Happy first day of spring! There's supposed to be a solar eclipse today, so hopefully some of you will be able to see it. North America won't, but if you're in Europe, keep an eye out. Or rather, keep one of those little boxes to view it through out, since we don't want you to go blind.

Since we're going to be shedding all of our winter layers soon, I thought I would tell you about some layers that I've been shedding lately. That's my punny, oblique way of telling you that I'm taking burlesque classes!

Gypsy Rose Lee - one of the original queens of burlesque

I'd been looking at the classes for a while, but I finally pulled the trigger when there was a Groupon offered. Eight weeks worth of classes for less than the cost of a nice dress - how can you beat that?

It's been really fun so far. I've got a friend in the class (whom you might meet here soon, because she's a total babe and also into vintage), so that's fun, but I also really like the teacher. I'm not very coordinated when I first try out the choreography, but there's no judgement in the class. There are some good fitness elements on top of the striptease stuff, so I always leave feeling strong, sexy, and good about myself.

Lili St. Cyr, another old school burlesque icon that I absolutely adore.

I'm still undecided about the performance opportunity that's offered at the end of the session. On the one hand, wooooo! I'm fucking Dita von Teese! On the other hand, I'm a corporate drone and what if one of the thousands of people that work in my building sees me with my clothes off? Awkward.

The fabulous Dita. That could be me! Well, maybe not, but sort of.

If you live in or around Chicago, I highly recommend the classes. They're offered through Vaudzilla, and I'm taking them with Red Hot Annie herself. I'm sure there will be more Groupons in the future, but even if there's not, I think I'd still sign up for another session.

I keep thinking about routines that would be run to do. I'm thinking of something set to Lykke Li's Window Blues, wearing a filmy 50s nightie set, or maybe a frenetic striptease as Faye Valentine set to the theme from Cowboy Bebop. So many ways to take off my clothes, so little time.