That time I was in a rugby commercial

Did you know that I was once in a rugby commercial?

For about a year in college I played on the women's rugby team. That winter, we got an email through the team listserv that a commercial was being shot in Manhattan that upcoming weekend and they needed extras.

At this time I was actively pursuing randomness and opportunities. I had a recently seen the movie Yes Man and the concept had stuck with me. I stopped over-scheduling myself and starting saying yes, even if I was uncomfortable or hesitant. When this opportunity presented itself, I said, "Yes!"

So I ended up driving into the city before sunrise with a few of my teammates in what must have been late February/early March. If you look closely in the video, you can see snow piled up on the edge of the pitch.

When we first got there, we were huddled in a locker room of one of the universities' athletic fields, poring through boxes of Canterbury New Zealand's new women's gear. After some searching and bartering, I found a pair of scrum shorts, socks, and cleats that fit.

Then we waited.

Most of the commercial features members of the US women's team, including Phaidra Knight (perhaps best known for her work on the MTV show Made). Therefore, most of the day was spent filming those talented women. When they needed extras, they called us out.

We ran through a couple of plays, not unlike we might do at a practice. I was a jumper at the time, as was my mentor Heather. In the commercial, look for the lady being lifted up. If she has long sleeves, it's me!

You can see me in a few of the actions shots, running around like a baby giraffe with a ponytail.



This was one the coolest experiences of my life (up there with attending the taping for the Glee Movie and meeting one of the creators of Google Maps). It was great to meet some of the top female rugby players in the country and to be part of a commercial.

All because I said "Yes."

I'm never buying tampons again

Warning! I'm about to talk about my period.

I have never been a big fan of tampons or pads. I find them uncomfortable and borderline unreliable. Plus, you have to be vigilant about changing them, lest you leak or fall victim to toxic shock syndrome. On top of that, if you don't remember to restock your supply regularly, you are left scrambling around the ladies room trying beg a spare off a stranger or MacGyvering some toilet paper to get you through the rest of the day.

I'm done with that.

About four months ago I took the plunge and bought a Diva Cup. For several years, friends in the outdoor recreation program at Rutgers raved to me about how great the Diva Cup is. I was hesitant at first (and discouraged by a squeamish ex - but that's another story). On a whim, I gave it a try.

The Diva Cup is more comfortable than a tampon or pad. It's made of silicone, so it's flexible, non-drying, and easy to clean. It's as easy to insert as a tampon (though, fair warning, there is no applicator), and feels more secure. In the four months I've had it I have never had a leak, nor have I felt it would fall out. A big plus is you only need to change it about once a day. Most women will find they only need to change it every two or three days. It doesn't dry you out or grow bacteria, so it's comfortable and safe for long periods of time - perfect for traveling or sports. As for care, just give it a wash in the sink and you're good to go. Since you don't need to change it every few hours, you don't have to do this in a public restroom.

Long story short, I'm not going back to disposable feminine sanitary products.

Have you tried the Diva Cup? What do you think? What's stopping you from checking it out?

In 2011 I will...

• Visit San Francisco
• Go on a solo backpacking trip
• Run a half marathon
• Run the Warrior Dash with my family
• Sail
• Get into the Graduate School of Education
• Become a swim instructor
• Ruck hard and make my tackles
• Swim a lot
• Sew something, finally
• Cross more things off my bucket list
• Fly my kite
• Read 50 books
• Eat one plant a day
• Watch 50 movies
• Score a try
• Get straight As
• Write in my diary once a week
• Do some kind of physical activity every day
• Ask more questions
• Listen
• Make eye contact
• Take a lot of pictures
• Do a split
• Knit 25 things for charity

Swimming and then some

(photo: metamerist)

Growing up, my sisters were the swimmers. They were on swim team for many years. I was on swim team for about a week. I swam when I had to, avoided it when I could. About 15 years ago my parents signed me up for swim lessons. It was cold and wet and early in the morning. I had a lot of stomach aches that summer. This past summer, as part of my athletic revolution, I signed up for swim lessons on my own accord. I had always been aware of how slow I swam and how difficult I found it, but I never realized how many little things I was doing wrong. What a difference a few little tweaks can make!

Over the past week I've been alternating between hours on end spent in a windowless room practicing CPR on creepy mannequins and taunting hypothermia while testing the limits of my lung capacity in a lukewarm pool. There were times I thought I thought I would fail and there were times I really surprised myself with how well I can swim. It was tough. I don't think I'll ever wash out the smell of chlorine. But it was one of the most fun and most rewarding things I've ever done.

Today I became a lifeguard.