Stacy Horn

Some of you may remember my posting about dancing with Where the Hell is Matt. This is me and Matt dancing for a few seconds after they recorded him dancing with everyone. The final video with all countries is here. It’s worth watching, it’s very moving. I still tear up.

New Yorkers will have another opportunity to dance with Matt THIS SATURDAY, July 23rd, at 4pm, the full details are here. They’re asking people to RSVP so they know how many to expect.

It’s a lot of fun, I highly recommend going. It doesn’t matter if you can dance or not, I can’t dance as you can see. They’re going to be teaching us a dance this time, and if I make the final cut you will see me struggling and failing to learn whatever they’re trying to teach us.

I’ve been learning the Mary Murphy salsa routine for National Dance Day, (National Dance Day was started by Congressman Eleanor Holmes Norton and it’s being promoted by the So You Think You Can Dance people). Last year they had only one routine for people to learn, a hip hop routine, and I tried and tried and couldn’t do it.

I must not have been the only one because this year they have three routines, an advanced hip hop, an intermediate hip hop, and Mary’s salsa routine which is so beginner a six year old can do it they say. I wish there was a beginner a hip hop routine to learn, but the salsa is fun too. Except I have to stop the video on every step and work on it for a while in order to do it, and I still can’t do the botafogo step at 5:11 in the video.

People lazing out in Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library. I remember when you didn’t want to go into Bryant Park, it wasn’t safe, it was filled with drug dealers, etc. Then it was restored in the 80’s by Dan Biederman (the son of a friend of my mother’s) and Andrew Heiskell, who had formed the Bryant Park Corporation. What a feat that was. How did they even get permission to begin? You can get some on the story in the Wikipedia entry which is fascinating, but it doesn’t tell how they sold the city on letting them try. What a triumph though. This isn’t really showing the prettiest parts or anything, I just liked the expanse of this shot.

I’ve posted before about a video I watched that suggested doing five things every day for 21 days and you’d be happier. It worked for me and I continue to do the five things to this day, except for me it was four. I messed up writing them down and ended up combing two things into one.

I’ve tried many times to find the video again, but I was never successful until yesterday. Here it is. And these are the five things.

– Write down three new things you are grateful for each day.
– Journal (his word not mine) about one positive experience you’ve had that day.
– Exercise.
– Meditate.
– Do one random act of kindness.

Here’s what I did. You can see how my first thing is a mash-up of his first two. But it worked, probably because it’s so close.

– Write down three new things that made you happy that day.
– Exercise.
– Meditate.
– Do one random act of kindness.

I know you’re looking at those first two things on his list and thinking “gag me,” but watch the video and listen to his explanation for suggesting them.

A garden at the end of an alley. Where I’d be having my coffee if this were my courtyard.

The first season was good, but not great. It’s just that it had some really great elements, I loved the humor and all the actors so I kept watching. In season two they must have gotten some new writers or something, because every episode was out of the park great and funny. Season three just premiered and it’s as wonderful as ever, even better actually. I’m sorry if I haven’t mentioned this series before, but it’s so worth watching. Download the first two seasons to get the back story! It’s worth it, I promise.

In other TV news: My heart is broken about Alex Wong. SYTYC fans will know what I’m talking about. I’ve been waiting a year to see him dance again. Poor Alex, poor us. Get well soon though. I’ll still be here (hopefully!) when you get better, still ready and happy to watch you dance.

I kayaked five miles on the Nissequogue River yesterday. Only my fingers are sore! It must be the push-ups.

Give them What They Need to Give You What You Need

If you’re emailing someone to ask them for something, spend some time and think of everything you can do to make it easier for them to help you. Is there information they’re going need that you can get for them? Go get it! Don’t make them look things up, look them up yourself and give it to them. Are there questions they’re likely to ask you? Give them those answers in the initial email. Do as much up front homework as you can. The easier you make it for them, the more likely it is that they’ll help you.

If you are not willing to spend the time to think about and gather what they need, your email might be experienced as rude. Think about it. Not only are you asking them for something, you’re making them do work you could have just as easily done yourself.

Tip 1a. Get to the point.
Tip 1b. Be Honest About What You Want
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Watching the ballgame. This is the ball field on Hudson between Clarkson and St. Luke’s that was once a graveyard. Still is, in all likelihood. There was never any mention of moving the graves that I saw.