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For the duration of its collective life, or the time during which its identity may be assumed, each class resembles a hotel or an omnibus, always full, but always of different people. |
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Friday, January 23, 1998
Wednesday, I answered a question on the Microsoft Image Composer newsgroup about using a graphical tablet. That's what I use all the time on my home machine; I like to give my hand a rest from the mousing I do at work all day. There are pens and tablets from Wacom that are really not expensive! They wouldn't do for a graphic artist, but they suit my needs just fine!
I discovered the newsgroup for digital cameras! I'm glad that most comments about the one I already bought are positive. I also found web pages from people who have sorted out all the tips and tricks to get the most out of the camera. This is valuable, since I'm not an experienced photographer.
The second dance class at the pro club went fine. Jon Newman reminded me (if I had ever realized it) that the Women in Cinema festival starts this weekend. The Sunday night program looks like I'd enjoy it. I had to laugh when this one gentleman said "Very good!" every time we danced together. He seemed really surprised! I told him he was good for positive feedback. Although I haven't learned this particular dance before, it isn't that different from a lot of traditional social dances.
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I'm very gratified by the number of zine requests I'm getting for the printed (and edited!) version of this journal. I'll be sending the first batch out this weekend. But it's not too late to send me your address if you'd like a copy.
Debbie Notkin sent me a few notes on my Potlatch conreport. She really wasn't saying that my zine was boring, and I tried to make that clear in the next paragraph. Sorry if I was obscure.
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My nephew J--- showed off his tap dancing when I was dining with my sister's family on Thursday night. They have a bedroom empty right now because they are about to refinish the floor, so this makes a good practice space. He's doing very well! I gave them a copy of my zine. J--- was pleased to be able to read the entries where he is featured!
From there, I went to my second lindy hop class at the Russian Center on Capitol Hill. It was the third in the series, but I missed the week before because of going to Oakland. I didn't miss much, because I've been through the beginner series at the Century Ballroom. We are being taught a simplified version of the Lindy basic, without the triple steps. This is tough for me to do, since I already know a more complex version. I also need to judge how much feedback each partner needs to hear, since it isn't good to be critiquing throughout the time I'm with each guy! (We rotate partners every few minutes.) But sometimes if they just changed one thing about their dancing, it would make a huge difference!
When the open dancing started after class, I looked down from the raised platform by the door and saw a familiar plaid shirt on the dance floor. It was my friend Tom Lawrence, with his friend Trish. He's been doing the beginning swing class at the Century Ballroom, and making good progress! We danced a few times, and I was able to assist him in teaching Trish the charleston steps we had learned together earlier in the month.
When I got home, I watched Wally's show Don't Quote Me on This. He had a special guest: Clark Humphrey, local columnist for the Stranger, a local alternative weekly. Clark had listed Wally's show on his annual Innsville/Outski list, but Wally and Dave (Wally's cohost, I won't say sidekick) took it in good part, and they had some good chat. I give Clark credit for going on the show, since he has a slight halt in his speech.
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Today was fire-drill day, all of a sudden. My mananger didn't know which task to put me on, working through a list of items that needed checking, or grabbing documents (which I had been asking the person in charge of for weeks) and converting them to another format and moving them to another location. I managed to whip through both by the end of the day. I couldn't stay late because I'm having someone come over tomorrow, and my apartment is not fit to be seen! Cleaning is the order of the evening.
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