Blues Dancing

Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread -- without it, it's flat.
-- Carmen McRae

Thursday, March 30, 2000
One year ago: Return
Two years ago: Reading

Helen wrote a grand piece inspired by the Kingdome explosion -- check it out!

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I seem to have developed a new habit! For the past several days, I've been able to get myself to put used dishes directly into the dishwasher. This is possible, because I actually emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away after I ran it on Sunday night. Small steps in my effort to keep life processes on an even keel. This is an example of something that I might post to the Decluttr mailing list. Where else could I and the audience view a task that most folks don't even realize they do as a real accomplishment?

I went to the University Heights Community Center on Tuesday, but last week was the last class of this session for Theo and Viola, and I didn't realize it! They weren't on the printed schedule, and I didn't see anyone around that I recognized. So I went on home instead. Viola confirmed this when I saw her at the Century Ballroom on Wednesday.

Jack decided he wanted to try out the egroups java chat thing, so we've been chatting for a bit several mornings this week. He's hoping that the net connection won't get him reprimanded at work. Can you imagine? If someone makes too many external net connections, there's trouble. And he's a developer! He needs to be surfing for technical info and stuff. What unmitigated crap. That would just drive me nuts, in short order. Anyway, he created a mailing list that for now is just us two (how cute and intimate), but he'll use it later for a futurism project he's thinking about. But since we are in the same egroup, we can use the java chat thing built into the website. I told him, though, that online chat is not a substitute for good email, especially since there's no way to log the java-based chat.

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I went over to my sister's house after work today. My brother-in-law's aunt ("My ahnty" he says in a Boston accent that he tries to shape into a brogue sometimes) has been visiting. She's a nun who's been working in the Solomon Islands for the last zillion years, and is now on her way to retirement at the mother house in New England.

I was amused to find out that even though my sister and I had decided together that today was a good day for me to come over and meet Aunt H---- (or Sister J--- P----), she'd totally forgotten about it. But it was cool, they were all going for pizza at an ale house in the neighborhood, and I'd just come along with them. Aunt H---- is tiny but sturdy, and wears a nun's veil. We talked for a few minutes while J--- went to get my nephews and my sister ran to the store, about current events, my job, whether my sister would drive Aunt H--- to the airport in a few days (Aunt H---- didn't want to cause trouble or make my sister miss work, but I'm sure M---- will insist on driving.).

We feasted on two large pizzas at the Madrona Ale House. I'd like to go there again with Jack! They've got a real fireplace that burns real wood, not gas logs. My younger nephew B---- is still a somewhat picky eater. The cheese-only pizza that was ordered for his benefit was unacceptable to him -- it had parsley sprinkled on it! My sister wisely didn't make a big thing about it; he just would have to wait until they got home, if he didn't like the food that was served.

I had to leave a few minutes before everyone else, because I wanted to get to a last-minute dance workshop.

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"Cat Daddy" Chris Chapman and Maren Perry were doing a Blues dancing workshop tonight. I'm sure they'd announced this before, but I must have spaced it. When they sent a reminder mail a few days ago, I decided that I really wanted to sign up!

Blues dancing, in this context, is dancing to really slow music, too slow to lindy to. It requires you to get close to your partner, and it's a really good exercise for the leader -- he needs to communicate what's happening without many set patterns to rely on.

They had a good turnout! I started out the class with A---, an older man (perhaps even a bit older than me!) whom I've been in class with before. The class rotated throughout the hour and half we had, with only a few couples foolish enough to stay out of the rotation. Actually, in this case, I can see why some folks might have issues about dancing with someone who isn't a committed partner or very close friend -- there's a lot of body contact in this style of dancing.

I told Chris after the class that he and Maren did a great job! They are able to break things down so that almost everyone gets it. This type of dancing isn't difficult technically, but learning to lead and follow it, and getting comfortable, does take some practice.

I stayed for the dance afterwards. Things at the Russian Center are still clicking along! I danced with a man whom I used to see at Two-Tone Tuesday, but whom I haven't seen around recently. He looked even thinner than when I first knew him (and he was slender then!) and gave me an impression of fragility. I hope he's ok!

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Everything seemed to be on track for a trip to the Klickitat this weekend. Jack would probably come down to my place tomorrow night, then we'd pick up his daugher H---- on Saturday morning and drive on down to his parents' place. We were going to stay there until Wednesday -- an nice visit.

But there was email from Jack waiting for me when I got home. Jack got a phone call today from his older daughter A---- (she's now sixteen, and has been on the run for ten weeks, this time). She wanted her social security number for a job/GED program she wanted to join. Jack had to tell her (and the social worker) that she needs to clear up her other legal problems first! So he knows the general neighborhood where she is, but everything else is up in the air, and he might need to to be available for bond hearings and so forth, if she contacts her parole officer and gets picked up.

I'll be sorry not to go see Jack's folks, if that's what ends up happening, but I don't want Jack to worry about disrupting my plans. He's concerned about his other daughter, though. Next week is her spring break, and it would be a shame if she didn't get to see him or her grandparents, or if she had to hang around home all week.