i think it just came up on the random shuffle at a weird moment, but slim gaillard's "serenade to a poodle" just made me laugh so hard i fell over. (sitting on a futon, so no big danger...)

maybe i shouldn't spend entire weekends in near-total isolation...

odd, this not really having any definite plans for tomorrow...

i've declared myself unambitious recently, but maybe that is part of the goal. to conduct my life in such a way that the prospect of a free day brings on a sense of heady delight and freedom rather than dread of boredom... while not eliminating such days entirely. it's a form of balance.

i lost a week of local, normal time. i got sick, stayed home for two days, loaded up on tylenol enough to work through one, then headed to soflex across four. coming back fuzzy-headed and out of the loop. but still delighted.

i tossed the more expensive half of my plane ticket. convoluted story, but it didn't really matter -- i got back as soon as i would've. and deepened a couple friendships in the process. this sort of thing matters.

i've had lousy luck asking people about their experiences during the week i was missing... sick, spent the weekend in severe back pain, lost a parent. i was fishing for happy long-weekend adventures that i could casually one-up with stories of running off the dance floor to the beach and coming back to dance some more sopping wet. dancing can't fix everything. i wish hugs could.

dancing does fix a lot, though. someday i'll get around to writing it out, the "why i dance" essay that lurks around at the edges, just beyond things i have words for.

today was quarterly corporate "mandatory fun." ice skating, this time. we played broomball, and the local curling club gave us a little introduction to curling. who knew knoxville had a curling club? i found myself smiling in recognition -- i'm every bit as serious and geeky about a pursuit that makes very little sense to those outside it. then freeskating... i always loved skating, more rollerskating and rollerblading (i'm southern, after all), but mostly the feeling of gliding along... it was all good, then a chain of people skates by. i nearly yell an obnoxious comment about it being against the rink rules, decide to hold my tongue. a co-worker falls and breaks her nose. blood spattering on the ice. the afternoon shatters.

on to sleeping for a long, long night. because i can.

lida rose, i'm home again rose
to get the sun back in my sky...

for some reason, this song got stuck in my head today. from the music man. i mostly know it because once upon a time my dad sang in a barbershop quartet, floppy red clip-on bowties and all... so certain baritone lines are an intrinsic part of my childhood. and this one's usually paired with a soaring counterpoint melody, "will i ever tell you," that makes it rich and gorgeous when done well.

since i was trapped sharing mental space with the melody anyway, i went looking for a danceable version. after all, it has a natural lilt to it, nice harmonies, who could resist swinging it? everyone, i guess, at least if i trust allmusic.com. being written in the late 50s means missing most of the swing era, but still. it makes me sad. it makes me wish i were still musician enough to grab a group and take out the show-off-the-pretty-chord fermatas, add a rhythm section, maybe a little extra syncopation here and there...

thought for the day...

i must learn to resist the urge to dance along when videoing... (maybe a youtube link or three coming if my laptop and i ever get around to spending some quality time at home...)