Challenge #9h – Hooprama

Class 5 Week 8

Sunny is out sick this week, so we have a wonderfully happy girl named Hailey showing us the latest hoop move—-spinning the hoop over our heads. In very kind fashion, she says that it’s her job to warn us whenever we are in class and bruising is immanent.  Today, apparently, is one of those days.  And sure enough, after only a few minutes of flipping the hoop around my right hand, I can tell that typing might not be as comfortable tomorrow as it is today.

But there is some sort of fun freedom in zipping a hoop around over your head. It’s an incredible workout for your arms, and at least for me it was oddly comforting to have complete control over something that if I moved my hand could take out the girl next to me.

I’m sort of sad this never ending class is coming to and end…

Challenge #9g – Hooprama

Class 4 Week 7

This is the longest running hoop class ever.

This week, one of the girls who has taken the class before warned us, is doing the “limbo.”  The limbo? I couldn’t do that when I was 6, limber and in PE class every day.  Limbo with a hula hoop?

Sunny shows us the concept – leading slightly backwards and looking up makes the hoop swing more vertical.  And strangely – I got this one.  For some reason it just made sense, and fairly painlessly I might add. Hooping is quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to relax.

Challenge #9f – Hooprama

Class 4, Week 6 – Cancelled due to snow.

Seriously.  Over this snow on Wednesday thing. It’s Tennessee.  Are we supposed to have this much snow?

I decided to hoop in front of the TV while watching the game with the dog and the man…neither are amused by the swirling shiny that is out of the corner of their eye.  Well, I think the man enjoyed it, but for an entirely different reason.

Challenge #9e – Hooprama

Class 3, Week 5 – This is the longest class ever.  Sunny admits she can’t remember what we’ve learned cause we should almost be finished with the class by this point.  She reminds that we always work on everything we’ve already learned, and shows us how we can make the hoop spin when we lean forward.  She calls it a “bump”

It looks impossible.

“Channel your J-Lo Booty,” she says.   I’m Lithuanian.  We’re not really blessed with the beloved perky Latin butt.

So we spend the hour focusing on our thigh muscles, doing a combo of squats and a sort of plyometrics…all while trying to keep a hoop circling straight around your waist, and leaning over a-la-learing-to-dive-off-the-short-board.  It’s a challenge, and honestly took nearly the full hour using a heavy hoop to figure out it, but once you get the feel, it’s so much fun.

My hoop might need to just live in my car so I always have her near by.

Challenge 10 – Chemex Class, or finally admit the extent of my coffee snobbery

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love coffee. Nearly every piece of clothing I own has a coffee stain on it, some where.  An admitted coffee snob, it took me a significant amount of time to warm to the idea that Chris owned a normal coffeemaker.  When I see friends who have pre-ground-pre-fab-definitely-not-fair-traded coffee like Maxwell House or Folgers in their cabinet (or even worse, their refrigerator!), I just cringe.

I saw a tweet that one of my favorite coffeeshops was having a class on the Chemex method of coffee, and instantly signed up.

Chemex  First off.  It took me taking a class to realize I’ve been pronouncing it wrong for years.

I could (and I’m sure I will) write a lot of blogs and pieces on this class.  Making a perfect cup of coffee takes time.  Measurements need to be exact. There is joy in the process.  Excellence takes practice. You can’t have great coffee without great beans and clean water. The elements that you surround yourself with do end up affecting the flavor of your life.  No matter how careful you are, sometimes coffee grounds rise up and create remnants you may not have wanted.  Timing, really is everything.

Chemex isn’t hard to do per-se, but it has a lot of steps and variables.  As geeky as I am about coffee, I’m not sure on a daily basis I’m up for weighing both the coffee and the water, filtering the water and timing my rate of pouring just under boiling water over the waiting grounds.

But I will admit, making a pot of coffee with a Chemex only takes 4 minutes once you have everything weighed and set.  And wow.  That makes one amazing cup of coffee.

Coffee classes are held at Cream Coffeeshop in Nashville and are taught by the guys from Beve Coffee. Most occur the third Sunday of every month, and cost varies. I paid $25 for this class.

Challenge #9d – Hooprama

Class 3, Week 4 – Cancelled due to snow.

What the heck?  I just want to get my hoop!

Challenge 9c – Hooprama or should my hula hoop match my bedspread?

Class 2, Week 3 –

It seems strange to pick up the hoop again, but it’s quickly just as fun as I remembered.  We re-worked the moves from two weeks ago, just basic hooping, but now have worked in some turns and sliding our arms in and out of the hoop.

I know.  I couldn’t believe it either.  It’s not has hard as I though once you got the groove of the hoop and the class zipped by incredibly fast.  I need to buy a hoop.  Sunny, the instructor, advises “light medium” which means, in my mind really large and takes more work than a heavy hoop.  She says I can pick up my hoop next week.  I’m giddy.

She knows best, and I run home and sweat over just what colors to pick out.  The endless pages of ribbons and colors and sparkles and sizes rumble through my brain and I start to think more like a 14 year old high-schooler than a 40 year old who is taking a class to write a blog.  Are pink sparkles obnoxious? I love the color orange and the color green, but is it weird to buy a hula hoop that matches my bathroom?

Hoping my friends don’t mock my color choices, I settle for purple and black with metallic silver.  Hot. Sexy.  That’s how I roll…eeerrr…..hoop.

Challenge #9b – Hooprama, or hooping with myself.

Class 2 – Cancelled due to snow.

WHAT???? NOOOOOOOOOO! I’ve been looking forward to this all week.  Now I will stand in front of the DVD and shake my hips back and forth for an hour.  Somehow doesn’t feel as sexy.

Challenge 8d – Skiing, or there’s no better way to celebrate a New Year

Our next chance for skiing actually never happened.  We went to an antique shop, sat in the hot tub, took a nap….and both Chris and I decided we were entirely too sore and tired to attempt the slopes.  I will admit that I was more than relieved to realize that Chris felt the same way I did.

So we got an extra needed break before the final night skiing session before we headed home.  It was New Years Eve and the slopes were basically empty.  The sky was clear and the evening crisp. It was beautiful.  The weather had been in the 50s all day, so when we arrived, they were still making snow.

And strangely, skiing just seemed to make sense.

Unfortunately, the first time we were on the ski lift, we approached that terrible ramp and realized the snow hadn’t been pushed to the sides yet.  I panicked – slid too far to the right, crashed and tweeked my shoulder. I haven’t felt pain like that and not had to go to the hospital.   It didn’t matter.  The hospital could wait.

The rest of the evening was wonderful. Skiing started to make sense.  The freshly-created powder made learning the sport much easier.  Chris and I laughed and smiled and just enjoyed each other’s company. At one point, I slid over Chris’ skis, my skis slid in opposite directions and I proceeded to be stuck in the splits.  As if that wasn’t enough, I was laughing too hard to move.  I think this is how skiing is supposed to be.

I was sad when the evening was over, and even began to talk about our next ski trip.

I have a few take-aways on this challenge.

First – I have to question just how much of life I have missed out on because I didn’t face my fears.  Yes, the first sessions of skiing were incredibly frustrating, but without going through the first day, I wouldn’t have gotten to spend a lovely, romantic New Years Eve with my fiancé, enjoying the snow.

Second – I have to show up.  Mentally and physically.  I have to believe that I can achieve something, and be willing to show up, and put in the work to do it. But I have to show up mentally as well.

Third – I have met the most incredible, amazing man. Chris, with his gentle words and solid encouragement, was such a testimony of love and care. It’s amazing just how much one can achieve when someone else believes in them.

It’s now 3 weeks since this trip, and, now that my shoulder feels better, I’m dreaming of my next trip to the slopes.

Challenge 8C – Skiing, or Holy Crap, this stuff costs a lot

Part of Skiing I hadn’t really considered was just how much all of that stuff costs!  WOW.

Ski pants – on sale $30 (regular price, $50)

Ski goggles – $40

New beanie – $15

Gloves – $35

Warm socks (well, these were just fun) 2 for $10

Jacket – found on ebay for $40 + shipping, (regular price $150)

Ski rental – I think 3 days was about $100

Lift ticket – full day, 2 session – $66

Night ticket (which is better anyway) $31.

Locker rental – 75 cents each time you open it

Ski holder rental – 50 cents each time you open it

If you’re a newbie and you’re planning a ski adventure, think ahead.  Look around.  Check ebay.  Check Craigslist.  I figure this three session ski adventure for me cost right in the neighborhood of $375.  I bet if I had been a bit more diligent I could have lowered that cost significantly by buying more gear lightly used, or just on sale.

So be smart when you’re trying new things…Hum…now that I think about it, I probably should have bought extra health insurance before this trip as well.