I Know I Can Dance

The short trip to Hollywood for the taping of the 100th episode of So You Think You Can Dance was really fun. And exhausting. We drove all night to get there, arriving just in time to watch the sun rise over Santa Monica beach and to dip our toes in the Pacific. I haven’t seen an ocean since the Indian Ocean in Africa last year. We had thought we’d have time to eat a leisurely breakie before going to the morning taping but dance junkies do line up early. We got big vats of coffee and went to wait in line. After about an hour of waiting 300 of us got herded into another holding pen to wait for another hour. Once inside the studio, the taping itself took about an hour and a half. The inside of the studio is so much smaller than it appears on TV. We were instructed to scream and clap high while watching the same opening dance number about 12 times. Watching the show, I always wondered how they got all the camer shots. Now I know. My general take on the whole thing: so much more interesting and also boring that I thought it would be.

By the time they let us out, the lack of sleep was catching up on me. We went to the Farmer’s Market for lunch (fish taco) and then off to check in to the Hollywood Downtowner for a nap. Kris and I rallied; Jeremy stayed behind. He’d had enough.

The afternoon taping was for the live broadcast. They cut in some of the pre-taped stuff but the rest really is live. Kris and I got seats rather than standing on the floor as we had during the morning. We were separated but she got to sit next to Joe Lutz, Judy Garland’s son. He was on hand for the Katie Holms dance extravaganza * which was a tribute to Judy.

While we waited for the show to start, the emcee did this excruciating dating-game type schtick and managed to pick the 16-year old gay kid out of the audience. If I thought I wouldn’t lose my comfy seat, I’d have excused myself for a bit.

Jason and Janine got voted off the show. I still think Evan has gone as far as he should but I can’t whine; I didn’t vote this week.

After taping, we snagged Jeremy for dinner and a quick tour of Griffith park. Then we all collapsed for the night.

The next day was a whirlwind tour of Hollywood, a few thrift stores* and the La Brea Tarpits. We left at 2:30 to avoid traffic so naturally we sat in it for two hours, arriving home after 10 PM.

* Just dreadful. She didn’t dance much, just some shimmies and one sassy high kick. It was taped and I was glad it wasn’t live. The stuff that gets pre-taped you actually get to see over and over again. Once was enough.

Ode to Joko

I made myself the best cup of tea this morning using just a bit more of my precious stash of Joko, brought back from South Africa. It’s the cheapest table tea in the world. The tea bits at the bottom are HUGE and, if not strained properly, not half bad. Slightly chewing with a piquant after taste. I heart Joko and will be very sad when I drink the last cup.

Pants in Africa

I posted my pix of Africa on Darenna.com after going around about Flickr versus Facebook versus something else. I’ve been posting my own slide shows for about 8 years now on Darenna.com. Guess I’m just old school.

Miss Pants is posting her recollections of Africa on her blog (check it out) and it’s way interesting. We did the same things but her perceptions are different than mine. For instance, I totally hogged the front seat of the tour bus on the winelands tour so I didn’t get to spend as much time with Spike and Niki, missing most of the talk about what apartheid was like for them. Bummer.

Can’t wait to see what else she has to say about the trip.

Back from Africa

The new header image is the first of many, many images that will come from my trip. The whole post-from-the-road was a bust, as it turns out. My data services allows for email but charges a whopping $15/megabyte for Internet services. I’m too cheap for that. So I contented myself with checking email as little as possible. I didn’t even have that in Zimbabwe or Botswana. I enjoyed it.

So many things to say about Africa. I need to get back to work so I’ll just say this: I wish I was still there. If I could transport my life to Cape Town I would. Miss Pants feels the same way.

Live, from the Doc’s Office

Another test post in prep for Africa. At the Doc’s office getting my second Hep A (might be B, can’t keep ‘em straight). Am actually sitting in the car, in the Doc’s parking lot, finishing this post. It’s taken me longer to type this than it took to get the shot. Better press send before I melt.

Vaccinations Make You Bullet-Proof

In preparation for my jaunt to Africa, I need shots, lots of shots. So off I went to the Travel Clinic sponsored by the Arizona Department of Public Health, DPH.

It’s pretty ghetto, not in the nicest part of town and with the WIC offices right across the hall (lots o’ screaming babies) but it’s OK. Across the street is the Ranch Market. Hello, fish tacos!

I go thinking I need some pills for malaria and Cipro, aka Shit-Be-Gone. Instead I left witha huge packet of information about how not to die when travelling in Africa, a typhoid shot that made me feel weird and sleep for 12 hours, an appointment for a dose of yellow fever vaccine and a long list of extras I need to get from my regular doctor.

Next up: a visit to my regular doctor for all the stuff considered “routine vaccinations” by my insurance: flu, TDAP, Hep A & B, and polio. Also, finally gonna get me a perscription for malaria pills and Cipro.

Next, next step: yellow fever. Because of a shortage I will had to get in line for one-fifth of an available dose. I hope I don’t feel as crappy with this as I did with the typhoid shot.

Jeez, I’m gonna be bullet proof. There will be a lot of dead viruses in my veins.

My First Blog, Again

Is this the same thing as revirgination? I’ve already had two false starts at a blog for my own personal use. But it’s been two years. I think I have spontaneously reverted to a revirginated state, blog-wise.

But now is the perfect time to get going. I’m in the process of telling everyone who will listen (or not, don’t really care) that I’m going to Africa. South Africa, to be precise. And I’m very excited.