My Newest Addiction

Dear Madonna,

I've become one of these people you see walking around, riding the subway, and sitting in Starbucks with white strings coming out of their ears. I'm listening to all my favourite music on a pretty pink iPod I bought for myself on Valentine's Day, and it's like crack! I still can't get over the quality of the sound and I love how it takes me into my own little world.

On the other hand - I've also downloaded the first four webcasts if Oprah's Monday night "classes" with Eckhart Tolle, where they are going through his book, A New Earth, chapter by chapter. In Chapter Two they talk about how people walk around wearing iPods are are not fully present and connected with their environment. In fact I was listening to that particular podcast as I was walking home from team rehearsal on Wednesday night. It's very cool that so many (2 million +?) around the world are taking part in the classes, but I guess I'm just not ready to be 'awakened'.

On top of that, it's Earth Hour tomorrow and I'm scheduled to deejay at a dance in Waterloo. Not likely that we're going to be turning off the lights and stopping the music....

Besides feeling a little out of step with the rest of the world things are going well as we get closer and closer to JulieFest. Rooms are still available at the Gladstone Hotel; I booked mine yesterday (hint, hint), and registrations are coming in every week.

I noticed when I was on iTunes this week that 'Hard Candy' is already a best seller, and it hasn't even been released yet! I guess all that free press about you and Guy is paying off - heh heh heh.

Until next time,
Julie

Accept All Invitations

Dear Madonna,

There's been a lot of talk lately about you and Guy leading separate lives. Girlfriend-to-girlfriend, if there is any truth to the rumours that you're splitting up I want to share some excellent advice from Canadian stand-up comic Sandra Shamus, and that is to "accept all invitations".

You may not feel like going out, and you're probably reluctant to do new things and meet new people but it will be sooooo good for you. That's why I think you really MUST come to JulieFest. Toronto will be such a great change of scenery and I'll introduce you to all my friends.....

One commentator speculated that all the talk about your rocky marriage is really just a publicity stunt in aid of getting your name in the press before the release of your new album next month. Well, if anyone knows how to manipulate the media you do!

In any case, I'm here. Even if you just want to talk.

Your friend,
Julie

Mea Culpa

Dear Madonna,

Please accept my apologies for not writing sooner to congratulate you on your recent induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! I don't care what anyone says, you look hot! Why shouldn't you wear a dress that shows off your thighs? Yeesh...people are just so mean. And all that talk about the 'work' you've had done. Nill Illigitimi Carborundum, is all I can say.

Well, registrations have started coming in already for JulieFest, and people are booking Private lessons with Mike. We're really only two months away, and I haven't heard from you yet so I'm a little worried you might not be able to make it. If it's just that you're still trying to get out of some other commitments, I understand. Please feel free just to show up.

Mike's given me the names/descriptions for the three workshops he's going to be teaching on Sunday, May 18th at The Gladstone Hotel. In fact they're names of Dear Johns songs:

• Train Kept A-Rollin: How to stay on track but get some really steam and momentum built up


• A Little More Time: Extending patterns, extending with groove


• She's got the Rythym: ....and he does too; fun, alternative rhythms you can put in your butt

Remember Saturday is still *your* day, and my friend Shelley's husband came up with a brilliant write up for their website:

Mike Topel is crossing the Borderline to get Into The Groove. He's coming to celebrate JulieFest, as are all of Toronto's West Coast Swing dancers. It will be a day to Cherish, as is the woman whose birthday we're celebrating. Who's that Girl, it's Julie Epplett, and Mike is her gift to Toronto. If you don't know Mike, he's more than a Beautiful Stranger, and once you dance with him you'll Open Your Heart. He's True Blue even to the most Material Girl. I don't have to Justify My Love of Mike's dancing, see if for yourself... it's always in Vogue. Trust me, Mike is the best social dancer I've ever seen. Dance with him and you'll see he's Crazy For You as any leader should be. He knows What It Feels Like For A Girl, and his dancing will make you feel Like A Virgin. Follow your Lucky Star to JulieFest, catch the Fever and dance with one of North America's most amazing dancers.

I'm heading out to Vancouver and Seattle this week so will write to you next from the West Coast. Until then,

Julie

Bottoms up!

Dear Madonna,

Did you watch the Oscars? My girlfriend, Shelley, and I watched the Academy Awards red carpet coverage from a suite overlooking Niagara Falls. We even made it to the hotel's spa for pedis in the afternoon. Luxury!

While at the spa I picked up a copy of Men's Health and looked through it - for the articles only, of course - and discovered an interesting factoid about Cava. Apparently a Spanish scientific study has determined that drinking the Spanish bubbly on a regular basis reduces inflamation. "Like red wine, Cava has a significant amount of polyphenols, which have a strong anti-inflamatory effect on the body", thus reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimers, and arthritis.

I'm stocking up on Segura Viudas....and drinking to, and for, my health!

Sante,

Julie

How well do you know…THE DEAR JOHNS?

Dear Madonna,

My friend Dianne was visiting from Halifax last week and we went on a tour of Queen Street West West starting with The Gladstone Hotel, where the Dear Johns will be performing their reunion gig during JulieFest.

We marvelled at the transformation from what the place was back in the Bronco's days. According to Adam, who took us around on a room inspection tour to some of the individually designed artist suites, some shenanigans still take place in the washroooms despite the hermitically sealed windows, although you no longer have to worry about being accidentally locked in a stall.

Just for fun I thought you might like to try your hand at a quiz (excerpted without permission from Cosmopolitan Magazine issue # 1214)

Test your knowledge of this country/rockabilly/blues/swing combo known to haunt the Queen/Dufferin area of Toronto in the mid-1990’s.

1) The Dear Johns consists of:
A- Breandan McGrath (bass)
B- Claude Barnes (drums)
C- Shawn Crockard (guitar)
D- Scott Crockard (harmonica)
E- All of the above

2) The Dear Johns guitarist Shawn Crockard courted and married Julie Epplett’s:
A- cat
B- good friend Dianne
C- dancing shoes
D- cha cha cha oochie mama!

3) The Dear Johns have been known to play:
A- country tunes by everyone from Hank Williams to Lyle Lovett
B- blues rants by folks like Son House and Stevie Ray Vaughan
C- swing numbers inspired by The Texas Playboys and Brian Setzer Orchestra
D- Rockabilly rave ups greased by Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins
E- R’n’R by The Clash, Pretenders, Talking Heads, John Hiatt
F- All of the above

4) It’s been said the Barnes/McGrath rhythm section of The Dear Johns:
A- lays it down thick and hot like fresh asphalt on the 401
B- is responsible for continental drift
C- can only barely tolerate the Crockard brothers
D- really ARE Crockard brothers but working under aliases

5) One of Scott Crockard’s favourite pastimes as a youngster was:
A- driving his younger brother Shawn crazy
B- driving his younger brother Shawn crazy
C- sitting on his younger brother Shawn’s head and farting
D- driving his younger brother Shawn crazy

6) The last time The Dear Johns played the Gladstone Hotel:
A- they made everyone in the place dance like crazy
B- someone tried to get wise with Donna the barmaid, but to no avail
C- the joint was called “Broncos”
D- There was a buffalo head on the wall
E- All of the above

How'd you do?

Julie

CavaGirl is Coming! CavaGirl is Coming!

Dear Madonna,

I think I told you that my friend, Cava Karen, is coming from England for JulieFest. Well I just got confirmation of her flight details today.

She and I met when I was living in Kuwait. We were both Hot Box Dancers in an amateur production of Guys and Dolls (you know, "Take back your mink, take back your pearls, what makes you think that I'm one of those girls?" - except that "pearls" was pronounced "poils", and girls, "goils").

Anyway, that was years ago now and we have a mutual friend, Slash who was also in the production. Bless his tone-deaf little heart, he had the only non-singing role. Slash loves Karaoke (naturally) and Karen has been urging me to urge him to come to JulieFest as well, but when I saw him last month in Houston he didn't seem that keen. Perhaps if you wrote to him, Madonna?

I went by the Gladstone Hotel last Sunday to drop off some JulieFest postcards with Adam, who's been helping me with the guestroom reservations. He was very impressed and gave them a place of honour at the front desk.

Gotta go. It's a work day and we have a long weekend ahead. Dianne is coming from Nova Scotia for a visit and I'm entertaining some of the "goils" on Sunday night.

By-the-way, the CavaGirl moniker might be a bit confusing. It started when Karen and I were in Barcelona for my 40th birthday. Not quite sure how or why but it was born somewhere amongst the Cava Bars of that city and my looking like you with your blonde Ray of Light curls was part of the story somehow.

TTFN
Julie

Madonna Day

Dear Madonna,

I picked up your Immaculate Collection CD yesterday at HMV (using the gift card Nick and Laura gave me for Christmas). I'll be sure to play a couple of songs off of it at the Toronto Swing Dance Society's dance tomorrow night.

About the Karaoke Kick-off Party...when I told my friend Dianne my idea she said her husband Shawn (the lead singer for The Dear Johns) would rather hit his head with a hammer. I feel exactly the same way about watching "Dancing with the Stars".

Anyway, I'm guessing, you probably won't want to join us at Noah's Ark on the Thursday night either, but it would be really cool if you could come to the Dovercourt on Saturday. I'm making it a tribute day to *you* and all the dance workshops have been inspired by your songs.

Vogue - body movement ("Let your body go with the flow...")

In the Groove - partnering skills ("...gonna dance with someone else")

Express Yourself - styling for both Leaders and Followers

Like a Virgin - beginner West Coast Swing ("...for the very first time")

Oh, and I'd better check with Shawn, but they may be okay with you singing a couple of songs with the Dear Johns on Sunday night at the Gladstone, as long as we give them the song titles in advance so they can practice. Just let me know.

One more thing, Larry Hough posted the demos of me dancing with Mike - from my 'Six Pillars' instructional DVD - on YouTube. Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWn0zEJAG6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRhBJLDLzEw

Ciao ciao,

Julie