365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 11

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11th, 2013

Sometimes the weight of the world, or the weight of your particular world, or your place within that particular world and the weight you bear as a direct result of the role you play within that world can feel a bit overwhelming.  Amazing how everything can seem to be going very well and then one little misstep can derail all positive momentum, like a dime on the railroad tracks.  If you accidentally throw a casserole dish at an oven, breaking both the casserole dish and the glass covering on the oven door, which is made of tempered glass creating an enormous mess when slammed into by a casserole dish, you laugh it off and make a mental note not to let that happen again.  The line "don't sweat the small stuff" had to be originally uttered for an instance much like that very hypothetical, made up, fictional event used in the example above.  I mean really, how could one "accidentally" throw a casserole dish into the front covering of an oven door, shattering both!?  Didn't happen.  Hypothetical situations notwithstanding, having pre-teen children is certainly worth sweating over and the line "don't sweat the small stuff" was certainly not intended for situations involving them.  Without divulging specifics that would make you laugh and cringe, let me just say that I am ill prepared for this new era in parenting and all else that lies ahead concerning pre-teens, teens and ultimately college.  That's not to say I was entirely prepared for all stages prior to now...but you get the idea.

The point I'm actually trying to make here is that I believe the intent of submitting "doing jazz hands in the mirror every morning" for the "Pick Kyle's 2013 New Year's Resolution Contest" was to begin each day on a positive note and with a smile on my face.  Admittedly, any self-imposed (or cat imposed) embarrassment is accompanied by humility and levity.  "Jazz Hands" makes me laugh at myself every morning before heading out into a world where taking certain things seriously is a requirement.  This being said, there are days when inspiration, ambition and levity are difficult to summon.  I'm not sure how Al Jolson, the 'Greatest Entertainer Alive' in his time, did it.  He must not have had pre-teen children.  So with Cat locked outdoors, today's hand jazzing feels inadequate.  It felt exactly like forcing a smile.  It does not feel right and does nothing to bring any sense of levity to the challenges that lie ahead on this particular day.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and if the dime on the tracks does not completely derail my train, today is Friday and an entire weekend of shopping for casserole dishes and ovens await.  Day eleven complete.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10th, 2013

To begin today's journey, I have locked Cat outdoors.  For you northerners following along, don't worry...it is a sunny, warm January morning.  I have learned over the course of the past nine or so days that walking to the mirror and executing "Jazz Hands" is fairly lame.  I try striking a pose first.  No.  Not that pose.  I try a new one.  No.  That's not it either.  I don't have many poses and I question whether or not all of this is in vain?  Maybe I just don't know enough about "Jazz Hands" overall to conduct it effectively.  I'm sure that's it...to Wikipedia we go.  As it turns out, the actual origination of "Jazz Hands" is not entirely known.  The dance move was prominently featured in the movie "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson in 1927, and from my extensive research (5 minutes this morning) that's the earliest documented instance.  Al Jolson was considered "The Greatest Entertainer Alive" in his day and well, that's a great start for a famed dance move.  Although I've never seen the movie in its entirety, there are some clips available on YouTube.  There are some close encounters with "Jazz Hands" in those clips, brushing softly against hand jazzing destiny, but they fall slightly shy of the mark.  I don't know if I have it in me to watch the film, not in its original form and not the Neil Diamond remake.  So I'll take it on Wikipedia's authority that Al Jolson is the grandaddy of "Jazz Hands" landing in our hearts (and hands) in 1927.  Day ten complete.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 9

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9th, 2013

According to Daughter you can not move your fingers independently from the others and if you do it's not considered "Jazz Hands."  The fingers must remain rigid and always stay parallel to the other fingers on your hand.  If you wiggle your fingers, "Jazz Hands" become "Spirit Fingers."  Daughter gained this helpful knowledge from Neighbor Friend who apparently has some experience with "Spirit Fingers" or "Jazz Hands" or "Spirit Fingers" AND "Jazz Hands" or at the very least knows more about both and the distinction between the two than I.  I am entirely unaware if I have had my fingers rigid in prior attempts, but will be sure to do so from here forward.  While "Spirit Fingers" sounds intriguing and even a little enticing, it is just not 2013's directive.  The people have chosen "Jazz Hands" and "Jazz Hands" the people shall get.  And the cat.  She watches with her judging eyes.  Day nine complete, with rigid fingers.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 8

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8th, 2013

Trying to find the perfect moment to capture the radiance and energy necessary for a hand jazzing is proving to be somewhat tedious.  Morning coffee with wife, debate fault of banking and loan fiasco, lose debate regarding fault of banking and loan fiasco, take kid one to school while sipping coffee two...fast forward...back home...turn shower on prepare for morning grooming ritual...begin to step into shower and then...pivot...SURPRISE ATTACK JAZZ HANDS!  For several reasons, this turns out to be a huge mistake.  First of all, with bed head and sleepy eyes, despite having had a spirited debate and two cups of coffee, radiance and energy do not appear to be in attendance prior to the morning shower.  Unless in a pinch, I shall only attempt "Jazz Hands" until the morning grooming routine is fully complete...and I can't emphasize enough that this is definitely not...how shall I put this...a clothing optional activity.  Day eight complete.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 7

MONDAY, JANUARY 7th, 2013

A friend graciously sent along a  hyperlink of a video of a man of the web demonstrating "Jazz Hands" among other interesting dance moves.  This should prove very useful in my quest to seek out the proper "Jazz Hands" method.  At this point "Jazz Hands Methodology" is becoming somewhat of a focus.  In this hyperlink of the video of the man of the web demonstrating "Jazz Hands" I can not confirm that this jazzy man of the web is a professional dancer or an authority on "Jazz Hands Methodology" or if his version of "Jazz Hands" is appropriately displayed, in general.  Perhaps it is but one proper style among the many, if it is at all, and if it is at all, is this the one proper style among the many that is proper for me in the long run?  The jazzy web man's version definitely seems more polished than mine, correct or not and I was pleased, to say the least, to see him deploy a similar "pivot" move that I had experimented with and reported on yesterday.  Web Man's version was not much of a surprise attack as mine was, but again, variation may be permitted in the world of "Jazz Hands."  We still do not know.  The point is that the pivot move may actually be an "accepted" inclusion and this builds confidence that I am moving in the right direction, naturally.  

Unfortunately, I had already jazzed my hands prior to viewing the hyperlink sample this morning and will have to reference the jazzing hands web man's video on future dates, but this gives me time to properly dissect it, without jumping in too early.  I don't want to jump the gun, hurt myself and suffer a setback.  Absolutely nothing noteworthy regarding my actual "Jazz Hands" deployment for the day.  Although I will report that "Jazz Hands" seem to go much smoother after my morning coffee opposed to prior.  Today fell into the "prior" category and left a lot to be desired.  I certainly feel much more jazzy after a good dose of caffeine, which compares awkwardly to another post coffee, morning tradition...but that's the stuff of another blog.  Day seven complete.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 6

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6th, 2013

Today I become slightly more comfortable with the overall idea of jazzing my hands in the mirror.  I feel uncomfortable with the rising comfort level.  I try facing away from the mirror, do a quick pivot and snap quickly into "Jazz Hands."  I call this "Surprise Attack Jazz Hands."  This offers some insight as to how I spontaneously deploy "Jazz Hands."  I naturally rotate or "dip" to my right at the hip.  This is what I will now call the "Right Hip Dip."  I raise my eyebrows and say "Jazz Hands!"  I position my hands perpendicular to the floor and shift them side to side, palms facing away from me.  I have no clue if I do this naturally by instinct, or if I am merely mimicking (unintentionally, of course) something I have seen someone else do before.  What's more, I have no idea if this is proper form or if there is even such a thing as "freeform" or "free style."  I prefer not to research such matters at this point, but feel the urge swelling within me.  One note of interest:  It helps a great deal to make a goofball face at time of "Jazz Hands" deployment.  As I've learned in days past, dead pan just does not cut the mustard.  Day 6 complete.

365 Days of Jazz Hands - Day 5

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5th, 2013

I remember to promptly jazz my hands today.  No points for style.  No points for technique.  A zillion points for remembering on my own and for doing so early in the day before the normal dose of distractions take hold.  I did NOT say "Jazz Hands" while jazzing my hands and it felt strange.  I'm not comfortable at all with the act in general, but it seems there is an existence of a discomfort variable in relation to how "Jazz Hands" is implemented.  This is a new development for certain.  Day five complete.