Life Underwater

This past two weeks I have developed a much greater empathy for those individuals with a hearing impairment. I have not been able to hear out of my right ear for at least two weeks and it has become a very frustrating situation. I feel as if I am living my life underwater. Sounds are muffled, balance is off, everything seems...thick, especially my brain. My ear makes its own ocean sounds too. If I close my eyes, I am at the beach on a windy afternoon, then I fall over because I can't stand up on my own.
The doctor has me on three kinds of medications for a really bad ear infection. I thought that once you hit menopause you were immune to certain childhood afflictions...tonsillitis and ear infections....guess not! In the past week I have said "huh" more times that I can count and I have to crank up the TV. I have not, however, had to put my earplugs in to counteract my husbands snoring so there is a positive side to everything. I do have to tell you that dancing with no balance has proved to be a challenge (bravo Marlee Matlin) and and even bigger challenge is doing a quick costume change, negotiating stilettos and fishnets with no balance borders on hysterical....at least for those watching me. I look like a drunken hooker...
That being said...I certainly hope this whole situation resolves itself before our performance in May..I have never been much of a mermaid and life underwater is uncomfortable unless you are a fish.

Down but not out

This past week I have been down with a really bad cold and ear infection. The kind of thing that makes you feel as if you are underwater all the time. I know I am doing the right things...drinking water, taking antibiotics, including the tried and true chicken soup..and things are improving. Resting is still one of those things I am not very good at so Saturday, when I had the chance to check out a new venue/club that we are considering for the October show as a VIP , no less( remember my "Let's put on a show" blog) I jumped at the chance. Now I know how to dress for clubbing...spiffy, shiny, tight, plunging, blingy but frankly, by 9:00 Saturday night I was only interested in looking average. After all, I was there on business...right? I should tell you that morning I found myself at work at 6:45 a.m. with two different shoes on my feet. Granted they were both black sandals but one was actually a beach shoe...oh my!!.. Since I was driving to the Hollywood location the girls met at my house. I thought I had cleaned up fairly well..a skirt, matching sweater, boots (matching) and jewelery (I had make up on too!!) Leela arrived first and set the tone for my evening when her comment about my wardrobe was "you look like lovely..kind of like June Cleaver if she were going clubbing!" OUCH....Now I realized I looked a tad matronly but I didn't think it was THAT bad...oh well, I was comfortable and warm. Of course the June Cleaver joke went on and on...the only thing I need to complete my outfit was a string of pearls and an organza apron. OK, OK I get it!!! Next time BLING !!
Upon arriving at the complex (yes this was at the Hollywood and Highland complex that houses the Kodak Theater....where the do the Academy Awards) we went to a fabulous Italian place for dinner...very yummy. Johnny Depp was seen lunching there on Tuesday. Then off to the Highlands..Our connection met us all outside and personally guided us in and around, took care of our needs and was a perfect host. The venue is a good pick by the way....but I have to tell you, after looking the the Saturday night crowd of young "hip" girls, dressed in saran wrap and Lycra..all too tight, too short and too cheesy, I felt more like June Cleaver than ever. One young ladies dress was so tight and so short she could not negotiate the stairs without a crane to lift her from stair to stair. There was much dancing and a lot of immature drinking. After watching all of this I was glad I was more like June Cleaver than the members of Animal House. I still was asked to dance by younger, handsome men...I was still offered a cocktail by the same...and at the end of the evening I was not being drug out of the ladies room by two burly body guards because I could not stand up on my own....All in all June and me may be down but we will never be OUT! And I was able to get to work by 6:30 a.m after getting to bed at 3:00 a.m...I bet those little honeys at the club cannot say that!

Down but not out

Should be brown and have water

Planning a wedding is proving to be an exercise in flexibility. At first I thought we had most of this event all figured out. I was wrong. I am pretty sure this will not be the last time I am wrong in regards to the wedding. I foresee much 'wrongness' on my part. As I said, at first we had it figured out.....Dabney Hall at Cal Tech would be the perfect place. Sure they charge a bunch more for a wedding than a regular party...maybe we could squeak by telling them that it was a Halloween party. Then there is the catering...not cheap not matter how you look at it. Oh yeah, tables, chairs, linen, wine, stronger libations....starting to add up. Then Amanda says she would really like to have a little more traditional service with her Dad walking her down and aisle. I am all for that but a church is an additional cost. Chuck and I got married at the lovely Church of the Hills in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. It was very reasonable but that was over 30 years ago and guess what?? It want up a whole, big bunch. So much for keeping costs down. So I get on the computer and do some research. Chuck and I start talking about what we could afford and how to do it without "us" doing the majority of the work. A country club might be the way to go. La Canada Country Club looks like an option. Call Amanda..discuss it with her and Jesus..Jesus would like a brown building and a ceremony near water....OK THEN!! La Canada has a water obstacle and sprinklers...don't know about brown but the hillside should be brown by October...Let's give them a call and see what we can set up. I call....they are booked...I call some place else...they are booked...Who would have thought that would be such a popular day...thank heavens for Google. I googled (yup, I think it is a real dictionary approved term now) and found the Almansor Court in Alhambra. Lovely looking place, at least on line and prices we can handle (sort 0f). No one there on Sunday to answer our questions so I call first thing Monday morning. Yes, they have that date open and by gosh it is discounted because it is a Friday. Amanda and I rushed over there on our lunch hour to make sure we had the date secured and to see if it made the grade...I overshoot the turn to the club and end up in Montebello but we turn arounda nd finally locate it. WELL...it was brown (light brown but hey!) the gazebo where the ceremony will take place rests over a lovely little lake, ducks and all. The banquet room was unconventional, meeting all our needs. Whew !! One giant hurdle ...now to pay for it all.......chicken all around!

" Hey Gang!!"

Does anyone remember the old Mickie Rooney/Judy Garland movies where the kids needed money to save the old folks home or the orphanage and they decide to put on a show. Well that is just what happened to me this week. My intrepid dance mentor puts together an absolutely incredible belly dance extravaganza every October. She brings in talent from all over the world and allows us not so famous dancers to show our stuff. The show was so successful last year that the venue where we hold the show decided to raise our rental rates......considerably. Since I am an assistant, student, friend, would-be performer, I am part of the information loop. I started scouting out places to hold the next show only to find most are either booked, too expensive, not big enough, too big or just not right. So after some semi-panic we (Leela, Amanda and I) sort of cooked up a plan to try to raise the additional monies that were required for the old venue. BTW this place is the Avalon Theater in Hollywood formerly the Hollywood Palace. The Palace is famous in its own right, located near the well known corner of Hollywood and Vine. It once housed famous, famous acts including the Beatles and Rolling Stones. But I digress.....we thought about options to raise money...advertising, trying to find a sponsor etc. Yes, we are still trying those but we have decided to go totally old school.....Yard sale, bake sale, raffle and best of all.......A belly dance Car Wash. Can you imagine bikini clan beauties (not me, I will be an organizer) with sparkling hip wraps all wet and soapy for you car washing pleasure...Should be a big hit in Southern California.
So in June we start hitting the proverbial pavement with some good old fashion fund raising. If anyone has other suggestions bring them on. So this week I felt just like Mickie Rooney (gosh we are about the same size) "Hey gang, let's put on a show!!"....