I've a bad headache.. it's likely from my neck.. I watched "We were soldiers" last night and whenever I watch movies in bed (which is the only place where I can) it cranes my neck.. I guess last night was too much being 3rd or 4th consecutive night watching some movie late. I also took to using an older cervical pillow I haven't used in aged.. could be that too.
I had a CVSA today with a Police Department as part of the application process. CVSA stands for Computerized Voice Stress Analysis, ie lie detector test. It was a bit stressing and I did fail a few questions but once I explained them and re-answered them I passed. So for now I'm still in the running but I'm still only at Step 2 out of 12.
Ok.. things have changed with the next weeks Portland Tangofestival.
Ms.Spain found the time in her busy schedule to fly across the country and to come for 2.5 days. This means I will, after all, be attending the Saturday night "Elegant" milonga I in a previous post cursed and thanked not having to attend. But this year it will actually be really nice 'cos I'll be going with a "date".
I stopped by K&G men's superstore today and bought two new suits. My old black suits have all been through the drycleaning a few too many times. One suit has the inner lining held together by 20 safety pins, another has shoulder and armpit seams tearing open, and one suit is discolored and dishaped from accidentally having gotten washed. Rest of my suits are either a horrendous style that I've (maybe) never worn or they're now too small considering how fat I've gotten. I'll probably take 3-4 suits to the Salvation Army end of the year to receive a bit of a tax credit.
I purchased the ticket already too to go back to the East Coast to Ms.Spain's for Thanksgiving for a week and a half. Although neither of us wants or needs to "celebrate" the mass murder of Native Americans, it's the perfect time to visit.
In fact, I don't arrive until after 10 pm on that Thursday having to spend the evening on a 4 hour layover in Atlanta.
I've been working and learning a new architectural design program the last week. It's been quite frustrating and I've cursed more than a few times. But the nice thing about this one is that it's 3D, and some of my current clients have cubes for eyes and can not visualize anything on paper in 2D *sigh*.
I'm DJ'ng tomorrow night and turns out that the band isn't playing after all! Last time I had checked the schedule it had said the band is playing but now the schedule says no band. Yay! They always play 2 one-hour sets of the same crappy stuff.
I'll have to spend a great deal of tomorrow creating the playlist because now I suddenly went from having to play 3 hours to 5 hours of music.
Ta!
Showing posts with label Denver Tango. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denver Tango. Show all posts
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Reflections
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.
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.
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!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Not in Kansas anymore, Toto
I finished my job in Wichita, KS over the weekend and got back home last night. Quite boring 8 hour drive and I'm bound to repeat it in a few months for another job there.
It was hot as heck and the humidity took my breath away.. luckily they had the air conditioning running inside the house I worked in or I would have died.
As soon as I hit the city limits of Wichita my Nokia 9500 Communicator went dead... turns out that Wichita uses a frequency not much used and my tri-band "unlocked" GSM phone couldn't detect the towers... figures.. had to buy yet another "back-up", locked, phone so I wouldn't be without service for 4 days.
Of course I just discovered too, that an update for the communicator line is finally hitting the shelves of E-bay and European phone retailers.. it's the E90. Vast improvements have finally been made to the phone and I'm dying to get one now.. a hit of $1400 in full retail price but with only 30% success with E-bay over the last few years I will not entertain buying another phone from there, even if the prices claim to be measly $850-ish. Will have to figure out how to get my hands on one, soon.
Denver Milonguero Festival is 2 days away and Ms.Spain arrives Thursday night! Hooray.
Ta.
It was hot as heck and the humidity took my breath away.. luckily they had the air conditioning running inside the house I worked in or I would have died.
As soon as I hit the city limits of Wichita my Nokia 9500 Communicator went dead... turns out that Wichita uses a frequency not much used and my tri-band "unlocked" GSM phone couldn't detect the towers... figures.. had to buy yet another "back-up", locked, phone so I wouldn't be without service for 4 days.
Of course I just discovered too, that an update for the communicator line is finally hitting the shelves of E-bay and European phone retailers.. it's the E90. Vast improvements have finally been made to the phone and I'm dying to get one now.. a hit of $1400 in full retail price but with only 30% success with E-bay over the last few years I will not entertain buying another phone from there, even if the prices claim to be measly $850-ish. Will have to figure out how to get my hands on one, soon.
Denver Milonguero Festival is 2 days away and Ms.Spain arrives Thursday night! Hooray.
Ta.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Last Day
It's Wednesday.. I'm catching an 6 am flight out of DCA back home for a bit. On Saturday I fly out to Seattle; it'll be my first visit to the city and I'm looking forward to it. Will be able to catch 2 milongas too, one of them China Harbor.
I've been here in DC a week come midnight. I've caught 4 milongas with Ms.Spain thus far, DJ'ng myself one of them, and tonight being the 5th and last milonga for this trip. I had such a good time with Ms.Spain in June that it was worth traveling back just for dancing.. and to see if anything else might work out as well. I'm still trying to coax her to commit to the Denver Milonguero Festival on Labor Day. After that.. in September.. who knows.. next festival after that is the TangoFest in Portland in October.
Finally saw the much praised movie "Cinema Paradiso" last night. Very beautiful film.. with an even stronger soundtrack; been listening to it this morning.
Haven't been paying too much attention to what I've eaten during my visit.. but that's what holidays are for, aren't they? I most certainly have put back on the 5 pounds I lost during the 2 weeks before the trip but oh well. Back on the horse when I get home.
Ta.
I've been here in DC a week come midnight. I've caught 4 milongas with Ms.Spain thus far, DJ'ng myself one of them, and tonight being the 5th and last milonga for this trip. I had such a good time with Ms.Spain in June that it was worth traveling back just for dancing.. and to see if anything else might work out as well. I'm still trying to coax her to commit to the Denver Milonguero Festival on Labor Day. After that.. in September.. who knows.. next festival after that is the TangoFest in Portland in October.
Finally saw the much praised movie "Cinema Paradiso" last night. Very beautiful film.. with an even stronger soundtrack; been listening to it this morning.
Haven't been paying too much attention to what I've eaten during my visit.. but that's what holidays are for, aren't they? I most certainly have put back on the 5 pounds I lost during the 2 weeks before the trip but oh well. Back on the horse when I get home.
Ta.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Saturday Morning
It's been a while.
Still doing the diet although I've been bad a few times. Last week went to the movies a lot and had nachos a total of some 3 or 4 times. Had 2 slices of pizza from Wild Oats too.
On Wednesday and Thursday I was working really close to some restaurants and since I had not packed a lunch I couldn't resist. I had Indian food on Wed and Chinese on Thu. First restaurant food.
Last night on the way to DJ a milonga I stopped at a Taco Bell and had some tacos - first fast food in two weeks.
So yea I dj'd last night. Little over 5 hours. I've a question, though. I've always been super self-conscious about smelling.. be it sweat.. my breath.. or my clothing (one of my cats peed on one of my shirts once and I didn't notice it until I started sweating and the odor started coming out). Several of the very few women I did dance with had very bad breath. Nice ladies I've known a long time.. but I just can't get around to telling them that their breath makes me nauseous... how could I? How could I let some of these ladies know of this problem in a politically correct way that doesn't offend them and before it gets so bad I don't want to dance with them anymore.
Out of the 26 full sets and half a dozen alternatives I played I only danced 8 sets myself. It's lame how slim my pickings are in my home state. I've danced many times more out-of-state this year than in-state. Many times more. Portland, Alaska, New York, Atlanta, W.D.C...
One good news was, though, that one follow that used to date someone, that effectively placed her outside the radar of acceptable follows, now no longer dates this person, and is again available to be asked, and she isn't half bad.
Gawd.. trying to tolerate my mom on an IM.. she doesn't get it through her head that caps is yelling.. it raises my bloodpressure to read all caps all the time.
Ta.
Still doing the diet although I've been bad a few times. Last week went to the movies a lot and had nachos a total of some 3 or 4 times. Had 2 slices of pizza from Wild Oats too.
On Wednesday and Thursday I was working really close to some restaurants and since I had not packed a lunch I couldn't resist. I had Indian food on Wed and Chinese on Thu. First restaurant food.
Last night on the way to DJ a milonga I stopped at a Taco Bell and had some tacos - first fast food in two weeks.
So yea I dj'd last night. Little over 5 hours. I've a question, though. I've always been super self-conscious about smelling.. be it sweat.. my breath.. or my clothing (one of my cats peed on one of my shirts once and I didn't notice it until I started sweating and the odor started coming out). Several of the very few women I did dance with had very bad breath. Nice ladies I've known a long time.. but I just can't get around to telling them that their breath makes me nauseous... how could I? How could I let some of these ladies know of this problem in a politically correct way that doesn't offend them and before it gets so bad I don't want to dance with them anymore.
Out of the 26 full sets and half a dozen alternatives I played I only danced 8 sets myself. It's lame how slim my pickings are in my home state. I've danced many times more out-of-state this year than in-state. Many times more. Portland, Alaska, New York, Atlanta, W.D.C...
One good news was, though, that one follow that used to date someone, that effectively placed her outside the radar of acceptable follows, now no longer dates this person, and is again available to be asked, and she isn't half bad.
Gawd.. trying to tolerate my mom on an IM.. she doesn't get it through her head that caps is yelling.. it raises my bloodpressure to read all caps all the time.
Ta.
Friday, July 20, 2007
It's Friday but not an Aloha one
Been up in the mountains last two day.. Heading back up there in a few hours after a chiropractic adjustment and another of those Active Release Technique rub-downs.
My AC unit smells like someone is smoking right outside.. wonder if I'm burning the bearings, lol.
It's been hot here.. mid to high 90's.. even peaked past 100 just south of here.. and I'm trying to keep this wee dark house at 72.. it's usually 85 in here if it's 95 outside..especially right by 3 running computers; they put out some heat.
Pleasure trip. I'm making a pleasure trip purely for tango back to the East Coast next month. Found $99 tickets each way and with tax that's still under $240.00. This is only the second time ever I've made a trip purely for tango that wasn't for a tango festival, per se.
Trying to see if I can also get to DJ during this trip to assure high music level :)
My left arm and hand are constantly tingling. Been doing so ever since that first ART appointment I had on Monday. Quite annoying, it is, I can assure you. But he did pop the shoulder and that did increase the range of motion a little bit. He said that if by 4 or 5 appointments there isn't a noticeable difference then that technique won't work. At that point it better have worked since I will have paid enough to fly twice to dance with Ms.Spain and back (at the current web-only buy early enough in advance tix prices I found).
Denver milonguero festival is also only 5-6 weeks away.. can't be having a sore-ass shoulder again then.
I'll be driving to Wichita Kansas either just before my E.Coast trip or right after. Got a job there. The same builder wanted to do two homes on the same trip but they don't seem to get the homeowner to make any decisions.. or understand I have a 6-8 week lead-time.
Oh well. Got to take off.. Chiro in 40 mins.
Ta.
My AC unit smells like someone is smoking right outside.. wonder if I'm burning the bearings, lol.
It's been hot here.. mid to high 90's.. even peaked past 100 just south of here.. and I'm trying to keep this wee dark house at 72.. it's usually 85 in here if it's 95 outside..especially right by 3 running computers; they put out some heat.
Pleasure trip. I'm making a pleasure trip purely for tango back to the East Coast next month. Found $99 tickets each way and with tax that's still under $240.00. This is only the second time ever I've made a trip purely for tango that wasn't for a tango festival, per se.
Trying to see if I can also get to DJ during this trip to assure high music level :)
My left arm and hand are constantly tingling. Been doing so ever since that first ART appointment I had on Monday. Quite annoying, it is, I can assure you. But he did pop the shoulder and that did increase the range of motion a little bit. He said that if by 4 or 5 appointments there isn't a noticeable difference then that technique won't work. At that point it better have worked since I will have paid enough to fly twice to dance with Ms.Spain and back (at the current web-only buy early enough in advance tix prices I found).
Denver milonguero festival is also only 5-6 weeks away.. can't be having a sore-ass shoulder again then.
I'll be driving to Wichita Kansas either just before my E.Coast trip or right after. Got a job there. The same builder wanted to do two homes on the same trip but they don't seem to get the homeowner to make any decisions.. or understand I have a 6-8 week lead-time.
Oh well. Got to take off.. Chiro in 40 mins.
Ta.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The day after
I will have to make a specific post about stuff I like/enjoy/love to counteract my complaining.
DJ Ruddy played horrible music. Music too modern.. sets where all songs weren't similar in the least.. Concert songs (where the vocalist drowns out the music and beat). The whole night he played 2 T 1 M 2 T 1 V - the standard pattern.. then toward the end he threw in a set of 1 M 2 T 1 M! Well I went to tell him that he missed the Vals set and he said that he doesn't follow any format (what the fuck was he doing earlier?) but plays according to what he reads the floor to be doing/wanting. He then played, supposedly intentionally, a Vals set right after the Milonga set.
Ms.Kenya noticed right away that I had changed my cologne and was disappointed :) She seems to really like Burberry: Touch. Two other follows noticed the change too and seemed to like the new Herban Cowboy: Dusk better than Burberry. We danced quite nicely last night and spoke of Tango Crushes.
I forgot my dance-sneakers behind but luckily had a pair of the super thin very uncomfortable ballroom shoes in my truck, which still are better than street shoes. But they allow my ankles to roll excessively to the outside (I supinate) and after few hours the bent pinkie-toe bone was hurting like hell (it's not a case of bunions or hammer toe or anything like that - a bone has shifted and is now in an angle in order to help stabilize me - It's quite sore and my podiatrist says that one day the bone might need to be cut, pulled straight, and screwed back together).
When I get a new pair of sneakers I have the cobler grind an angle in the heel that helps keep my ankles from rolling to the outside.
I barely made it back home last night.. I was nodding off several times and got pretty close to hitting a concrete wall that directs traffic on the I-25 near C/S downtown from one side of the highway to the other, while they pour the driveway and finish the bridge over it - that'da hurt a bit.
I woke up with a very stiff and sore left shoulder/neck. My chiro gave me a long sheet of scoliosis exercises that he wants me to do daily or 2x/day that I haven't had a chance to do any yet. I crashed immediately upon getting home last night and this morne I'm sore and that always detracts my attention from doing anything constructive. I'll do them tonight.
Ms.Spain and I traded a few text messages as I was driving to Denver last night.. she makes me smile.
I was looking at the DJ list for the month of July at the Merc... I'll go next Friday but then skip rest of the month. Looking pretty sad. I should maybe ask to be put on the schedule myself, but I prefer to be asked versus asking to do it - and I have a feeling I will not be asked anytime soon. I feel that the proprietor may have heard me bitching a month or two back and took it personally.. I was, of course, only bitching about the music the DJ was playing or the music that Extasis was playing, which never changes, or both. I also did make a pretty loud comment about El Pulpo just as he was about to begin his performances when he was in-town and at least 6 people heard me, that I know of. Ever since I saw him the first time in Portland in 2002 I've thought him a complete asshole.
Ta.
DJ Ruddy played horrible music. Music too modern.. sets where all songs weren't similar in the least.. Concert songs (where the vocalist drowns out the music and beat). The whole night he played 2 T 1 M 2 T 1 V - the standard pattern.. then toward the end he threw in a set of 1 M 2 T 1 M! Well I went to tell him that he missed the Vals set and he said that he doesn't follow any format (what the fuck was he doing earlier?) but plays according to what he reads the floor to be doing/wanting. He then played, supposedly intentionally, a Vals set right after the Milonga set.
Ms.Kenya noticed right away that I had changed my cologne and was disappointed :) She seems to really like Burberry: Touch. Two other follows noticed the change too and seemed to like the new Herban Cowboy: Dusk better than Burberry. We danced quite nicely last night and spoke of Tango Crushes.
I forgot my dance-sneakers behind but luckily had a pair of the super thin very uncomfortable ballroom shoes in my truck, which still are better than street shoes. But they allow my ankles to roll excessively to the outside (I supinate) and after few hours the bent pinkie-toe bone was hurting like hell (it's not a case of bunions or hammer toe or anything like that - a bone has shifted and is now in an angle in order to help stabilize me - It's quite sore and my podiatrist says that one day the bone might need to be cut, pulled straight, and screwed back together).
When I get a new pair of sneakers I have the cobler grind an angle in the heel that helps keep my ankles from rolling to the outside.
I barely made it back home last night.. I was nodding off several times and got pretty close to hitting a concrete wall that directs traffic on the I-25 near C/S downtown from one side of the highway to the other, while they pour the driveway and finish the bridge over it - that'da hurt a bit.
I woke up with a very stiff and sore left shoulder/neck. My chiro gave me a long sheet of scoliosis exercises that he wants me to do daily or 2x/day that I haven't had a chance to do any yet. I crashed immediately upon getting home last night and this morne I'm sore and that always detracts my attention from doing anything constructive. I'll do them tonight.
Ms.Spain and I traded a few text messages as I was driving to Denver last night.. she makes me smile.
I was looking at the DJ list for the month of July at the Merc... I'll go next Friday but then skip rest of the month. Looking pretty sad. I should maybe ask to be put on the schedule myself, but I prefer to be asked versus asking to do it - and I have a feeling I will not be asked anytime soon. I feel that the proprietor may have heard me bitching a month or two back and took it personally.. I was, of course, only bitching about the music the DJ was playing or the music that Extasis was playing, which never changes, or both. I also did make a pretty loud comment about El Pulpo just as he was about to begin his performances when he was in-town and at least 6 people heard me, that I know of. Ever since I saw him the first time in Portland in 2002 I've thought him a complete asshole.
Ta.
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