October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month - this one goes out to Paul Wylie!

 

Let's face it, October is a busy month - (I'm looking at you pumpkin spice) and along with the month for Fair Trade, Breast Cancer, Vegetarian Awareness, International Walk to School (Canada only), and I kid you not, National Outdoor Lighting month (really, not December?) it's Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month.

So if you bear with me, I'm taking time out of my usual casting notices or reunion updates to address something dear and literally near to my heart.

that's not an ipod in my pocket                      

 

Yes, Paul Wylie and myself are lucky survivors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.  It's different than a heart attack where blood is blocked going to and from the heart.  Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating.  A person often passes out.  Sudden collapse.  Especially on a young person, that's not usual.  Quick intervention from CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED), can increase the survival rate by 90%.

So CPR is crucial here.  If the moment ever comes, lock your hands together and press hard.  Sing the song "Staying Alive" by the BeeGees and press to the beat.  You're manually pushing blood to the brain which can prevent brain damage.  And of course, if there's an AED nearby, use it.  The machine talks you through the procedure.

 I also watched a bunch of AED and CPR videos (which was pretty depressing) so I can bring you one of the better and shorter videos.  Seriously, watch this and you'll feel more prepared.  It's very informative and spells out the difference between continuous chest compression CPR and regular CPR.  Watch the whole thing.  Please. 

I hope I can speak for Paul Wylie when I say, we thank you.

Happy "World Ballet Day"

Besides being the first day of fiscal 2016 for the US government and World Vegetarian Day, by North American Vegetarian Society, it's World Ballet Day!  That's the one I'm excited for.  I love ballet and I love seeing what dancers (and skaters too, of course) can do with their bodies.  I'm truly in awe.

 

Dance Anywhere 2015

I loved ballet as a kid.  Like many kindergarteners, I wanted to grow up to be a ballet dancer.  But by the sixth grade, I left ballet for skating.  Skating seemed more exciting because I could go faster (without even moving my feet).  And I stayed away from ballet for a while.

In college, I shunned ballet.  I embraced jazz and tap instead. I thought traditional ballet was boring.  And then I didn't see much ballet for thirty years.

I think seeing the documentary "First Position" sparked my interest in ballet again.  IMHO the movie was that good.  Really go see it.  If you haven't seen the movie yet, watch the trailer here.  Then go see it, I told you it's that good.

My only question - where is the skating version, as smart and entertaining as First Position?

Aaah, excuse me Ice Charades, you were talking about ballet?

That's right, back to ballet.  Enjoy World Ballet Day.