It's true: This white girl can't dance

Do you have fond memories of hula hooping as a child? Letting the hoop go round and round your waist, over and over again?

Yeah, I don’t. My only memories of hula-hooping involve me desperately trying to find some kind of rhythm and constantly bending down to pick up the hula-hoop.

With all those fond hula-hooping memories, it only makes sense that my friend Alisa and I would take a dance class that involved a lot of hula-hooping! A few weeks ago, we purchased a Living Social deal for a dance studio right around the corner from house, bRisque. It was a great deal with $19 getting us five classes. We figured we’d try it out some different classes and see what we liked.

We chose a class that our friend Jean had described as low impact. Did Jean warn us that we were about to assault ourselves with hula-hoops? Hell to the no!

So, we walked into class and were warmly greeted by our instructor Issis and the other classmates. We quickly grabbed a spot in the back of the class. As we’ve previously discussed on this blog, I am rhythmically challenged in ways that can’t even be described through the written word. Issis rolled out these weighted hula-hoops nonchalantly.

Alisa looked at me with what can only be described as panic. “I can’t hula-hoop,” she whispered.

And I had to laugh. Because the way she said it indicated that she though maybe I had some hidden hula-hooping skills I was about to bust out. “Me neither, “ I assured her.

“Alright,” said Issis. “If you’ve never used a weighted hula-hoop before, I must warn you. It is going to hurt. These little ridges here will hit your abs and it hurts.”

Awesome.

Fellow white people, I have to admit that Alisa and I managed to fulfill every white person stereotype as we rocked and swayed and flopped around, trying to keep our hula-hoops up. Did I mention we were the only two white people in the class? Everyone else swished their hips as the hula-hoops rolled effortlessly around their waists.

After a good five minutes of hula hoop assault, we moved on to the dancing portion. Again, we tried our best but failed to match the instructor’s smooth moves. However, each time I looked at us in the mirror, Alisa and I were laughing hysterically. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a workout so much.

We went back to the hula-hoops. As I was concentrating on getting my hula-hoop going, I heard Alisa yelling, “Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!” She had a good 45 seconds of constant hula-hoop motion going. That’s the best two rhythmically challenged girls could ask for.

We stayed after class to talk to Issis about some of the other classes and what they entail. She was so nice and kind. We told her we have no rhythm and she kindly explained that society has a lot of stereotypes of what certain people can do and that it’s important to ignore that and find our own rhythm. I think that was the nicest way to say white girls can’t dance!

While we aren’t going to be entering hula-hooping contests anytime soon, Alisa and I had a great time. The bRisque environment is very welcoming. Even one of my fellow classmates came over to try to help me. I am sure we looked like absolute idiots, but certainly no one made us feel that way. I can’t wait to go back and try some other classes.

As far as my February beer sampling goes, I went no further than my own fridge to try a new beer this month. My friend Michelle brought me a sampling of different beers from Trader Joe’s for the Super Bowl and I had a few left over. This month’s selection was a Stockyard Oatmeal Stout. What does an Oatmeal Beer taste like? It was sort of a roasted malt and oatmeal flavor. It was also a little bitter, but a good bitter. More of a dark chocolate bitter. It was delicious. Thanks, Michelle!

Four bottles of beer on the wall and why I can't move

Well, unbelievably, the first month of 2012 is coming to a close. I can only imagine that this year is going to go by as quickly as the last. And now I officially sound like an old person!

When I said that I would be taking a class this year, I was imagining fun things like learning to shoot a gun, cooking, etc. And there is definitely still time for those things, but for the month of January, my class was a personal training class.

A friend told me about a personal trainer who works out of his home and is very reasonably priced, so I decided to sign up for a session with Nick. Beforehand, I warned Nick that I am incredibly out of shape.

I did some warming up on the elliptical machine and then got busy doing squats, lunges and weight exercises. “You certainly didn’t give yourself enough credit,” said Nick. I was only able to grunt a response.

For a half hour, he worked me over. Today, I can barely move. But hey, it was a new, bloggable experience and will hopefully help me improve my health and finally reach some of my weight loss goals. I’m down significantly, but struggling to lose anymore.

Now, on to the more important resolution of 2012: Trying new beer. Earlier this month, I visited Taco Mac to try new beers and watch some football.

Here is what I tried so far:

Abita Purple Haze, Fruit/Herbed/Spice Beer

North Coast Pranqster, Belgian Pale

Wild Blue, Fruit/Herbed/Spice Beer

Woodchuck Pear, Cider

I would have to say the Wild Blue was my favorite. It was delicious! It tasted like berries and brew, two of my favorite combinations. Do you have any beers you think I should try?

Randi resolves....

Well, unbelievably, 2012 is here.

I can’t believe that it’s been one year since I decided to begin my 2011 resolution of attending one live event a year. Over the last few months, I've been struggling to figure out what my resolution would be for 2012. I wanted to do something in the same vein as my 2011 resolution, that I enjoyed and that would be fun to write about.

I've gone back and forth with a couple of different ideas. After I went sky diving, I even considered doing an extreme sport each month. Thanks to the friend who talked me down from that one!

I really wanted to try something new, but I have also really enjoyed the live events. So, this year, I've decided to do a hybrid resolution. I will continue to attend live events every other month. On opposing months, I will take a class to learn how to do something I don’t know how to do. That should be pretty easy since there are A LOT of things that I don’t know how to do. This could range from a dance class to a gun class. The gun class is definitely at the top of my list!

There is also a third part to my New Year’s Resolution that I am pretty excited about: Beer! Anyone who knows me well knows I have never been a beer drinker. I tried it in high school, was disgusted and never really went back. Last summer, beer became quite the friend at some live events and soon I found myself eager to try different kinds. So, I recently enrolled in the Taco Mac Brewnversity, which is a customer loyalty program designed to help you try new beers. I am very excited about this adventure and am looking for friends to help me find new beers!

Thanks to my readers for following along with me this year. I hope you’ll stick with me for 2012!

A resolution in review

Almost a year ago, I decided to make New Year’s resolutions fun, instead of using them as an opportunity to be critical of myself.

It’s been an amazing year. I might not have mastered a second language or lost 50 pounds, but I spent some of the best quality time with friends a girl could imagine.

In 2011, I attended over 25 live events. (A full schedule is listed to the right) These ranged from country music concerts to plays, comedians and dancing with my friends at a piano bar. I also threw in a few Panthers games and, of course, some racing pigs. I traveled as far as Roanoke, Virginia for an event. I was lucky enough to have 17 friends to attend events with and two family members.

There are so many things that I have learned from my experiences, most of which are hard to put into words. I learned to relax and have fun. Sometimes, I even let myself dance. I realized that I have a diverse group of friends that are up for almost any kind of event I could throw their way. I came to know the value of a Groupon.

Earlier in the year, I was feeling a little down and alone. A good friend reminded me that is never the case and this year has proven it. Every month, not only have I had an awesome event to look forward to, I’ve had amazing friends with me for every one.

Thank you to everyone who helped make my resolution a success in 2011, from reading my blog to opening your wallets and attending events with me. I’ve got another fun idea for 2012 and I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

Thank you to: Kelly, Misty, Michael (my brother), Gabe, Jean, Mark, Alisa, Frank, Dan, Tasha, Cheryl, Tammy, Elizabeth, Jemi, Micah, Derek, Joey and Mom.

Celebrating the season with a special friend

I think everyone should have a friend like Cheryl. We became friends in 2005 when we worked together at the bank. Cheryl is the type of person that I can always laugh with, no matter what the circumstances. My job at the bank was less than ideal and I usually cried at least once a week. She could always make me laugh.

Cheryl's birthday is December 20. I think it is fitting that she was born so close to Christmas because she is truly a gift to everyone that knows her.

On December 2, we went to the Charlotte Youth Ballet perform the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker to celebrate her birthday and attend my final live event of the year. The Charlotte Youth Ballet cast features local and international professionals paired with talented regional students of ballet. Students of ballet from 3rd through 12th grade are invited to audition.

We headed uptown to the Dale Harton theater at Central Piedmont Community College. I was very pleased to discover it's one of the few venues uptown with free parking. Our seats were great and within minutes of sitting down, we were transported into Clara's magical journey. There is something so soothing and familiar to me about this play. So many things change from year to year, but the story of Clara never changes. It brings me back to my childhood and ignites my imagination.

Of course, throughout the show, Cheryl and I got a case of the giggles and were very lucky not to get kicked out. But that's what friends are for, right?

This is my last scheduled live event for the year, but I have more blogs coming about what this experience has meant to me and what I plan to do next year, so stay tuned!

How the Rockettes saved Christmas

I freakin' love almost everything about Christmas. From hanging Christmas lights to the smell of gingerbread cookies, Christmas has always been my absolute favorite holiday.

But this year, I found myself overcome with a case of the Scrooge. Shopping on Black Friday has always been a tradition my mom and two of our family friends hold dear. We've never been the type to assault other shoppers for a $2 waffle iron, but we have always enjoyed getting up in the dark, putting on Christmas shirts and hitting the stores to find the perfect gifts for those we love. We missed out on Black Friday last year because of a trip to Disney World and I found my passion for Black Friday had greatly decreased this year, along with my Christmas list. I really don't have that many people to buy for these days and I also had no desire to head to Target at midnight. I did do some midnight shopping, online, and got a few good deals. But missing that yearly tradition got me feeling a little Humbuggy. I was contemplating not putting up a tree and even considered trying my best to skip Christmas this year.

Then, I attended my December event, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Durham Performing Arts Center with my mom. We met up with a friend of hers from nursing school and her family and sat back, ready to enjoy the show.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. All I know about the Rockettes is that there is a lot of kicking. The show turned out to be so much more than that. Accompanied by a few actors and singers, the Radio City Rockettes danced their way through a Christmas journey, which included New York City and the North Pole. The girls had gorgeous outfits for each number and dramatic lighting. A huge LED screen made you feel like you were traveling right along with the girls.

My favorite dance number was The Parade of Wooden Soldiers, where the Rockettes line up and collapse into each other like toy soldiers.

My favorite overall number was a live nativity scene. And by live, I mean there were real camels and sheep. It was absolutely beautiful. It was also a strong reminder to me of what Christmas is really about. To me, Christmas has always been a time of magical wonder, where anything can happen. Thanks to the Rockettes for reminding me that is still true.

Ooooh I wanna take you to Bermuda...

Bahama!

2011 has been a big year for me filled with amazing new experiences and fun. Celebrating my 30th birthday was no exception. The fact that I was just able to write celebrating my 30th birthday instead of mourning my 20s is a big step for me!

About a year and a half ago, I decided that I had no desire to be in Charlotte when the big 30 hit and I would prefer somewhere tropical. I also learned to swim last year and wanted somewhere that would allow me to do that and be warm. My friends Misty, Mark and Jean joined me on the trip and we left from Charleston on the Carnival Fantasy last Wednesday, November 2.

This was my first cruise so I had no idea what to expect. There were so many new and exciting experiences, sights, sounds and motions that I don't even know where to begin.

We spent all day Thursday at sea. The most amazing thing was going to sleep in a crisp fall night and waking up to a bright, humidity free day. I went outside to watch the sunrise and it was truly one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sights of my three decades. Misty and I spent some quality time at the pool, then we joined Mark and Jean for a game of mini-golf on the top of the ship. I pretty much suck at mini-golf anyway and blustery winds didn't really do much to help my game, but it was still fun. Mark and I mastered two water slides.

That night was formal night and we enjoyed dressing up. If I ever have a first-born child, I think I might be willing to give him/her up for the lobster I ate that night. After dinner, we went to the lounge to check out a comedy show. The waiter dropped my martini glass on poor Jean causing glass to splatter everywhere. The comedian was funny, but considering how I've probably been to 50 comedy shows this year, I was a little over it.

Friday morning, we woke up in Nassau, Bahamas to a sunny 78 degree day. Misty went off to explore a glass-bottom boat tour while Mark, Jean and I embarked on my birthday gift from them: paddle-boarding and snorkeling. Our tour guide met us at the pier and took us to another small boat and out to sea. We ended up in a shallow area where we could snorkel or paddle board for as long as we wanted. We decided to do the paddle boarding first. Mark and Jean mastered it pretty quickly. It took me a while, but I was finally able to stand up. That, however, did not last very long as I soon came across a woman snorkeling and wasn't able to stop my paddle board. I ended up hitting her in the face and making her curse at me. To say she wasn't thrilled would be a slight understatement. That little mishap caused me to lose my confidence and my legs started shaking. I went down a couple of times before giving up and grabbing my snorkel gear.

Like most things I've done this year, snorkeling was a new experience for me and was awesome. I got to see some cool fish and coral. I can't wait to get my underwater film developed and see what I was able to capture.

After the excursion, we grabbed lunch on the ship and headed back out for a little Senor Frogs. If you've ever been to a Senor Frogs, you probably understand that not much else got accomplished that day. They serve liquor there by the yard. That's all I'll say about that. We did do a little shopping afterwards. All the ladies bought a dress and we picked up a few other small trinkets.

That evening after dinner, we picked up some drinks and headed to the adults-only Serenity deck which is the most relaxing place on the ship. It is nice and quiet with lots of deck chairs and two hot tubs. We spent about an hour in the hot tub, watching neighboring ships get further and further away from us.

Saturday morning was the big day! I woke up in Freeport. After mimosas at breakfast, we headed out to explore. Mark and Jean took a taxi to check out some shops while Misty and I boarded a bus for Unexso in Port Lucaya Marina. Our bus driver Michael was on a one-man mission to make us all move to the Bahamas, bragging about everything from how to discipline children to the lack of a Bahamian income tax. But orange juice is $9 a gallon! From the marina, we took a small boat with about 20 other passengers to Sanctuary Bay, home to 14 Atlantic Bottle Nose Dolphins. I was so excited! Our boat captain was very entertaining!

Our dolphin trainer, Patrick, lead us in small groups to sit with our feet in an enclosed water area while two dolphins, Indy and Andros, swam around us. These dolphins are SO freaking fast. They can do amazing tricks including moonwalking! They can also soak you with water in about two seconds. Misty and I went to stand in the water with Patrick to pet Indy, the smallest male dolphin at 320 pounds.

My main takeaway from this experience is how much dolphins are like dogs. Indy loved being petted. He rolled over for us to pet his belly and when we did, he kicked his little fins in glee like my dogs kick their legs during a good belly rub. Dolphins are mammals so we were told not to rub below Indy's belly button so we didn't start anything we couldn't finish before our boat had to leave! We each got to pose with Indy for a kiss.

I cannot describe how amazing this experience was. Dolphins are such incredibly creatures with amazing personalities. They are at once strong and gentle. There were times it felt like they were laughing at us silly humans and there were obvious signs that Indy loved affection and attention.

Other fun dolphin facts:

Sharks swim left to right so dolphins swim up and down

Dolphin babies are born tails first and their mommies get them up to air by the time their head comes out

Dolphins literally sleep with one eye open

After the dolphin encounter, we got to hang out with some birds: macaws and cockatoos. I even let one sit on my head! I completely and totally fell in love with Indy and it turns out you can adopt him, which I plan to do. But if you were a slacker and didn't get me a birthday present, this would be a great gift for me!

That night, we tried to go to a show on the boat but it was an amateurish tribute to the Beatles that was so bad we had to leave 30 minutes in. Jean, who is not exactly a Beatles fan club member, was relieved to say the least when I said we could go. We then headed to my birthday dinner where I had fantastic lasagna, a chocolate birthday cake and some enthusiastic multilingual birthday singing. Misty, Mark and I were forced to dance with the wait staff, which Jean got out of by offering to be our photographer.

Saturday night is when things started to get a little dicey. A low pressure system along the Carolina coast caused some rough seas for the trip back. Things, and people, were falling. We heard our cabin neighbor puking. There were 12 feet swells, which we found out later is a lot. Even the cruise director who was decked out in heels for the majority of the trip opted for flats. We made it through, albeit a little worse for the wear, and returned to Charleston at dawn on Monday.

2011 has been a year of new experiences for me. It's been a year of amazing opportunities and chances to learn more about myself and the world around me. As Natasha Bedingfield would say, the rest is still unwritten. And I look forward to seeing what this 30th year will bring me.