Dance Palace Remembered

The year is 1978, the dance palaces in NYC are 12-West, Flamingo, Truck Stop, and Chameleon and this was on the playlist of almost every DJ.  This is the entire recording, so sit back and relax, or get up and dance.  Romeo & Juliet by  Alec R. Costandinos. From the You Tube Description:

I wanted to hear this on Youtube and couldn't find the complete version on one track, so here it is! From beginning to end. All 15 minutes and 24 seconds of it! Have NO doubt people...this is the single greatest #1 Disco song of the 1970s!!! VERY IMPORTANT! YOU MUST LISTEN TO IT COMPLETELY TO SEE THAT I AM RIGHT (because the song gets better and better as it plays on). Only a few came close to this one: "Love in C Minor" by Cerrone, "Disco Nights" by GQ, "Souvenirs" by Voyage, "Come to Me" by France Joli, or "Love is the Message" by MFSB. Yeah, close...but not close enough. ROMEO AND JULIET WAS THE BEST! -

Anne Marie in Philly is dancing herself into a frenzy if she remembers this one.  Love you, girl friend.

And so it goes.
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Easter Bunnies

For marriage equality, of course. Have a Hoppy Day!

More later.
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I Did a Stupid Thing...My Bad?

In a valiant attempt to speed up my PC startup, shutdown, and Net browsing,  I followed the Microsoft instructions
 (never do this) and promptly blew out many major Windows 7 settings. I cannot access the web, or even send documents to the printer. For years I have known never, ever follow a MS Wizard to do anything constructive.  I guess I was desperate. I imagine the image at right is what the innards of my poor desktop look like right about now.

 It appears that the "registry" is f**ked up, and I need an OS disk to re-install the missing drivers and whatever else I deleted to bring the baby back online,  for now, I am using the laptop with limited programs and Internet options.  At least I can still get online via my router.

In the process of hunting down and saving as many bookmarks as possible, but with my work schedule and longer hours are making it difficult.

Right now the laptop is connected to my 22" monitor, so that's a help.  However, having to use the laptop keyboard is frustrating. I am used to the ergonomic one that rests my hands in more natural positions.  Hey, I'll survive, I suppose I am paying for the sin of following a MS procedure.

We served nearly 200 diners at lunch today. I am very tired and I smell olives.

And so it goes.
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Caturday Customer Service

You know this is true

Local Couple in - and on - The News

Some of you may be familiar with the Writer, Fay Jacobs. Well this little story took a happy turn today outside the court of the Supremes.(Fay & Bonnie are the couple at left. click to embiggen.) Not only the story below, but they made the local TV news as well:

WASHINGTON -- Bonnie Quesenberry and Fay Jacobs celebrated their 31st anniversary in front of the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It would have been their 31st wedding anniversary had marriage been legal for same-sex couples back when they got together, in 1982, after meeting at a conference at John Hopkins University.
Quesenberry, a retired dental lab technician, wore small purple sunglasses, and Jacobs, a writer, wore black fleece. As the two women waited on the steps to hear how the arguments in the case against the federal Defense of Marriage Act inside the court were going, they bumped into another lesbian couple, also together for 31 years.
"We're the 31 club!" Jacobs exclaimed, holding out her home-made banner, which read, "If Gay Marriage were LEGAL Today would be our 31st Anniversary," and laughing.
"We've had congratulations said 1,000 times," Quesenberry said, as the four women all embraced. "This just couldn't be better."
Mary Jo Kennedy, a family practice doctor, and her wife, Jo-Ann Shain, a freelance editor, held up their own sign: "31 Years Together, 20 Months Married, 4-Ever Grateful, 2 Marriage activists everywhere."
Kennedy and Shain were among the first couples to wed in New York in 2011 after the state legislature there passed marriage equality legislation and six years after they filed a lawsuit seeking a marriage license.
Like Quesenberry and Jacobs, they also met in 1982, at a health conference in Los Angeles. "But we both worked at the same hospital in the Bronx," Shain said, laughing. "Our first date was in the cafeteria."

To say we're proud of our gals would be an understatement. Read the rest of the story HERE.

And so it goes.

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More Like This, Please.

In a post prior to  the Bloggerpalooza I mentioned that it would be a daunting task to enjoy a significant conversation with so many in so little time. That said, many arrived Friday and got an early start on "Getting to Know You, 101" I was to join the fun later Saturday.

One thing we all love is food and many of the best conversations happen while dining - anywhere. Friday evening the group dined at 2 different restaurants (smaller groups) and enjoyed initial conversations and good food. The larger group had lunch at my place of employment on Saturday and continued to cement that bond.

When I arrived at the "hospitality suite" (a BIG Thank You to Cubby for the great idea) the atmosphere was one of old friends sharing drinks and laughs on a lazy spring afternoon. Being totally sober, I was odd man out and (for various reasons) nervous.  That quickly faded as I was embraced,  hugged again and made to feel like one of the gang.

Cosmos and conversations were freely flowing, I declined an offer for one.  Wanting to keep my wits about me so as to remember personal things from one-on-one or small group chats. The busy day at the restaurant meant no time for lunch for me.

Had 2 glasses of wine at the meet & greet and another one with dinner; plenty enough to get slapped with a DUI if stopped on the way home later.  Think Saturday night + Spring Break + Beach Resort = Drunks on the roads.

Following dinner we returned to the suite where more liquor was flowing and a couple of folks made a run to the store for more. For another 2 hours there was chatting, laughing, drinking and music. And still there were folks I didn't get to talk with. (sigh!) As I left and made my way down the stairs to the courtyard and parking lots, it was delightful to hear the happy sounds floating down from above as the party continued.

Those last happy sounds are what carried me home that night. For once, no CD played in my car and the silence of the night allowed the last sounds to reverberate in my head and put a permanent smile on my face. A joyful noise, indeed.


Processing events of the weekend a few things struck me as deliciously unusual: No political talk, no bitchy gay guy chit-chat, (oh sure there was snappy patter, but all positive and in good fun.) no holding back answers to personal questions; only a desire to get to know some bright, wonderful, interesting, down-to-earth people with different lives, from different states, countries, backgrounds, and professions.

I am off today and the sun is shining brightly.  It is now time for a few olives before I cook supper.  Cheers to all my new found friends.

And so it goes.
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What If...? Indeed, What If?

I am still processing the past weekend's events and a post will be forthcoming, but this arrived in my inbox and took my breath away.  I wanted to share.



If we could only imagine such a world. What if all these people were long-lived?  What might they have accomplished and given to the world?

But, they're not here.

And so it goes.
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Oh, What a Day!!!

Shamelessly stolen from Retired in Delaware.

I've tried to sleep after taking the evening meds, but I've tossed and turned and sleep is elusive.  I guess I am too excited, even the drug won't knock me out.

The bloggerpalooza was a smashing success. Many of the folks I've read for years came together for a real old fashioned "Happening" - that's the only old fashioned way to describe it.

I was anxious to meet everyone at the dinner, but got a sweet surprise when 13 of them arrived at the restaurant for lunch.  (They arrived after posing for the picture above.) I was floored, couldn't believe it was happening and they were honoring me by dining where I work.  I got hugs from bloggers and their spouses.  The house was pretty busy and a big party like that could have caused problems, but the servers did a bang-up job and everyone enjoyed themselves.

I kept walking around just watching them, seeing them in person for the first time was so surreal. It was as if I had known them for a very long time. They were having such a grand time enjoying the company and the food and drink. To me, this was far more exciting than spotting some celebrity out and about.  I mean, I KNOW these people, though we had never met.  Sound strange?

After work, I raced home, donned my Spo Butterfly shirt, and hightailed it to the Inn at Canal Square in Lewes, where the evening event was to happen. I was eager to chat one-on-one with all the folks attending and get couples straight (so to say) in my head.  (Spouses of bloggers don't usually have blogs themselves.)

Following dinner, Dr. Spo was gracious as he received many small, and not so small gifts and took a good ribbing from everyone in the room. As he would say, "it was jolly good fun." And it was.

Cubby reserved a suite and hosted an open house to all who dropped in. (It is rumored that the Cosmo's were Ab Fab.  I did not partake, having to drive back to Rehoboth passing the cops "check points" - being a weekend, and all.) He also made dates wrapped in bacon as an extra appetizer.  And, you know what?  Everything IS better with bacon.

That suite is where my evening began and ended.

I want to get to know all of these wonderful folks better. They honestly represent themselves in their blog posts - no phonies here.  And, they are even wittier (is that a word?) in person, which always makes my day. The one-liners had all of us in stitches - and could come from the most unlikely places.

To be honest, I fell in love with at least 20 people between 4:30 and 9:15 PM when I finally had to take my leave. They were still partying when I left.  And that's as it should be.

Today was a gift for which I am truly grateful. I cannot believe I am still awake at this hour. 

And so it goes.
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Grumpy Art Caturday

I'll remove more than an ear...

More later.
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Ah, Spring!

As bloggers make their way to the Delaware beaches this weekend, it seems the weather will offer up a mixed bag of practically everything.  Living at the beach one never knows what the weather will be in any given half hour. 

Case in point: Following yesterday morning's rains and fog, the sun came out and the day was warm and spring-like.  So, you can imagine my surprise when I left for work this morning in this...(click to embiggen the image above)

Of course, by this afternoon the snow was gone and the sun was out. Yes, this is life at the beach.

I am told there is more snow on the way for tonight, but I won't know that until I wake up tomorrow, 

And so it goes.
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Three New (to me) Blogs

 Yes, Dancing Daffy!  And why not?***
Thanks to the upcoming blogger palooza I spotted 3 blogs that were unknown to me.  So over the past week or so, 2 of them have been read and contacted - Jay in VA, and Java over at My Life or Something Like it.  The third one however, cannot be read. It appears that A Buckeye in Virginia is for invited readers only.  I'll just have to wait to meet the person behind the Buckeye this weekend.

Of course, I'll be meeting most of the fave bloggers for the first time.  Only one I know is the man behind the happening himself, Ron of Retired in Delaware. In fact, it was Ron who talked me into opening this place all those years ago. Don't hold that against him, please.

I almost met Mark & Fred of Our Simple Lives when they visited the beach last year, but missed them by a few hours.  They did leave a calling card (photo of the kids) with my boss, who was all over me the next day.  Who were these guys and from where did I know them?  I simply said that I was thrilled they dropped off the new picture of the kids and I was sorry to have missed them - and left it at that.  It drove him cocoanuts for about a week, but finally gave up when I constantly changed the topic each time he brought them up. 

To be fair, the boss knows I have no life and, aside from trying to fix me up, watches out for me, too.  It's funny, sometimes. He's tried to connect me with his single barber, a bartender at a swanky restaurant in the area, and even a dental technician who is also a customer. He can't figure out my "type" and just keeps throwing men hoping one will stick. Teh-heh.

I make no excuses - post no warnings - as to what my behavior might be like this Saturday evening. I have not been out socially, in a large group for many years.  Spo wrote that he may be so nervous he may stutter, well that could happen to me. It has in the past.

Damn!  I wish I was off work on Sunday.  A Little more time to socialize with the attendees would be great.

The sun came out as I finished the laundry, so I took a walk around town and sat on a very wet bench by the ocean. Not intentionally, I assure you.The wind finally died down to below 20 MPH, so that's a good thing.

There is a large luncheon party tomorrow - about 35 employees of a local builder, so I'm doing nothing that could potentially create more back pain.

*** Dancing Daffy is for Anne Marie and Ron, who promised her I would dance, for some reason. Enjoy, kids.
And so it goes.
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Bix & Orchestra. For a Rainy Day

Joe Venuti is playing the violin, Irving Brodsky the piano, and Weston Vaughan is the vocalist. Also featured in the group are Eddie Lang, Bud Freeman, the Dorsey brothers and Benny Goodman.  How's that for a fist-full of talent?

This was from Bix' last session as a orchestra leader...and one of the saddest, as he was "falling apart", due to alcoholism.



 Well, it ain't "Singin' In The Rain," still, the song gives me a lift at times like this. Sun is due to make an appearance later in the day.  We shall see.

And so it goes.
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