It felt good to leave the Encinitas Senior Center and go to my Thursday Balboa Park Senior dance. It meats on the first or third Thursday each month - unless another Balboa Park activity takes priority. There is a three dollar donation.
I get off the 5 freeway going south on Tenth Avenue. A left at the first light and another at the second takes me to Park Blvd. From there a left turn will take you to President's Way where another left will take you to the Balboa Bay Club.
Today I got there early and had the usual at the Hall of Champions across the street - a bowl of chili with onions a slice under four dollars at their little cafe. I watched for of the building T.V.'s before heading across the street for my one o'clock ballroom dance. It used to be called the Federal building and houses the All Star jersey of my man Schindler.
Steve, a steady volunteer approaches me. I left the piano early as it needed its a-key fixed.
"George, do me a favor. A new gal sitting over there at table 2 needs a dancing partner. Can you ask her for a dance?"
I grab a cup of water from the coffee and water table and sit. The only new dame is tall with black hair. I walk over and tap her shoulder.
"Would you..'Well I haven't danced in a long time.' she responds to my fragmented sentence. She wears a head scarf and is tall. I lead the hesitant damsel to the dance floor and give her a quick look. "Not bad" I say to myself. "Not bad at all".
She looks down at my shoes to find her way on the dance floor. She tells me her name is Wong and she has just retired from Microsoft. She has a slim and well formed torso. I love the feel of her back although I am strictly a foot-man myself
"Now don't look at my feet. Look at me! Like most dances, you need to count to three." Her eyes remain on my feet but I count to three. "One-two-three, one-two-three." with each number she attempts a step and after a minute, she is waltzing to the tune. She confesses.
"My husband does not dance - at all. I've worked my entire life and now I need a little more in my life. I retired two years ago.
"Well my lass, the Balboa Bay Dancers offers lessons on Friday and Sunday early evening-right here. The first lesson begins at seven and the next at about Seven 50. This Sunday will be the quick-two step and the rumba...Look at the internet for the dances coming up.
I told Glenda we could meet there next week. It felt so good to dance with one so cute and with a firm body at that. I left early to take pictures of a cut-out of Charles Lindbergh at the Air and Space Museum up the way. A member of the museum took a picture of me beside the Spirit of St. Louis.
But I did not wish to rush back to the Carlsbad Six during rush hour. I took the Hawthorne off which led me to Lindbergh Field. I parked - free of charge a the Harbor Marina and bought myself a chocolate cone with coffee to boot.
I walked to the Sheraton and made myself at home reading a book about Lindbergh.
As you can tell, I never know what will happen each day except I will have a ball. This Sunday there is another dance .A swing band will be playing at the Queen Bee's on Ohio Street. The music begins at two and there is a ten dollar admission fee to boot
Friday, April 24, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
St. Patrick's Day Dance
"When Irish eyes are smiling..." Well I might be a little off-key but this week St. Pat's Day will be celebrated all over San Diego.
This coming Thursday is the Biggie. Meet a host of characters at the Balboa Park Senior dance beginning at one o'clock. Usually there are dance lessons that begin at twelve. It will be hot so place a mask over your face.
Balboa's Bay Club can be found by making a left off of President's Way off of Park Blvd. If time permitting you can go to the Aviation exhibit or the Hall of Champions-Schindler's All Star Jersey can be found there. There is a three dollar donation and usually a guy named George can be heard playing several 50's tunes on an old piano. Of course it is I.
Food and a drawing is made at half time. Those that wait until four o'clock, drinks and appetizers are half priced at the Prado Restaurant. There is a good view of the plentiful flowers and Encephalitis trees from the patio area.
A St. Patrick's Dance will also be held at the Encinitas Senior Center on Friday. The Billy Harper band will be playing for the five dollar admission fee. Refreshments will be served and if you are lucky, you can watch Olive Oil place goodies into her doggy bag. It is off of Encinitas Blvd and across the street from the Fire Station. It begins at two and ends at four.
Balboa Park usually has Friday and Sunday dance lessons. They begin at about seven o'clock and cost $5 for non-members. It is well worth it.
This coming Thursday is the Biggie. Meet a host of characters at the Balboa Park Senior dance beginning at one o'clock. Usually there are dance lessons that begin at twelve. It will be hot so place a mask over your face.
Balboa's Bay Club can be found by making a left off of President's Way off of Park Blvd. If time permitting you can go to the Aviation exhibit or the Hall of Champions-Schindler's All Star Jersey can be found there. There is a three dollar donation and usually a guy named George can be heard playing several 50's tunes on an old piano. Of course it is I.
Food and a drawing is made at half time. Those that wait until four o'clock, drinks and appetizers are half priced at the Prado Restaurant. There is a good view of the plentiful flowers and Encephalitis trees from the patio area.
A St. Patrick's Dance will also be held at the Encinitas Senior Center on Friday. The Billy Harper band will be playing for the five dollar admission fee. Refreshments will be served and if you are lucky, you can watch Olive Oil place goodies into her doggy bag. It is off of Encinitas Blvd and across the street from the Fire Station. It begins at two and ends at four.
Balboa Park usually has Friday and Sunday dance lessons. They begin at about seven o'clock and cost $5 for non-members. It is well worth it.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Dancing on the Roof of the San Diego Library
Monday evening, I left the California Room on the San Diego's Library's Ninth floor to learn how to do the Jitterbug. Since the Balboa Club teaches only Ballroom Dancing, I yearned to learn the dances during the Jazz Era.
I have been working the microfilms of Old San Diego to get a feel of how the folks next to T.J. lived in the first part of the century. At one time, dances were held in every hamlet or city. Thomas Edison's Electric radio was born in 1929, also the beginning of the Depression - and thank God. Folks could listen to their RCA's or Zenith radios to the sound of Big Bands. Harry James, Benny Goodman and a crooner named 'Bing' could make troubles become trifles when listening to the various crooners or orchestras on the radio.
Old Times can be revisited on the Libraries ninth floor where each Friday at six'thirty, a dance lesson is provided and then free-for-all dancing takes over. No longer can you see if the stars are out tonight, but the city had plenty of Christmas lights to make up for it. Come Day-Light-Savings time, the ninth floor will be busy as a bee.
Just for this afternoon, I will be going to my one-o'clock dance on Encintas Blvd. The dances are held in back of the Midas Auto Parts shop. So fix your car and while you are at it, take a peak. It is only three dollars every week and includes fruit and food bites. Marty and Sharon will be only too happy to great you at the door.
On Thursday, again at one, The Balboa Bay Club is having their Valentine Dance. Three dollars are well worth it and on the way, say "Hello" to the gifted piano player-me. I can even shower you with a rumba or two or three.
The Moonlight Serenade come out once a month and plays in Carlsbad on Friday. They have a fourteen piece band and are plenty good for the ten dollar cover. Dance Essence is the name of the club. I just might be going to the party at Balboa Park again on Friday. This month the Tango is being taught along with the cha-cha-cha.
So keep on dancing and the whole world will be dancing with you.
I have been working the microfilms of Old San Diego to get a feel of how the folks next to T.J. lived in the first part of the century. At one time, dances were held in every hamlet or city. Thomas Edison's Electric radio was born in 1929, also the beginning of the Depression - and thank God. Folks could listen to their RCA's or Zenith radios to the sound of Big Bands. Harry James, Benny Goodman and a crooner named 'Bing' could make troubles become trifles when listening to the various crooners or orchestras on the radio.
Old Times can be revisited on the Libraries ninth floor where each Friday at six'thirty, a dance lesson is provided and then free-for-all dancing takes over. No longer can you see if the stars are out tonight, but the city had plenty of Christmas lights to make up for it. Come Day-Light-Savings time, the ninth floor will be busy as a bee.
Just for this afternoon, I will be going to my one-o'clock dance on Encintas Blvd. The dances are held in back of the Midas Auto Parts shop. So fix your car and while you are at it, take a peak. It is only three dollars every week and includes fruit and food bites. Marty and Sharon will be only too happy to great you at the door.
On Thursday, again at one, The Balboa Bay Club is having their Valentine Dance. Three dollars are well worth it and on the way, say "Hello" to the gifted piano player-me. I can even shower you with a rumba or two or three.
The Moonlight Serenade come out once a month and plays in Carlsbad on Friday. They have a fourteen piece band and are plenty good for the ten dollar cover. Dance Essence is the name of the club. I just might be going to the party at Balboa Park again on Friday. This month the Tango is being taught along with the cha-cha-cha.
So keep on dancing and the whole world will be dancing with you.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Swing Dancing Tonight
I moved to the Motel Six off of Taylor and the Eight Freeway. Never do I like to do the same thing each day - it simply bores me to death. When my feet get antsy, I's get daft if I could not go dancing.
The 1920's come alive on top of the ninth floor of San Diego's new library. The Library introduced swing lessons a few weeks back. at six o'clock the swing lessons begins and free dancing goes on afterwards. A large dome hangs over the ninth floor with an evening panorama view of the city lights.
Once a month live music is also played at on the roof-tops of the New Library. On cold evenings the event goes inside. Any Red or Orange Line trolley gets you to the library off of Park Blvd....The 901 or #11 bus also drops you off....From North County, the Coaster or Amtrak get you to the downtown area-where a block away waits the trolley.
San Diego became my home about four years ago. I fell in love with Balboa Park and all of its old buildings commemorating the birth of the Panama Canal. The Rose Garden became my place to picnic and enjoy the roses at the Park. San Diego celebrates the one hundred year anniversary of Balboa Park.
On Fridays and Sundays in the early evening, we learn two different dances for that month. Next month the Tango will be taught again. You might need to speak Chinese, since they have homesteaded the Bay Balboa Club. You just have to see how well they are dressed. Members pay three dollars for a night of fantastic lessons. Even when my lungs say-'no' due to Asthma, I listen and watch and someway, I peddle the routines into my act.
During mid-week, I go to the nuts-and-bolts ballroom to dance to the sounds of the fifties and sixties. When I stay at the Motel Six in Carlsbad, I change gears on Wednesdays at one o'clock. The music begins at one and ends at three.
The Nuts-and-Bolts ballroom is directly in back of the Napa Auto Parts store on Encinitas off of Encinitas Blvd. Jeff and Shirley charge three dollars to hear the D.J. music but it is worth it. A table of tidbits is also there for the hungry. Make sure to bring your Mothers tote bag so you can bag-home some of these tasty treats...On the third Friday of the month the Encinitas Senior Center offers live music. It is only five dollars to attend, but there is live music.
The Moonlight Serenade Orchestra has refitted their instruments and imitate Benny Goodman, Harry James and a host of other famous orchestras. Currently their ensemble plays on the second Friday of the month at the Dance Essence in Carlsbad. It is a block from Palomar Road and El Camino Real. The ten dollar include dance lessons and lots of nostalgia when the Balboa, Hustle and Jitterbug were just the thing.
Got to go now. Need to sleep before my 75 year old body renews ties with thirties. Roof at the Top dancing renews my ties with the past. I can even see my Mom Edith and Harry doing it.
The 1920's come alive on top of the ninth floor of San Diego's new library. The Library introduced swing lessons a few weeks back. at six o'clock the swing lessons begins and free dancing goes on afterwards. A large dome hangs over the ninth floor with an evening panorama view of the city lights.
Once a month live music is also played at on the roof-tops of the New Library. On cold evenings the event goes inside. Any Red or Orange Line trolley gets you to the library off of Park Blvd....The 901 or #11 bus also drops you off....From North County, the Coaster or Amtrak get you to the downtown area-where a block away waits the trolley.
San Diego became my home about four years ago. I fell in love with Balboa Park and all of its old buildings commemorating the birth of the Panama Canal. The Rose Garden became my place to picnic and enjoy the roses at the Park. San Diego celebrates the one hundred year anniversary of Balboa Park.
On Fridays and Sundays in the early evening, we learn two different dances for that month. Next month the Tango will be taught again. You might need to speak Chinese, since they have homesteaded the Bay Balboa Club. You just have to see how well they are dressed. Members pay three dollars for a night of fantastic lessons. Even when my lungs say-'no' due to Asthma, I listen and watch and someway, I peddle the routines into my act.
During mid-week, I go to the nuts-and-bolts ballroom to dance to the sounds of the fifties and sixties. When I stay at the Motel Six in Carlsbad, I change gears on Wednesdays at one o'clock. The music begins at one and ends at three.
The Nuts-and-Bolts ballroom is directly in back of the Napa Auto Parts store on Encinitas off of Encinitas Blvd. Jeff and Shirley charge three dollars to hear the D.J. music but it is worth it. A table of tidbits is also there for the hungry. Make sure to bring your Mothers tote bag so you can bag-home some of these tasty treats...On the third Friday of the month the Encinitas Senior Center offers live music. It is only five dollars to attend, but there is live music.
The Moonlight Serenade Orchestra has refitted their instruments and imitate Benny Goodman, Harry James and a host of other famous orchestras. Currently their ensemble plays on the second Friday of the month at the Dance Essence in Carlsbad. It is a block from Palomar Road and El Camino Real. The ten dollar include dance lessons and lots of nostalgia when the Balboa, Hustle and Jitterbug were just the thing.
Got to go now. Need to sleep before my 75 year old body renews ties with thirties. Roof at the Top dancing renews my ties with the past. I can even see my Mom Edith and Harry doing it.
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