Hello blog friends. As you see, I'm trying to be a bit more active with this photo blog so you can see what's going on in the life of Doug and Kel. Keep coming back here because if something catches my eye, I'll grab a photo and post it here to tell you about it.
Since we are on the topic of weekend activities, I was able to attend another swing dance event at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park. These swing dance events happen once or twice a month and draw anywhere from 300 to 700 people. They truly are the largest swing dance parties I have ever seen.
I snapped these two photos while I was there so Kelly could see what she has to look forward to when she moves to DC. The events have different sponsors and feature live bands from all around the DC, Philly and NYC metro areas. Not to mention, these events also attract some of the best dancers from as far as Ohio and Florida. Check out this video from the Jam Cellar event a few weeks back that featured a dance contest.
So as you can see, even though I moved from the hotbed of swing in California, I've found a home to perfect my Lindy hopping skills here in our nations capital. By the way, I'm taking private lessons starting at the end of February from the couple that won the above contest. Will Kel and I be featured in a dance contest like this one above one day...count on it!
So this past weekend I decided to wake up early on Saturday and head for a dropzone. No my friends, I'm not suddenly a licensed skydiver like my wife. But I am interested in the sport and wanted to find ways to get involved if jumping isn't in the cards for me. So Kel and I agreed it couldn't hurt for me to take a packing class.
If you've never been to a DZ, most skydivers hate packing their own parachute. They land, pick up their rig, drop it in the packing loft and head off to plan more jumps. That leaves packers to go through the arduous task of stuffing a parachute the size of a car into a shoebox. Needless to say, they can make good money doing it if they are quick and responsible.
The packing class was at a dropzone in Orange, VA, about 65 miles southwest of DC. To get there I went through Fredericksburg and two Civil War battlefields. And 10 miles out of the DZ I came across a trusty old friend; a Sheetz gas station.
What??????
Here's the story. While in college at Shenandoah University, a Sheetz gas station opened across the street from campus. This was like the gates of heaven opening for all college students in Winchester. It was a full service station with lots and lots of beer. But it also came equipped to sell their famous "MTO subs." Needless to say, we ate tons and tons of Sheetz subs and breakfast sandwiches called "Shmuffins." It was something all SU coeds lived by during their tenure on the hill.
So you can understand my excitement when I came around the corner and saw the big red Sheetz sign calling my name. I pulled in and ordered one of their trusty smuffins to take along to the DZ. Granted, I think I was the only man not wearing hunting fatigues or some type of canvas jump suit in this place, but it was totally worth it.
Now that I'm back in VA, I can once again enjoy a staple of my college days.
Welcome to urban marinade...a blog that lets you stew in the cultural crock pot of Washington, DC. I'm here to rant and rave about anything and everything in my little urban world. Generally speaking, that includes nightlife, photography, dancing and DC urban development. So there!
