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  • jenitz 6:32 pm on April 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Last week’s adventure was probably one of the biggest and hardest so far. Even though I was a musical theatre major in college, it’s been over 5 years since I’ve sung in public. I get so nervous now that my knees literally knock. Instead of doing karaoke, which I still have on my list and am totally dreading, I signed up for a class called Singing for Actors. At the second level, our final was a public performance of a well-known pop song. One caveat, it had to be a gender-bender, a song sung by the opposite sex, about the opposite sex. This way the actor had to find a way to identify with the words even though it’s not written the way that gender would speak. I sang Pink Floyd’s “Mother.” (for example- “Mother do you think they’ll try to break my balls?”). Then after the song, which was backed up by acoustic guitar, we had to give a monologue that we wrote about something in our life that we have never said publically. That fed into the final component which was an acoustic version of a popular song that flowed from the last line of our monologue.

    My Pink Floyd rendition was definitely full of nervous energy but I made it through. My monologue was more relaxed and even got a few laughs. My acapella song made everyone, including me (just a little) cry. It was such an amazing adventure. One that I wish more of my friends would have shared with me (only 3 of the people I invited came). But more importantly it was a transformational experience that makes me stronger as a singer and an actor.

    This week it’s off to the pottery studio. (More …)

     

    • renea 7:58 pm on April 15, 2010 Permalink

      How inspirationally courageous!

    • yearof52adventures 4:06 pm on April 16, 2010 Permalink

      Everytime I read of your latest adventure I am reminded of why I’m doing this.
      You are simply amazing.

  • jenitz 10:04 am on March 17, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: pole dancing   

    My adventure for this week is something I don’t see myself doing again. I no longer wonder why pole dancing classes at Crunch are so late on the schedule. Even at 8:30pm I found it completely awkward strutting myself around a pole in the group exercise room that is completely surrounded by windows. I typically don’t go to Crunch in the evenings (I’m a 6am-er) so it was unfortunate to learn that this was the time when all the hot, straight guys go to the gym and just happen to be using the weight machines around this room. Mistake number 1- apparently you’re supposed to where really short shorts so that you legs can squeeze around the pole and hold you up. I’m talking shorts so short that I could tell you the instructors shaving preference (gross, right). Mistake number 2- you are also encouraged to bring stripper heels. You cannot believe some of the stuff these girls were doing. It was actually a little impressive, but then I realized that the only real use for this training (unless my boyfriend decides to install a pole in our bedroom) is something that I find totally degrading. To each their own, but I think I’ll stick to pilates and spinning.

     

    • yearof52adventures 8:07 pm on March 17, 2010 Permalink

      while it’s good you tried, I am sooooo relieved that you are opposed to a stripper pole in the bedroom.

  • jenitz 12:38 pm on March 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    After a long hiatus of posting, I’m back (and will hopefully catch up). Last weeks adventure was taking a dance class. The last time I took a class was over five years when I was on scholarship at Joel Hall Dance Center in Chicago. You’d think I would have done more with my minor in dance. After being away from the studio so long I was totally nervous, but I went to a benefit several months ago and learned of a class called “Sweaty Sundays.” After dropping my boyfriend off at the airport I shot up to Silverlake and just barely got into the noon class. I was defintely slower picking up the steps, but there were so many levels and everyone was just there to have fun so I didn’t feel any pressure to be perfect. So glad I took the adventure!

     

  • jenitz 11:20 pm on February 9, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Adventure 5- Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
    I worked on the “Brush with Kindness” Program which helps low-income homeowners with exterior renovations on their homes, (sort of a community beautification project). It was a rainy and cold day, but I drove down to south LA and met the two project leaders and two other volunteers. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot we could do since it is all exterior work (mostly painting on this particular house) and there was only a small covered back patio that we could work on. So it was only a half day of manual labor, but I did volunteer to go to Starbucks and bring everyone coffee to warm up.
    One small comment I will make, I didn’t feel as helpful or inspired helping with these home repairs as maybe working on the projects that build homes for families, mainly because this was a fairly decent neighborhood (for South LA) and good size home (that they OWN) and they had a Cadillac in the driveway. Hmmm.

     

  • jenitz 2:20 pm on February 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Oy! I just typed this long narractive about my last adventure and when I tried to upload/insert a photo it had an error and erased everything. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time so here’s the abridged version. My Week 4 Adventure was taking my two lovely golden retrievers to the Malibu Dog Beach (note: one of my ladies is blind). It was over an hour drive, about a half hour walk to figure out which part of the beach was dog friendly, and then an afternoon of racing up and down the beach, getting pulled into the water and getting soaking wet (I was not in a bathing suit and the water was freezing- it is the Pacific in January), and avoiding getting a ticket for letting my doggies off their leashes. Quite an adventure! Next time I think we’ll try Huntington Beach since they have an off-leash section.

     

  • jenitz 2:26 am on January 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Adventure #3- Take a bikram (“hot”) yoga class. Some adventures are for the purpose of conquering your fears. This was merely to try something new, something a little controversial, something that could potentially stretch (literally and figuratively) my body to the very limits of its ability. I took a 90 minute bikram yoga class last Friday and I have to say, this is something I will do again. I left feeling like I had just gotten a massage. I have a very difficult time relieving stress and being in the present and this class helped me with both. I think it is now a weekly necessity. I challenge my fellow adventurerers that are need of some R&R to try.

     

    • eatveggiesdrinkwine 5:53 am on January 25, 2010 Permalink

      I am accepting your challenge and hope to make this happen in the next month!

    • Jane Showalter 7:14 pm on January 25, 2010 Permalink

      I’m going to add that to my list! I took a yoga class regularly last year, and I’ve been meaning to start up again. Maybe I’ll try this first.

    • Rick Williams 10:56 pm on January 31, 2010 Permalink

      that’s the ticket (R &R) …..i have been looking for an excuse to try hot yoga .. hear a lot about it in San Diego…. so i will take your challenge ….. but in return, make a challenge to check out Qi Gong …….

  • jenitz 5:47 pm on January 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , MET, New York City, Vietnamese   

    Adventure for Week 2- Trip to NYC (LA to NY is an adventure in itself) but I did a run in Central Park (7 miles), spent the afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, tried Vietnamese Food at Le Colonial and had brunch at a NYC diner- all FIRSTs.

    The Met Sculpture Courtyard

    (More …)

     

  • jenitz 7:39 pm on January 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Adventure #1- Try Ethiopian Food.
    I went to Nyala on S. Fairfax in Los Angeles (very good Zagat rating). I got the Vegetarian Combination so that I could try as much as possible. It included: yemiser wot (red lentil stew), kik alecha (mild yellow split peas), defen yemiser wot (whole lentil stew), yatakit wot (mixed vegetables), yabesha gommen (collard greens).
    A few things to note- everything is seasoned with fresh garlic and ginger and you eat with your hands (including the side salad).
    Here were the instructions:
    1. Tear off a small piece of ‘injera’ ( a crepe-like soudough bread) with your hands and place it on the dish of your choice.
    2. Grasp your fingers to scoop up the food into bite size portions you desire.
    3. Mold the bread until it soaks up the savory flavors that are essential to each dish.

     

    • Kelly 7:54 pm on January 11, 2010 Permalink

      What an awesome adventure. I’m so afraid of new foods this is something I should consider doing.

    • eatveggiesdrinkwine 1:47 am on January 12, 2010 Permalink

      Congrats on trying this! I couldn’t tell from your post what you thought of it … will you be repeating this adventure?

    • Jane Showalter 3:03 pm on January 12, 2010 Permalink

      That looks absolutely delicious! Do you remember which was your favorite?

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