sheesh.. I just wrote the post but hit side mouse button which acts as a back button on browser.. and for some reason the auto-save draft is no where to be found.
So.. I DJ'd last Friday. In my usual way I send an e-mail out asking for requests and opening myself for feedback if someone doesn't like what I play. Getting 20 people to come to me saying how much they like what I play does little for me. I don't decide when I play; I play when requested.
So one fella wrote asking me to play stuff not often heard, and not to play in tandas. He wanted to hear music played all mixed up like a mix-cd or a live band. Sheesh.
Another fella came to me during the night to say that he didn't like my d'Arienzo/Echague set that had Pensalo Bien as the anchor. I split Pensalo Bien, La Bruja, and No Mientas into separate tandas, because having all three in the same set is like an never-ending orgasm; too much stimulation. Well of all the music I was able to play that night, because the band came, unexpectedly, to play 2 sets of 12 songs (hour long sets), that particular set was, IMHO, the best I played all night. Double sheesh.
Some people...
I'm playing again on the 12th and the following Wednesday I embark to Portland for the 6th year running. This year, though, I will finally not attend the Saturday "elegant", $20 milonga, with shitty live music, shittier line of dance, and no air-flow or air-conditioning. It will also be the first time I've gone to PDX that I've managed to get a room mate to save on expenses.
I miss good dancing.
Ta.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Escape from Michigan
Ok.. back home. The tiny A2 anniversary festival behind us.
Attendance was low.. 150-200-ish. I haven't heard any official numbers, though.
We stayed outside AA in Whitmore Lake, 20 minutes north. All the hotels in the area, even in Whitmore Lake, were sold out Fri-Sat because of the Penn State-Michigan football game.
Weather was pretty nice.. mid 70's to low 80's during the peaks and 60's at night. Not a single cloud on the sky any of the days we were there.
Ok.. dancing.. a lot less people came for this than I had expected. A handful of good dancers, only. There was a pretty distinct outer lane at all the milongas but there were about a half a dozen leaders that zig-zagged and when they saw a gap rushed for it, or danced half on the outer lane and half on the inner lane effectively blocking both as they slowly moved along doing their pirouettes and boleos and ganchos. Bastards.
Cabeceo was practically non-existent, again. There were 3-4 followers I had really wanted to dance with, all of which I knew looked at me when I was dancing, and I knew they saw me looking at them when they were dancing whilst I sat, but at no time did they look toward me when we were both seated - even if practically next to each other (particularly at the small all-night-venue). And I, of course, do not verbally ask a stranger to dance, no matter how badly I want to dance with them. I asked some ladies in NYC this past Spring but only after they were recommended and named by Robin Thomas. If cabeceo doesn't work we won't be dancing.. unless of course she comes to ask me. That happened to me once, that a follow I had wanted to dance with did come ask me verbally... not sure if she knew what cabeceo was, but the two tandas we danced didn't end up being all that great.
So with the exception of 3 follows I danced exclusively with follows I knew personally from previous festivals, etc. From Philly, DC, AA. Sort of sucks, except dancing with Ms.Spain never sucks.
Ms.Spain and I left early from each of the milongas, which is something I almost never do, and we didn't even end up going to the practica the last night. But we were both tired, sore, and had to get up at 3:45 AM the next morning, so not attending the practica was quite justified.
I'm DJ'ng this Friday and after that on the 13th of October, a week before the Tangofest in PDX. I probably won't be dancing at all between those two times.
Ta.
Attendance was low.. 150-200-ish. I haven't heard any official numbers, though.
We stayed outside AA in Whitmore Lake, 20 minutes north. All the hotels in the area, even in Whitmore Lake, were sold out Fri-Sat because of the Penn State-Michigan football game.
Weather was pretty nice.. mid 70's to low 80's during the peaks and 60's at night. Not a single cloud on the sky any of the days we were there.
Ok.. dancing.. a lot less people came for this than I had expected. A handful of good dancers, only. There was a pretty distinct outer lane at all the milongas but there were about a half a dozen leaders that zig-zagged and when they saw a gap rushed for it, or danced half on the outer lane and half on the inner lane effectively blocking both as they slowly moved along doing their pirouettes and boleos and ganchos. Bastards.
Cabeceo was practically non-existent, again. There were 3-4 followers I had really wanted to dance with, all of which I knew looked at me when I was dancing, and I knew they saw me looking at them when they were dancing whilst I sat, but at no time did they look toward me when we were both seated - even if practically next to each other (particularly at the small all-night-venue). And I, of course, do not verbally ask a stranger to dance, no matter how badly I want to dance with them. I asked some ladies in NYC this past Spring but only after they were recommended and named by Robin Thomas. If cabeceo doesn't work we won't be dancing.. unless of course she comes to ask me. That happened to me once, that a follow I had wanted to dance with did come ask me verbally... not sure if she knew what cabeceo was, but the two tandas we danced didn't end up being all that great.
So with the exception of 3 follows I danced exclusively with follows I knew personally from previous festivals, etc. From Philly, DC, AA. Sort of sucks, except dancing with Ms.Spain never sucks.
Ms.Spain and I left early from each of the milongas, which is something I almost never do, and we didn't even end up going to the practica the last night. But we were both tired, sore, and had to get up at 3:45 AM the next morning, so not attending the practica was quite justified.
I'm DJ'ng this Friday and after that on the 13th of October, a week before the Tangofest in PDX. I probably won't be dancing at all between those two times.
Ta.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Nostalgia: The Hymn of Finland / Finlandia Hymn by Jean Sibelius
Finlandia Hymn
O, Finland, behold, thy day is dawning,
The threat of the night has been banished already,
And the lark of morning sings in the brightness,
as though the very firmament would sing.
The powers of the night are already being vanquished by the whiteness of morning,
Thy day is dawning, O land of birth.
O, rise, Finland, rise up high
Thy head, wreathed with great memories.
O, rise, Finland, thou showedst to the world
That thou drovest away the slavery,
And that thou didst not bend under oppression,
Thy day is dawning, land of birth.
Alternate verse by Josh Mitteldorf, for difficult times:
When nations rage, and fears erupt coercive,
The drumbeats sound, invoking pious cause.
My neighbors rise, their stalwart hearts they offer,
The gavels drop, suspending rights and laws.
While others wield their swords with blind devotion;
For peace I'll stand, my true and steadfast cause.
Another alternate verse by Georgia Harkness:
May truth and freedom come to every nation;
May peace abound where strife has raged so long;
That each may seek to love and build together,
A world united, righting every wrong;
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming peace together in one song.
O, Finland, behold, thy day is dawning,
The threat of the night has been banished already,
And the lark of morning sings in the brightness,
as though the very firmament would sing.
The powers of the night are already being vanquished by the whiteness of morning,
Thy day is dawning, O land of birth.
O, rise, Finland, rise up high
Thy head, wreathed with great memories.
O, rise, Finland, thou showedst to the world
That thou drovest away the slavery,
And that thou didst not bend under oppression,
Thy day is dawning, land of birth.
Alternate verse by Josh Mitteldorf, for difficult times:
When nations rage, and fears erupt coercive,
The drumbeats sound, invoking pious cause.
My neighbors rise, their stalwart hearts they offer,
The gavels drop, suspending rights and laws.
While others wield their swords with blind devotion;
For peace I'll stand, my true and steadfast cause.
Another alternate verse by Georgia Harkness:
May truth and freedom come to every nation;
May peace abound where strife has raged so long;
That each may seek to love and build together,
A world united, righting every wrong;
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming peace together in one song.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Michigan here we come
Ok.. Ann Arbor Anniversary Tango Club festival is in the books.
I'm staying in a small unincorporated town 20 minutes north of AA alongside a small lake with Ms.Spain, who's joining me at this Festival; kind of a meet-in-the-middle-deal :) If the water temperature and weather permit it we'll go swimming or Skidoo'ing during the day. Personally I haven't been on the water for years.. maybe over a decade.
A2 festival is from Friday the 21st through (unofficially) Monday night's practica. Very small and short compared to Denver or Portland but it's better than nothing, but certainly going to be great because of Ms.Spain. It's just going to be too short of a visit.
Ta.
I'm staying in a small unincorporated town 20 minutes north of AA alongside a small lake with Ms.Spain, who's joining me at this Festival; kind of a meet-in-the-middle-deal :) If the water temperature and weather permit it we'll go swimming or Skidoo'ing during the day. Personally I haven't been on the water for years.. maybe over a decade.
A2 festival is from Friday the 21st through (unofficially) Monday night's practica. Very small and short compared to Denver or Portland but it's better than nothing, but certainly going to be great because of Ms.Spain. It's just going to be too short of a visit.
Ta.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
October freed up
Well.. just got the call. I did not get the job in Tacoma, WA that I was already awarded. I lost it because the builder insisted on using someone local that was licensed in the state of Washington; something that I've never lost a job over before. It pisses me off a little because I went through a lot of time and work to do all the designs and specs that were needed and now someone else comes in and reaps the benefits. I'll have to change how I work details and designs pre-contract.
This also means that I will not go back to the PAT testing with Seattle PD on the 6th. That's fine because I may need to be in NYC that week/end anyway. I will just have to wait 6-months and then retake the written test as well. Least I know how to study for it this time and I'll have more time to get physically back in shape for the Cooper test.
I was thinking about Ann Arbor's anniversary festival 3rd week of this month but we'll see. I'm DJ'ng on the 28th and have a written test and interviews on the 18th. Busy season.
Luckily one of my clients put their home-design-project on-hold so right now I'm only having to juggle 5 plans versus 6. Of course it was the one that wasn't in a hurry to begin with that got put on-hold.. figures.
Ta.
This also means that I will not go back to the PAT testing with Seattle PD on the 6th. That's fine because I may need to be in NYC that week/end anyway. I will just have to wait 6-months and then retake the written test as well. Least I know how to study for it this time and I'll have more time to get physically back in shape for the Cooper test.
I was thinking about Ann Arbor's anniversary festival 3rd week of this month but we'll see. I'm DJ'ng on the 28th and have a written test and interviews on the 18th. Busy season.
Luckily one of my clients put their home-design-project on-hold so right now I'm only having to juggle 5 plans versus 6. Of course it was the one that wasn't in a hurry to begin with that got put on-hold.. figures.
Ta.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Wish I could have a Mac
I'm forced to use a Windows PC because I use AutoCAD which isn't supported on Mac. I would have switched over 8 years ago otherwise. So lame. >.<
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Outdoor milonga went poof
So.. we had our second annual outdoor milonga today. I was DJ'ng and it was meant to go from 4 to 8... However.. practically no one showed up. Only 2 people came down from Denver, for a short time, and 1 person from Boulder. So lame. Also.. for some reason the pavilion lights did not come on or maybe they don't come on until 8 pm.. so it was too dark to keep going so we packed it in at 7. I'm sick and tired that the Denver people don't support our small community.
Tango in my town is as good as dead.
I am not a Coloradoan.. I certainly don't want to be considered a "local" anywhere in this state but especially not in Denver (like during the festivals). I didn't dance with as many strangers this labor day as I usually do since Ms.Spain and Ms.Italy and Ms.Ruskie and Ms.Grand all came and I was obligated and pleased and honored to dance with them a lot. Usually when I dance with a lot of new people and they ask where I'm from and I respond.. they inevitably go "Oh.. so you're a local". No, no I'm not. I'm actually wanting to bail out of Colorado; sooner the better. It's too hot and far too conservative here... and what free minded people are here abouts they're all into the Hippie/Rasta culture and I'm not into that at all.
I went to the shooting range yesterday just to go through the motions on the AR-15 and a Remington pump shotgun. Got a nasty paper cut in-between the fingers of my left hand from picking up the targets... sucky. I pay a monthly fee of $25 for the range membership but I'm not utilizing it. Last time I went was months ago. Membership allows me to go as many times as I want and don't even have to buy anything from them, although I always buy my targets from them. You have to buy the bullets from them if you rent guns from them, though. Supposedly they do that so they can keep track of how many rounds are being put through the rental guns, but there's no real way for them to keep track. For example I bought 200 rounds of 9 mm ammo, and put about 75-100 of that through the AR-15 and rest through a Springfield XD DOA pistol. I don't even know the exact count myself.
Been looking at ticket prices for flights to Las Vegas and Ann Arbor and DC, again. LV and AA both have a small/short festival on the same 3rd weekend in September.. and I'd like to go to DC to dance with Ms.Spain, of course. Not finding anything cheap however.. fall prices are much higher than spring/summer prices were.. I wonder why.
Ta.
Tango in my town is as good as dead.
I am not a Coloradoan.. I certainly don't want to be considered a "local" anywhere in this state but especially not in Denver (like during the festivals). I didn't dance with as many strangers this labor day as I usually do since Ms.Spain and Ms.Italy and Ms.Ruskie and Ms.Grand all came and I was obligated and pleased and honored to dance with them a lot. Usually when I dance with a lot of new people and they ask where I'm from and I respond.. they inevitably go "Oh.. so you're a local". No, no I'm not. I'm actually wanting to bail out of Colorado; sooner the better. It's too hot and far too conservative here... and what free minded people are here abouts they're all into the Hippie/Rasta culture and I'm not into that at all.
I went to the shooting range yesterday just to go through the motions on the AR-15 and a Remington pump shotgun. Got a nasty paper cut in-between the fingers of my left hand from picking up the targets... sucky. I pay a monthly fee of $25 for the range membership but I'm not utilizing it. Last time I went was months ago. Membership allows me to go as many times as I want and don't even have to buy anything from them, although I always buy my targets from them. You have to buy the bullets from them if you rent guns from them, though. Supposedly they do that so they can keep track of how many rounds are being put through the rental guns, but there's no real way for them to keep track. For example I bought 200 rounds of 9 mm ammo, and put about 75-100 of that through the AR-15 and rest through a Springfield XD DOA pistol. I don't even know the exact count myself.
Been looking at ticket prices for flights to Las Vegas and Ann Arbor and DC, again. LV and AA both have a small/short festival on the same 3rd weekend in September.. and I'd like to go to DC to dance with Ms.Spain, of course. Not finding anything cheap however.. fall prices are much higher than spring/summer prices were.. I wonder why.
Ta.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
September, Sunny September 6th
Well... I didn't post at all during the festival but Ms.Spain did a marvelous job once she got back home and Miles, in his typical manner, blogged and bitched about it and things on his blog.
It was wonderful to get Ms.Spain to visit Colorado - too bad we didn't have time to drive down to my house but had to rather shuffle back and forth between the two hotels. The festival takes place at the Stapleton Doubletree hotel in NE Denver, near the DIA.
As before, there were again many more women than men. It makes me sad for I see it in the eyes and expressions of many women their sadness and frustration for not getting to dance; least not as often as they'd like to. I tried to get to as many out-of-towners as I possibly could, but the night is only so long. I kept my tandas at 1 or 2 max with the exception of Ms.Spain, so that I had more time to get to more women. After Wednesday's early-arrival milonga I only danced a few sets with Coloradoans.. I even posted a message to the E-mail list bitching how much locals were dancing with each other, but alas it was not posted.. It probably got lost in some filter as I'm not a member with posting priviledges. When, once in a blue moon, I need to post I send it to a member who will then post it on my behalf. Oh well... oh well oh well.
I bought a pair of Nike indoor soccer shoes yesterday and will take them to the cobbler today for him to grind an angle to the heel and to paste dance suede to the sole. Another pair that I customized will arrive in 4-6 weeks. First pair is black/shiny black with gold detailing. The customized is Black on Black with Dark gray swoosh and White "TANGO" lettering in the heel.
First pair, the off-the-rack-last-year's-model cost $40. The customized $115.00 with tax and shipping. Cobbler will be $40-60 depending on how much glue he has to use and how much time it'll take to grind the heel.
Lot's of computer work to be done so I'm off like a prom dress..
Ta!
It was wonderful to get Ms.Spain to visit Colorado - too bad we didn't have time to drive down to my house but had to rather shuffle back and forth between the two hotels. The festival takes place at the Stapleton Doubletree hotel in NE Denver, near the DIA.
As before, there were again many more women than men. It makes me sad for I see it in the eyes and expressions of many women their sadness and frustration for not getting to dance; least not as often as they'd like to. I tried to get to as many out-of-towners as I possibly could, but the night is only so long. I kept my tandas at 1 or 2 max with the exception of Ms.Spain, so that I had more time to get to more women. After Wednesday's early-arrival milonga I only danced a few sets with Coloradoans.. I even posted a message to the E-mail list bitching how much locals were dancing with each other, but alas it was not posted.. It probably got lost in some filter as I'm not a member with posting priviledges. When, once in a blue moon, I need to post I send it to a member who will then post it on my behalf. Oh well... oh well oh well.
I bought a pair of Nike indoor soccer shoes yesterday and will take them to the cobbler today for him to grind an angle to the heel and to paste dance suede to the sole. Another pair that I customized will arrive in 4-6 weeks. First pair is black/shiny black with gold detailing. The customized is Black on Black with Dark gray swoosh and White "TANGO" lettering in the heel.
First pair, the off-the-rack-last-year's-model cost $40. The customized $115.00 with tax and shipping. Cobbler will be $40-60 depending on how much glue he has to use and how much time it'll take to grind the heel.
Lot's of computer work to be done so I'm off like a prom dress..
Ta!
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