Lord of the DDR

It's been a while since I've played a DDR game intensely. The last time was when I was in college, playing in the campus arcade and making a dancing fool of myself in front of others. And that was when I was able to play the game through an hour non-stop, easy.

Now, I'm lucky if I'm still breathing after one song - which is what almost happened yesterday, when I "busted a move" (I'm using my "one bad 80's saying" card today) on the DDR pad at my company's rec room.

Granted, adjusting my settings on a Heavy song I was familiar with and dancing with a not-so-youthful body, I was really asking for it. As I lay there on the couch with fans cooling my buckets of persperation and calves burning, I thought to myself, "self? I think it's time to...break a leg (damn, out of "one bad 80's saying" cards) and utilize DDR as an exercise regiment.

Duh.

Stupidity aside, I never initially saw it as an exercise tool; I saw it as a way to dance to some really upbeat songs in a video game environment. And, I admit, I was a bit envious of those who attracted crowds in the campus arcade, with their seemingly infinite combos and complex execution of moves. It would take me a year of home-console practice before I started my arcade attempts and gather my own crowds.

Well, not exactly crowds...more like people who stopped to watch a geeky fool stomp his feet on 4 buttons in a flurry of maneuvers, desperately maintaining a high score without flailing his arms in a frenzied panic.

I'll do it all again, though - just not in public anymore. Either at work after hours or at home will be my dance floor.

Oh, and my arms still flail around like nobody's business. Maybe I should dance with my arms down.

Then again, maybe not.