story time with frankie

we have the pleasure of having one of the great original lindy hoppers from whities lindy hoppers at the savoy club in harlem ..back in the day. the man who also invented the first aerial in 1935....mr. frankie manning. he is 93 and taught a few of our classes. had chatted with us a bit tonight.....it was wonderful to hear his stories and feel the great energy that come from him. he still remembers all the names of the dancers and musicians that he worked with...and tells captivating stories about those times.

i'm going to try agian to upload pics. it seems like i have to do one at a time so i'll just do a few.

more cabaret..





ok...nap time...i need to dance the year away later.

:)

lucky 7

another new year is approaching.

i often get a sorta lonely feeling....or a feeling of loss as it gets closer. i think maybe of losses during the year or maybe ones in the past...and the future. it’s hard to be really happy.. that another year has past.

i had that feeling yesterday...today...not as much. it comes and goes i guess.

last day of classes today and just about to have a private lesson...more later.

happy news year all.

my lucky number is 7...so hopefully it will be a good one.

:)

my break out from camp...

today i needed a break. it started with a massage in the morning on my tired legs....then a little outing to suburbia USA.

wow....a little culture shock i wasn't really ready for. it was a sea of seemingly never ending strip malls and fast food joints. i went to krispy kreame...never been there before. bought myself some food i recognised in the biggest grocery store i have ever been to and the bank. the whole thing took a little longer than expected. got back to camp in time for my afternoon classes...so all was fine.


my legs feel much better which is great.

managed to get a pic posted...may try some more...

here is a taste from cabaret last night....two of our teachers doing some amazing tap. chazz (on the left) mitres from sweden (right)... chazz is in his 70's and still kills us all in class


:)

who put led in my dance shoes..

i’m trying to remember why i decided to do this to myself! oh ya...it’s fun!

i think i have a thing about pushing myself to the limit. it can feel great...if your ready for it. unfortunately this time i wasn’t ready for it. i started the week of with a cold. now i’m sore....real sore. i still have a cold and i’m also getting tummy issues b/c i’m eating mystery food.

it’s fun anyway. i’m taking naps and skipping some classes...which is unlike me...but it helps.

today was an easier day and tonight is cabaret night. i did it last time...so this time i’m just going to relax and watch others make a fool of themselves. that should be fun.

tonight i will dream of my warm comfy bed and a hot bath.

:)

i think pics will have to wait till i get back....

no pics today...

not much time for bloging at old camp arnold. they have us running from class to class...dance to dance..catching the odd nap in between.

today jordan and i have our first aerials class. we did great! we have another on saturday...when ever that is..i've seemed to have lost track of the days out here.

i guess the internet connection isn't strong enough for me to upload pics...so they may have to wait. sorry.

:)

omg we made it...

made it to camp Arnold last night. a bit later then we meant to...but we made it never the less. only got a little lost at the end.

we eat and danced some..i didn't do late night b/c i was tired and getting foot cramps which ended up getting more painful during the night...a little worry some since i will be dancing all week basically non stop.

at about 1:30 am it started snowing. it's was really pretty. i took pics but left my cord to down load in my room...: those will be to come.

i awoke this morning at about 7:45...i was cold! really cold. i guess the power had gone in the night. ok...it came back on later. thanks god! i have visions of us dancing in silence and darkness....we would have. nothing would have stopped us.

we just got our schedules...i'm happy b/c both me and jordan are in advanced!! yippee! and we will hopefully be doing aerials later in the week. the attendance is a little slim. about 1/3 the size of the last time. which is good for the classes b/c you get more attention. but not so good for the dances...not as many leads to dance with...oh well...

more later...

:)

ok....

christmas is almost over...tomorrow afternoon it's off to dance camp! i think i might be getting a cold...i really hope not.

i will try to do my blog while i'm there..if i can.

see ya in the new year!

:)

happy happy xmas

hope everyone had a nice christmas day. mine started off early...for me...breakfast at the grove with garn, fawn and daisley.

garn took this at the grove...i don't usually like profiles of myself..but this one is ok. garn takes great pictures. he gave me a nice one for christmas.


i also met wade and danielle at calabria. the only decent coffee shop open on the drive on xmas day. for those of you who don't know, the drive used to be the italian neighbourhood and there is still a little bit of it left. many italian families in the hood come out on christmas day for their espresso...it's festive.

wade and danielle with dauphny behind


my new necklace


what christmas is really about...


anne put on an awesome spread at her place tonight. here we are chowing down... i ate tons


i had a really great time...thanks anne you are your kids are great to spend xmas with.

oh and of course maisy. she like the pumkin pie...but it didn't like her...we found out later...


thanks everyone for all my lovely presents and thoughts..merry christmas

(i think my mother is trying to tell me something...)



:)

xmas eve...

today was a bit of xmas errands and visiting garn and garbs at the pickle...mishi is away and garn is helping out. i only planned to stop by for a bit..but i think i ended staying a few hours! it was nice to relax and chat with those guys.

i tried out the camera on my phone...it takes wacky pics!

garbs and me looking..i don't know...?


other than that i’ve been getting ready for SONW!! didn’t go to the railway club...oh well..next year.

merry christmas

:)

xmas comes early

i went and bought myself a few things today...a few things i needed. including this handy dandy new blackberry. it's much smaller and has more fetures than my other one..including a camera! i haven't quite figured it all out yet. looks like i have to re input alot of my info...which sucks the big one. oh well...


i also bought a couple of pairs of lululemon pants...i know...but they are good for exercising. i got them for dance camp. you’re not going to be seeing me wear them out in public anytime soon...i promise you that! now i have to hem them.

tomorrow is xmas eve. i’m trying to find people to go to the sing a long at the railway club with me. no luck yet...but still trying. i guess i will also be packing for swing out north west!! yippy...i’m pretty excited about that!

oh and breakfast with brent at the king head...which is my new sunday morning ritual. one i will keep up in the new year i think.

:)

the ghost christmas past

you haunt me sometimes.....when i visit you. you are there i’m my memories. so many years ago.....

snow....carols...hopes....

where did you go? are you gone forever?

like the elf under the tree. i know i saw you. you were there. yet, once i acknowledged you...you were gone. in a blink of an eye.... a puff and a tiny bell. like you were never there...

i tell people about you...but most don’t hear. like a figment of my imagination.

i miss you...i miss you forever...

:)

edit....

some people may have misunderstood what i meant when i said “people who don't dance can be lame that way.”

i did not mean that they are lame for not dancing. what i meant was they can be lame (at times)...for not showing up!! quite a few people did not show that i invited. which is fine...but some didn’t even have the courtesy to call or email...or even acknowledge the invite. that is the only thing that sucks and i have a hard time with. lots for peolple can’t make things at this time fo year...but at least take the time and say thanks but no thanks.

sorry if i hurt anyone’s feeling.



:)

good times....

the party last night was tons if fun. it went till 4:30 am! not as many people came as said...but i was kinda glad of that.
the only non dance friends that showed were wade and danielle...but that was to be expected i guess. oh well....people who don't dance can be lame that way.

at it's peak it was probably 35 i think...maybe 40...which was just about right. my place is pretty clean again already. which is great. no causalities or spills, breaks or neighbours complaining... amazing!
here are some pics....

alison and damon get cosy

jordan and lucy and others...getting down

michelle from seattle...so cute

this is probably at the craziest piont...

hey... feet!

dj tall jim, larry, joordan, leo and brent relax


thank's to the people who helped me get this thing going and dj'ed...garn, dan, jim, alan, larry, lucy and karen that's a bunch guys
i couldn't have done it without you. warning....next strong guy that comes over...is moving the furniture back! hehehe

:)

lolita's with garn

garn and i went to lolita's tonight. it was nice...we got a table right away and ate way too much. had to drop the food i couldn't finish over to garbs on the way home. glad it didn't go to waste.



the rest of the day was more party preparations....i now have 51 yes's and 14 maybe's.....oh boy...

thank's garn for all your help...and dinner.

:)

shinny floors

thank's to tom for the tip of using tea for cleaning hard wood floors...it worked great! what i don't recommend though is using a whole bottle of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil on your tile floors.....don't ask....

goodnight

:)

first official day off...

today was my first official day of hiatus. it was a bit busy but relaxed.

got my art hung by my with the help of garn and garbs...i supervised. it looks awesome i have to say! thank you guys once again. took my car in the be serviced. i needed new back breaks..that set me back a bit. guess that's just part of doing business.

then later after attempting the get my floors clean for my party....which wasn't very successful i'm afraid. i think i need different stuff...b/c now it feels like there is a film on my floors.eeekk! if anyone has any tips for cleaning hard wood..i'd be glad to hear them.

anyway after that. i went to meet jordan for a drink. we had kilkenny and guinness at an irish pub near his place called the wolf and hound. what a great place! we walked in and all these musicians are sitting around playing irish tunes. very welcoming. apparently they do it every monday night. mum would love it. next time you come for a visit...i'm taking you there!


after we had our pints we went back to his place for a dip in the hot tub. just what the doctor ordered i think. i needed to have a relaxing night with a friend to just keep my mind off some things....and i did and now i feel like jello!

:)

quiet contentment....perfect sadness

went to the abbotsford christmas party tonight. blue morris was playing. lots of people showed up. it was a fun night of dancing.

i drove by myself and i realised that i like driving on the highway alone. although...i think this realisation started on my trip to portland. athough it's nicer in canada b/c the highways are smother and i can speed more. if i get caught speeding in washington state right now...i'm not sure what would happen..b/c i owe big$$ on an old speeding ticket. so i set my cruise control when i'm there.

as i drove home tonight...music blaring...signs speeding by. thinking about life and nothing. i only wished i still smoked. it would have finished off the feeling bringing it to a combination of quiet contentment and perfect sadness all rolled into one...

:)

happy birthday roger!

it was roger's birthday a few days ago. i emailed him and he sent me a few pics frm his visit in october.

here are a few of the best ones....

mishi and me like our drinks at lola's


roger and garbs...seperated at birth...or not?


roger, me and roger's new toy


hope you had a great birthday...i miss you tons!

:)

christmas stuff and more...

yesterday we had a christams party at work. ok..there were good part to yesterday that just got over shadowed in my mind by the scary, maddening, stressfull and sad parts.

i think next year we should do secret santa...b/c it's getting a little expensive with 10 people on our team! although i got a great deal on my gifts from mishi and garbs. everyone loved there wallets! thanks you guys...




i also had a nice dinner last night with garnet, corie and fawn.

awwww..look he has a friend! that's nice...

garnet got me this toy while he was away. it's a not really a christmas present...christmas present. thanks garn...they look great together! i also got an awesome cd from corie..thank's corie

christmas party at the legion tonight! should be good!

:)

shitty day...

i knew it would be a shitty day today.

i knew it yesterday....and i was right.

shitty from morning till night.

my last day of work before the holidays...it should have been a relaxing one.

my power is back on...but my heart is not.


just looked out the window...it's snowing...

:)

relax..must relax

for some stupid reason i’m super stressed out and hyper tonight!

i don’t know why...i sorta wonder if it was fighting the christmas shoppers and traffic today...it was pretty nuts. all kinds of people in the malls that look like they haven't been in one for awhile...looking lost...

it might be that i’m just excited about being off soon....tomorrow is the last day. i had to wrap gifts for our gift exchange.

oh..and my party...ok...i’m stressing a little about that! but i will have help and know it will be fine...so far i have 28 yes and 12 maybes! oh boy..that’s alot! eekkk

it might also be partly b/c i usually dance on thursday night...and tonight there was none. i can usually let that excess energy out that way!

anyway...i will try and sleep soon. as a good friend tells me... i need to relax...must relax...

ok...one more day!!

:)

sign sign everywhere a sign...

ok...but this sign take the cake!



this was on a friends myspace..i had to share.
:)

ain't taking no shit...

sorta a funny thing happened to me at lunch today. i went to east is east on main..which is usually relaxing. it’s kinda dim.... moroccan decor. they serve a kinda roti and cha tea. it’s really good and service isn’t bad.

i was the only one eating since it was almost 3pm. there was a guy there talking to the manager. he was east Indian about 45 maybe. he was talking to her through my whole lunch. going on about how he need a cheque...how much the cheque should be...on and on. he was really being a bully. i could hear most of it. the poor girl was very stressed by the whole thing.

after my lunch i went to go pay and he was still going on. the girl was almost in tears...this in 1/2hour later. i looked at him and i said...more or less....

i don’t know who you are..but i want you to know that you have made my lunch very stressful. i think you are a jerk you need to know that your actions affect people around you...it’s not just all about you. you have stressed me out and her..(pointing to the girl) and i think you are just a selfish jerk. and this girl shouldn’t have to take this shit from you....

he called me some names....but nothing very creative. she gave me a free lunch and said i can come back another time for another meal on he house! i gave her a big tip.....and it felt really really good!

:)

home stretch...

almost mid week...almost on that home stretch of the last week of work before christmas.

they decided that it would be a good idea for us to shoot one of the biggest episodes we have ever done...right after christmas. which means we are prepping it now.....oh the joys of film....this the season after all!

so it’s hectic. although....i have figured something out. robson is dead.... comparatively speaking. everyone is shopping in the suburbs and pacific centre. the stores are happy to see my on robson. it’s awesome. i’m also trying to get my Christmas shopping done while i work as well....i blame alot of time loss on traffic and line ups...it works pretty well.

my legs are still hurting...still have no idea what it is. actually it was just my knees...now it’s my legs. my legs have never ever given me trouble. pretty much everything else on my body has at one point ...but never my legs. they have always been the things that never let me down. i can’t figure it out.

i almost wonder if it may be a virus...sometimes they can do funny things. i woke up with a sore throat today, so who knows. i hope that’s what it is...it’s trying to do more stretching and just about to take a bath in epsom salts. hopefully that helps.

goodnight....

oh....i bought myself a reggee christmas cd today!! hehe...it's funny.

:)

cool yule blues...

i’m having a christmas blues party i’m calling it.. “cool yule blues”

anyway... i finally put the official word out for my party and i’m pretty excited b/c i’m getting an awesome response already!! i had a woman that i know from portland message me today on myspace saying she would love to dj....she’s awesome..it’s gonna be great!

people are spreading the word like crazy!! who knows...maybe i will surpass my 80 people of last year! wow...i was actually shooting for something more low key this time....oh well...i say go with it!!

:)

girlie weekend

it was a very girlie weekend for me. did lots of girlie things. which was nice.

friday night i met mishi for dinner at monsoon. good dinner but they need to put the chicken satays back on the menue...i miss those. and i guess the salty bread with hommus wasn’t so good either..i wouldn’t order that if i were you.

after that we went to a fundraiser for pivot. to hard to explain what they do. you check them out here if you like;

http://www.pivotlegal.org/

sponsored by some of the fashionable crowd in town which wade and danielle were part of. it was a good party...great people watching. weird ratio of about 5 women to 1 man....then alot of those men were gay..so that brought it to about 8 to 1. not a good place to find a date that’s of sure.

great people watching though. i often find it strange now to watch people dance at parties..club dancing...i’m so use to dancing where people interact with each other. mishi and i sat upstairs and watched everyone below...and talked. it was fun.

saturday afternoon i got my bangs trimmed and colour...so now i look pretty again! ;)
then spent time at granville island. in the evening i meet with anne for dinner then when to the legion for a dance of two. it was fun as usual. although, my knees are still hurting...starting to get worried about that one.

my toes are pretty!

today diane had put on a bit of a get together for our department. we all meet at pure nail bar and had a girls day out. we all had pedicures and manicures and had champagne and munchies.

here are some more pics...

diane relaxing...

jen telling a funny story

bren gets right into the spirit of christmas with alternating red and silver fingers and toes!

ruth and me relaxing...


:)

more art etc...

today i framed my kozyndun print at opus. it pretty cool there...you figure out and measure what you need. order it...then you put it together...they help you as much as you need and it's kinda fun.

and here are the results...it is a hard print to photogragh b/c of the odd size.


the japanese business men are dressed as school girls on a crowded sudway. it signifys how their lives are so stress full that they wish they had the carefree life of a school girl...

:)

not quite 101 things to do when...

ok..i wasn't going to write anything today...b/c not much happened today or yesterday.

my knees still hurt a little so i didn’t dance....they don’t hurt when i dance..but thought i would take a break anyway. i will dance saturday and sunday for sure.

my job sucks at christmas..the malls are insane..the line ups, parking, driving....oh man! don't even get me started...people are insane. they are basically trying to do my job....but with no experience. not so easy is it!!??

anyway to pass the time i came up with not quite 101 things to do while waiting in traffic or in line at the mall....

catch up on sleep (top of the list of course)
file nails
try to figure out if person in front of you is a man or a woman
text friend about plans for the evening
review movie you saw last night ....start laughing out loud
sing
figure out what to eat for lunch
listen to ipod...sing along badly
practice dance steps
mentally write blog
listen to couple fighting behind you
decide what to wear to xmas party
try and figure out what shoppers in store do for a living
put on lip gloss
pick at hangnails
study cleavage of sales person....how does that top stay on?
try and spot other costume people...chat if you like them..pretend not to see them if you don't
make up story to tell sales person when you return 10 identical shirts... practice it in your head..also practice tearing up...just in case.
write email on blackberry
make christmas list
stretch...crack nuckles
decide on what food to serve at your xmas party and who to invite

opps...time to wake up...i'’m next! finally...."hi"...the girl with the cleavage say's..."gee your job must be exciting!" yep.

:)

goodnight

art update etc

ok..people seem eager to see the art i bought...so here it is!

they look better in real life....



i did one stop christmas shopping on graville island..awesome...oh and ordered the frame for my print..pic of that one tba

garbs enjoys xmas decorating...

mishi like it too...


tonight is borat..finally..with the queen

:)

monday....

drove back home...through seattle this afternoon

I was suppose to go to dinner with brian..but he had to work late and I got in a little early..so I did it alone.

Stopped in a nice tavern in beltown on saturday to use the facilities..it looked nice so thought I'd go there.

The place reminded me of peter pan in TO on queen st west. My friend Krista use to bar tend there. Spent  many a night sitting getting free drinks or almost free drinks.

Anyway, I had a good gumbo here and a beer...soon I will hit the road... back to vancouver.

I could dance tonight in Seattle...but I think I've done  enough dancing this weekend. I'm tired and my knees are hurting a bit. Hope its nothing...that would be bad...very very bad.

another art update...i was an stupid and claimed my art at the boarder..they dinged me good....more $$$!
this time for the canadian government...i could have paid an artist's rent for month in portland for that!! eekkk

:)

saturday...sunday

saturday....

i stopped in seattle on my way to portland to break up the trip. had a nice dinner with my friend brenda starr then went to go dance. it was a special night in seattle with the killer diller ball.

ran into a gaggle of santas and a few elves in downtown seattle...the americans really know how to do christmas


here is a link if you want to see one of the performances of lucy and leo a local vancouver team doing Charleston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wji8mAe-3bU

if anyone is wondering why i go to seattle so much...check out the energy at in this video of a jam circle from this weekend...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpI0T3eOp04

:)


sunday....Portland art search

Well I made it to Portland! I bought some art...and thinking about buying more.

I saw a piece in upper playground that I loved...I just have to decide if its lots of US$$ love.... Its by three artists for nyc who call themselves faile.

Anyway I will go dancing tonight and then sleep on it.

Art seems to be everywhere in Portland. I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now and they are putting art up. I think I came to the right place in my search...the only thing is...it could prove expensive!

taqueria nueve in portland that g and i went to before..and i wanted to go to again. took me awhile but i found it again..awesome tacos


update on the art....i bought the faile piece...pics to come..i have to unpack it!


:)

strange existence

a song by wheat come on...

My chest tightens and my eyes well up. the water feels good on my sore eyes as I drive this lonely road.

am i destined to ride this road alone? Sometimes fun and free....but sometimes it would be nice to share...


this strange existence....

i take your silence is your answer....

the answer i needed...to get back on my road...alone.

:)

to portland it is...

ok so it looks like i will go to portland..

with a little stop over in seattle saturday night.

a little adventure...guess i should get some sleep!

:)

fucked up...

this is a japanese game show. they think it's funny...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plSfKHZZwZ4

oh my god...soooo fucked.

maybe that's why i always watched tv with the sound off when i lived in japan.....or mybe why i'm a little "off"...

:)

to portland or not to portland?

ok...sorta an uneventful day for me....

going a little stir crazy b/c i haven’t danced in a week...eekkk...hopefully i will get lots this weekend.

i’m considering a visit to seattle and portland! i have sunday and monday off...so why not?

as i mentioned before....i’ve been looking at art. i’ve seen some on the internet at this place called compound. actually the story goes back to when g took me to portland in june...we stopped in seattle on the way and saw some painting by ferris plock. i liked his stuff and kicked myself after for not buying any.

so now that i’m in the market... i would like to look a bit more at his work. they are having a show at compound with him and a woman called kelly tunstall. garn was there today on his way south and gave it the thumbs up....
so i thought i should see it in person.

plus i could see some friends and maybe dance and stop by seattle on the way as well......

ok...it sounds like a plan...i might do it. haven't decided..but i'll let you know.

:)

g hits the (snowy) road...

should have been a snow day today....

i went to work today...but man..it was brutal. the snowy conditions made it almost impossible to drive. it took me 2.5 hours to get from down town to my office. oh boy.

anyway...i cut out early.... to meet garn, corie and riel...a friend of garnets...at topanga. it was garn’s last night in town for a bit. he’s going to drive to arizona stopping i’m sure many places...im sure... on the way. he said he will bring me a rock.....i’ve always wanted a rock from arizona!

(the lynch women and their damn rocks eh?......only some people will get that one.)

anyway, i will miss him while he’s gone. gotten kinda attached to his grumpy guy humour and big old hugs.

have a safe trip g.....

:)

insanity and beauty...

this is what it looked like from my window this morn...



among the insanity of the last few days...stupid drivers and rude christamas shoppers.

try to take a moment and wonder at the beauty...

:)

snow day...

i couldn't let today go by without a mention of the snow. some people like it...some people hate it. i like it today, when i'm cosy inside with the fire on....i will probably hate it tomorrow when i'm driving all day with idiot drivers. oh joy....

here's what it looked like outside my window this evening...


:)

i'm one degree of seperation....

away from mick jagger.

and here's the proof....
my niece katharina is the gorgeous one on the right...


katharina rubs shoulders with all kinds of famous types over in london...including the prince himself...william that is. so i guess i'm one degree away from royalty as well.

peter said he had to crop the mick's walker out of the pic...good one pete.

he sent some others pics as well.
here's a good one of mum deep sea fishing.


:)

views from my apartment...

there have been some pretty nice views from my apartment lately....here are some of them.




i'm liking my place right now...garns been helping me fix it up and it's getting there. one thing i need though is art...i need a couple of big pieces. i'm looking for a big ceramic or glass peice for over the fire place and some kind of painting or print...at least one to start.

so if anyone has seen any cool art lately...let me know. i've seen a few cool pieces in the past that i am kicking myself now for not buying. one i saw in seattle with g and one i saw at cafe soma...maybe i will go down there and ask about them....

i wanta try and get my place looking nice by christmas...if i can...or at least by the end of the holiday's. a little christmas present to myself.



:)