Stephen’s Square Dance Blog

I’ve got to get on top of my postings.  Egads, I can’t believe that a month has gone by since this dance.

This was a whirlwind trip for me.  Initially, the plan was for Martha and I to take the train to Eugene, so we stuck with it.  I flew into Seattle and met her at the airport.  Woo hoo!  (It’d been WAY too long since I’d seen her.)  We went back to the condo (that we’re still trying to sell) and a cab picked us up to take us to the train station.  We had some time to kill, so we went out for lunch.  Mmm mmm mmm!  Azteca!  (I’ve yet to find a Mexican restaurant here in Arizona that I like as much as Azteca in Bellevue.  Go figure.)

The train ride was my first ever.  I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what I expected.  I thought it’d have been faster and a little larger.  Still, it was nice to not have to drive.  On top of that, it was nice to be able to see Martha and be able to interact with her rather than be focused on the drive.

We stayed with Lorna Mercer and Kurt Jensen.  They were great, as always.  We love their home and their hospitality.  Lorna picked us up from the train station and we stopped for some Thai food on the way to their home.

Saturday, the dance started in the afternoon.  I called the Advanced program for about an hour and a half.  I use a number of cards for it, and they were out of order.  As such, one of my killer-hard cards was first.  I’ve got to number them better.  Still, it was fun.  We only had one square of A2 dancers.  (With a few extras too.)  Kurt pried himself away from his World of Warcraft game to join us.  I’m sure this fact alone made his sister proud.

We had a terrific potluck after Advanced.  Wow.  They had something for EVERYONE.  (Even those that require gluten free products.)

After dinner I had a multi-Program dance.  Basic/Mainstream/Plus was the menu for the day.  They had two brand-new people.  Then, they had nearly a square of dancers that had been through the Basic program.  There was also a two squares of Plus dancers.

One time they wanted a full Mainstream tip so as to try to “pull dancers through it.”  This is not my favorite thing to do, but it turned out okay.

There was, I think a square+ that came down from Portland.  Thank you!!!  It was great to see them all.

The dance was fun and lively.  I really enjoyed it.  I don’t know when I’ll be able to make it back to visit/call, but we’ll work something out.

The trip home was uneventful.  The train was full and we met some new folks.  We also had to deal with some motion sickness.  It wasn’t horrible, but just uncomfortable.  Martha’s equilibrium was off for a few days though.

I flew back to Arizona Sunday night with our cat Sarah.  She was not too happy about it.  Nor was my other cat happy to have to share the apartment, however, we’ve reached a certain level of peace since them.

As I said, it was a whirlwind trip.  I wish I could have been able to visit some friends, but alas, it was not to be.  I got a call, while on the way to Bellevue from Cathy Bruhn.  She was in Arizona and wanted to see if she could visit with me.  How bizarre!

Until next time, keep dancing!

It took me three days to get here from Washington.  In hindsight, I should have stopped before I got to LA on my second day.  As it was, my second day of driving was the worst.  (It took weeks for my cat to forgive me for three days trapped in the car.)

Arizona has a much different dance scene than Washington does.  The state of Washington has a Square and Folk Dance Federation with councils and member clubs.  There are officers and delegates and all sorts of activity inside it.  Arizona doesn’t have statewide dance leadership.  The Phoenix area has an association that I think is chartered under the USDA.  (Not the United States Dairy Association, but rather, the United Square Dancers of America.)  Tucson has a dancers association, SARDASA.  (Square and Round Dance Association of Southern Arizona.)  I don’t know with whom it is affiliated.  It also has a callers and cuers’ association, SACCA.  (Southern Arizona Callers and Cuers.)

That’s on the local scene… in Mesa, there’s the “Trail.”  There are a number of callers that have full time winter programs October-ish through March-ish.  Those callers currently include Jerry Junck, Gary Shoemake, Dale Dockery, Bill Haynes, Mike Sikorsky, John Steckman, and Randy Dougherty.  These guys call programs from ABC through Challenge.

The local scene doesn’t really mix with the Trail.  I’m not sure why, as I’ve had a lot of fun in both places.

Locally, I’ve danced at the Valley Single Squares in Mesa, the Bucks and Bows in Scottsdale, and the Checkmate also in Mesa.  The Valley Singles has, as their caller, Chuck Meyer.  He and his wife Eda Mae are two of the nicest people ever.  The same can be said for the caller of the Bucks and Bows, Dale Dockery and his partner, Pat.  It’s been a lot of fun dancing and working with these pros.  The Checkmates have guest callers every week, so when I’ve been able to attend their dances, I’ve been able to do some extra meeting and greeting.

On the Trail, I’ve touched base with Jerry Junck and Gary Shoemake.  Both of these guys have been kind enough to give me some floor time.  It was unexpected and I was a bit surprised.  The Trail is where the “big boys and girls” play.  (Yes, it was more fun than I can describe.)

So, that’s just a primer of the area.  More will come as time permits.

For those asking about Martha, the separation has been hard on both of us.  However, imagine, after being on your own and married, you had to go back to your parents to live *and* not have a room at your own.  As you can imagine, it has not been fun.  On top of this, we’re trying to sell our condo, and the current market is bad for sellers.  This is an understatement.  We’re about to be caught up in the sub-prime mess “by association.”  We were the lowest priced condo on the market.  As of last week, five others went on the market $10K less than ours.  There’s no way we can lower the price and be able to pay off the mortgage.  So, we could use a miracle right now.  Prayers are appreciated.

Until next time, keep dancing!

As it was in the beginng, so it was in the ending.  Solo Squares was the club that hired me first, they took a chance on me after my friend Michael Burke died, and they where the club that I called for last before I left for Tempe, Arizona. 

We went early as the club was having a meeting to figure out how to proceed without a caller.  I was there to provide input.  I was as frank as I could be.  I learned, form Daryl Clendenin, that all callers are my peers no matter their ability level.  So, I should not speak ill of them.  I did my best to follow his advice.  The greater Seattle area has something that Tempe doesn’t… new callers in training.  Gunter, Leo, Andy, and Cliff were all names mentioned.  They got my support.  I also said that, in a pinch, they should also call Kenny Freeman and Susan Morris.  (Though, Susan’s got almost more work than she can handle in SD land.) 

The dance was, in a word, bittersweet.  Solo Squares has been so good to me.  The people there have been patient and kind.  Those that weren’t (including a president that should have never held office) didn’t last long.  There were so many faces and name over the past 5 years that I can’t remember them all.  I wish I could. 

Had I written this in a timely manner, I could have told you how much squares we had.  I think it was three, but it might have been four.  A number of visitors came, which, like Jack Hardin’s visit the dance prior, touched me deeply.  Andy Garboden came to say farewell, as did Leo Catt.  My friends Susan and Larry Morris came to visit as well. 

It was a good time.  It went by fast.  Rosalie and Bob Steele were there.  Rosalie said that I “better keep in touch” as she thinks of me “as a son.” Again, it was a touching evening.  The late Gary Parker was there.  Which, in hindsight, was an incredible gift.  Gary was one of those men you meet in life and you can’t help but like him.  Nobody’s perfect, but Gary had a love for life that just danced in his eyes.  He was around when I started calling for Solos and during this dance he and I chatted for a bit.  He told me that I’d come a long, long way in my calling career and that he was impressed as well as proud of me.  The compliment meant a lot to me then and, now that he’s passed away, it is something that I can hold on to.

I picked a variety of music.  Some old, some new.  I pulled out some of those singing calls that I over played when I started.  It was like putting on an old favorite sweatshirt.  Those songs just fit.  And now, with years of experience, I really enjoyed them. 

In December, because I couldn’t keep my big mouth shut, I ended up dancing a round dance (I think it was a Two-Step) with Perry Spires.  Yes, I did the woman’s part.  Holy Cow!!! It is MUCH harder than it looks.  Somehow, I got to do a repeat performance at Solos.  How is that fair?

I maintained my composure for most of the evening.  When I sang Amarillo By Morning, I did get choked up at the end.  I couldn’t help but think of my friends Michael Burke and Bill Arnold.  They were taking from this earth tragically early, and I miss those two cowboys more than I can say.

Then, suddenly, almost without warning, it was over.  The end of an era.  There was a flurry of goodbyes.  There was some cake.  I packed up my gear, and was helped out the door by Linda Nold, Perry Spires, and Bill and Lavon Bowman.  As Martha and I got our things in the car, and we said our goodbyes, it just seemed so quiet. 

I’m optimistic for the club.  It has some choices to make.  I’m sure that they’ll do well, over the long haul.  I’m looking forward to the day when I can visit and tell some young caller, “Yes, I used to call for this club.”

Until next time, keep dancing!