Deborah

I wonder what happened to Deborah. She was this woman I knew who was intelligent, well educated, and even pretty despite her extra pounds. She was also abrasive and lacked people skills. When she was the assistant director of a charity, she tended to rub people the wrong way.

She said that she was a people person, but that she chose not to operate as one so that discipline could be enforced. Frankly, that's a cop out. A good people person can enforce discipline without having to abandon her people skills. Her problem wasn't that she was deliberately not operating as a people person; rather, her problem was that she was hostile, needlessly abrasive, and just all around tactless.

Learning to dance as a student

I've got some young college friends who seem to have plenty of time to learn how to dance. They take dance lessons and participate in all sorts of dance exchanges.

Personally, I can't imagine doing that as an undergrad. We always had way too much homework to do, and way too many tests to prepare for. It was a safe bet that we couldn't take a weekend off. I was a double major though, and I was in some pretty demanding fields.

I almost wish that I had pursued some more leisurely degrees, but that wouldn't have satisfied me at the time. I think I would have regretted it.

Software testing

Software testing sucks. It is boring, boring, boring.

I don't like doing this.

Cancer immunotherapy

I remember my grad school days. Back then, I got to talk to folks about various fields of research. Knowing a wide range of graduate students really helped, and I just wish that I had more time back then to absorb their knowledge and interests.

Some of them were involved in cancer immunotherapy or related fields, for example. Would have been nice to learn more about what they did. Unfortunately, too much of my time and mental energy was already being poured into my own research work. That required virtually all of my free time, especially with my limited funding. Ugh. I wish that I could have taken a more leisurely approach.

That just wasn't an option, though.

What a voice

This is worth repeating. Jodi Benson has an absolutely angelic voice, and she comes across as a wonderful performer. I wish that I had even a fraction of her talent.

Got to catch her on some YouTube videos recently. Man, what a voice. She also injects so much love and energy into her songs. I would love to see her perform more. Too bad her old "Crazy For You" videos aren't online anymore.

Got the P90X DVDs, but...

I got a bunch of inexpensive P90X DVDs off Ebay. I'm dying to try them out, but I just don't have the time. I still need to catch up on housework and yard work, for example, and I'm spending a lot of time with my dance lessons and practice. Yikes.

I really want to ramp up my exercise routine, too. I want to get leaner and pack on more muscle.

Cha cha moves I need to learn

I need to learn a few more moves before I can say that I've completed a bronze syllabus.

One is the cha cha shadow position. This is otherwise known as the cha cha sweetheart position. Another is the cross body pull back. The third is the crossover flick to side break.

Perhaps another private lesson would be in order?

Cha cha moves

I've recently expanded my repertoire of cha cha moves. Cha cha is a useful dance style to learn. It can be used with a lot of modern music (e.g. Brown-Eyed Girl), so even if you're not actually dancing to Latin music, it's still good to know.

Here are some of the moves that I currently know.

- Basic in place
- Side basic
- Progressive basic
- Outside partner position. This is where you turn the lady to one side. It also requires rocking forward with the right foot instead of rocking back.
- Crossbody lead. This is a little bit different from the salsa crossbody lead. You don't start turning until you rock back with the right foot -- or at the very least, until the final cha cha step before rocking back.
- Open break and underarm turn
- Chase turn
- Shoulder check. (Paul taught me this one, and then Lizzie did too.)
- Butterfly. This one requires touching her left palm with your right palm after a side break. It involves rocking forward with the left, alternating it with rocking back on the right.
- Alternating underarm turns
- Triple cha chas. This one requires using the progressive basic and steering the woman as though using a pair of rapiers. Also, with a little push, you can get the follower to turn during the second cha cha.

Gotta remember these moves and put them to use.

BodyShaping

I really, really miss the old ESPN show, BodyShaping. I was never much into watching televised sports (certainly not for hours on end), so ESPN never held much appeal for me. They did have a bunch of fitness shows though, such as BodyShaping, and I did like that one. Too bad they're not showing it in reruns anymore.

And yes, Jennifer Dempster was a cutie.

The flying guy in the red suit

I'm watching an episode of "The Greatest American Hero" on DVD. I remember this one. It's the one that had Captain Bellybuster in it. I remember thinking that this storyline was a bit implausible, even within the conceit of the series.

Charleston

Man, I sure would love to practice some high-speed Charleston moves sometime. Too bad most of my female friends are in such bad physical condition. They don't have much energy at all, even if they're not terribly overweight.

Mold

Got a mold problem in my basement ceiling. Gotta get that fixed. This means cleaning up the house a little bit more before the contractors get here... and I'm already plenty busy. Yikes.

Imad

I remember sending a Christmas greeting via e-mail to a bunch of people one day. One fella, Imad, send the following (paraphrased) response:

"Please don't send me any more non-business related e-mail. I receive plenty of e-mail as it is."

Gee, loosen up, grinch.

Autumn, please

I can't wait until autumn. I can't wait. I'd love that.

Oh, and I hate doing yard work in the summertime.

It's blank

This post has been intentionally left blank. Well, almost blank. Not quite.

It's getting progressively less blank, the more I talk about it.

Arnold, you stink

I won't go into detail, but there's this underhanded guy that I'm going to call "Arnold." As in "Benedict Arnold," mind you, not the powerhouse bodybuilder.

Arnold is a despicable traitor who would sell people out without any hesitation. He routinely screws people over, and it's detestable. No wonder nobody likes him.

Swearing like a sailor

I wish that people wouldn't swear so much. I encounter way too many people who seem incapable of expressing themselves without spouting the f-word left and right. It's jarring and annoying.

Some people say that the liberal use of profanity helps them express themselves accurately. I disagree. It might feel good to them, but it doesn't help with precision of meaning. Nor does it help much with emotional impact; after all, when profanity is used excessively, then its impact is diminished.

Dang

Dang. I'm disappointed. Bummed.

Not altogether unexpected, but it was unpleasant. Disappointed indeed. Darn, darn, darnity darn.

Cancelled plans

I had to cancel my workout plans for Monday. Why? Because some folks decided to organize a small trip to a local amusement park. I felt that I needed to be more sociable, and besides, one of the organizers was a pretty lady. That certainly can't hurt.

And a very cute lady she is, too. Not classically pretty, but she has a different sort of appeal. We only went as friends, but I have to admit that she was cute.

Another new kickboxing combo

Jab, hook, slip
Back kick, stutter forward, palm fist
Elbow to back, elbow to front, elbow down, switch