It don't mean a thing...

If you ain't got that swing!

Normally I disapprove of the word "ain't"
But in this context...I highly approve.

I'm basically obsessed with swing dancing. I spent all day yesterday in Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Shim Sham workshops and it's been hard to think of anything else since. (This turned out to be not especially helpful as I studied the neurobiology of sleep, automatic postural control and the TRP family of receptors in heat, cold and pain sensation)

Anyway, I also went to a swing dance social last night with a live band, which was incredible. I haven't had that much fun in such a long time. Okay, I may have had that much fun on my birthday weekend, but this was still an impressive amount of fun. I think in total I danced for about 9 hours yesterday. So I guess I'm not that surprised that I woke up feeling about 30 years older, as though I had Charley horses in both my calves and one bad hip. I really was not expecting to be so sore!! But I think that's a good sign....or at least a sign I need to stretch before dancing like a lunatic from the 30's.

Besides just being in love with swing dancing, I've also recently become a big fan of making friends. I think I used to be terrible at it. And now I'm slightly better. And so it's rather enjoyable. But also, I have not met one single swing dancer that was not incredibly nice to me. I apologized kind of profusely after dancing with most of the guys saying I was sorry I wasn't more experienced and I couldn't follow better. They are seriously waved it off and said they hadn't even noticed. And then when I told one guy I was so sorry I stepped on his toes, he said "You weigh 98 pounds...I didn't even notice! And you won't hurt me even if you do :) "  So basically everyone was incredibly nice and they were better swing dancers than I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

All of this being said, I hope you won't be surprised if in the future my hair takes the shape of a short curled bob, I put on a vintage dress and I start buying a ridiculous amount of old-timey music. You'll know why.

Here's a little taste of my new-found love :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRyjW9delmo

And one from the good old days....meaning I think I was born in the wrong decade :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuLUOk--yxg

Goodnight!