been taking ballroom lessons from Fred Astaire in Durham. I knew little about the dance classes at The Arts Center in Carrboro but felt it was time to discover what's what.

The Arts Center is one of the Triangle's oldest cultural centers, established before most local high schools had developed art curriculums. As a non-profit center they partner with many area schools and companies offering classes all year long.

The AC's Dance programs include tap, jazz, Latin, swing and a Lindy Hop class taught by Richard Badu. Knowing the end of the year is near and not knowing exactly what "Lindy Hop" would be, I chose to visit both the Tuesday night "Lindy" and Wednesday night's "Swing" classes. Was I surprised.

If you know East Coast swing is a six-beat rhythm and that Lindy is an eight-beat rhythm, you just figure that adding a rock-step will get you there. Not so fast. The posture, the technique and the footwork are much different. And while I know how to do many of the steps in EC swing that Badu demonstrated during the one-and-half hour class last evening - the timing is so unique that it's like starting from square one. The analogy Badu gave is that just because you know how to play the piano does not mean you can play the same song on a violin. It's a different game all together. I did observe and try a few steps by myself to see what I could, or could not, do. The good news is that I wasn't the oldest lady in the class and I wasn't the only single lady either and neither made much difference.

Tonight's Swing Class will be a different story. I hope. With a firm grounding in East Coast Swing I should be able to participate in the class. And with only two weeks of class left for December, the idea is to take January's Beginner class (Jan-Mar). Unfortunately EF cannot join me in the class as he has band practice late on Tuesdays.

The rest of this story is that I have lost one of my two pairs of Cuban-heeled practice shoes (and the flannel shoe-bag). Where did I last wear them? Who knows? I had one pair in the car and have been using them for both dancerCIZE and ballroom classes at FADS. I thought that in one of the 'swoop clean-ups' in the house, I may have put them some where and now they are hidden from view. But I have been through all the closets, checked the cars, looked in the garage. Never mind. My best solution for this state is to look for something else and I will find what I am not looking for at the moment. Only I hope this method works fast.

Second story today: Nutrition. Last month was a disaster, I gained two pounds. So nutritionist Bobbi recommended that I make one day a week "Whole Grain Day." The notion is derivative of the Duke Rice Diet but modified for a once-a-week intake of grains and fruit only. Meaning that whole grain rice, wheat berries, air-popped corn, oatmeal and fruits (preferably fresh), are the menu for the day. Since Monday is my "slow" day, that became the target day.

First week of this process I got a big surprise. I headed off to the gym to walk 30 minutes before yoga class and found my energy level SINKING fast. Barely made it home to nosh on an apple and take a nap, before zoning out for the day. Second week I was better prepared. Started off with a heaping bowl of oatmeal, wheat berries and a baked apple and then headed to yoga. OK, the energy level was low but not at ground zero and I made it through 15 minutes of walking, yoga class and a couple of errands before heading home to nap. Power napping is critical on "grain day."

The Surprise is not feeling low-and-slow on Monday. It is feeling GREAT on Tuesday! Because of the low-food intake, I slept a full NINE hours. Somehow all my energy rebounds the day after and I woke up before six o'clock, was ready and out the door before nine o'clock and at the dentist a half hour early. And this energy lasted all day, including the 6:00 p.m. Lindy class. Next week will be the Monday after Thanksgiving and I expect to detox with more fruit and keep the grains working overtime. Hope this works every week. As for my weight (?), the next weigh-in is not until November 28, so we will see what happens. Stay tuned, there's always more.
bb

End of Week 1

Friday is Molly Maid day, arriving early at 7:30 am, so I downed oatmeal quickly and headed to the UNC Wellness Center. As per P.T. April, I walked for 30 minutes, did some weight machines (3), and headed to the shower. Actually the ONLY reason I even go to the center is for the showers! They are the best.

Then off to Nutritionist Bobbi. Bummer, my weight had not changed in three weeks in spite of weights, counting fats, carbs and protein, doing yoga, Pilate's and aquacise. Double Bummer. I've been told that the process of converting fat to muscle must take place before I can expect to lose any more weight. This 'conversion' stage really sucks.

The major effort today was finding a retailer for Spanx. If you don't know Spanx, you do not watch Oprah (she will not dress up without one). Spanx is a reinvented pantie hose made to 'smooth the posterior' and eliminate the bumps. Just for the Gentleman's Wine Dinner tomorrow night did I make the effort. AND success! Dina Porter at University Mall has them, under a table and out of sight. Got the outfit, got the Spanx, got the shoes polished....next is a manicure and I am still looking at earrings. And men think women have it so easy.

Once home I started a new project. Not really new, but one I have been procrastinating about for some time: sewing a fancy, designer jacket. I have gobs of fabulous fabrics in my stash waiting to be made into something and I keep sewing patches but never finishing anything. Yesterday on the Internet, searching for 'Sewing Patterns," I found: LUTTERLOH'S PATTERN MAKING SYSTEM 'THE GOLDEN RULE'. See lutterloh.com.
Based on the Golden Mean, or Fibonacci number sequence [the Mean number of 1.618"], the system codes body sizes according to two measurements: a)bust and b)hips [applying a 'mean' guide to determine overall proportions and then gauges the shape for each pattern section. I watched a video on-screen demo and suddenly realized - I can do that! With my collection of patterns, the enlargements made from the scanner, all that is left is to take my own measurements and adjust the pattern. Lutterloh's Golden Rule works for ANYbody but I only need the proportion for ME. This afternoon with tape in hand, I measured and measured, taking notes and making diagrams. OK, I do not have a jacket yet, but Step 1 has been done. Sizing the paper pattern will be next.

Motivated by the weigh-in this morning, got in another forty minutes of walking before and during Jeopardy. Tonight was the 'Final College Championship' (a rerun). I missed the same answers that I missed the first time around (?). What do I know? But I did walk 1.5 miles in 40 minutes.

end of week one blogging. How i'm doin'? bb