DDR and Auntie Sarah

"Come over and we'll practice this new dance game I have on the Wii." Is that something you've ever heard come out of the mouth of your beautiful, dazzing, 60-year-old auntie? Well, that's what my afternoon had in store yesterday. Completely awesome.

Afternoon raspberry iced tea and a fulfilling spiritual conversation was followed by a game of nothing else but Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR, a game which I've played maybe twice in my life. In college I photographed a student who had the game memorized and could play with his eyes closed. I walked back to the newsroom that day glad that I had friends.

But now DDR seemed kind of exciting, in that way you get when no one is watching. After about 30 minutes of play we finally figured out how to get out of training mode. My song choice of Young MC's "Bust A Move" was accompanied by the video of girls in jean shorts with large yellow bows in their hair, busting a move in a way that I would never be able to on the DDR dance mat. I felt more white and uncoordinated than I have in a while. I take myself as a fairly good dancer. DDR draws out none of my skill. Is it really for people who can't dance? Or is it for people who just like to click buttons and frolic around like they've got ants in their pants?

The highlight of the day was during LCD Soundsystem's "Tribulations" when lovely Auntie Sarah accidentally clicked the Expert setting. If you could imagine someone standing in place trying to escape an attacking beehive, that's the scene that I saw in her living room. I cried, she had to run to use the potty we were laughing so hard.

Uncle Lloyd sure missed out on DDR.