My Favorite Hair Tool
Posted on May 13, 2021 by Ching under Toys.
I went through a couple of years of wearing my hair completely natural and not even brushing it at times. That exercise has helped me realize that I prefer wearing my hair sleek and smooth rather than curly. Anyway, I discovered this Le Volume tool by L’ange and it is amazing. It has been my go-to hair tool ever since.
A few weeks ago the handle started overheating on me. Not sure what happened but it didn’t seem safe. I contacted L’ange and they told me to cut the cord and send them a picture and they would send me a replacement. I followed their instructions and sure enough it wasn’t long before the replacement arrived.
I was so happy finally get my replacement as I have been completely lost without it.
I was so happy with L’ange customer service and I am so in love with this tool that I ordered another. I ordered the petite 60mm version because I’ll be cutting my hair next month and my original one will be far too big to use.
Here are the pictures of the new, smaller one.
They’ve actually improved this tool since I first ordered it last year. It now ships with a protective cover (so the bristles do not get bent in storage) and also a cleaning brush. Although, I missed the cleaning brush when I got my 70mm Le Volume (because I was just so excited to finally get it after being without it for so long) and threw it away with the packaging.
Here’s a side by side of the two tools for comparison.
As someone who has never been skilled at using a roller brush, this 2-in-1 is a lifesaver. I’m so glad I have them.
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Video of Zach and Krystle’s Wedding
Posted on May 11, 2021 by Ching under Events, Family.
Posting this video for grandma so she can watch the ceremony.
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Zach and Krystle’s Wedding Celebration
Posted on May 10, 2021 by Ching under Events, Family.
Brian and I had a lovely time at Zach and Krystle’s wedding yesterday at Tanganyika Wildlife Park. They’ve actually been married a year but didn’t have the wedding until now due to the pandemic.
Several family members attended from the Brubakers and the Hyatts. It was a lovely gathering and my first time attending a wedding at the park. It was really cool that they had some animals come out and I think the kids really enjoyed it but at times I felt bad because sometimes the animals didn’t seem very happy.
I also liked that we were free to roam the park privately for a couple of hours between the ceremony and the reception. Tanganyika can be quite busy on weekends so it was very nice to have the park to ourselves. I only wish it wasn’t so chilly. I was dressed for warmer weather and so we kind of just sped through most of the exhibits so we could go back inside out of the wind.
Zach and Krystle had a beautiful wedding cake that was just as delicious as it looked. It was lemony yellow cake that was moist and perfect in every way. I think Brian was secretly hopeful it would be chocolate but I still liked it.
Rather than a traditional cake table, they had the cake set on beautifully decorated a swing. It added yet another unique element to the beautiful wedding.
Here’s a picture of the reception hall that I took while the rest of the guests were roaming the park.
Brian and I roamed around the park ourselves as well before I decided I’d had enough of the cold. We took a few pictures of the animals that were still out.
The red bird above is Cookie and the blue bird below is Domingo.
The monkeys were so cold that they were all huddle together to keep warm. We took this as a sign to head back inside.
We took advantage of the opportunity to take a selfie in front of the waterfall before heading back into the reception building.
I am so grateful that we got to share in Zach and Krystle’s special day and we wish them a lifetime of happiness. Best wishes from the both of us.
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Salsa Night at Enigma
Posted on May 10, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies.
Ever since we’ve met my friend Greg, who is both an avid dancer and pickleball player, has been inviting me to various dance lessons and events across town. Most recently he told me about free salsa lessons at Enigma, a new nightclub in Old Town. The have a free lesson from 8-9 pm followed by open social dancing on Sundays. It just so happened that the Wichita Explorers club was planning an outing there on May 1 also so I told Greg I would be there. I’d basically kill two birds with one stone.
Unfortunately, on the one night that we decided to go, the normal dance instructor had been injured and they could not find another instructor to take their place. There was no dance lesson that night but we managed to make the best of it.
Greg, who is a regular on Sundays, led us in a round of social dancing. Lucky for us, several people already knew the basics of bachata and salsa so we were able to take advantage of the space and the music and danced to a few songs. Brian danced a few songs and I got to dance with Greg too. Greg actually knows a bunch of combinations and is pretty good. Those lessons are definitely paying off!
Overall, I really liked the layout of the place. The square bar is in the middle of the floor, right as you enter. It’s much better than having it against the wall and then when it’s busy you can’t even got to it.
Beyond the bar is the dance floor. There was plenty of space for our group but, I imagine, it gets pretty crowded around 11 o’clock when everyone else shows up because the area is really not that big. Thankfully, Brian and I are never out that late. Back in the day, 11 or 11:30 was pretty much our cutoff. I’d expect these days we’d probably be on our way home by 10 o’clock if we did turn this into a regular, weekly thing like we used to back in our salsa dancing days.
The lounge chairs all around the perimeter of the dance floor is also a nice feature so it’s quite convenient if you want to be a wallflower and just people-watch. I had a very positive impression of the place and would love to go back for dancing another night. Perhaps I could even bring all my Zumba and pickleball friends together. So many ideas are already swirling in my head. I can’t wait. Until then, GNG.
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Other Stuff Besides Food
Posted on May 7, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies, Zumba.
I know it seems like all I do is eat these days. I’m definitely feeling it. I’m currently at 135 lbs, up from my immediate post-COVID weight of 127 lbs from back in December. I’m not really doing anything to get fit beyond just teaching my group fitness classes and playing pickleball and I’m finding that I really need to do something because I can see and feel the additional weight on me.
I took a short 4-week hiatus from teaching Zumba in April so I could play in a Monday night league with my friend Chris Wilson. I was supposed to resume my Zumba classes this week but we are short an aquatics instructor so I’m teaching the Monday night aqua class instead. It’s easier to find instructors who can teach Zumba because we have several on the VASA bench. Aquatics instructor are in short supply unfortunately. Or, I guess, fortunately for me because I actually enjoying teaching Aqua Zumba.
I’m currently teaching Aqua Zumba four times a week: Monday and Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings at the Harry location, and then Saturday mornings at the Woodlawn location. Once we Ivette returns or once we find another aquatics instructor, I’ll probably go back to teaching my Monday night Zumba class unless someone else wants to take it over. Then I would be free to participate in pickleball leagues on Monday nights. It can be quite tricky juggling multiple hobbies.
Speaking of Aqua Zumba, it can be pretty hit-and-miss. I’ve had classes that range from 0-14 at VASA. Of course, when I was teaching at the YMCA, we had a much bigger pool and so many more members so some of my Aqua Zumba classes would average 30 students, specially in the summer time when we are outdoors. At VASA, I normally average 3-5. I would see 6-7 people on a good day and zero on bad days.
Having only a handful of participants is fine because our three-lane lap pool is quite small and can’t really accommodate that many people. Plus, it’s easier for me to learn names and connect with the members on a more personal level when there’s only a few of them.
I’m not quite sure what was going on this past Wednesday, though. At one point we had 14 people exercising with us in the pool. I think it’s the most I’d ever seen since I started teaching Aqua Zumba at VASA and it was quite refreshing. The more people we have in class, the more festive and party-like it is so I absolutely loved it.
This weekend I am teaching back to back classes on Saturday because I am filling in for Brynden’s Zumba class at Woodlawn. It works great because I’ll already be there to teach Aqua Zumba. I just need to end Aqua Zumba a few minutes early so I can put the portable stereo away and get ready for the next class. It’s a bit hectic but it’s the least I can do since Brynden is covering my Aqua Zumba class the following weekend so I can be at Picklemania. It’s the pickleball tournament fundraiser for my Rotary club. Plus, I have missed teaching Zumba. The month and a half of not teaching it feels like forever.
Besides teaching back to back classes on Saturday, I also agreed to play in the Kaycee Mac Pickleball Tournament at Chicken N Pickle from 11 o’clock in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. It seems like a lot but I’m pretty used to it. Before the pandemic I would teach three classes and play 2-3 hours of pickleball in the same day. That was usually on Sundays — my most favorite day of the week back then. Anyway, I thought I should write about something else besides food so you wouldn’t think I’m a complete slug. I have been pretty lazy lately but still quite active compared to the average Joe. I’m only lazy by Ching standards.
I guess that’s all the news I have for now. Have a wonderful weekend and will check in again next time. GNG.
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