Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Same Time Last Year

Dear Madonna,

Last year at this time I was in Arizona, practicing with The Meat in preparation for our big US Open Debut.  It was the culmination of months of travelling back and forth across the country and countless hours of practice - at Summers Danceworks on Prescott, the Dovercourt House, and on parquet dancefloors in hotel breakout rooms during event weekends. Our nerves were frayed and all the physical effort had taken its toll on The Meat's body.

I remember being terribly frustrated by the dodgy internet access in the hotel and feeling disconnected with my peeps despite Dana and Michelle being there sharing the experience with me.
This year its back to C.A.S.H. Bash in Cleveland with the whole gang. I have a new partner and a new routine - again the culmination of many months of practice, but without the travel. We'll be performing rather than competing, but will be critiqued by two of the Pros I admire most: Mario, who choreographed the piece, and Angel, who - uh - tells it like it is.
The nerves are fine. I think.


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Dear Madonna,
When I was 18 years old I went to New York for the first time and stayed at the legendary Waldorf= Astoria.
It was a graduation gift from my father, and my mother went with me. We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, walked around Times Square (much seedier than it is these days), and shopped at Lord and Taylor’s. My favourite memory, though, is of having drinks in the afternoon in the Waldorf’s “Peacock Alley”.
Mom chatted up piano guy – seriously! I had no idea she knew as much about music as she did. Of course married to my dad, how could she not? He was the son of a music teacher and played in marching bands, sang in competitions, and became a “Barbershopper” later in life.  In fact the Barbershop conventions they attended were a bit like my west coast swing events.
Recently I was on a business junket to Florida and got to see the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Not the same, of course, but I couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with the replica clock in the lobby.
Updated version of Peacock Alley.
Not at all like the original but dig the carpet!