Shag Now or Shag Later?

Shagging in public--the scandal!

I expected this post to be about shagging. In Ottawa. It's cold up there, you see, so one of the more enjoyable ways of keeping warm is to shag long into the night. I'm speaking, of course, of the annual Shag Explosion dance event and competition.

Alas, it was not to be. Lynn had unfortunately taken ill, and the weekend was instead spent watching movies at home.

But, that's not going to stop us from shagging as much as possible. In public, no less.

Collegiate Shag, like all of the swing dances that arose in the early part of the twentieth century, has a somewhat hazy history. Terms like "shag," "swing," and "jitterbug" were used more broadly to label any of the swing dances being danced in those days. (People from that time period would laugh at how specifically we label our dances today; to them Swing, Charleston and all the rest were interchangeable and determined only by the tempo and style of the music.) It's thought that Collegiate Shag as a distinct style arose out of New York City in the 1930s. From the ferver of fast-tempo dances this particular style of shag was adopted by the younger--you might say, collegiate--set of dancers.

It looks a little something like this:



Lynn and I have been learning shag from Tony Fraser, who is an awesome, energetic teacher. He and his partner Jamie Shannon are pushing the limits of the style and really having fun with the dance. What I enjoy most about them is that they really emphasize the playfulness of the dance, always encouraging everyone to put their own spin on the style. There aren't a lot of shaggers in NYC these days, so we're building on the small community here. And I'm happy to say that those who did make it to Ottawa, like Eryck and Liz shown in the picture above, did exceptionally well.

Here's Tony and Jamie:

Writing More

I'm hoping to write more. There's no big secret strategy here, just the good old brute-force method. I'll make some time regularly to site and write.

The good news is, I actually have been writing a very little bit more lately.  Just before the holidays, I wrote a post for Tor.com concerning the recent announcements out of CERN. Two research teams on different detectors are narrowing in on the infamous Higgs Boson, completing our understanding of the Standard Model of subatomic particles. Fascinating stuff.

Painting a giant movie poster.

More recently, I wrote an article on the very site I work for. Outside my office window I can see a 14-story-tall advert for movies, and every six weeks or so they paint over it for a new movie. It's fascinating to watch, and I've always wondered how it works. So I documented it with pictures and did some research to find out the process. Yes, they actually are painting--by hand--the entire side of a building. The article can be found here.

So yes, I've been writing a bit. Now to keep it going.

Never Too Late for a Resolution

2011 was not a great year for this blog. It's not that nothing happened worth writing about, or that so much was happening I just didn't have the time. No, I simply didn't write.

2011 was not a great year for me. It's not that I didn't go on amazing trips, or that it was terrible from start to finish. No, but it was a succession of highs and lows.

The year began with frequent trips to Michigan. I don't often feel the need to "go home" or visit much outside of holidays or the occasional friend's wedding. I know my mom misses me, but I also know how much she supports me and my living wherever my life takes me. But when she was in an awful car accident, there was nowhere I wanted to be more than Michigan.

In the days after the accident, I spent days in the hospital, and nights at a diner nearby. I heard things from doctors about how bones break, fracture, and shatter, and how permanently damaging these things can be. I learned all about Michigan's no-fault auto accident insurance laws. My mom, meanwhile, simply decided to get better.

Within days she was on her feet. Within weeks, home from the hospital. Within months, walking, driving, and living a normal life. My mom is the most amazing person I know. I don't call her often enough.

Acapulco Bay

With winter's low on it's way out, spring brought a new high. Lynn, her brother, his girlfriend, and I all took a trip to Acapulco together. How does one describe a week in paradise? Sun, yes. Beach, yes. Relaxing? Definitely. And the food, oh, the food.

Summer began with frequent trips to Michigan--and other places around the Midwest. The grand Midwestern tour began again in Michigan, celebrating my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. It was soon off to Wisconsin for Lynn's family gathering. Then over to Minneapolis for Mu Beta Psi's Alumni Association annual meeting. Back again to Michigan for a friend's wedding. And the pendulum, as all the best pendulums do, swung back.

Summer ended, and autumn began, with frequent trips to Michigan. My grandfather's health was failing, and I found myself once again drawn to the place I once called home. Hospital trips, family gatherings, the constant fear of a fundamental change in my world.

I love Strasbourg.

Somewhere in there, Lynn and I took our second amazing trip of the year, through Strasbourg, France and Bavaria. It was perfect. As I so often hope to do, maybe I can back-date some posts on it. For now, these pictures will have to suffice.

Somewhere in there, Lynn and I spent a quiet weekend with my grandpa and grandma filled with stories and discoveries. My grandpa meant more to me than I know how to express, even now. Thanksgiving night, he passed away. He was the most amazing person I knew. I never called him often enough.

And so 2011 came and went. I traveled more. I danced more. I cried more. This year, I will write more, take more pictures, and learn more. (And travel. And dance. Maybe less crying.)