First Entry!
Jul. 11th, 2005 09:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bjarvisIt feels odd to say this is my first blog entry: I've been effectively blogging for almost 20 years... we just didn't have a special name for it back in the 1980s. I used to write fairly long diatribes on whatever topic I felt like, along with general activities of my day which were then shared with a group of friends who could offer their own insights & updates on their activities. With so many friends on so many continents, it was a great way to keep in touch even when we could see each other in person.
In general, I don't have much to say at this particular moment. I'm only a few days back from the annual convention of the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs (IAGSDC), this year meeting in Santa Clara, CA. Photos are on my web site.
While I had a good time at the convention, it felt rather odd for me as I spent more time in meetings, workshops and preparation for events than I actually spent at the event itself. For so many days of square dancing time available, I only danced three tips, a combined total of about a half-hour's worth of dancing. At the prior year's convention in Phoenix, I danced only four tips but thought it was a fluke: I'm beginning to see that my approach to the convention is fundamentally flawed.
Next year, the convention goes to Anaheim. At the moment (and let's see how well I hold to this plan), I intend to not call for any of the guest caller slots. I had three this year, including --I'm not making this up-- the long-hair tip. I spent a large amount of time in preparation and costume changes for these, not to mention frantic dashes between halls because of schedule conflicts. OK, next year I'll be a much better caller and will need less preparation time, but nothing can be done to address the other time constraints except to avoid the issue entirely. So note this: no calling slots next year.
I'll be the delegate to the IAGSDC again, representing the Gay Callers Association, but at least the delegates meeting is scheduled for a Friday afternoon to avoid conflicting with dance time. Yay!
And finally, I think I won't attend caller school next year. My first class at the 2004 Phoenix convention was wonderful, largely because I had zero knowledge so any tidbits tossed my way were banquets in themselves. This year, in the intermediate class, about 50% was not useful to me as I've already had enough experience to not need the class time. The preparation & home work, while not particularly interesting or useful, was at least time-consuming and a little stressful. I'd have rather soaked in the hot tub or the swimming pool. I'm sure it was still a useful for most of the rest of the class so I accept the necessity, but still... I'll go to next year's school as an assistant or checker, but I don't see myself as a student.
The fun badge tour also left me feeling rather ambivalent. While the choice of locations was nice and I had fun, the early morning trip --especially towards the end of a full week of activity-- quickly overcame the novelty of the tour itself. Old age & crankiness is slowly creeping up on me, I suppose.
The traditional veil of secrecy concerning the tour is also giving me heartburn the past few years. It is customary to load dancers onto a series of buses and cart them around the city to dance in wierd, unique and nontraditional places; the dancers have to trust the organizers' choices on where they're going. This was a horribly bad gamble in San Diego in 2003 if you were prone to motion sickness or an aversion to dense crowds: the surprise was that the tour was actually a boat cruise in the harbor. Once you were aboard, there was no way out. I'm OK with the boating aspect but not everyone is. I wasn't OK, however, with the overcrowding. I dislike densely packed crowds intensely. Anywhere else, I could simply walk away or return to my hotel room to rest and/or meditate. Not so on the boat. The only option would be to lock myself in a bathroom stall and try to ignore the sounds of the mobs around me, a process which didn't work to well, let me assure you.
This year's tour was less stressful, but when I made inquiries to find out for my own mental health the general circumstance of the tour, I was curtly denied any information as though I was some petulant child attempting to peek at the Christmas presents early. No particular reason was given, just a strong intimation that it wasn't any of my business where I was going to be taken. I shouldn't feel too badly about that: I'm told most of the host club's officers were kept in the dark and even the bus captains were only informed an hour before boarding. In general, I think the amount of energy expended in secrecy to be a poor use of resources, not to mention a wonderful marketing opportunity ignored; being denied information which would be useful for making my own decisions has left a sour taste in my mouth. I signed up for next year's fun badge tour but I'm planning to sell my ticket as the date approaches. I'll enjoy the rest of the convention more without it.
Despite my minor issues detailed above, I really did have a good time at the convention. If nothing else, hanging out with our Seattle husbands Ron & Troy, as well as so many other friends (Andy, Phil, Eric, Curtis, Lou, John, Kim, Dale, Bruce, Dennis, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, and many others) was a delight. I'd like to say the calling was wonderful but since I hardly had a chance to dance, I don't have much to use for reference except the comments of trusted sources.
That's much more than I intended to write, but I'm glad I got that out of my system. :-)
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no subject
Date: 2005-07-12 06:53 am (UTC)It's good to know that the GCA meeting is on Friday next year. They could have done that this year. Makes perfect sense!
Anyhow, welcome to Livejournal. I've gotten so much out of it these past 2+ years, and I hope it's good to you.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-07-12 09:14 am (UTC)Very new to the blog world myself and have just stumble around in it for a week or so.
You brought up a memory about San Diego that I had effectively COMPLETELY blocked. Their fun badge 'tour.'
I was one of the callers on that. Even *I* didn't know it was going to be on a boat, and I was VERY piqued that I wasn't told, and even more concerned that the dancers didn't know and couldn't prepare for it. I have a tendency toward seasickness, and mercifully didn't have it then. But being the hired 'hep, I couldn't do too much about it, since it was a done deed.
The San Diego 'Grand Death March' overshadowed the FB tour completely in mind. The staff callers (I was one) weren't told then either that the march was going to be outdoors, much less that we were in the lead and going to be marched around and around in a soggy peat bog under the unseasonably hot sun. That's when Mike Jacob's apparently first had his gout-bout, and my partner Danny (very sun-sensitive) was hatless and exposed after the second of NINE walks around that marsh to stand under a tree. I don't think I even stayed for the anthems, and stomped off to my room to just cool off.
THAT being said, it was a wonderfully scheduled dance convention. DD made great efforts to get the 21 staff callers mixed and matched up for duets, trios and specialty hours that brought a lot more variety to the dancing than many other conventions. I highly recommend that kind of a mix.
BUT...I also remember returning from San Diego to read virtually NO postings on lgcwsd about their convention! Hmmm!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-07-12 04:47 pm (UTC)2005 Convention
From:Re: 2005 Convention
From:no subject
Date: 2005-07-13 05:30 am (UTC)I'll get to see you way more often this way!
(no subject)
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