WWW = Wow Whata Weekend

2005 Cowtown Jamborama has come and gone. It came off so much better than I had feared, very well for something "thrown together" at the last minute. Thank you to the organizers and the attendees. I want to extend a personal thank to those people who made it happen behind the scenes, you know who you are, and you are reason it happened so well.

It was 6pm when I finally pulled my carcass out of bed today with an aim on something resembling productivity. I am not too sore, like I was last year, but I am definitely exhausted. I know plenty of people who are sore. Lori said she was sore in places she didn't know she had muscles.

It's one of those times when people say "I had such a great weekend!"
"Oh? what did you do?"
"I can't remember."

I'll be posting some pictures soon.

Some random thoughts:
I entered my first dance contest. There was no pressure on me, since I didn't stand a chance of winning, and that was how it worked out. I danced with three partners, the first was Jenny from Minnesota, who was just wonderful and smiley. Then I got Terry, aka idance, who continues to be one of my favorites, I hope I can quit being so intimidated by dancing with her. I had a third partner too, it wasn't so great. I really focused my dancing for the last month or so with an eye on this competition. I heard feedback from my friends that I have been making progress, and I feel that way too. After the competition, I asked Robin how I did, she said "great", so I asked her how I really did "your moves and footwork were fine, your posture stunk." Now that's a friend :-) I would love to see the Omaha Jitterbugs have a dance contest quarterly, for me it made me improve my dancing, perhaps others would do the same.

I was VERY encouraged this weekend. I keep telling myself various things about how I won't ever be a great dancer, and every time I am proven wrong. My latest one is that I am too old. Well it may be true that I am older than most of the people who were there, but dancing has probably got me in the best "general" shape I have been in since my mid 20's. I weigh more and it's mostly muscle, I have better stamina, I am stronger and more coordinated than I have ever been. Maybe it's time to pony up some cash for some private lessons. (and quit the bad self-talk)

Chicks dig guys who can dance. Gentlemen, especially you younger ones, get a clue, and learn some moves.

Caitlin George, thank you for the dance tip. That being said, you are much more attractive when your mouth is shut, just because you have vocal cords isn't necessarily an open invitation to use them. Perhaps you have good reason to believe that you are one of the finest lindyhoppers in the world, but there is no reason to leave people believing you are one of the biggest jerks in the world. Thank you for visiting Omaha, and thank you for leaving. Big talent doesn't have to be nasty, Christy Vasiliauskas is full of kindness and patience AND talent oozes out her pores. In the future I can tell you that I will fly to Hawaii to ask her something before I'd walk across the room to ask you.

Folks, if you think you get the best moments of an event by being at the beginning and middle, you are mistaken. The best stuff happens at the end. Everyone's guard is down, they are tired and happy, and stuff comes out. The Sunday dance was attended by about 45 people, and by 11:00 we were down to 15 or so, and Peter Loggins started goofing off with some of the other instuctors, and funny funny stuff occurred. My favorite was when Billy put on a latin song, and we dragged Carmen over to him to dance. Peter: "I am from L.A., of course I can dance Latin."... one minute later "...she's showing me up...!" naturally, you have to be there, and some of it may have only been funny because we were so tired. But Peter, Christy, and Mike Faultesek, the instructors who stayed until the last minute of the last event, were gracious, kind, funny, and wonderful to be around (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was the same way).

Thanks again to all those wonderful people who took the time to dance with me.