Grab Those Dancing Shoes and Have a Ball in 2009

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After tomorrow's Presidential Inauguration there will be quite a bit of dancing going on.  In fact, there will be 10 Inaugural Balls, including the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, Youth Inaugural Ball (for ages 18 to 35, which sadly I am nowhere near eligible for), Obama Home States Inaugural Ball (Illinois and Hawaii only), Biden Home States Inaugural Ball (Delaware and Pennsylvania) and the Eastern, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southern and Western Inaugural Balls.

So with all the dancing going on in Washington DC, why not consider local dancing options here at Conejo Valley Guide!?  You have no excuses not to kick up your heels in 2009.

Click Music, Art and Dance Groups and find links to all types of dancing groups, including:

  • Boots and Slippers Square Dance Club
  • Buckles and Bows Square Dance Club
  • Cam-a-Lot Round Dancers of Somis (more square dancing!)
  • Conejo Civic Ballet Company
  • Conejo Valley Cloggers (for those into wooden shoes)
  • Conejo Valley Folk Dancers
  • Country and Rhythm in Motions Dancers
  • Country Lovers Western Dance Club
  • Happy Squares Square Dance Club
  • Molecular Midriffs Tribal Belly Dance Troupe (hmmm, now this sounds interesting)
  • Moorpark Civic Ballet and Dance Theatre
  • Trail Dusters Square Dance Club
  • Ventura Bachelors and Bachelorettes Square Dancing Club

Is it my imagination or is square dancing extremely popular in Ventura County!?

Or how about learning how to dance at a local venue:

If you are aware of other dancing classes and venues not found on this site, Contact Us and let us know!

Resolve to Get Fit in 2009! Local Fitness Activities in the Conejo Valley

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Feeling flabby?  Looking large?  Terribly tired?  Severely sluggish?  Horribly heavy?  OK, you get the point.  Time to get active!  How about setting a fitness goal for 2009!  Work out at least 3 times a week!  Take a hike!  Join a local club!  Get fit!

We live in an area where there is no excuse NOT to be active!  Great weather year-round, hiking trails surround us and plenty of things to do.  Conejo Valley Guide provides hundreds of sources of local activities.  Let me provide a few ideas to get you on the move!

Click here for local running, cycling and hiking clubs.  Hiking, walking and running are your best "low budget" fitness bets!  Can't beat the fitness value of a pair of running shoes and this website dedicated to sharing info about Ventura County trails.  Here's a few:

Conejo Track Club

Future Track Running Club

Moms in Motion Fitness/Training

Conejo Open Space Group Hiking Outings

Conejo Valley Cyclists

Download a map of Las Virgenes-Malibu Area Trails

Click here for local gyms and fitness facilities.

Click here for karate and martial arts studios.

How about one of the following local clubs:

California Kayak Friends Club

Ventura Disc Golf Club

Ventura Surf Club

Other ideas:

Sign up for a class with the Conejo Recreation and Park District

Pilates classes

Gymnastics and dance facilities

Golf and tennis

Do a power walk at a local park

Ventura County beaches

This list is just a starting point!  Feel free to Contact Me with more ideas not found on this site and we will make sure to get them posted.

Visit the New City of Thousand Oaks "BikeSafe" Website!

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BikeSafe is a new bicycle safety campaign launched in April 2008 designed to educate the Thousand Oaks community about good riding and driving practices that help keep everyone safe on the road. The campaign focuses on youth and adult cyclists, with an emphasis on the importance of riding with the traffic not against it.

BikeSafe has tips for local bicyclists and drivers, a great local area bike map, bicycling brochures for adults and children (in both English and Spanish), links to other bicycling website, information about local events and other information.

Check it out at www.toaks.org/bike or call the Thousand Oaks Public Works Department at 805.449.2400 for more information.

Christina Applegate Double Masectomy

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Emmy Award-winning actress Christina Applegate was intereviewed on Good Morning America today about her very recent decision to have a double masectomy in response to learning she had breast cancer in one of her breasts.  The surgery took place about 3 weeks ago.

It was uplifting to see how positive, determined, and good-spirited this talented actress, whom many of us (especially us guys) know all so well from her 10 year stint on Married with Children in the late 80s/early 90s, was in the interview (click here to see it).

Her decision was obviously not an easy one, but was based on an assessment of the facts.  She tested positive for the BRCA1 gene that is an early indicator for breast cancer.  Her mother is a breast cancer survivor.  A doctor-ordered MRI confirmed the breast cancer diagnosis.  She decided to have the surgery to ensure the cancer would not come back (she is 100% cancer free now) and to alleviate the need to have chemotherapy and other recurring treatments.

Christina, who looks incredible at age 36 and only 3 weeks after surgery, says she wants to increase awareness of breast cancer screening and in particular, find a way to help women at risk but lack finances to pay for the expensive BRCA1 testing and MRI screening. 

She went on to joke about how in the coming year she will have reconstructive breast surgery and that her new boobs will make her the envy of other 90 years olds sitting around the bridge table in the nursing home.  She describes how humor has helped her deal with her challenge and that she is ready for the next challenge of helping others facing the same issues.

Applegate is scheduled to appear on the Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser on September 5th.  See www.standup2cancer.org for more information.  She is also rumored to be playing the part of actress Elizabeth Montgomery, who died due to colorectal cancer, in the 2009 movie "Everything Is Going to Be Just Fine."

We wish you well, Christina!  We admire you.

Run or Die? A 21-Year Stanford Study

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In a study published today in the American Medical Association's Archive of Internal Medicine, Stanford researchers said that over a 19 year period, runners died at less than half the rate of non-runners  Wow, if that isn't a case for regular aerobic exercise (be it running, swimming, biking, whatever), I don't know what is!

The study began in 1984 with 538 runners over age 50 and a healthy "control" group of 423 non-runners from Northern California.  Annual surveys were completed by participants.  After 19 years, 15% of the runners had died compared to 34% of the non-runners.  Hmmm, could that be why my wife wants me to stop running and set up a life insurance policy...hmmm.

At the end of the study, the runner group had a 40% reduced chance of being moderately disabled or of dying as compared to the non-runner group.

The runner group exercised as much as 200 minutes per week versus only 20 minutes for the non-runner group.  It obviously pays to exercise, so go on, get out there and start training!  How about one of these upcoming local 5K fun runs as a goal!

One last point.  The study indicated that 284 runners and 156 non-runners completed the entire 21 year study.  So of those that lived through the entire study, this implies that 62% of the runners and 56% of the non-runners completed the entire survey.  To me this says that runners not only live longer and healthier, but are more reliable survey takers.

(Disclosure:  Conejo Joe is a runner if you couldn't already figure that out.)

Power Napping Is In (Almost!)

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Try taking a nap for a powerful antidote to feeling sluggish and tired.  I personally feel extremely invigorated with a solid 20 minute, uninterrupted nap in the middle of the day (right after lunch is usually a good time, following the lead of my 2 year-old).

You don't want to nap too long, just 20 to 30 minutes...sleep too long and you'll feel groggy instead of refreshed.  Or take a long nap of 90 to 120 minutes to get past the grogginess cycle.

Napping is still not widely accepted in our society but is gaining momentum.  One company, MetroNaps of New York, sells a napping device called an EnergyPod™ that provides a comfortable semi-enclosed space for napping in comfort in a work setting.  Companies like Proctor & Gamble, Cisco and PriceWaterhouseCoopers are experimenting with this device. 

Since most companies don't have this $12,000 contraption, what is the best strategy for napping during the workweek? Well, if you work close to home you could go home for a nap.  But this isn't feasible for most of us.  If you work in an office you could shut the office door at lunchtime and snooze on the floor of your office.  I have resorted to this but it certainly is not the most comfortable approach (remember to lock your door and silence the phone).

Or you could nap in your car, which also is not that comfortable unless you have a car large enough to lie down in.  I have resorted to catching a front seat powernap in a shady spot at the park.  Of course the other issue is noise.  This is where I've been lucky to find a really neat product called Pzizz.

Pzizz is a $50 software program that produces an unlimited number of timed sleep "soundtracks" - music, sounds and voices that make power napping a snap.  I've used Pzizz hundreds of times and swear by it.  Nap soundtracks can be exported into iTunes and loaded onto your iPod for easy portability.  I crave my 20 minute Pzizz "energizer" naps.  My wife makes fun of me but I'm telling you, after just 20 minutes of Pzizz I'm a new man.

Bottom line:  Most of us don't get enough sleep and our bodies and minds are paying the price for it.  If you can't sleep more at night, then consider taking regular naps to help bring energy to your life!