One spell that is hard to break

Dizziness.

It's 3:30 AM, and I just woke up from a deep sleep.
Like, I am AWAKE. I guess my body was letting me know that I wasn't going to always feel dizzy. Thanks, body, that's great and all, but can I sleep now?
...I should say that the sensation of being dizzy is one of the worst feelings. It's utterly debilitating. But now the dizzy spell has been broken!

...since my body is weirdly acting like I've just had a pot of coffee and therefore I can't really get back to sleep, I'll blog.
This post may not make much sense during 'sane hours'...oh well, here we go! (though I apologize for the lack of cohesive thought)

"Kenzie, why were you dizzy?"
(these italicized questions are what you're supposed to be thinking...like a cue card, ok? Just play along, and all will be well. Humor my insanity and lazy writing)

Well, reader, I need to learn how to spin.

"how so?", you ask? Good question. (see? you're totally catching on!)

Let me clarify: I am good at spinning-- my issue is that I'm not always using the proper technique when I spin, and therefore I get dizzy.
Or so I hope it is the technique.

Dizzy = nausea/overall terrible feeling. Strangely, it's not the kind of dizzy where the room spins and you can't walk in a straight line. It's just a sense of nausea. I think it's my inner ear.

"Soo? What's the big deal? What kind of silly goose just spins around? Easy solution: stop spinning!"


I see your point, O mysterious questioner. But this whirling is so fun! It's part of contra dance. (which I've totally blogged about  <-- though that's an embarrassing post)

My theory is that spinning makes one kind of inner ear movement, and car rides make another.
After I'm done spinning, of course I have to ride in a car to get home. It doesn't matter how good the driver is, the movement of the car in general messes with my inner ear.
So, maybe if I didn't have to ride in a car post-spinning, I'd be okay.
MAYBE. 
But, that's not a very logical thing...because these dances are about 60 minutes from my house.
...that's a long walk.

I think that if I were to keep twirling indefinitely, I'd be fine. My body would adjust to the constant movement. But, it's hard to keep on spinning, obviously.
It's the stopping that messes me up. Something with my inner ear's equilibrium totally flips out. The other problem is that I don't know that I'm dizzy until a while later.
...then it hits, and I feel terrible for the next few hours.

I don't understand. How can something I like so much make me feel so crummy?
...it might have to do with the fact that tonight/last night I danced every dance.
For three hours, I danced.
I never felt dizzy during the dances.

Maybe I need to chill out on 'getting my money's worth' or whatever rationale makes me keep dancing ad infinitum.

...because my money wasn't worth that feeling.
So, next time I'll try to take it easy.
Hold me to it, ok?

dance...and "events"

This weekend I went contra-dancing.
It was majorly fun.

Here's what happened on the ride home (we'll call my friend L)

Me: I noticed there were at least five guys wearing skirts tonight. That was just a bit awkward, huh? 

L: Oh yeah, haha, I guess they like twirling too!  Did you see the transvestite? 

Me: *feeling naive* Ohh, really? I thought that was just a really looks-challenged individual... I danced with it! ...I think I'm going to be sick. 

L: haha, well, we can change the subject. 

Me: No really, I'm going to be sick.
...and the contents of my stomach were in my lap. Luckily it was just water and banana, but still. Gross! I got myself cleaned up, and the conversation continued... 

L: I'm so sorry! I didn't know it would actually make you sick to talk about transvestites! I won't ever bring that up again.

...

Contra attracts a VARIETY of people, a real variety. It's not a bad thing -- they're all nice folks, but, um, they just have a different way of doing things.

Ok, ok, ok. I'll just say it. There was a person there who looked like neither a man nor a woman.

And I danced with him/her (let's just say it). Not as a partner, but when you're going through the line, you get a turn dancing with everyone. 

I danced for three hours Saturday night. Every dance (except for the 10-minute-intermission when they played polka music. I know it's shocking, but I don't know how to polka) was danced. Because your brain is thinking about the dance moves and what you're supposed to be doing next, it ignores your body telling you to take a rest.

Goodmornoonight, world!

What a weekend.

Friday night, I danced for three hours straight, spinning like a top 50% of the time. Contra-dancing was oh-so-fun. (No, it has nothing to do with being  a member of the guerrilla force that opposed a left-wing government in Nicaragua.) 

In contra dancing, the ladies all wear twirling skirts. I love wearing twirling skirts.

 For the most part, I had experienced partners who pointed me in the right direction. Contradancing reminded me of a mixture of a square dance, an irish jig, and English country dancing.



You know, I'm not the best at today's "normal dancing".

(I am afraid that my normal dancing is like Mia's in the Princess Diaries...



okay, okay, I AM a few steps higher than her "doggy on a dashboard" dance... But really, I am such a mega-super-white girl.)

Happily, I was able to grasp the concept of contradance and go with it. To say I was thrilled that I understood this kind of dancing would be an understatement.

I had a gnawing fear that I would greatly embarrass myself at the dance. ESPECIALLY since I missed the lesson for beginners. Admittedly, I goofed, but everyone was gracious, and luckily I wasn't the only confused one there.

I rejoiced in that fact. I also twirled, swung, and learned some of the lingo.
...words like allemande, gypsy, ladies-chain, hen ...
The dances weren't overly complex, so eventually I begun to understand the patterns and fall in line with the dancing more naturally.


I've decided to wear shoes when I dance in the future. It's suggested that you wear dancing flats or go barefoot when you contradance.
I thought, "Hey, I love going barefoot, so why not?" It was fun for the first bit, but then blisters came for a visit. Talk about major pain.
I'm finding some dancing flats. My feet were KILLING me, but the fun of dancing overruled the pain. My brain didn't process that I had beat my feet up until the end of the evening, on the ride home.

So I had a major workout on Friday, despite it being a "rest day". I made up for it with extra rest, though.
I had a sinking suspicion I wasn't feeling so well.

Saturday was a great day, but I could tell I wasn't 100%. I went to see Social Network with a friend (don't see that movie. just don't), ate some yummy Cooper's bbq (do eat that. just do), I went home...
...and then I came down with a fever and a killer sore throat.
Who knows where I picked it up.

I positively hate being sick. It brings out the worst in me. It really, truly does. Ask my sisters.

Sickness makes me tired and irritable, obviously.
I get totally zoned out, like I can't focus for anything. I just sort of shuffle around, drink hot tea, and sleep.
It makes me feel OCD (guess who cleaned her room?)

Ugh, I hate feeling that way.

I'm working on not being such a baby about sickness, but I have heard that redheads have a lower tolerance for pain...
I guess that doesn't mean I can use that as an excuse.


I'm almost as right as rain today. (question: how right is that, anyways?)

After sleeping yesterday and chillaxing, my body is healing itself.
Yay immune system! Good on yourself!

I can't decide if it's a good idea to try to run today, or if I should try to take *one* more rest day. I'm a few days behind schedule...

There goes my voice. It's odd to hear myself speak. My voice keeps cracking from the bug I have lodged in my throat.

Speaking of bugs, here's some of my favorite butterfly pictures (Blue is best):