Well it's a week on and training has stalled somewhat. After my epic run last Sunday my legs weren't functional till oh about Wednesday. The following few days involved a night of swing dancing, a hatha yoga class but no running.
I went for a short run through a rain-sodden Phoenix park on Friday after work (when you have ducks keeping you company on a jog you know you're in Ireland) but have failed to don my running gear since then. Tut tut.
I did make the ostentatious purchase of a bicycle yesterday which, I think, indicates my commitment to this 'getting fit' lark. I got a helmet, lights and a florescent strappy thing to wear so I'm visible at night. I mean business.
Of course the forecast is for non-stop torrential rain tomorrow so I may not abandon my beloved Fiat Brava just yet. The new Eco-friendly, healthy Ms Bones is on her way though.
Really.
I mean it!
You readers know me too well.....
Anyway the reason I didn't get out for another long run this weekend (aside from the miserable weather) was that I my hosting duties for my long awaited Blues night occupied so much of my time. Extensive cleaning of Phoenix Manor was needed, as was shopping for a mountain of food and booze. Hours were spent making playlists of Blues music (of which I had almost none before Peter burned some MP3s for me - thanks Pete).....and a good 40 minutes was spent trying to wrestle a table out of the kitchen to make room for dancing.
Sadly despite Ciara and my mammoth efforts the table was not willing to be evicted. We managed to get it into the hallway but further than that it would not budge. Towards the living room it got jammed on the doorway and towards the front door the hall narrows. I was fully prepared to chop 4 inches of each of the table's legs (I really don't like that table) but Ciara counseled forbearance. Instead we moved the table from the living room (I table I quite like) into the back garden (there's no justice for decent hard-working tables in this world) where it got rained on the entire night. When I went to take it in this morning it was covered in white patches where water had sat on it. I was full sure I had ruined the table but now that it's dried the patches have disappeared. Anyone know what phenomenon this is?
The party itself was great -we stuck to dim lighting using only a few strings of fairy lights, candles and a red lamp shade for effect. With Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, BB King, Ella Fitzgerald (only the mournful songs) and Tom Waits on the stereo it made for a very mellow, speakeasy style atmosphere. Too mellow really--the dancing didn't start till 1am cos everyone was happy chatting away. In attendance were a random mix of dancing and non-dancing buddies who all got on remarkably well (some of them a little too well- you know who you are). I had never really seen the effects of vast gin-consumption before....
And what did we learn?
No 1. no house is too small for dancing,
No 2. blues dancing is for doing not for watching...and
No 3. gin is not our friend, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time.
Du jour:
Song: Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley
Book: Wuthering Heights (Confession: I've never read it before.....That's bad. I mean I have a degree in English and was teaching literature to teenagers without having read it. If the teaching council ever find out......)
5 comments:
What Tom Waits songs did you use for Blues dancing? I've got "Drunk on the Moon" in my playlist, but haven't gone through the rest of my Tom Waits stuff looking for others.
Wrong Side of the Road and Whistlin past the Graveyard both from Blue Valentines.....
Nobody from Nighthawks at the Diner....
Invitation to the Blues (of course) from Small Change
Little Drop of Poison--ok we tangoed (badly) to that...
To be honest they weren't great for dancing to - but man can Waits create that Bluesy atmosphere.
If you can recommend some more tunes for Blues dancing do--my only real taste of it was Blues Night at Herrang....
Are you going back this summer?
Fumblin With the Blues on Heart of Saturday Night is good also.
Tom Waits - where would we be without him? I can't believe I'm gonna get to see New Orleans in May -
Well, I wish I was in New Orleans, I can see it in my dreams,
Arm-in-arm down Burgundy, a bottle and my friends and me
Hoist up a few tall cool ones, play some pool and listen
To that tenor saxophone calling me home
Table table table. I've a bruise on my knee to prove the efforts we made... Will January ever end though? According to my calculations it's been going on for a year at this stage.
Ah, Whistlin' Past the Graveyard is one of my favorites. I'll go give the others a listen too, now that I can think about them in terms of Blues dancing. And I'll send you a list of what's on my own Blues playlist.
I'm not planning on going back to Herräng this year, but have fun if you do!
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