Letters from Home

I've always loved living in Memphis, but there are days....

From an article in today'sThe Commercial Appeal, our local newspaper:

At 4:37 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Rachael Vint found a stop-work order on the door, a piece of paper threatening to put an end to her new business, not to mention ruining her evening.

Vint and her partner, Kyra Bailey, were a day away from opening Eccentric Studios, a dance studio at 2810 Bartlett.

For the past three years, Vint has been teaching "Strip To Fit," a fitness program that shows women 18 years or older the art of burlesque, strip teases, pole dancing and "sexy stretching" at various fitness facilities around the Bartlett area.

"We've been at this for three years," Vint said. "Starting our own business was the next logical step."

The stop-work order said the address was not zoned for a sexually oriented business, a presumption Vint doesn't agree with. "There's nothing dirty about what we do. This is a natural expression and a great way to exercise," she said.

Sigh....Life here can be so infuriating. There are great people here, in all walks of life, but they are so often overshadowed by the idiots.

In better news, Memphis (which has been ranked one of the nation's worst cities for bicycling) is finally parsing a clue and installing some bike lanes. 'Bout time. We have enough cyclists to merit them, but the idiots have had their heads up their collective....well, you know.

Super hot here today, sending me to the gym for my daily dose. Once there, I completed a TriCammython--20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 on the recumbent bike, and 20 on the treadmill. I didn't set any land speed records, but it was a good workout. No time to get bored with any of it. I think I'll try this for a few sessions, before beginning to add in additional "cycles." As long as there's something interesting on The Learning Channel, I can go all day. (Okay, no I can't but I'm probably good for a couple of hours.)

Oh, and before I went to the gym, I made a run by a local thrift store, where I scored 3 pairs of pants for a total of $15! I love when that happens. :)

I hope you've all had a most marvelous Saturday!

~