July 2006 Activity -- Segway Tour of DC

Segway Tour of Washington, DC
www.citysegwaytours.com
July 2006
Cost: $65/person for 3 hour tour (plus a possible additional $500 if American Express was not the best credit card company on the face of the earth)

It was a dark and stormy night...

We headed into DC to meet Dilettante Amanda at the Segway place. Due to the weather and traffic, we were running a few minutes late, so Amy and Nicole dropped me off so that I could register us while they found parking. As I was making my way up the five steps to the Segway place, I tripped and fell up the stairs and stubbed my toe. (Cue dramatic music indicating foreshadowing here.)

Our tour guide, Steve, was a young guy with a great attitude and we liked him immediately. What we did not like was that we had to wear helmets and bright blue rain coats like the rest of the dork patrol on this tour. (As fun as Segways can be, there is no possible way to look cool while riding one.)

This three-hour tour started off a little rocky when an elderly gentleman in our group ran into a stopped car at an intersection. We may have rolled our eyes a little bit when this happenend (refrain: dramatic foreshadowing music). From there, we rolled down the streets of DC, stopping occasionally to look at monuments and get a bit of a guided history tour. We also stopped occasionally because I kept falling off my Segway. I fell a total of *three* times. To break it down for you, I've assigned a special rating system that details our tour guide's reaction and the amount of pain I was in.

Fall #1: Tour guide Steve's expression: concerned
Pain Quotient: 1 on a scale of 1 to 5

Fall #2: Tour guide Steve's expression: exasperated/incredulous
Pain Quotient: 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 (I scraped my elbow and bruised my coccyx)

Fall #3: Tour guide Steve's expression: Don't know...he refused to look at me
Pain Quotient: 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 (the Segway kept ramming into my shin)
Damage Quotient: 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 (the Segway handlebar broke completely off and Tour Guide Steve had to drive my Segway back to HQ)

Between falls 2 and 3, we were stopped in front of the White House, where Dilettante Amy seemingly became possessed. She began turning 360s in a tight circle with a maniacal look on her face all while making beeping noises. This sent all of the other dilettantes into fits of hysterics.

Also between falls 2 and 3 (and after I had tried to convince Tour Guide Steve that my Segway was defective, we overheard a smug/nerdy -- "smerdy"? -- member of our group saying sarcastically, "Oh, I'm sure it was a defective SEDGE-way." From that point forward, we could no longer call it a SEG-way. It was (and still is) a SEDGE-way).

After we had locked up the Segways to take a walking tour of the last of the monuments, we went back to the Segways and Steve asked us if we remembered which Segways were ours. Amy deadpanned, "well, we know which one is Kathleen's" (pointing to the one sans a handlebar).

Back at HQ (God, I love saying that), the four of us sat on a bench like so many juvenile delinquents waiting for their parents to pick them up after drinking too much Milwaukee's Best and cruising around in a Chevette (at least that's what we imagine it would feel like...obviously none of us has a frame of reference for such a thing.)

I was forced to fill out a damage report saying that I would pay $500 to cover the repair of the Segway ("forced" because they had my credit card number on the reservation...there was nothing I could do at the time).

Over time, my coccyx healed, AmEx disputed (and won!) the charges, and the other Dilettantes have never again mentioned my utter lack of coordination. (Had you going there for a minute, didn't I?)

Necessary beers and food followed at the Old Ebbitt Grill (thank God for cushioned seats.)

June 2006 Activity -- Cancelled!

Due to many unforseen circumstances (e.g. the trapeze place in McLean went out of business, ear infections, graduation parties, rain delays, travel schedules, etc.) the June activity was cancelled.

May 2006 Activity -- Rock Wall Climbing

We showed up at the Sportrock facility (housed in an industrial park) and checked in. You have to sign a detailed waiver saying that when the equipment fails and you plummet to your death, it is not their fault. You also have to sign something saying that you have forfeited the right to a helmet. None of us signed this, and were then given some kind of weird explanation about how we needed to sign it -- so we did, and also got helmets. (huh?)
Our instructor (self-nicknamed G.I. Joe according to him nametag), (nicknamed Captain Sideburns by us), got us our shoes and helmets and directed us to a lounge to wait for class to begin.
Our group decided to pick some fun nicknames for ourselves -- Nicole was "Lara Croft", Amanda was "Billy" (as in billy goat) and Amy went with "Spiderwoman." Being the creative marketing type, I went with "Kathleen" (as in "Kathleen").
We quickly discovered that you apparently cannot just go to class and learn how to climb a wall. You have to go through a 2-hour session on "belaying" -- which is essentially learning how to tie knots and be the anchor person for the person who is climbing the wall. Ironically, after 2-hours of learning to tie knots and not doing anything active...we ALL were climbing the wall. (Jokes about "being at the end of our ropes" also fit in nicely here.)
Captain Sideburns claimed up front that he was "sarcastic." This should always serve as a warning. Anyone who describes themselves as anything is generally the polar opposite of what they claim to be. (Especially those who describe themselves as "classy" or "zany" or "not currently in the midst of a herpes flare-up.") Turns out C.S. was actually an instructor who talked quickly, had little patience, was very intense and used a method of negative reinforcement coaching.
Anyway, we went through the Figure 8 knot, the backup overhand knot and all of the safety checks about a trillion times. C.S. kept stressing, "Safety, safety, safety", yet, curiously, when it was Amanda's turn to climb and she asked for chalk because her hands were slipping, he told her that "climbers usually have chalk on their hands, but you guys don't need to use it". (again, huh?)
I think it was at this point that I asked if we could take pictures. When he said, "yes", I said, "I'm glad...I was a little worried that you'd say no and you kinda scare me because you're a little intense.". Well, he was apparently also a little sensitive, as he must have repeated that I thought he was "intense" many, many times thereafter.
Anyway, when we finally did get to the climbing portion of this activity, I think we all felt that there had been significant instruction in belaying, and very limited instruction in the actual climbing. That, coupled with the fact that other amateurs were the belayers, did not instill us with a great sense of confidence while scaling a huge wall. We all pretty much went up about 7 or 8 feet -- although Nicole kicked ass and went up more than 10 (and was only stopped by not being able to find another grip once she got up there -- she was not scared at all!)
The activity ended, as they all do, with some drinking. This time at the Lost Dog Cafe in Arlington. As it turns out, drinking is the only activity that we've maintained a consistent level of interest and skill in throughout this process.

Activity: Rock Wall Climbing
Date/Time/Location: Wednesday, May 3rd, 7:00-9:00pm, SportRock, Alexandria VA
http://www.sportrock.com/

April 2006 Activity -- Pole Dancing, yes...Pole Dancing

Activity: Pole Dancing
Date/Time/Location: Sunday, April 9th
http://www.mdpoledancing.com/

I have a whole new respect for strippers. And I had a pretty healthy respect for them to begin with. This pole dancing thing is not easy. As my mom used to say, "if it was easy, everyone would do it." Although, I don't think she was referring to pole dancing at the time.
Our instructor was a gorgeous woman named "Ki". We all admitted later that we spent an inordinate amount of time staring at her butt -- and we're all straight. The woman had a body that would not quit and she was a great dancer.

We warmed up with a little hula hooping. Amanda "Hips" Lonsdale and Nicole "Swivel" Bono showed their stuff, both claiming to have never done this before. Whatever...Amy and I couldn't really get the hang of it, even though my mother won the "best hula hooper in the world" contest back in high school. (Don't be too impressed -- the world was a lot smaller then.)
After that, we practiced our "walk" around the pole. This involved a lot of strutting and a lot of rhythm.
We learned different ways to move down the pole, including the "fireman", the "fairy", and some other moves. This required all kinds of arm strength, rhythm and learning to time how to snatch the ones out of our garter belts while keeping in step with the music. (Kidding. Mostly.)
This was definitely the hardest workout I've had while wearing high heels (that I'd share in a blog, anyway.)

March 2006 Activity -- Strong Beer Tasting & Lecture

Activity: Strong Beer Tasting & Seminar

Date/Time/Location: Saturday, March 11th, 6:30-11:30pm, Northwest Washington, DC

February 2006 Activity -- Making Handmade Chocolates

Activity: Making Handmade Chocolates
Date/Time/Location: Sunday, February 5th, 12:00-2:30pm, Northwest Washington, DC
http://www.tastedc.com/

1. Is this an activity where someone would feel comfortable going alone or is it better to go with a partner? You'd probably want to attend this with at least one friend, as there are very few (if any) single attendees. However, if you are a very outgoing person and are trying to meet people, there is ample time to talk to others at your table.
2. Was it convenient to participate in this activity? Registration on the tastedc web site was fantastically easy. The venue itself (in the house of the tastedc owner) was fairly easy to find because we were all familiar with the area, but may throw others off who are looking for more of a commercial space.
3. Was the activity a good value based on the registration fee? The activity fee was steep ($65) for the 2 1/2 hours -- although it did include unlimited wine and champagne and chocolate samples.
4. What were the participant demographics? There were more women than men and it seemed to be a young-ish crowd (late 20's/early 30's)
5. Logistics: Parking was street parking, and easy in this residential area. The venue itself was rather cramped. Because this takes place in the living space of the TasteDC owner, folding tables are set up in his living room, sunroom and dining room. This makes for cramped quarters. Also note: you will be using the owners personal bathrooms.
6. What should one wear/bring to the activity for maximum enjoyment? N/A
7. Level of physical fitness required (if applicable) : N/A
8. Should participants be there early to get a good seat? It's a good thing we arrived early, as there is a huge difference in visibility depending on where you sit. We got a table right up front and were able to see and hear the chocolate demonstration very well. There is a TV monitor set up that broadcasts the seminar as it is happening, but it was hard to see, and was constantly interrupted by the Taste DC owner talking about wine and promoting his company. Annoying. You may also want to get there early to talk to others at your table.
9. Size group that could be accommodated (if you wanted to organize a group outing. Any size.

January 2006 Activity -- Civil War Dancing

Activity: Civil War Dance Class
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, January 19th, Gadsby's Tavern Old Town Alexandria, VA
Ever wondered what Civil War re-enactors do in the off-season? Go to Civil War dance class, it appears. (Spoiler alert for any re-enactors that may be reading this -- the North won). I used to work with a guy who did Civil War re-enacting as a hobby. He used to whine about not being able to meet women. Dude...you're spending every weekend with a bunch of other guys, wearing woolen underpants and pretending you've never heard of American Idol. I'm sure that there are chicks somewhere that find that hot, I just don't know that you'd want to date them.
I digress. The Civil War dance class was actually pretty fun.

1. Is this an activity where someone would feel comfortable going alone or is it better to go with a partner? Definitely would be more comfortable attending with a partner and/or friends, although not mandatory. Is it easy to meet people at this activity? You do end up dancing with everyone in the class...although other than at breaks or at the end of the class, there is really no time for socializing. Note: there is a LOT of touching of strangers while dancing. If you have an issue with this (as some of us did), this may not be for you
2. Was it convenient to participate in this activity? Registration was very easy, however, the venue was very difficult to find. The class is held in the museum attached to the Tavern and there were no lights on in the museum, nor were there any signs indicating where the class was held. We had to search for about 15 mnutes to find the class, which could have been easily remedied with a few well-placed signs.
3. Was the activity a good value based on the registration fee? The fee was only $12 which covered about 3 hours of dance instruction -- a very good value for the money.
4. What were the participant demographics? Even mix of men and women and a pretty good distribution of ages.
5. Logistics - parking was a little difficult -- about what you'd expect in Old Town Alexandria on a Thursday night. Street parking is available, it just requires a little patience. The venue itself was beautiful -- a historic ballroom with wooden floors, a fireplace, and leaded glass windows.
6. What should one wear/bring to the activity for maximum enjoyment? Comfortable clothing and shoes -- you'll work up a sweat and need to have comfortable footwear to master steps and be able to dance comfortably.
7. Level of physical fitness required (if applicable) - need to be in reasonably good shape as this does provide somewhat of a workout.
8. Should participants be there early to get a good seat? Meet people? Get set up? Getting there a few minutes early is a good idea to ensure you can find the place. You may also want to chat with some of the others. There is no set up time necessary.
9. Size group that could be accommodated (if you wanted to organize a group outing). Any.

The Dilettante Club™

Dilettante –Main Entry: dil·et·tante Pronunciation: 'di-l&-"tänt, -"tant; "di-l&-'Function: nounInflected Form(s): plural -tantes or dil·et·tan·ti /-'tän-tE, -'tan-tE/Etymology: Italian, from present participle of dilettare to delight, from Latin dilectare -- more at DELIGHT1 : an admirer or lover of the arts2 : a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : DABBLER synonym see AMATEUR


Dilettante Club^™ History
While discussing hobbies (or a lack thereof) over cocktails one evening, members of the yet-to-be-formed dilettante club noted that they had no hobbies because they could not maintain an interest in any one thing long enough for it to become a hobby. Sure, we're all fascinating, accomplished women who can talk to anyone about a variety of interests for about 10 minutes. But once we move into the 11-12 minute range, our depth of subject matter becomes noticeably limited.

Rather than lamenting this, the founders decided to embrace it and form a club. (And, in true dilettante fashion, had to re-schedule the organizational meeting and ultimately, postpone it indefinitely).

Each month, one of the founding three members: Amanda, Amy and Kathleen, suggests and plans an activity for the group, which is then documented on this blog. The activity is analyzed based on a set of criteria we developed.

Selection criteria for activities:

-All activities are one-time events that run for a period of no more than five hours
-All activities have a registration fee of $100 or less
-All activities take place in the Washington, DC metro area
-All activities must be active so that participants learn something new.
-All activities must end with a de-brief and recap over drinks and food.

Dilettante Creed:

-I will try anything once
-I will remain open-minded when trying a new activity
-I will be respectful of the activity, the activity leader and other participants
-I will approach every activity as the learning opportunity that it is
-I will not shy away from any activity no matter how potentially humiliating or painful.
-(Recently added) I will not touch anyone I don't know during an activity.

By the way, research suggests that exposing yourself to a variety of interests and activities keeps your mind young and can stave off diseases like Alzheimer's. And bring on diseases like Attention Deficit Disorder.

Your Dilettantes:

Amanda: Amanda is a veteran dilettante whose dabblings include sports (gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, skiing, and one season on a Mormon basketball team that she doesn’t like to talk about), music (violin, bass, cello, piano, and voice), academics (international relations, business, urban planning, and economics), and vocations (pizza girl, receptionist, development worker, and financial analyst). She speaks several languages (German, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and French) at a novice to amateur level.

Her proudest dilettante moment was receiving a certificate for successfully riding atop an elephant on a beach in Vietnam. That, or appearing in a video with Shadow Stevens her senior year in high school.

Amanda lives in Washington, DC.

Kathleen: Kathleen’s dilettante past includes tennis, cello, marathons, calligraphy, guitar, fencing, stand-up comedy, clarinet, tap dancing, juggling, painting, bowling, yo-yo tricks, movie extra work, and holding 10 jobs in 15 years in a variety of industries including network security, guns, concrete and advertising.
Her proudest dilettante moments include making the Guinness Book of World Records for tap dancing, placing third in the Les Halles Bastille Day race, and winning the "Wittiest" superlative at her seventh grade end-of-year dance. (She was wearing a terry cloth dress at the time.)
Kathleen lives in Oakton, Virginia with her husband Tim, daughter Avery, and cats Electra and Seamus. She loves to host theme parties and has a love/hate relationship with all things celebrity.


Amy: From an early age, Amy's dilettante ventures developed for practical reasons; playing flute in the band (to avoid gym class), joining the yearbook staff (to ensure lots of pictures of herself and her friends) and learning sign language (necessary to enhance her talent for the Kentucky Junior Miss pageant). These tendencies continued through college -- changing majors multiple times and finally settling on one major (Accounting) and two minors.
Prior to founding the club, other activities included dog agility, one marathon, baton twirling, tennis, needlepoint, flag football, spelunking, organ, jazz, tap and en pointe ballet dancing, gymnastics and a wet t-shirt contest.
Amy lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, Pete (who also harbors dilettante tendencies), son, Charles, and their two dogs and two cats.