A little Lycra never hurt anyone
Today is my birthday. I'm just going to get that out there because it's a hard thing for me to ignore right now.
You might remember that this time last year I was coming to terms with turning thirty, and I did that by throwing a "Stars in their Eyes" themed birthday party where I had my last hurrah by dressing up as Lady Gaga. It's hard for me to get my head around now, but I actually wore a leotard and stockings in front of a huge group of people by choice.
(And then I put a photo of that lapse in judgement up on the internet a year later - see how I suffer for my art?)
Following that little blowout, for the rest of last year I felt reasonably comfortable in the knowledge that I had just turned thirty. And now, as of today, I'm firmly implanted in my thirties and there's no pretending anymore. Today I am thirty-one. Gulp.
Of course, birthdays are a time of celebration right? So instead of stamping an expired sticker on my forehead and inching towards the couch for a sulk, I'm going to embrace each year I grow older. I shall consider every birthday from here on as a step into the next exciting chapter of my life and also an opportunity to try something new. Wow, that sounded way more inspirational and way less lame when it was just an idea in my head.
Anyway, this year, it's dancing. Oh yes - dancing! My sister owns a dance school that has an adult class, and frankly it seems silly to not take advantage of the zero-fees for family members thing she has on offer. I've tried my hand (and feet and arms and legs) at her adult hip hop class before, but it wasn't long before I discovered that there's nothing hip about my hop, so I'm hoping I'll fare better in the jazz stakes.
I
know, an adult jazz ballet class, could I possibly be any cooler? Can you picture it? Me flouncing around with a bunch of other mature ladies, all limbs akimbo with an look of intense concentration taking my face hostage, probably sweating a bit and quite possibly wearing Lycra (because I never learned my lesson from that Gaga thing)? Stay back boys, I'm already taken.
Okay, so extracurricular activities such as this might not get me points with the indie kids, but I figure it'll be a bit of fun and it all counts towards the overall healthy lifestyle thingy right? Plus, and here's the real kicker, there is an end of year show. Did you get that? A show! I can't imagine anything as simultaneously exhilarating and humiliating as bouncing around on stage with a group of ladies who are all in it for kicks. Heh, pun.
You should know that despite everyone else in my family being rather adept at cutting shapes on the D-floor, it seems the Yees' allocation of dance genes was exhausted by the time God got around to mapping out my skill set. Put simply, I suck at dancing. Therefore, I predict this whole adult jazz lark will be quite a humbling experience, and, if nothing else, I'm hoping it might throw up a few entertaining blog entries along the way.
So here I am. Thirty-one and ready to face everything this particular year of my life has to offer. Seeing as it's my birthday and I get to be the boss, I'd like to challenge you to also have a crack at something new this year... so, what's it to be?
Also... Casual Friday Five questions please!
PS: Reckon you've got the goods to be a Stuff blogger? Then you should enter Blog Idol 2.
Follow The Girls' Guide on Facebook and Twitter!
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
Happy birthday Jane!
Well I'm going to continue with the long-running experience of cooking from scratch until I'm a total culinary genius so that's one thing. Also I got given a guitar for my birthday so I intend to broaden my skills on that from knowing G, A, D & C to being able to play some of my favourite guitar songs. And just to top that all off I'm going to have a first attempt at restoring furniture. Oh I know, it's excitement galore in the MsM household!
Happy birthday Jane. I am 38 and have never done anything musical so my challenge this year is to learn the guitar. This has created a lot of laughs in my family due to my lack of rhythm. It also scares people as it might encourage me to sing more and I am one of those people who knows the words to everything but is absolutely tone deaf. So watch out world.
If anyone has tips on how to learn the guitar quickly I'd really appreciate it. My 6 year old son got a guitar for Christmas too and is showing more apptitude than me, so that is not a good start!!!
Good on you, Jane. Hope you enjoy the new challenge. I tried out at jazz ballet classes when I was 31 too. The less said about that little episode, the better! I am so unco-ordinated I am surprised I don't fall over just trying to walk around! What I really, really want to do this year is learn how to play the harmonica. Anyone know any teachers in Wellington area?
Happy Birthday.. 31 years young!
I am starting cooking classes this year along with a new job, new apartment and moved back into my own county.. NZ!! yay.
good luck with the Jazz!
It's your party. You can dance if you want to.
My new thing for this year has already been decided - I have entered a mountain bike "event" (not admitting it's a race - that sounds way too serious)in Queenstown at Easter. 45km around Lake Hayes, up and down the Kawarau River banks, finishing at Chard Farm Winery! I have already fallen off my bike once and got massive bruises to prove it. Some very experienced friends have also entered to "keep me company" - oh yay I can arrive at the finaish line 2 hours after them! My husband also said he would do it with me but, when we entered, suddenly instead of entering as a recreational sport rider like me, he entered as elite sport so he's hardly going to be riding with me is he now!?! Terrified and excited all at the same time - please don't let me make a complete dick of myself. Oh and by the way, did I mention I haven't actually riden my bike up a hill yet!!!
31 is so 5 years ago. :-p
This year I follow Leon into the next motorsport age category of 36-60. Seems scary.
Happy birthday Jane!!
Sounds fun, I took a hip hop class a few years back and we did the show. Unfortunately I was the only one to screw up on stage and fumbled round like a drunk squirrel. Humiliating! I haven't even considered anything as outrageous since. But good luck to you and your new hobby! Im sure you wont look half as bad as I did...
This year has ALOT in stall for me so I'm not looking for any new challenges. Just to get through this year without putting on weight and making a lil more money would be fab!
Happy Birthday Jane :)
Hope you have an awesome day!
xx
Tiger Woods and Elin together again: report
Quest to become world's fattest woman
Holden's Cruze sedan quarantined
Umaga heading home for new job
House of Travel puts faith in farefinder
Letter: Dawkins' views are flawed
Weta's $350,000 sculpture plan
NZ should embrace nuclear power
Are Kiwi drivers fit to be on the road?
Relief as gangs ride out of town
Dummies evicted over shop stunt
Good luck with the dancing Jane!
I picked up Ceroc at the end of last year and I'm so glad I did, it is so much fun and it's 3 hours of exercise I wasn't getting before :-) That's probably my new thing, as I was only two weeks into it in 2009. And for anyone considering doing Ceroc, I highly recommend it!
CF5: When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you 'grew up'? (By the time you were 31 for example!)