Rentree
returns of the day
31
August 2008 -
Mea
culpa, nothing added for almost two years, concentrated more on my blogs than
on this nascent one started before weblog had any meaning! Everyone is back
in town, Aldo back from Sardinia, Brendan from Swanseeland, Carol from Greece,
Sabrina from Sumatra, Abby back from her mom's visit, me from Morocco, who else?
Tina is visiting from London, Lynne is back from the States for a week, we saw
Kristine briefly on her way through to Chedigny for the blues festival. What
will 2008 bring, besides a raise in prices - after a hefty raise in the room
rental at the church, and what about the new cardio class on Tuesday nights
- shall we make it Irish dance, a strip aerobics class, a 20s swing class, or
maybe just a simple hi-low impact workout?
Happy
New Year reflections
4
January 2007 -
What
a year 2006 was! The joy - and fun - of getting Carol
and Julien married has to be the highlight,
although it was also a blast fundraising with Sabrina to send her to India.
Everyone pitched in to make the booksale a successful church fundraiser, as
well as the rip-Roaring
20s party on the 4th of July. We were all sorry to see Tracey
leave us (but thanks for the candy!), while we got to see Silvie and Tina coming
back to take class and party, along with semi-residents Pat
and Damen. There were lots of challenges this year - painful separations,
community conflicts, various injuries and traumas. But we kicked off our specialty
classes on Tuesday nights and Aldo has become a pro teacher! Above all, through
all the jumping, the laughing, the plotting and the drinking, we discovered
again and again the value of good friends.
Aldo's
birthday!
2 July 2005 -
Happy birthday, Aldo! Only you could
take over teaching the whole class impromptu - including the floorwork, despite
the champagne break offered to replace it. You showed us all up by doing as
many pushups as your years (how many? count the candles on the cake!). The party
at Brendan's was hilarious and warm, and what a nice surprise to see Frederique!
Who of course did not bat an eye when you started your usual hot number - why
ever were you so shocked by the fluorescent blue string, you sexy thing? And
even if Anne couldn't be there, Marcus
got us truckin'....
Fitness
Fundraiser
28 February 2005 -
The fundraiser for the tsunami victims was a success! Almost 90 participants
came and worked out, and we raised 1,300 euros for GOAL,
the Irish-based aid agency. It was great fun working with Gail Negbauer (and
family!), and with Fred
Hoffman, who led a dynamic Cardio Kick class, and an exciting Latino Mix
session. It was a pleasure to meet the Pilates teacher, Halle Beverage, and
lots of thanks to all the community groups who helped us publicise the event,
including the WOAC, the AWG, the IEA and of course the American Church, who
sponsored it. Plus, the Irish Eyes published a photo of a class in its March
edition! More photos
Still
Brrrrr
11 July 2004 -
Well, summer is here, but the weather hasn't caught on. At least we got to do
a bunch of classes outside on the quay in June, with bateaux mouches, cops and
joggers cracking smiles at us - and gained a few new class members from the
"exposure"! Good thing, as attendance is thinning for summer vacations.
So glad that Anne and Heike are back in town to sub classes so I can go away,
now that I've recovered from the wild and crazy 4th of July Elvis party - check
out the photos here! Great fun, big thanks
to all the fitness folks who jumped in to help make it a success, and that includes
those of you only in town for a short time, like Marcus, and Ellen Maycock.
Time for a picnic, and the outdoor cinema at La Villette - rendezvous with the
Wizard of Oz on Thursday, 12th August! Oh, and congrats to now-Madame Raphaelle,
and to Nathalie and Antony on the new addition to the family!
Brrrrr
19/10/2003 -
Yes, the cold weather
is upon us, classes are filling up with new resolutioners, and Alison's Big
Birthday Bash has finally finished, with pictures to be posted soon. Pat &
Damon whipped in and out, and there have been a welcome spatter of visits from
family members. Looking forward to feting Tracey's birthday with pepper vodka
brought back from the Ukraine by Brendan, and wondering whether there will be
Halloween music to exercise to this year. After the success of Aldo's full monty,
we're looking for a place to start the new fitness class - anything for rent
out there? Curtains obligatory.
Summer
in the City
12/06/2003 -
Well, Sylvie has left to Stockholm with her amour, and holidays are upon us.
Everybody is coupled up, including me, but nobody's boyfriends are coming to
class, wonder why not? At least Claude has an excuse, just out from knee surgery!
Attention, all: Karyn (with Carmelo and bambino) will be back in Paris in August,
and has offered to teach a few classes, don't miss it.
GASP - 16/05/2003 - the time is coming too quickly when Sylvie will be leaving us, and for what? For love in Stockholm! Her Swedish boyfriend Mats (aka Iceberg) can't come to Paris (he is afraid he'll run out of excuses to avoid Saturday morning classes), so they are going to find a big apartment that will accommodate all of us when we invade the north. Meanwhile, it's party time, look out for a special date in June when we'll be feting her farewell. If we can find a video camera, we'll send her off with a copy of class.
The
Decline of the Saturday Morning Class
Paris, 08/02/2003 - It began with good
intentions, heart rates accelerated, energies abound (except, of course, for
Carol who can do aerobics while sleeping - AMAZING). Then, a coffee, perhaps
a pain au raisin or two - or in 2 million pieces (method à la Sylvie). Finally,
the sturdy group of four remains. In an effort to keep Carol awake, four glasses
of wine were placed on the table - innocently, of course. Meanwhile, Julie is
getting tipsy by dipping her finger into the glasses (she's only 4 1/2 years
old) and Aldo is showing off his "weight loss" to the rest of the
cafe clientele. And it's only 11:50 am...
Of course, Sabrina was too busy taking notes to participate in the general decadence that led to three more innocents getting drawn in and finally all staggering out to the Paris sidewalk at 3pm. Furthermore, Tracey insists she was preoccupied - during both Saturday morning classes! - with recovering from her maiden venture to Rome. She has only now started finding the vocabulary to be able to start describing it. A suivre...
How to Weigh Yourself and Get the Most Accurate Result
I
can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.
We must get the word
out....
GIGGLES:
SENIOR EXERCISE REGIMEN
For those getting along
in years, here is a little secret for building arm and shoulder muscles.
Three days a week
works well.
Begin by standing outside
behind the house, and with a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand... extend your arms
straight out to your sides and hold
them there as long as you can. After a few weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sacks
and then 50-lb. potato sacks, and finally get to where you
can lift a 100 lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for
more than a full minute.
Next... start putting a few potatoes in the sacks, but be careful not to overdo.
*************I prefer sit-ups to jumping jacks. At least I get to lie down after each one.
**************
I exercise religiously. I do one sit-up and then I say, "Amen!"
**************
I met a friend jogging in the park. Well, he was jogging and I was sitting on
a bench.
****and
my favorite:
Fitness
nuts are going to feel really stupid lying in a hospital bed someday, dying
of nothing.
Getting 'em young!
Aldo and friends
Nothing new here, but send me your news! Photos will eventually get posted... Email me at awbenney@parisfitness.com!
Lori Christensen, who used to teach class in Paris, has moved to L.A. and set up her own beach bootcamp classes, as well as triathlon training for women. Check out her website: www.vixentraining.com
Silvie and Mats are living happily ever after in Stockholm, but we need a photo!
Remember Karyn from San Francisco who taught those great choreographed classes, and her gorgeous boyfriend/now husband Carmelo? They have two baby boys, and are happily setting up fitness classes and a photography business in Ragusa, Sicily. Photos to come...
For those of you who remember Paula and Steve from five years ago, they are married and living in New Zealand, and now have a boy, Caleb Cassin and two twin daughters, Clara and Lily!
Last but not least, Molly Grogan and Sean
Lynch, married for ages already, have a two beautiful daughters, Esther, born
end December 2002, and baby Myriam was born in June 2005.
