Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Here I come, Dancing with the Stars!

I have this mental list of things I absolutely refuse to do. Things like this random sample: skydive, return to Mexico, watch Old Yeller, ever attempt post-graduate studies and...go to the gym. One of these things has been removed from the list.

I went to the gym.

Exercise and I do not play well together. I never even had the “Get in Shape, Girl” playset. My only real attempt at any sort of athletic pursuit was a hellish couple of seasons in girls’ softball. My wonderful and equally daydreaming friend Amanda and I often split the position of catcher, and argued over who would remain in the dugout. But then I hit a pop-up into my own eye and was allowed to gracefully retire from my team.

I take that back……I also took dance lessons for years. Tap and jazz at the CEA with Miss Julia Hope and later Miss Jennie. I can work a step-ball-change and I can shuffle off to Buffalo, but the jazz skills are lacking. I did, at one time, join the junior jazz group of a different local dance/gymnastics center. For one sweet, shining moment I was a Tumbletown All-Star. And then I singlehandedly ruined our chances to win the Kiwanis Kapers due to my complete inability to perform the Bobby Brown. (Or the Roger Rabbit, whichever you prefer.) "Pump Up the Jam" still gives me a panic attack.

So, you see, physical prowess is not my strong suit.

Angie & Dr. Brenton are trying to change that. Angie is on this health kick, which I am really not excited about, as it removes her cube steak from my diet for the forseeable future. And she makes really good cube steak, with home-made mashed potatoes and everything.

So Angie starts talking about how she’s so excited about starting this thing called Zumba, and I thought she was playing bridge or something. I was so confused. I think I got it mixed up with Mah Jongg and I couldn’t figure out how that was at all healthy, because I thought it was some game named for the Chinese word for gossip.

Turns out Zumba is Latin dance aerobics. And Angie loves it. She loves it so much she’s already talking about starting Pilates, too. But her enthusiasm won me over, and I went to my first Zumba class this past Saturday.

I had this image in my head of becoming like a Southern Jane Fonda crossed with Salma Hayek, but I think I came out of the class a little more like Charo. But I finished it, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared.

Maybe next week I can work my way up to being Suzanne Somers.

7 comments:

Layne Street said...

CHARO? GIVE me strength!!! That is the funniest thing I have ever heard!!!

Softball - I was a catcher.
Tap dancing - did it when I was thirteen. Don't ask me why I started tap dancing at thirteen - you are supposed to do that when you are 6.

Gooooo Suzanne Sommers!

Sprite's Keeper said...

Charo! I loved seeing her on the Geico commercials! I have done a few Zumba classes and while it looks like nothing, I have come out feeling like I've been run over. They're a lot of fun, but the more crowded the room, the more smelly. You're linked and welcome to the Spin Cycle!

Anonymous said...

Latin dance aerobics, huh? I'm not overly physically active, either, but my MD says I have to do something for my joints. *heavy sigh* So, I started swimming. There's a Zumba class at my Y, though. Maybe I'll channel some Charo, too!
(And, no joke, the comment word was "graneos." Sounds a little zumba to me.)

Rachel said...

I happily did Zumba for 6 months and then discovered that while I love Zumba, Zumba doesn't love me. Yeah. I messed up my back. Turns out I wasn't made to twist and shake it that energetically. I wish you better luck! And have fun for me, I'm jealous!

Pseudo said...

Southern Jane Fonda crossed with Selma Hayek? That would be awesome.

Pseudo said...

Have you checked out the IMDB? Time sucking.

Are you too young to know Jethro Tull?

Unknown said...

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Softball was such hell. Thank God we were on the same team though. And now I can't remember our team's name! What was it. We won a couple times and stuff right? OMG. I just remember the shirts. WHAT WAS THE NAME?

My favorite part was going up to bat and having my own teammates say things like, "Nah-ugh, don't let her go. You know she going to miss it."

I can taste the dusty-dirt in my mouth just thinking about it. We were definitely made for indoor activities...like watching movies and reading :)

Hope all is well!