November 2008 SSQQ Newsletter Issue Four
Written by Rick Archer
ONE
MORE THING: THE SSQQ DECEMBER DANCE SEMESTER STARTS THIS SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 23.
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/schedule.htm
SPECIAL
CLASSES FOR DECEMBER:
SUNDAYS
AT 4:30: Scott’s Hustle V
SUNDAYS AT 4:30: Rick’s Western Waltz V
SUNDAYS AT 7:00: Whip Technique II with Rick and Patty
SUNDAYS AT 7:00: Intermediate Smooth with Marla (Foxtrot and Waltz)
SUNDAYS AT 7:00: Intermediate Latin with Hoover (Cha Cha and Rumba)
SUNDAYS AT 7:00: Dakota’s Accelerated Ballroom Quickstep
MONDAYS
AT 7:00: Whip Technique II with MG and Patty
MONDAYS AT 7:00: Martian Whip with Rick and Cher
MONDAYS AT 7:00: Advanced Swing Level IV with Steve Gabino
TUESDAYS AT 7:00: Advanced Salsa 12 with Steve Gekas
WEDNESDAYS AT 7:00: Ghost Town 12 with Scott Ladell
WEDNESDAYS AT 7:00: Sinatra Foxtrot with Rick Archer
(Sinatra Foxtrot is an Accelerated class. It assumes you have
completed two months of Western Waltz. If you don’t know what a
Triple Twinkle is ahead of time, you may struggle in this class.
Foxtrot is the high society forerunner to the Texas Twostep. But
oddly enough, many of the advanced Foxtrot patterns are strikingly
similar to Western Waltz.
With Christmas and New Year coming, I thought it would fun to try a
change of pace for this month only. Women love Sinatra and they
love to dance. Consequently they will love this class.
There are three good reasons for you guys to take this class:
1) It will help you review your Western Waltz patterns
2) You will find that practically everything you know to Western
Waltz can be transferred to Foxtrot
3) Best of all, the ladies will love you for learning how to lead
this dance. So when I play “New York, New York” at our New Year’s
Eve Party, you guys will be ready to shine!
THURSDAYS AT 7:00: Intermediate Bachata with Linda (will start
December 4th)
THURSDAYS AT 7:00: Beginning Latin Cha Cha with Dakota (will start
December 4th)
FRIDAYS AT 7:00: Ghost Town 12 with Scott Ladell
FRIDAYS AT 7:00: Martian Whip 12 with Jack Benard
SATURDAYS AT 430: R&B Twosteppin’ with Willie Bushnell
SATURDAYS AT 430: Salsa Explosion 6 with Alex Schamenek
Please
note we will not have classes next Thursday due to Thanksgiving.
The following classes can be made up on different nights:
BEGINNING SALSA ON TUESDAY OR SATURDAY NEXT WEEK
INTERMEDIATE SALSA 4 ON TUESDAY OR SATURDAY NEXT WEEK
ADVANCED SALSA 6 ON SATURDAY NEXT WEEK
BENEFIT FOR TRACY
Note: This article first appeared in the November 2008 SSQQ
Newsletter Issue One
Written by Rick Archer
We all suffered from Hurricane Ike. No one was spared completely.
For example, as expected, the studio’s October registrations were
seriously down. We had 920 people this month compared to 1140 a
year ago. Like everyone else in Houston with the exception of the
tree-cutters, roofers, electricians, and handymen, that hurricane
really hurt our business. Oh well.
But you know what? After seeing what happened to our friends in
Galveston, I figure we got off easy.
There is one person who didn’t get off easy at all. Tracy (Kirkland)
Schweinle gets my vote for the individual who may have lost the
most. Not only did she lose her husband of two months, she lost a
heck of a lot more. The pain she must have gone through is the stuff
of nightmares. Since the horrible tragedy, Tracy has been dealing
with headaches and heartaches non-stop.
Gary never had the chance to change his will. Tracy was left
nothing.
Not surprisingly, due to the stress and the problems she has to
handle, Tracy has been unable to work for two months. There was no
insurance on the Gary and Tracy's home. She has been dealing with
FEMA. It took her 4 days alone just to fill out the application.
Due to circumstances beyond her control she does not even have
access to her personal belongings. Along with all the other
horrors, her car was destroyed in the hurricane - she has/was to
receive a check for the value of her car but it has been withheld
from her, but she needed to purchase a car.
Things are probably even worse than that, but I think we all get the
rough idea.
I know that in time Tracy has the ability to get back on her feet
all by herself. But you know what? We can help her get there a lot
faster.
I have scheduled a benefit dance – the MR HAT THANKSGIVING WESTERN
DANCE – for Saturday, November 22nd, at 9 pm till 11:30
pm. Admission is $10 (cash). This money goes straight to Tracy. If
you wish to give more, by all means feel free to do so. Just drop
it in the hat.
Speaking of hats, one more thing – try to wear a hat to the party!
I think Gary would like that. It would a nice way to do good in two
directions – helping Tracy and honoring Gary’s memory.
Please come by. Thanks! RA
(Rick Archer’s Note: many people who can’t make tomorrow’s party
have asked me if they can give me a check or cash when they see me
again. The answer is of course. Several people have already done
this exact thing.)
THE MR HAT
TURKEY TROT WESTERN PARTY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party22.htm
A Western
Party to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving!
7-9 pm Crash Courses (to register, just show up and pay at
the door)
BEG TWOSTEP - Gary and
Cheryl Davis
INT TWOSTEP/POLKA
CIRCLE TURNS - Linda
BEG WESTERN WALTZ -
Marla
ADVANCED WEST COAST
SWING PTNS - Jack
ROMANTIC WESTERN SWING
PTNS - Rick
DIRTY DANCING - Ben (cpls
only)
Please note the
Western Dance Party following the Crash Courses will be a benefit
for Tracy Schweinle, the widow of our friend Gary Schweinle. The
cover charge of $10 (cash only, please) will go directly to Tracy.
You are more than welcome to put more in the "Hat" if you wish.
In addition, try to
wear a Hat in honor of our deceased friend Gary Schweinle. It
doesn’t have to be a cowboy hat. Any hat will do!
If you are new to the
studio and don't know anything about the circumstances of our friend
Gary's tragic accident, you can catch up on the entire story
Please note the
parties are usually $7... so at $10 it should be clear we aren't
asking for an arm and a leg. Please come by and participate!
One more thing - no one gets in free. I hope you all understand
where I am coming from.
………………
BRING LOTS OF FOOD TO
THE PARTY!!!
-----Original Message-----
From: Annie Fletcher
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 11:04 AM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: Reminder
Hi Rick,
Your idea to raise funds for Stacy, and fun for us, is very
commendable. Good idea!
To make the Turkey Trot more "palatable",
Richard and I will bring a pot luck dish to share with the
merrymakers. There are some fantastic people who attend SSQQ and
are ready to help in any way they can when called upon. Please let
them know that a pot luck is happening for the Saturday November 22
party. It's always more attractive to stay for the party,
especially right after crash dance courses, if there's something
more than popcorn to nibble on.
After all, it is Thanksgiving time again, so let’s all pretend to be
Pilgrims and Indians!
(Rick Archer’s Note: Sounds like a great
idea. I know several people are planning to do this exact same
thing!)
……………
ABOUT GARY SCHWEINLE
Although our benefit on Saturday, November 22nd, is aimed
to help Tracy Schweinle, Gary’s widow, I don’t think any of us plan
on forgetting about our friend Gary Schweinle.
Some people might not know the complete story about Gary’s tragic
death on September 12, 2008. Gary died just hours before Hurricane
Ike hit us. He was on the roof of his house boarding up windows
when he was electrocuted in a freak accident.
It was a terrible accident that still upsets me every time I think
about it.
Gary’s parting did inspire me in an odd way. I’ve decided to
establish a memorial area on the SSQQ Web Site for all the people
who have left us. Here is what I had to say:
“The
dark side of having a large community is that the inevitable must
visit us occasionally.
SSQQ has largely avoided the Specter of Death for many years.
But as you can see, starting in the summer of 2007, our good luck
started to change. That was when we lost John Jones, a very close
friend to many people here at SSQQ. His passing was very sad for
all of us.
Little did we know at the time, but John's loss was just the start
of a very rough stretch for SSQQ.
After losing only four people in a seven year span, suddenly we lost
six more people within the space of one year.
However it took the shocking death of two men - Gary Schweinle and
Michael Friedberg - on the very same day (September 12, 2008), to
convince me it was time to establish a permanent Memorial site on
the SSQQ website in the memory of all our friends who have left us.”
You can review the entire story about Gary Schweinle at this
location, plus that of all the other friends we have lost in the
past year – John Jones, Tim Green, Austella Whittington, Shirley
Kyckelhahn, Michael Friedberg, and of course my buddy Gary.
http://www.ssqq.com/stories/advent03.htm
In the meantime, I can’t
turn sideways without thinking about Gary. Every day I think about
him.
Do me a favor and come to the party tomorrow night in his honor.
And don’t forget to wear a hat!
See you
tomorrow, Rick Archer
…………………
|
November 2008 SSQQ Newsletter Issue
Three
The SSQQ Newsletter is
written by Rick Archer please direct any comments to dance@ssqq.com
BLACK AND WHITE SWING PARTY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
7-9 pm Crash Courses (to register, just show up and pay at the door)
RUMBA - Jill
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ (FOX,SWING) - Jack
BALLROOM DIPS AND LUNGES - Dakota (cpls only) BEGINNING LINDY HOP -
Ms Maureen Brunetti RICK'S FAVORITE ADV SWING PTNS - Rick and Marla
(includes new Swing patterns not currently taught in our Monday
classes) LINE DANCING - Bert
DRESS: Wear Black and White and Dance All Night
MUSIC: Mostly Swing, but some Ballroom plus requests.
ABOUT BERT'S LINE DANCE CLASS.
Bert Bernabe loves Line Dancing! He has been trying to see if there
are others at the studio who share his interest. Please read his
letter to me:
"Rick, I'm excited about being invited to share my skills on Line
Dancing with the SSQQ crowd on Saturday, November 15th.
What I plan to do, of course with your approval, is to start the
session with easy ones and continue on with a little bit of
challenging steps. These are the one I have selected:
1. Cupid Shuffle
2. Alive (Celine Dion)
3. Night Fever (Bee Gees)
4. El Olor dela Papaya
5. Bachata
6. Shalala la
7. Todo Todo (Daniela Romo)
8. Yeah (Usher)
9. Step in the Name of Love (R Kelley)
10. Waiting for Tonight (Jennifer Lopez
11. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough (Michael Jackson) 12. Don't Let
the Dogs Out
I have 2 line dances that will require partnering. They are (1) The
Last Waltz (Engelbert Humperdinck) and (2) Dance the Night Away. I
still have many left in my arsenal. Be sure to ask people to join me
on the 15th!
..........
CREATIVITY and BURNOUT
I honestly have no idea what effect the SSQQ Newsletter has on my
business. Nor do I have any way of estimating the value of the SSQQ
website.
What I do know is that maintaining the website and trying to put out
two interesting Newsletters a month is a lot of work. That I am sure
of.
Let's take the Halloween pictures for example. Thanks to the hard
work of our talented Steve Gabino, I am in possession of 400
terrific photographs from the 2008 Halloween Party. Unfortunately I
was a little late posting the pictures because the first CD that
Steve gave me was blank. Oh well.
In the meantime, I received these four emails:
EMAIL ONE
From: anonymous
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 10:08 AM
Subject: halloween pics?
rick, i was wondering when halloween pics from saturday's party will
be posted on website...the professional photographer that was taking
pictures at the party...does he put pics on the SSQQ site or does he
have his own photography site where pics can be viewed? thanks.
............
EMAIL TWO
From: anonymous
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2008 4:17 PM
Subject: where are the Halloween pictures?
i have visited the website every day now looking for the halloween
pictures. maybe i am not looking in the right place. can you direct
me to where you posted them?
..........
EMAIL THREE
From: anonymous
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:49 AM
Subject: Halloween Pictures
Rick, I could only pull up the first 3 pages of Halloween pictures.
I also got on my boss's computer to pull it up (his is more enhanced
than mine) and got the same thing. The page that says go back or
refresh.
I know you're busy and I don't want to bother you with it, but do
you know if anyone else is having problems? I've been waiting for
the pictures to come out and I've never had a problem before.
.........
EMAIL FOUR
From: anonymous
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 11:30 AM
Subject: when will my picture be posted?
Great party! We were the last to leave. I was one of the people you
had to throw out at the end, but then we found the salsa room and
danced twenty more minutes. Too much fun.
I went looking for my picture today, but only saw about 20 pictures.
thank goodness you finally got around to posting these! What has it
been, three weeks? I am dying to send a copy to my mother. Will you
look for my picture and send me a copy? I was wearing a (WHATEVER)
costume and my boyfriend was wearing a (WHATEVER) costume. We got
our picture taken together, so we should be easy to spot.
by the way, can you also tell me what day you intend to post my
picture? I am so busy at work, it is difficult for me to remember to
check the site every day. LOL!
........
Are these emails negative? Heaven's no. They are actually
compliments. But somehow they also drive me a little crazy. People
have no idea the hours... yes, HOURS... it takes to create web pages
and post all these pictures. And when I don't post them IMMEDIATELY,
it seems like I hear about it.
Have I created a monster? It takes me an enormous amount of time to
do a good job on the website and the newsletter. I mean several
hours every day of the week. The thing to keep in mind is that these
activities are a SERVICE, not a job requirement.
Dance Studios are supposed to teach people to dance. Newsletters and
Web Sites are nice, but largely unnecessary. You would be surprised
to find out that when people want to learn to Salsa dance, they look
for the best Salsa teacher, not the best newsletter.
Still, I know the Newsletter and Web Site are appreciated. The
problem I face is burnout. This is a phenomenon I am sure all of you
face in your professional lives. The difference is that most of you
aren't in the position to write about it.
Since the Newsletter and the Web Site are basically a form of
"volunteer work", there are times when it gets difficult to put in
the work day in and day out. When things are good, I usually have
the energy to be creative. But when things are bad, I have to be
honest - my enthusiasm for the newsletter and the website dries up
faster than a Death Valley water hole in the summer.
I have spent the past four months fighting a serious case of
burnout. In the past, I have been able to weather the problem long
enough to get a second wind.
Unfortunately this time there is an Exit Door that is tempting me.
I don't think that most of you realize this, but there is a strong
part of me that wants to walk away from the whole thing. I am not
going to pull the plug without some serious thought, but I am
serious when I say that Exit Door is wagging its finger at me.
It has been done before. For example, a year or so ago my
counterpart Mario Robau didn't like a few people's attitude over at
Southwest Whip. The next thing you know, he walked out of the place
after twenty years of service. I don't think he has been back. I
assume he was fed up about something.
I may be walking in the same shoes that Mario did. Yes, I admit I am
turning into a grumpy old man. I get fed up very easily. In the old
days, I would fight through it because it was my job to do so. But I
am close to retirement age and my lease is nearly up. If I want to
walk, I just might... because I can.
To me, SSQQ is like a three-ring circus. It is truly a wonderful
place, but it requires a lot of attention to make it run well. There
are basically two main reasons to keep the circus going: to make
money and to have fun.
Thanks to Hurricane Ike, profound unexpected problems caused by my
Landlord, and the US Economy, SSQQ has recently become a non-profit
organization. That's right, we are losing money. Not asking for
sympathy; there are a lot of people in much worse straits than SSQQ.
I am merely pointing out that the incentive to make money is hardly
keeping me in the game at the moment. I would probably make more
money if I taught one class a night in the back room of some church.
So that leaves "fun" as my main motivation to stick around. As any
casual reader of the Newsletter knows, things haven't been much fun
around here for me lately.
A quick review of recent Newsletters reveals the lead stories have
been about the aggressiveness of the Cruise gate
crasher on our summer
cruise, the Death of my two friends Gary and Michael, the senseless
behavior of Destructo and Oblivion on our summer cruise, plus last
week's rant about Mr. Free Halloween Party.
Now obviously the loss of my two friends is a part of life that I
have no control over. I understand that. But the pain still hurt. In
fact, everyone around this studio who knew these fine men still
hurts inside. As for me, it totally took the wind out of my sails.
The desire to be "Creative" took a vacation.
Slowly but surely, I began to regroup. As any good therapist knows,
to get your mojo working again, first you have to clear out the
resentment. Along those lines, two Newsletters ago, I wrote the
story about Destructo and Oblivion. And it worked. Once I got that
stuff off my chest, I felt better. Now I actually felt the desire to
start writing about the good stuff that happened on the 2008
Conquest Cruise. I was ready to be productive again.
But first I had to get past the Halloween Party before I would have
time to get to it. If you read last week's Newsletter, you will
recall that Mr. Free Halloween Party sent me right back into my bad
mood. Mr. Free Halloween Party insisted he and his girlfriend get in
free all because he was generous enough to bring some booze for his
buddies. Not only did his behavior insult the other 450 people who
paid willingly (and brought food as well), he verbally abused the
poor woman who did nothing to deserve his attack.
I stood up for this woman. And you know what? She appreciated it.
EMAIL ONE
From: anonymous
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 9:23 AM
To: Rick and Marla Archer
Subject: Halloween Party
Hi Rick and Marla,
I just wanted to thank you for writing about me in the newsletter. I
guess you didn't actually name me, but you described me. And thank
you, Rick, for the compliments. I didn't realize it had been a bad
night for you, Rick. Actually, for me, besides the one "bad apple",
I thought the evening went pretty well. I've been talked to much
worse by parents I've worked with at my schools, unfortunately.
So "Mr. bad apple" was minor compared to what I've been through. I
guess that's just part of being in a "customer service" type of
business. For me, I wouldn't mind working the Halloween party again.
So count me in!
..............
REPLY
From: Rick Archer
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 12:06 PM
Subject: Halloween party
I get busy sometimes and forget to respond, but truthfully, I was
FURIOUS at the way that man treated you. And I was pretty angry
about the other snide comments I overheard as well.
I am grateful to you for the professional way you handled all the
headaches, but I don't appreciate the way you were treated.
Marla tells me about the rudeness that goes on in the Registration
week sometimes. But until I encountered it directly, I had no idea
how much it got under my skin. If I were at the front desk, I swear
I would lose my temper on a nightly basis.
Without people like you, I don't know how I would stay in business.
Thank you very much
..........
Do you think I am being negative? Well, probably I am. But this kind
of negativity didn't start with me. It started with the rude
behavior of some of the people we serve. Neither Marla nor I or any
of our Staff deserve to be punching bags for rudeness.
Back when I was young, an older man in his 50s talked to me about
'sensitivity'. This man was the director of a charitable agency here
in Houston. He said the biggest challenge for him was maintaining
his good will towards mankind. He was beset by so many demands for
money and help, he was constantly being criticized for not helping
with this problem or that, and the appreciations for the things he
was able to accomplish seemed to go so completely unnoticed that he
felt himself growing numb. He felt his ability to respond to
people's needs was diminishing because the demands on his time and
energy were so much greater than his resources. At some point, just
to maintain his sanity, he realized he was tuning people out. He
said he had never felt so used and burned out in his whole life.
Numb. That is exactly how I felt after the Halloween Party. Three
weeks after the Party, I am still angry about the Mr. Free Halloween
Party incident. You may have noticed - I haven't even touched the
remaining Halloween decorations in Room Two. It is the middle of
November and there are still ghosts on the wall to haunt me... a
constant ghoulish nightly reminder to me how mad I was at the people
who had the nerve to complain about the price of the party.
On the other hand, there are indeed many people who do appreciate
this studio.
EMAIL ONE
From: anonymous
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 1:14 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: RE: Halloween Party
I read your newsletter and the part about all the complaints about
the price of the Halloween party. A good friend and I have been
coming every year for the last 4 or 5 years. I just want you to know
how much we enjoy the party. It has been a blast every year we've
gone to it and we would not miss it for anything. She and I talk
about it during the year and try to decide what we're going to be.
$15 is dirt cheap for what you get. It is an awesome party and
anyone that would complain about the price should go to a movie
instead. At the theater by my house it is about $18 to see a movie,
have some popcorn and a coke. I love going to the movies but they
are boring in comparison to your party!!!
Thanks for all the hard work you do to make it such a great night!!
I have never been to anything that matches it!! So keep up the good
work and don't let any of those negative people change your mind
about it. There are plenty of us around who love it and look forward
to it every year!!
........
Unfortunately the incident with Mr. Free Halloween Party was not a
random incident. People have been abusing my registration staff for
some time now; I just never write about it. Marla has a term for the
first week of classes; she calls it "Hell Week". There are times
when Marla comes home so beat up from arguments and rudeness that
she can't even talk about it. These negative incidents add up. Marla
actually traces her bout with weight gain to the moment when she
began to handle Registration duties.
What the heck is wrong with people?
This studio and the special things that come with it are under
attack thanks to a lot of inconsiderate behavior. I keep telling you
this - I am not a machine. I am flesh and blood just like everyone
else. When I feel that people appreciate my studio, my web site, and
my newsletter, I bust my tail to do a good job. But I am no saint.
When people act like fools at my studio, it just shuts me down cold.
And it isn't just me. My wife Marla feels the same way. She was so
upset by the cruise trip behavior of the gate
crasher, plus Destructo,
Oblivion, Cruella de Ville and Mr. Charming that it destroyed all
the FUN of organizing the cruises. I wrote the stories of the
gate crasher and Destructo for one specific reason - to explain to
people why Marla and I will never tolerate this kind of behavior
again. There was even more stuff I didn't write about. For example,
you might be surprised to know that Mr. Free Party was the same man
who upset Marla back in June when he accused Marla of marking up the
prices on these trips.
The rude way some people treated her during signup for the two 2008
cruise trips nearly drove her nuts. If you are curious to know more,
you can read the article I wrote called "Firing Customers".
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IGDyl&m=1cfIlAZXN64iI9&b=3v6KntVcwX0jaBend4iqXQ
Marla and I have one condition for staying in business - it needs to
be fun.
The only thing I owe people is the obligation to teach the dance
class my students have paid for. That's it. Everything else I do out
of a desire to serve. But if you stop and think about it, I don't
owe anyone a good web site. I don't owe anyone a good Newsletter. I
don't owe anyone Halloween pictures. I don't owe anyone Cruise
pictures. I don't owe anyone stories about wedding and engagements.
I don't get paid for it, now do I?
I do these things from my heart, not from my wallet. And if I
continue to feel like the things I do aren't appreciated, well, it
might be time to find the exit door.
Now let me share a couple of letters with you. Here is one I
received on Thursday morning, 11/13/08.
EMAIL ONE
From: anonymous
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 11:22 AM
Subject: Huashan, pictures and video
Hi Rick,
I have recently returned from China and, among other places, I
visited Huashan.
Before I write something about my impressions and opinions I must
say that your web site is the reason that I found out about that
amazing place. I remember that when I first saw Huashan photos a
thought crossed my mind: ''I must see this place, sooner or later.''
...........
(to read what this person is referring to, visit Huashan Story:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IGDyl&m=1cfIlAZXN64iI9&b=AaTJ6j5cpxPNXeCm.KAQZw
)
EMAIL TWO
-----Original Message-----
From: anonymous
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:58 PM
Subject: Christmas Puzzle Answers
Hello Rick. I have to say I am a big fan of your growing Christmas
picture puzzle. I gave this puzzle to my high school students this
year and it was a big hit. Since they only had an hour, it was
easier just to give them your shortened puzzle.
They really wanted to know the answers though, and I did get the
first 40 answers from your website.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME KEEP THEM CHALLENGED!
On my own I tried my best on the others so hopefully I am close to
get the rest of the answers to share with my students next year.
Plus I have included some of your logic puzzles are good extra
credit questions as fillers on a test.
Thanks for your time and have a great holidays!
......
(to read what this person is referring to, visit SSQQ Christmas
Puzzle:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IGDyl&m=1cfIlAZXN64iI9&b=x5woixqf4Q7zSAq5hTPCug
EMAIL THREE
From: Louise
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 5:12 AM
Subject: Hawaii Story
Hi Rick, you don't know me but I ran across your web site on Hawaii,
and have to tell you something. I have been all over the Internet
and your story about Hawaii is the best thing I have ever seen.
Rick, Thank You so Much for your wonderful web site! It gave me a
look at Hawaii I may never have in my life time, but then one never
knows!
And if I ever get there, thanks to your story I will know all the
great spots to go!
Thanks again for the smiles, laughs, Wonderful Pics and a Great
Read, and leaving your e-mail, I was hoping I'd be able to contact
you and say Thank You!
Take Care, God Bless, Louise
............
(to read what this person is referring to, visit the 2007 Hawaii
Cruise Writeup:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IGDyl&m=1cfIlAZXN64iI9&b=gOk8vZ.9tDHme91Mg4tE0Q
REPLY:
From: Rick Archer
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:04 AM
To: Louise
Subject: Hawaii story
What a nice thing to say! I put a lot of love into that story, so I
am glad that you enjoyed it. I feel very rewarded by your comments.
Thank you, Louise.
............
This email came to me yesterday. I was actually kind of
flabbergasted. I spent three weeks of my life writing the summary of
the 2007 Hawaii Cruise. In my opinion, it was the best travel
writeup I have ever done. It was a tremendous amount of work because
there were so many wonderful pictures and so many wonderful
experiences to write about. Plus I found the history of the Hawaiian
Islands to be a compelling read.
However, after I finally published the story of the Hawaii Cruise, I
never received a single compliment. Not one. Not one person from the
cruise said a word about the writeup.
Three weeks of work followed by the sound of one hand clapping.
So you can imagine how gratified I was to realize that at least one
person actually appreciated the work I had put into that story.
Well, the unexpected joy I got out of the gushing compliments from
Louise actually snapped me out of my Mr. Free Halloween
Party-induced bad mood. I actually felt like starting to work on my
two unfinished cruise stories (July 2008 Greece and August 2008
Conquest) for the first time since the death of my friends Gary and
Michael back in September.
I was so touched by this woman's kind words, I got right to work.
Yesterday I quickly published two more pages of Halloween pictures.
Then I published the first set of pictures from the SSQQ 2008
Conquest Cruise.
I was actually having fun again. I was so inspired that I began
working on the next story from the 2008 Greece Cruise. Mind you, I
hadn't touched that story for three months, but Louise's unexpected
compliment was the spark I needed to start writing again.
I had been working for three hours non-stop when I received this
email:
EMAIL ONE
From: anonymous
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:46 PM
Subject: 2008 Cruise link on your ssqq page
Just for your information, I am hearing a lot of people complain
about having to see the gate crasher story from the Conquest Trip up for
so long. Basically they consider it in "BAD TASTE".
I wouldn't say anything, but I am hearing it too much for too long.
I think it is working against your "good will". For what it is
worth....
...............
That email shut me down on the spot. I felt like I had been slapped
in the face.
There's an old saying, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
Who has the nerve to criticize me for a story I created for free?
And if it so upsetting to them, why not tell me to my face? Why
quibble behind my back when you can complain to me directly?
FYI, The gate crasher story I was criticized for dealt with the tale
of a woman who constantly trespassed on our space throughout the
August 2008 Conquest Cruise. Thanks to her behavior and other people
with a similar "me-first" attitude (i.e. Destructo and company), it
took a lot of the joy out of that trip for not just me, but for my
wife as well.
I wrote the gate crasher story because this woman's behavior not only
ruined my trip, but it really upset my wife. I put that story on
page one because I wanted all future passengers to know this
behavior would never be tolerated on any future trips.
I first published the gate crasher Story back in September 2008. I
didn't have pictures to post at that time. Then Hurricane Ike hit
bringing with it the twin tragedies that have haunted us all ever
since.
Ironically, I had just finished the first set of pictures from that
trip only to discover that someone had the nerve to criticize me for
not spreading "good will". Mind you, they don't even have the guts
to say it to my face.
If anyone wonders why I am fighting burnout, let me point straight
to the "Bad Taste" email as Exhibit One. Why should I bother
spending hours (and weeks) posting cruise trip pictures and stories
when people turn around and basically spit on my effort?
In the old days, whenever a cruise trip was over, I was immediately
busy writing stories and posting pictures. But the fun went out of
it when I realized my work was being taken for granted or, worse,
completely ignored. After it took me three weeks to write a story
about the Hawaii Cruise that no one even read or commented on, I
began to wonder why I was even bothering to try so hard.
People began to wonder why it took me so long to sit down and write
stories about the cruise trips. Well, now you have your answer: look
no further than the attitude of people who think that sticking up
for my wife is in "bad taste" (i.e. the
gate crasher Story).
I am a simple person. I create for the fun of it. If I feel that
people appreciate what I do, then I enjoy making people happy. But
if I am going to get criticized for work I do for free, well, maybe
it really is time to fold the tent.
Everybody experiences professional burnout from time to time. As
always, I understand that the negativity is generated by a small
percentage of people. But the damage they do is immense.
These are hard, depressing times we are going through. No one likes
what is going on. But that is no excuse to behave poorly. I won't
stand for poor behavior and I certainly don't appreciate pointless
criticism over something that is FREE.
Now let me explain the consequences of the "Bad Taste" email. I
didn't feel like working on my cruise write-up anymore. After all,
there's always computer chess to turn to.
If I am going to continue to create for free, let me show you how it
is supposed to work:
EMAIL ONE
-----Original Message-----
From: anonymous
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 9:04 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: September Newsletter and story about Rome Rick, I just
wanted to tell you that I have really enjoyed reading the September
newsletter. You have a great gift for writing.
You are so very descriptive and detailed that it makes me feel like
I was there with you all when you were spending your last Euro on
the trip to Italy last summer.
I know it takes a lot of time to write your scenarios but they are
so very good. So, just thought I would let you know that I think you
are a great writer.
...............
(to read what this person is referring to, visit the 2008 Greece
Cruise Writeup:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IGDyl&m=1cfIlAZXN64iI9&b=4GPq0OxhukgRW0TZxvJSEg
)
The kind words about my Rome Story are the perfect example of what
it takes to get me to create for free. I like to write, but it is a
lot of work. Since I don't ask for any money, the only way I can be
paid is if people say 'thank you' once in a while. I need
encouragement.
If you enjoy the newsletter and you enjoy the website, then the cost
of doing business is to throw me a compliment now and then. That's
all it takes. When I get an email like the one above, I just want to
race back to the computer and put out more stories.
CONCLUSION
Now that I have gotten all this stuff off my chest, I can begin to
see where "Bad Taste" might be coming from. After all, the
gate crasher
and Destructo stories basically made everyone who went on that trip
feel bad thanks to the actions of just a few people.
For that matter, I imagine this rant might create a similar sort of
guilt. Who enjoys reading how angry I am at the entire studio due to
the rude behavior of just a few people?
That idea didn't occur to me yesterday when I wrote the first draft.
So there you have it - now that I have gotten all this anger out of
my system, I can begin to see things from a much healthier
perspective.
That said, no one needs to respond to my eleven page rant. In fact,
you need not say a thing. Just writing the letter has accomplished
its goal. I am somewhat rational again.
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE YOU CAN DO.
I have a friend named Tracy Kirkland. If you read my recent
newsletter, you know that thanks to Hurricane Ike she lost her
husband, she lost the home she was living in, she lost most of her
belongings, she was not included in any will, and she lost a lot
more than I can even write about.
We are having a benefit in her honor at the Mr. Hat Turkey Trot
Western Party on Saturday, November 22nd. The 9 pm party will cost
$10 cash. This money will go directly to Tracy. When you enter the
party, you simply drop your ten bucks in the hat (now how else did
you expect us to collect the money?), then dance the night away and
have a good time.
Ten dollars isn't very much money although it may be too much for
Mr. Free Halloween Party. But for the rest of you, I bet no matter
how bad things are, you would like to help.
If you want to help me shake off this burnout, please come to the
party.
If you are just as tired of the meanness and pettiness that is going
around this studio as I am, you will do me a great favor by coming
to this party.
Furthermore, not only do I want YOU to come to this party, I would
like for you to invite your friends. We will dance the night away
and hopefully start to feel better about a lot of things.
This party is not for me; it is for Tracy.
But if lots of people show up, you will send me a valuable signal
that you quietly support what Marla and I and my wonderful SSQQ
Staff are trying to do. It would mean a lot to me. I might even
smile a little and regain my enthusiasm for writing cruise stories.
Please come to this party and let's have a very good time.
Thank you. RA
|
November 2008 SSQQ Newsletter Issue
Two
Written by Rick Archer
RICK ARCHER'S NOTE: The posting of the 2008 Halloween Pictures has
been delayed because the CD I was given is corrupt. We should get it
fixed soon and can begin adding pictures next week.
In addition, I should have the December Schedule posted on the
Internet by next week on Monday or definitely Tuesday.
We have many romances to write about, but we will save the news for
our next newsletter.
..............
UPCOMING NOVEMBER DANCE PARTIES:
BLACK AND WHITE SWING PARTY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party21.htm
7-9 pm Crash Courses (to register, just show up and pay at the door)
RUMBA - Jill
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ (FOX,SWING) - Jack
BALLROOM DIPS AND LUNGES - Dakota (cpls only) BEGINNING LINDY HOP -
Ms Maureen Brunetti RICK'S FAVORITE ADV SWING PTNS - Rick and Marla
(includes new Swing patterns not currently taught in our Monday
classes) LINE DANCING - Bert
DRESS: Wear Black and White and Dance All Night
MUSIC: Mostly Swing, but some Ballroom plus requests.
ABOUT BERT'S LINE DANCE CLASS.
Bert Bernabe loves Line Dancing! He has been trying to see if there
are others at the studio who share his interest. Please read his
letter to me:
"Rick, I'm excited about being invited to share my skills on Line
Dancing with the SSQQ crowd on Saturday, November 15th.
What I plan to do, of course with your approval, is to start the
session with easy ones and continue on with a little bit of
challenging steps. These are the one I have selected:
1. Cupid Shuffle
2. Alive (Celine Dion)
3. Night Fever (Bee Gees)
4. El Olor dela Papaya
5. Bachata
6. Shalala la
7. Todo Todo (Daniela Romo)
8. Yeah (Usher)
9. Step in the Name of Love (R Kelley)
10. Waiting for Tonight (Jennifer Lopez
11. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough (Michael Jackson) 12. Don't Let
the Dogs Out
I have 2 line dances that will require partnering. They are (1) The
Last Waltz (Engelbert Humperdinck) and (2) Dance the Night Away. I
still have many left in my arsenal. Be sure to ask people to join me
on the 15th!
..........
THE MR HAT TURKEY TROT WESTERN PARTY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party22.htm
A Western Party to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving!
7-9 pm Crash Courses (to register, just show up and pay at the door)
BEG TWOSTEP - Gary and Cheryl Davis
INT TWOSTEP/POLKA CIRCLE TURNS - Linda
BEG WESTERN WALTZ - Marla
ADVANCED WEST COAST SWING PTNS - Jack
ROMANTIC WESTERN SWING PTNS - Rick
DIRTY DANCING - Ben (cpls only)
Please note the Western Dance Party following the Crash Courses will
be a benefit for Tracy Schweinle, the widow of our friend Gary
Schweinle. The cover charge of $10 (cash only, please) will go
directly to Tracy. You are more than welcome to put more in the
"Hat" if you wish.
In addition, try to wear a Hat in honor of our deceased friend Gary
Schweinle. It doesn't have to be a cowboy hat. Any hat will do!
If you are new to the studio and don't know anything about the
circumstances of our friend Gary's tragic accident, you can catch up
on the story in the SSQQ Newsletter http://www.ssqq.com/newsletter/currentissue.htm
(You may have to scroll a little to find the story.)
Please note the parties are usually $7... so at $10 it should be
clear we aren't asking for an arm and a leg. Please come by and
participate!
..................
AN UPDATE FROM MARLA ARCHER: THE 2009 SSQQ CRUISE TO BARCELONA!!
YIPPEE, WE HAVE AN EXTENSION!
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009.htm
Hello Everybody,
When I wrote about this trip in the previous newsletter, I was
pretty worried that the economic situation might put the kibosh on
next year's Barcelona Cruise.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover I was wrong! We had 26 people
sign up, which is an amazing total considering all the problems. Not
only am I sure we will add some more people as well, I am also happy
to say the good news is that this trip is a GO! Our 2009 Barcelona
Cruise to Spain, Italy, and France is now definite.
In addition, I was able to get an extension on our cabin space until
January 19, 2009. This means our group rates have been extended for
nearly two months. This will make it easier to boost our numbers.
Our September 2009 Barcelona Cruise is easily the most ambitious
trip I have ever planned.
Here is just a snapshot of the places we will have the chance to see
- the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Vesuvius and Pompeii, the stunning
architecture of Barcelona, the marvelous museums and ruins of Rome,
the museums of Florence complete with Renaissance paintings and
Michelangelo's David, the casinos of Monaco, the fabulous beaches of
Nice, plus all the incredible shorelines of Northern Italy and
Southern France.
I know every one of you leaf through the Travel magazines and say to
yourself these are places you want to see some day. Well, I say
let's go see them next year.
I have completed an extensive write-up on the SSQQ 2009 Barcelona
Trip our website detailing each port including photographs of all
the highlights. I hope you will take the time to review our
extensive itinerary.
It is now time to sign up for the cruise!
A $250 deposit will hold your spot on the trip all the way until
final payment on July 15th, 2009. That is right, you have nine
months to save for this fabulous cruise! However, registrations need
to be in to me by Monday, January 19th. You may email or fax me the
information or simply hand the form to Rick or me at the studio.
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009registration.htm
I have decided to reduce the cancellation penalty to $50 through the
end of this year due to the unusual economic circumstances. In other
words, if you are fairly sure you want to go, this will allow you to
"commit" without having to be 100% positive.
I hope you will decide to join us for another trip of a lifetime!
Don't miss out on this wonderful experience!!!
A big thank you to all our past passengers who have made these trips
so great!
Marla Archer
SSQQ Dance Studio
Marla@ssqq.com
713 862-4428
713 862-2550 fax
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009.htm
..............
2008 HALLOWEEN PARTY REVISITED: SOME PEOPLE DON'T GET IT
This year's 2008 SSQQ Halloween Party was a phenomenal success.
Estimates put the attendance somewhere around 450 people.
That number is definitely a record.
The costumes were superb (I will start putting up the pictures next
week).
The dance floors in Room One (Western and Swing), Room Four (Whip),
and Room Five (Salsa) were filled to the brim with excitement.
The lights in Room One, supplied by George Grega, were awesome.
The party was so much fun that I decided to let it run an hour
longer.
People simply could not believe that a party that was hyped this
much could turn out to actually exceed expectations. That was how
much fun this year's party was. The energy was phenomenal. And thank
you very much for the many warm compliments.
Considering all this success, then why am I so disgusted I could
spit?
You would assume that a huge party that went off without even the
slightest glitch would put me in a good mood. Such is not the case.
I have been irritable now for an entire week.
For those of you who remember the story of Destructo and Oblivion (
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/conquest2008story01.htm
) in our previous newsletter, you will surely recall my
horror at the terrible behavior of five individuals on our recent
August Caribbean Cruise.
Well, unfortunately, the same type of rude, senseless behavior that
ruined my cruise managed to resurface at this year's Halloween Party
and ruin this event for me as well.
There were two separate incidents at this year's party that linger
in my mind.
INCIDENT ONE - WHY ISN'T THE HALLOWEEN PARTY FREE?
At this year's party, several people complained about the cost of
the party to the two women who took money at the door.
For the record, our party cost $15 a person. If you were on our
Staff, you got in for free. If you were the spouse or date of a
Staff member, you got in for free. If you help as a Volunteer and
presented your October card, the party was half-price. Everybody
else was expected to pay the fifteen dollars. Those were the rules.
I am going to talk further about the price in a moment. But first I
would like to discuss another popular Houston Halloween destination
known as "Nightmare on the Bayou". Since this Haunted House is
located in the Heights near where I live, I have been able to
observe its development first-hand over the past nine years.
About five years ago I even visited the place myself. Taking my
daughter and my wife, I was appalled to be charged $60 at the door
when they refused to honor some half-price coupons. I almost turned
around, but I had promised to take my daughter, so I gave in.
The Haunted House was okay. There were many special effects and
someone had obviously invested a lot of money fixing the place up.
Since I don't know much about haunted houses, I can't really compare
it to other places. All I know is our 15 minute stroll through the
place was more or less hohum. There you have it. $60 for 15 minutes
of lukewarm fun.
That was five years ago. Since then I am sure the place has
improved. I have to tell you - the number of cars parked there every
night is phenomenal. I am staggered by the number of people ready to
shell out the big bucks and stand in long lines to visit this place.
Although this place was featured on ABC this year, the online
reviews are not very good. For example, I noticed some incredibly
scathing reviews from last year found on citysearch. These reviews
also revealed the current price of $25 a person.
So there you have it... Nightmare on the Bayou costs $25. It lasts
15, maybe 20 minutes.
By comparison, the SSQQ Halloween Party costs $15 and lasted 5
hours. Now I am going to explain to you why I feel this price is
justified.
For starters, the drinks are free.
In addition, there is a ton of food, some of which we provide and
much more that is brought by our guests to share.
We hired police security as part of the cost.
We hired an excellent photographer, Steve Gabino, to take your
picture. I believe the services of his beautiful girlfriend, Vivian
Gustafson, were provided free of charge. Who can forget Vivian
holding her "Smile" sign as Steve took his shots? Clever idea! I
know I had no choice but to grin.
We hired three Staff people to help collect the money and help clean
the party up afterwards.
We hired four teenage girls to scream at you in the Haunted House.
In addition, Becky Bratton grabbed people at the end free of charge.
Our guests received an amazing light show courtesy of GTG
Productions. Our friend George Grega was kind enough to provide his
awesome lighting equipment free of charge. I did pay the young man
who ran the lights, but George did an incredible amount of work from
the kindness of his heart. Not only did he cart all that equipment
in from his truck in the parking lot by himself, he installed it by
himself as well. George was here all day Saturday putting the lights
up in Room One. Then on Sunday after the party, George came back and
spent four more hours taking the lights back down and hauling them
back to his truck. George put in two long days at no charge. That's
right. No one paid George a cent. George made this contribution
because he loves the party. We are fortunate for his kindness. If he
had "charged" us, I imagine $1,000 might have been a fair price.
I did some volunteer work of my own. I taught Halloween Line Dances
on five different nights free of charge. That's five hours of work
if you are keeping track. Linda Cook donated two hours of her time
as well.
On Friday, October 17, Jack Benard, Linda Cook, Marla, myself,
Phyllis Porter, and Becky Bratton spent three hours on preliminary
decorations as well as my carpenter Solomon.
The following Friday, October 24, was Haunted House Day. We always
put up the Haunted House the day before the party.
Out of curiosity, how many Halloween parties do you go to that have
a Haunted House as an entrance? The SSQQ Haunted House is serious
work. No kidding! It takes a lot of people four or five hours to put
up and three more hours to take down. But it is usually worth it to
me. Over the years, I have spent a lot of time in the Haunted House
grabbing ankles under the curtains. I do it for fun. I enjoy hearing
the people yell in surprise, but almost everyone quickly laughs
afterwards. These people realize that the Haunted House is silly and
not dangerous, but at the same time they genuinely seem to
appreciate the thought. 10 long minutes of walking through absolute
darkness is very effective for getting people into the true spirit
of Halloween.
And that is my payoff - people have fun and people appreciate the
effort. But it sure is a lot of work to put the curtains up and
decorated the Laboratory. Fortunately Marla and I had a lot of
wonderful help. The same people from a week ago were back plus
Whitney Mehaffey, Gerry Francis, and Charley Denton. After seven
hours of decorating, we finished just in time for me to teach
Halloween Line Dances. After the line dances, I taught for two more
hours. Then came Practice Night. I was at the studio for eleven
hours and that is how I spent my birthday.
While we were putting up the decorations on Friday, I was frequently
asked two questions:
1. Where do we put all this stuff during the year? Answer: in a
closet at the studio.
2. How much do all these decorations cost? Answer: Many thousands of
dollars spread out over 30 years.
On Saturday Marla and I were back at the studio at 7:30 pm to begin
seven more hours of work at the party. We started cleaning up at
12:45 am. Since the party was so successful, there was an amazing
amount of trash. It took five people well over an hour to finish.
Marla and I got home at 2:30 am.
On Sunday, Marla and I were back at the studio at noon to take down
the decorations so we could conduct classes. After five hours of
taking down decorations (with plenty of help from Jack, Jackie
Chang, Whitney, and Maggi Dodds), I then taught for five hours and
danced with every woman I could at Ballroom Practice Night.
As I was busy cleaning up the big mess at the end of the party, I
had the privilege of hauling about 30 bags of trash to the dumpster
even though I was dead tired. I wasn't too tired, however, to notice
the incredible amount of food that people were kind enough to donate
to the party. Yes, it was added work to clean it all up, but I
didn't mind. I was thrilled at the thoughtfulness of people who
wanted to contribute.
The other thing I noticed was the unbelievable amount of wasted
drinks. That reminds me - did you know that the drinks were on the
house? Maybe we should charge in the future. That might cut down on
the waste.
So there you have it - a five hour Halloween Party with drinks
included, ten people paid to help make the party work, 15 other
people who donated their time willingly, one man who donated his
time and expensive light equipment, plus thousands of dollars worth
of decorations.
I put in twenty-two hours on this party. Marla put in seventeen.
George put in ten more. When you include the wonderful help of the
many people who volunteered their time, you see this party was quite
a production.
And for what purpose? There are two things I receive in return for
this party: money and satisfaction.
I know this might be difficult to believe, but we don't actually
throw the party to make money. As far as the money goes, after
everyone is paid and the cost of the drinks is deducted, I would
imagine the studio makes a couple thousand dollars profit. But since
the landlord raised our rent $1,000 a month back in September, that
money will not stay in my pocket very long.
If I threw this party for the money, let me assure you, things would
be much different.
And what about the intangible rewards, you know, the joy of throwing
a good party? Normally, that is what makes it all worthwhile. It
really does! I like throwing a good Halloween Party.
But something was wrong this year. As my reward for 2008, I got the
chance to listen to people complain bitterly that the party was too
expensive, that they should be let in for free. Let me say this loud
and clear - I did not appreciate the bellyaching one bit.
Marla tried to warn me.
Before this year's party, Marla pointed out we have to hire new
people practically every year to collect money. This was a surprise
to me. Since Marla handles this end of the business, I hadn't even
noticed. So I asked her why. Marla said the reason for the turnover
is that the ladies who take the money soon discover isn't any fun
having to argue with customers about money. In the words of a woman
who did it a couple years ago, no amount of money is compensation
for the all the complaints. She said she would never work the
Halloween Party again.
Marla says it gets old having to get someone new every year. I was
curious about Marla's observation. So this year, I decided to hang
near the front desk and see what the ladies were talking about.
Have you heard the saying "The walls have ears"? People had no idea
that I was hanging out in the Haunted House. I was in position to
overhear some of the conversations between our guests and the ladies
who collected money for us. To my dismay, I found out that Marla was
absolutely correct. Right from the start, several people complained
the party was too expensive. I was appalled. You have no idea about
all the bellyaching about money.
After all the work I had put in - and others too - when I heard
people complain about $15, I saw red. For a moment, I swear I wanted
to pull down every curtain in the Haunted House and go sit in the DJ
booth till it was time to clean up.
As I hid behind the curtains, I overheard one particular
conversation that made me seethe. I listened to a woman complain
bitterly that the Halloween party was too expensive. For one thing,
she said the other ssqq parties are only $5 ($7 actually with $2 off
if you take a crash course). And what about Fridays? She pointed out
she can get in for free on Fridays. If SSQQ 'gives it away' on
Fridays, why should she have to pay so much money for tonight's
party?
This woman's complaint was a double slap to me. We used to charge
money for Friday Practice Night, but early in 2008 I decided to
suspend collecting money to help rebuild the energy. I wanted to
make Friday Night Practice a reward for the people who took classes
on Friday. As I observe the results of my decision, what I have
discovered is the free drinks make no difference, at least not to
the people I care about. Attendance hasn't changed a bit regarding
the money. Most people wouldn't mind a nominal fee like $2. They
stay because they want to, not because it is cheap.
But rather than appreciate that Friday is free, this woman used my
generosity as an argument to suggest my Halloween Party was charging
too much! I wanted to go up to her and show her out the door and
tell her not to come back on Fridays either.
Now you know why it is better for me not to take money. I was
incensed at this woman who accused me of profiteering. I had been
slapped right across the face by a woman who didn't think my party
was worth her $15. It was an insult to hear her say that "Rick
Archer was overcharging for this party!"
Well, that took the fun out of it for me. No more leg-grabbing
tonight. Just like the cruise (see the Destructo Story), all my work
seemed like a stupid waste of time. Why the heck do Marla and I
(plus all the volunteers) work so hard for people with this kind of
attitude? It wasn't fun anymore. I eventually got my temper under
control, but I went through the motions for the rest of the evening.
INCIDENT TWO: MR FREE PARTY
I left the Haunted House not to return for the rest of the evening.
It is a good thing I did leave because I would have gone ballistic
had I overheard the next conversation.
A man and his date showed up at 11 pm with a container of goodies
for his friends. He told the lady at the desk that he was told by an
SSQQ Staff member that he would not have to pay because he was
bringing $100 worth of goodies.
The lady taking money replied that she had not been told of any such
arrangement. She said that everyone has to pay. He replied he didn't
have any money on him. He said there was no room in his costume for
any money.
The lady taking money replied he would need to go back to his car
and get money to pay. He replied in a condescending manner, "Well,
who are you, anyway?"
She replied by giving her name and added that she had been working
as a Registrar here for several years. She also pointed out there
was no reason for him to get mad at her; she was doing what she was
told to do.
This man replied, "I am not mad at you, I am mad at Rick. I am going
to open up my own dance studio and show him a thing or two!"
Then he demanded to see Linda Cook. "Where's Linda?" he barked.
The lady replied that Linda was inside the party and not exactly
available at the moment.
So the man pulled out his cell phone and proceeded to call Linda. In
fact, he called her several times because she wasn't answering. This
incident was the source of some dark amusement to the onlookers.
This man's date had something to say. "You mean you had room in your
pocket for your cell phone, but not for any money?" Her impertinence
was rewarded with a dirty look.
Frustrated by his inability to get Linda on the cell phone, now he
demanded that someone physically go get Linda and bring her back.
The lady taking money said she would not fetch Linda since she had
to watch the desk. Another woman offered to go look for Linda. The
tension was growing by the moment.
At this point I was in the parking lot with the police officer. I
was alerted to the situation by a person who had been observing the
conversation. I went and found the Hall Monitor. I told the Hall
Monitor that Linda did not need to be bothered. Simply go back and
tell this man that he needed to pay just like everybody else or
leave.
Confronted by the Hall Monitor, Mr. Free Party discovered he had
money after all. Amazingly, he pulled out a credit card and paid $30
just like everybody else. Someone had been caught in a fib.
So why didn't I talk to the man? Just so you understand, I am not a
coward. I can stand my ground just fine. The reason I don't
typically handle the money issues directly is because the "the boss"
is in a position to make exceptions. So when I refuse to make
exceptions, people get mad at me.
I also prefer to let my Staff deal with the difficult customers
because I have no patience with people like this. When I get
involved, it gets personal. The people who work for SSQQ realize
this and are decent enough to act as a buffer. It is much easier for
one of these people to say "I am just following the rules." People
don't seem to mind talking about me behind my back or spouting off
to my Staff. As long as they keep it civil, I don't care if people
blow off steam.
But when my customers cross the line with my Staff people, I get
very upset. I was really angry to discover this man had verbally
abused this lady. By the way, there were three witnesses, four if
you count the Hall Monitor. Every one of them said this man acted
like a complete bully to a woman who had done nothing to deserve
this kind of treatment.
As I have written previously, the true measure of a man is how he
(or she) treats people who are of little or no significance. Some
people think that a clerk is a jerk and a ready-made target for
verbal abuse.
I don't appreciate this attitude. Everyone who works for me deserves
respect. This lady did nothing to deserve having people argue with
her all night long. She certainly didn't enjoy being treated like
"the stupid hired help". In this case, she is college educated,
speaks two languages, works as a high school counselor, and is
extremely intelligent. And my guess is she has feelings just like
you and me.
There may be future Halloween parties at SSQQ. Or maybe not.
Incidents like these have me seriously considering folding the tent.
As if my constant landlord headaches weren't enough. In addition to
the constant rent increases, the total lack of cooperation with our
parking problems that the landlord created, plus the ever-present
leaking roof, now I am forced to accept that some of the people who
take lessons here don't have the slightest clue about manners,
gratitude, or appreciation. It really does take the fun out of it.
I am aware that the vast majority of people who take lessons at SSQQ
are some of the finest people I have ever met. I am proud of the
warmth and friendliness I see displayed here on a constant basis.
But that warmth will go out the window fast if people like Destructo
and Mr. Free Party continue to abuse our good will. Speaking for
myself, my patience with this kind of behavior is non-existent.
Perhaps today's stories about the lack of respect and courtesy
towards my Staff people may be more isolated than I realize. But I
don't think so. Marla indicates the Registration Staff receives
similar treatment fairly often during Registration Week.
I have a suggestion. The kind of rudeness I have been writing about
needs to stop right now. If my staff people come to me with another
story like the ones I have shared today, I will be very unhappy.
I will conclude with a strange story. Once in a while, I have to ask
people to leave the studio. As 2008 draws to a close, we have
already asked 3 people from the studio to leave and not come back.
And four guests on our previous cruise will never go with us again
either.
As you can see from these numbers, studio exile doesn't happen very
often and most people don't even know about it.
To avoid embarrassment, I practically never write about it. However
to my amazement, some people think getting thrown out of the studio
is something to talk about. For example, six months ago I asked a
man to leave the studio after three different women complained about
inappropriate touching.
At the time, the man told me he had no idea what they were referring
to and that it was a misunderstanding. Even though I had never
witnessed anything wrong myself, I wouldn't budge. To have three
completely different women say the same thing is too much to
overlook. I simply said that he should leave and not tell anyone
about it. This way he could get a fresh start somewhere else.
So a week or so ago, we got a phone call from a woman who said she
needed our help. She said that she met this same man out dancing at
a club. And now he was stalking her. But the police said they needed
proof in order to take action. Would we be kind enough to forward
any information to her so she could show it to the police?
As the conversation continued, we discovered the woman had never
taken a class here in her life. We also discovered this man had told
her on several occasions that we had tossed him out. That is how she
knew to contact us.
I was incredulous. Why would a man be so stupid to tell a woman that
he had been thrown out of a dance studio for inappropriate behavior?
I would imagine most women do not find that sort of information
particularly attractive.
CONCLUSION
Most of the time I write about the goodness of the people who visit
the studio. Anyone who reads the newsletters has heard me praise
students and staff time and time again.
But let's not kid ourselves. Not everyone in this world is a nice
person. And although our studio has many fine people, it is
increasingly obvious that there are also a few people whose rude
behavior indicates they should be removed from our premises if they
don't get the underlying message in this article.
The best way to keep SSQQ a friendly place is for all of to keep me
informed when people cross the line. You have to talk to me quietly
or write an email. I can't see everything that goes on in this
place, so you have to help me and you have to trust that I will
protect you (assuming I think you are telling the truth).
Forgive my cynicism, but over time I have discovered that warnings
don't seem to do much good. One aspect of this odd story is it
obvious that I did the right thing to begin with. It is never fun to
discipline people based on hearsay. In this case, I waited till the
third incident before making up my mind. In retrospect, I probably
should have kicked him out after the second episode. I usually try
to give people the benefit of the doubt, but history has shown me
that it is just a matter of time until the other shoe falls.
Practically everyone I "warn" manages to pull another stunt further
down the road.
So why wait? I am tempted to begin showing disruptive and rude
customers to the door a lot more swiftly than I have in the past. I
think "rudeness" is a perfectly justifiable reason to ask people to
leave. If I toss someone out and they start whining about how
horrible I am, I hope this article will explain where I am coming
from and that you will trust my judgment.
I will conclude by asking a simple favor - please be nice to my
Registrars and Hall Monitors. I would be very grateful.
JOKE PICTURE: ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN
Contributed by Chris Holmes
I typically avoid politics and religion in the ssqq newsletter, but
all rules can bent for a good reason. In this case, you can't help
but be amused at the silliness of two ministers who wage a public
argument on the divinity of dogs using their church message boards.
For a very good chuckle, visit the November Joke Picture.
http://www.ssqq.com/jokes/jokepicture.htm
......................
THE TOUCHING STORY OF THE WHITE HOUSE BUTLER The following story
appeared in the Houston Chronicle on Friday, November 07, 2008
HISTORY THROUGH A BUTLER'S EYES
By WIL HAYGOOD
Washington Post Nov. 6, 2008
For decades, Eugene Allen, a black man, toiled in the shadows of the
White House. Soon, he'll see another black man serve - but in the
nation's spotlight For more than three decades Eugene Allen worked
in the White House, a black man unknown to the headlines. During
some of those years, harsh segregation laws lay upon the land.
He trekked home every night, his wife, Helene, keeping him out of
her kitchen.
At the White House, he worked closer to the dirty dishes than the
large desk in the Oval Office. Helene didn't care; she just beamed
with pride.
President Truman called him Gene. President Ford liked to talk golf
with him.
He saw eight presidential administrations come and go, often working
six days a week. "I never missed a day of work," Allen says.
His is a story from the back pages of history. A figure in the
tiniest of print. The man in the kitchen.
He was there while America's racial history was being remade: Brown
v. Board of Education, the Little Rock school crisis, the 1963 March
on Washington, the cities burning, the civil rights bills, the
assassinations.
When he started at the White House in 1952, he couldn't even use the
public restrooms when he ventured back to his native Virginia. "We
had never had anything," Allen, 89, recalls of black America at the
time. "I was always hoping things would get better."
In its long history, the White House - just note the name - has had
a complex and vexing relationship with black Americans.
In 1866 the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, sensing an opening to
advocate for black voting rights, made a White House visit to lobby
President Andrew Johnson. Johnson refused to engage in a struggle
for black voting rights. Douglass was back at the White House in
1877. But no one wished to discuss his political sentiments:
President Rutherford Hayes had engaged the great man - it was a time
of high minstrelsy across the nation - to serve as a master of
ceremonies for an evening of entertainment.
In the fall of 1901, another famous black American came to the door.
President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington, head of
the Tuskegee Institute, to meet with him at the White House.
Roosevelt was careful not to announce the invitation, fearing a
backlash, especially from Southerners.
STARTED AS 'PANTRY MAN'
Before he landed his job at the White House, Gene Allen worked as a
waiter at the Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va., and then at a
country club in Washington.
He and his wife, Helene, 86, are sitting in the living room of their
Washington home Her voice is musical, in a Lena Horne kind of way.
She calls him "Honey."
The couple met in Washington at a party in 1942. He was too shy to
ask for her number, so she tracked his down. They married a year
later.
In 1952, a lady told him of a job opening in the White House. "I
wasn't even looking for a job," he says. "I was happy where I was
working, but she told me to go on over there and meet with a guy by
the name of Alonzo Fields."
Fields, a maitre d', immediately liked Allen and offered him a job
as a "pantry man." He washed dishes, stocked cabinets and shined
silverware. He started at $2,400 a year.
There was, in time, a promotion to butler. "Shook the hand of all
the presidents I ever worked for," Allen says.
"I was there, Honey," Helene reminds him. "In the back maybe. But I
shook their hands, too." She's referring to White House holiday
parties, Easter Egg hunts. They have one son, Charles, now an
investigator with the State Department.
"President Ford's birthday and my birthday were on the same day,"
Allen says. "He'd have a birthday party at the White House.
Everybody would be there. And Mrs. Ford would say, 'It's Gene's
birthday, too!' "
And so they'd sing a little ditty to the butler. And the butler, who
wore a tuxedo to work every day, would blush.
"Jack Kennedy was very nice," he goes on. "And so was Mrs. Kennedy."
"Hmm-mmm," she says, rocking.
A state dinner He was in the White House kitchen the day JFK was
slain. He got a personal invitation to the funeral. But he
volunteered for other duty: "Somebody had to be at the White House
to serve everyone after they came from the funeral."
The whole family of President Carter made her chuckle: "They were
country. And I'm talking Lillian and Rosalynn both." It comes out
sounding like the highest compliment.
First lady Nancy Reagan came looking for him in the kitchen one day.
She wanted to remind him about the upcoming state dinner for German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl. But she told him he would not be working
that night.
"She said, 'You and Helene are coming to the state dinner as guests
of President Reagan and myself.' "
Husbands and wives don't sit together at these events, and Helene
was nervous about trying to make small talk with world leaders. "And
my son says, 'Momma, just talk about your high school. They won't
know the difference.'
"The senators were all talking about the colleges and universities
that they went to," she says." I was doing as much talking as they
were.
"Had champagne that night," she says, looking over at her husband.
He just grins: He was the man who stacked the champagne at the White
House.
Colin Powell would become the highest-ranking black of any White
House to that point when he was named President Reagan's national
security adviser in 1987. Condoleezza Rice would have that same
position under President George W. Bush.
The butler remembers seeing both Powell and Rice in the Oval Office.
He was serving refreshments. He couldn't help notice that blacks
were moving closer to the center of power, closer than he could ever
have dreamed. He'd tell Helene how proud it made him feel.
Gene Allen was promoted to maitre d' in 1980. He left the White
House in 1986, after 34 years. President Reagan wrote him a sweet
note. Nancy Reagan hugged him, tight.
Interviewed at their home last week, Gene and Helene speculated
about what it would mean if a black man were actually elected
president.
"Just imagine," she said.
"It'd be really something," he said.
On Monday, Helene had a doctor's appointment. Gene woke and nudged
her once, then again. He shuffled around to her side of the bed. He
nudged Helene again. He was all alone.
"I woke up, and my wife didn't," he said later.
The lady he married 65 years ago will be buried today.
The butler cast his vote for Obama on Tuesday. He so missed telling
his Helene about the black man bound for the Oval Office.
..............
THE BIZARRE LINCOLN-KENNEDY COINCIDENCES Contributed by Denny Morse
See if this doesn't give you the creeps.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Now it gets really weird.
Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Now hang on to your seat.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a
warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a
theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland A week
before Kennedy was shot, he visited Marilyn Monroe.
.....
JOKE OF THE DAY
Rick Archer's Note: You can read these jokes and many more on our
Joke Page.
http://www.ssqq.com/jokes/
November CS 25: The Parking Ticket
Contributed by Jim Harper
I went to the store the other day, and I was in there for only about
5 minutes. When I came out there was a motorcycle cop writing a
parking ticket.
So I went up to him and said, "Come on, buddy, how about giving a
guy a break?"
He ignored me and continued writing the ticket.
I didn't like his attitude so I called him a pencil-necked Nazi. He
glared at me and started writing another ticket for worn tires!
So I called him a poor excuse for a human being. He finished the
second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he
started writing a third ticket!
This went on for about 20 minutes. Now the windshield wipers held
tickets two and three deep. And I just couldn't hold my tongue.
The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. Heck, I didn't
care. Go right ahead.
After all, my car was parked around the corner.
...........
November BS 04: The Naked Nuns
Contributed by Pat Roberts
A back room in a church was scheduled for refurbishing. A priest
took a bunch of nuns into the room and told them that he wanted them
to paint it. Then he left.
The nuns looked at each other in confusion. There was plenty of
paint, but nothing to cover themselves with. They couldn't imagine
how they were going to do all this work without getting any paint on
their habits.
Finally one nun spoke up and said, "I know what we can do. We can
lock the door, take our habits off and paint naked. When we are
done, we can put them back on."
All the nuns agreed that it was the best solution, so they took
their clothes off and started to paint.
In the middle of painting, there was a knock on the door. All the
nuns froze.
"Who is it?" one nun asks.
"It's the blind man," came the response. "I have supplies to
deliver."
"Well," says one of the nuns, "if he is blind, then it should be
okay to let him in." Everyone shook their head in agreement. So the
nun opened the door.
The man came in, took one look and started to smile. "Say, what is
this, a nudist colony? Hey, I've heard that Nuns can be pretty wild,
but this is great. Where do you want me to put these blinds?"
...........
And that's a wrap for today. By the way, my friend Cher Longoria is
a blonde, so I had to explain both jokes to her. It takes so long
sometimes!
|
|
November 2008 SSQQ Newsletter Issue
One
Written by Rick Archer
Please note that much of the material in
this issue also appeared in last week's issue. With Halloween
coming up, I did not have enough time to put out a major Newsletter
this week. But I have a big one in me so maybe in two weeks I can
put out a complete issue.
THE NOVEMBER DANCE CLASSES WILL START THE
WEEK OF SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH.
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/schedule.htm
...........
QUICK REMINDER: HALLOWEEN PARTY DECORATING -
11 am till ?? Friday, October 24 We will be putting up the Haunted
House and completing the decorations for the Saturday party. Anyone
who wants to drop by is more than welcome in return; the party will
be free!
.............
THE 31st ANNUAL SSQQ HALLOWEEN PARTY IS ON
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25.
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party20.htm
This year's party is shaping up as a big
one. Judging from the huge number of people showing up for our Line
Dance workshops, a lot of people are planning on coming.
As I mentioned in our last newsletter, there
is a hint of sadness in my heart about this year's party. Thanks to
our ongoing problems with the landlord - stuff so awful I haven't
even had the heart to write about yet - this may well be our final
Halloween Party at the Bissonnet location. Hopefully there will be
future Halloween Parties somewhere else, but my crystal ball is
murky at the moment.
Since I have no idea what tomorrow will
bring, if you are a big fan of the SSQQ Halloween Party, I encourage
you to participate in what might be the end of an era.
And don't forget: we have Line Dancing on
THURSDAY, OCT 23, (6-7 pm) and FRIDAY, OCT 24, (6-7 pm). It's
free. Just show up and participate!
.............
ABOUT THE SSQQ NOVEMBER DANCE SEMESTER
In addition to our regular classes, there
will be several special classes in November.
On Sunday afternoons Scott Ladell presents
Super Advanced Hustle. This class is so big and so rowdy, they
barely fit in Room 1!
In the same 430 Sunday time slot, I will be
teaching Super Advanced Western Waltz featuring all the lovely Same
Foot Waltz patterns.
Later that night at 7 pm, Dakota presents
Samba, his favorite dance, in his Accelerated Ballroom class.
At the same time in another room, I will be
teaching the first Martian Technique class ever offered on a
Sunday... it will be parallel to the same class MG teaches on
Monday. I decided to offer the extra section for a simple reason...
I like my class! Now you know how all our major decisions are made.
Monday evenings will feature Advanced
Swing/Jitterbug 3 with Steve Gabino.
Did you know that MG is back teaching Whip
and West Coast on Mondays!? Yes, and he says he is having a good
time joining his friends Joe and Patty in Martian Technique. By the
way, there have been some small changes in our class format.
Previously, the Monday Technique people were allowed to also come on
Fridays. But this made the 'experience level' on Fridays too
uneven. You had people with two years of West Coast in the same
class as people with two months. So we re-formatted the program.
Now if you take either the Monday or the Friday Martian Whip class,
you are welcome to come both nights for the same price. But the
Tech people need to wait till they join Martian Whip to start coming
on Fridays.
In the meantime, the Technique people are
always welcome to join us for the big Friday Night West Coast
Practice Dance at 9 pm.
Tuesdays features Steve Gekas and his famous
Advanced Salsa class.
Wednesdays brings you Sharon Shaw's popular
Advanced Western Cha Cha class.
In addition to the regular Salsa lineup on
Thursdays, Dakota will be teaching a special one-time only Salsa
Merengue class for November. Meanwhile Linda Cook starts a new
Bachata cycle the same night.
Fridays is Dance Night at SSQQ. Our dance
floor in Room One is crowded with the Western Swing dancers and Jack
Benard hosts the ever-popular Whip dancers down in Room Four.
Saturdays in November features the final
Salsa Explosion class with Bjorn and Rebeca. They will be missed,
but after three years, they figure it is time to move on to new
challenges.
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/schedule.htm
THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF IKE - BENEFIT FOR
TRACY
We all suffered from the hurricane. No one
was spared completely.
For example, as expected, the studio's
October registrations were seriously down. We had 920 people this
month compared to 1140 a year ago. Like everyone else in Houston
with the exception of the tree-cutters, that hurricane really hurt
our business. Oh well. But you know what? After seeing what
happened to our friends in Galveston, I figure we got off easy.
There is one person who didn't get off easy
at all. Tracy (Kirkland) Schweinle gets my vote for the individual
who may have lost the most. Not only did she lose her husband of
two months, she lost a heck of a lot more. The pain she must have
gone through is the stuff of nightmares. Since the horrible tragedy,
Tracy has been dealing with headaches and heartaches non-stop.
Gary never had the chance to change his
will. Tracy was left nothing.
Not surprisingly, due to the stress and the
problems she has to handle, Tracy has been unable to work for two
months. There was no insurance on the Gary and Tracy's home. She
has been dealing with FEMA. It took her 4 days alone just to fill
out the application. Due to circumstances beyond her control she
does not even have access to her personal belongings. Along with
all the other horrors, her car was destroyed in the hurricane - she
has/was to receive a check for the value of her car but it has been
withheld from her, but she needed to purchase a car.
Things are probably even worse than that,
but I think we all get the rough idea.
I know that in time Tracy has the ability to
get back on her feet all by herself. But you know what? We can
help her get there a lot faster.
I have scheduled a benefit dance - the MR
HAT THANKSGIVING WESTERN DANCE - for Saturday, November 22nd, at 9
pm till 11:30 pm. Admission is $10 (cash). This money goes
straight to Tracy. If you wish to give more, by all means feel free
to do so. Just drop it in the hat.
Speaking of hats, one more thing - try to
wear a hat to the party! I think Gary would like that. It would a
nice way to do good in two directions - helping Tracy and honoring
Gary's memory.
Please come by. Thanks! RA
............
WE TAKE A BREAK FROM HALLOWEEN STUFF TO
REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT -
THE 2009 SSQQ CRUISE TO BARCELONA!!
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009.htm
A LETTER FROM MARLA ARCHER:
Hello Everybody,
It's hard to believe that it is now the
middle of October and the Halloween party is just around the corner.
I won't deny that it has been an incredibly
rough ride over the course of the past few months. First, we were
hit with all the devastation from Ike and then the enormous effort
towards recovery. If that weren't enough, the economy went into
crisis.
With all this doom and gloom, it feels
awkward to be pitching another cruise. But you know and I know that
trips must be planned in advance, so I will put forward my hopes
that we can make our 2009 Barcelona Cruise to Spain, Italy, and
France a reality.
There are two ways to look at things. You
can surrender and stop enjoying life or you can make the most of an
extraordinary opportunity. We are a resilient people and economic
recovery will be on the horizon.
Like Rick and I, many of us are at the stage
in our lives when we see our retirement not so far off in the
distant future. We have worked hard our entire lives so we can begin
to enjoy everything the world has to offer. I worry about the
economy just like all of us, but I am not going to stop living my
dreams just because of the bad news.
Our September 2009 Barcelona Cruise is
easily the most ambitious trip I have ever planned.
Here is just a snapshot of the places we
will have the chance to see - the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Vesuvius
and Pompeii, the stunning architecture of Barcelona, the marvelous
museums and ruins of Rome, the museums of Florence complete with
Renaissance paintings and Michelangelo's David, the casinos of
Monaco, the fabulous beaches of Nice, plus all the incredible
shorelines of Northern Italy and Southern France.
I know every one of you leaf through the
Travel magazines and say to yourself these are places you want to
see some day. Well, I say let's go see them next year.
I have completed an extensive write-up on
the SSQQ 2009 Barcelona Trip our website detailing each port
including photographs of all the highlights. I hope you will take
the time to review our extensive itinerary.
It is now time to sign up for the cruise!
A $250 deposit will hold your spot on the
trip all the way until final payment on July 15th, 2009. That is
right, you have nine months to save for this fabulous cruise!
However, registrations need to be in to me by Tuesday, October
28th. You may email or fax me the information or simply hand the
form to Rick or me at the studio.
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009registration.htm
If you are sitting on the fence and want to
wait and see, I need to let you all know that we need at least 20
passengers to make this trip a go! We currently have 10. Many of
you have told me you were planning on going, but of course that was
before all the headaches began. So now I need a show of hands to
see whether this trip can be a reality or not.
I have decided to reduce the cancellation
penalty to $50 through the end of this year due to the unusual
economic circumstances. In other words, if you are fairly sure you
want to go, this will allow you to "commit" without having to be
100% positive.
I hope you will decide to join us for
another trip of a lifetime! Don't miss out on this wonderful
experience!!!
A big thank you to all our past passengers
who have made these trips so great!
Marla Archer
SSQQ Dance Studio
Marla@ssqq.com
713 862-2550 fax
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/barcelona2009.htm
..............
HEADACHES FROM LAST SUMMER'S 2008 CONQUEST
CRUISE.
One month ago, I wrote the story of the
gate crasher who joined the party on the August 2008
Caribbean Dance Cruise.
Now I have finished the dark story about
Destructo and Oblivion, the twin terrors of destruction whose antics
sent my experience of last summer's cruise into a tailspin from
which I never quite recovered.
These two women made me angrier than I have
ever been before on a cruise. So what exactly did they do wrong?
To find, you will have to go to the web site and read the story.
DESTRUCTO AND OBLIVION:
http://www.ssqq.com/travel/conquest2008story01.htm
...............
THE 1981 SSQQ HALLOWEEN PARTY FROM HELL
No one should come to our Halloween Party
without having first read the absolutely true story of the 1981 SSQQ
Halloween Party from Hell.
This year marks our 31st Annual Halloween
Dance Party. I would like for you to take a moment and wrap your
brain around the number THIRTY-ONE.
Thirty one years of SSQQ Halloween Parties.
Is that amazing or what? This means the SSQQ Halloween Party has
been a phenomenal success for a long, long time.
People are always thanking me for throwing
such an exciting and well-organized party. Of course I appreciate
the kind words, but I always have to smile to myself because I
remember there was a time when our Halloween Parties were not very
well organized.
In fact, there was one particular party in
1981 where all hell broke loose. Due to some mistakes I made, the
1981 Halloween Party from Hell turned out to be a complete
catastrophe. Yes, that was the year our Halloween Party careened
badly out of control. I ended up paying a pretty stiff price in the
process. Of course you assume I am exaggerating. Well, guess what,
I am NOT exaggerating. You will just have to read the story to
believe it.
One small warning - "The SSQQ Halloween
Party from Hell" turns out to be a pretty good Ghost Story. So if
you are alone at home and it is nighttime, be sure to keep some
lights on with your trusty dog nearby to keep you company in case
you get the willies.
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/halloweenstories.htm
..................
THE SSQQ HALLOWEEN MOVIE MONSTER PUZZLE
In 2000, I published a Monster Quiz on the
SSQQ web site that consisted of 40 pictures from various Horror
Movies. In the years since, the puzzle has grown to over 100
different movies!
If you would like to try your hand at the
puzzle, I am certain you will be amazed at just how many monster
movies there are! This is your chance to see if you are any good at
identifying the famous (and not so famous) Halloween movies.
By the way, Stephen Dunn solved the puzzle
to get the free pass to this year's Halloween Party. Nice work!
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/halloweenmonsters00.htm
..................
STUNNING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND PICTURES.
One reason our party is a perpetual success
is due to the wonderful lengths our guests go to wear great
costumes. Yes, you can come to the party even if the best you can
do is wear gym clothes, but we ask you to try to do better.
Let's face it - getting a good costume is a
lot of work. But like any activity you put energy into, wearing a
good costume turns out to be fun. It is marvelous to be surrounded
by fabulous costumes wherever you look and to know that you are
contributing to the fun! Who wants to be seen in a crummy outfit?
As a reward for the effort it takes to get a
costume, we make a point to take your picture. For many years we
have taken costume pictures and published them on the SSQQ web
site. As a result, since the SSQQ Party has a rich tradition of
excellent costumes, people actually put some thought and effort into
their costumes and it pays off. This year, erstwhile SSQQ Swing
instructor Steve Gabino will be back to take your pictures, so no
slacking off.
By the way, if you are worried about dancing
in your costume, just plan to take off the bulky parts when the
dancing begins. A few years ago, Linda Cook and her daughter
Samantha came as two trees with a hammock hung between them. After
some great pictures and lots of laughs, Linda's tree was seen
sitting peacefully next to Dracula for the rest of the evening as
Linda danced the night away. The only problem was that Linda forgot
the hammock. Tired of that stupid old coffin, after eating one of
the guests, I believe Dracula spent the night in Linda's hammock
instead.
Speaking of costumes, I would like to remind
everyone to go look at the pictures from last year's party. You can
see the 250 pictures taken by Steve Gabino. Not only will it bring
back memories for those who came last year, you will get plenty of
ideas for costumes to wear this year.
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/halloween2007home.htm
Then I want you to go see the Best Costumes
Page from last year. One note of warning - you will of course be
saddened to see the picture of Gary and Tracy Schweinle. Gary loved
our Halloween Parties so much. I know he will be in my thoughts for
sure at this year's party.
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/halloweenbest2007.htm
One more thing - Many people use "no
costume" as a reason not to come to our party. Don't let that stop
you. We allow everyone a little leeway for their first Halloween
Party. Maybe on your second visit we get tougher, but First-Timers
are welcome to come to the party with a mediocre effort. However
don't just show up in blue jeans. You have to try a little. Get a
mask at a drugstore on the way over. Or wear some ugly clothes that
don't match and scare people. How hard is that? Most of all -
PARTICIPATE! For heaven's sakes, don't miss this great party for
any reason at all.
Even Cher Longoria makes an effort. I told
her I was so sick of her stupid Devil costumes. So last year Cher
came as Snow White. Boring. Besides, Cher was so out of character
she probably had trouble figuring out how to put on the costume.
How she wore it with a straight face was a real testament to her
ability to fool people. Fortunately her stupid computer can't read
anything I put on the ssqq web site. I can say anything I want about
her with total impunity!
However I going to her shop for a haircut in
a few minutes, so I think I will wait till after the haircut to
publish this. Wouldn't want to lose an ear, you know. By the way,
you can see her picture on page one.
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/halloween2007pictures01.htm
..................
CARNIVAL OF VENICE - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
MASQUERADE BALL IMAGINABLE!
Speaking of costumes, my friend Carol
Gafford shared her pictures from the 2006 Carnival of Venice. This
is your chance to see 28 of the most beautiful Masquerade pictures
imaginable! Someday I would like to travel to Italy to see this in
person. What stunning beauty. It is almost unimaginable to see
costumes so wonderful.
http://www.ssqq.com/halloween/venice01.htm
.................
UFO REPORT
Rick Archer's Note: This story appeared in
the Chronicle last week. Marla absolutely loves stuff like this, so
I am printing the story to make her happy. And you can read it too!
BRITISH FILES DETAIL EFFORT TO FIRE ON HUGE
UFO IN 1957
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER Associated Press
Oct. 20, 2008, 1:58PM
LONDON -- An American fighter pilot flying
from an English air base at the height of the Cold War was ordered
to open fire on a massive UFO that lit up his radar, according to an
account published by Britain's National Archives today.
The fighter pilot said he was ordered to
fire a full salvo of rockets at the UFO moving erratically over the
North Sea -- but that at the last minute the object picked up
enormous speed and disappeared. The account, first published in
Britain's Daily Star newspaper more than 17 years ago and to this
day unverified by military authorities, was one of many carried in
the 1,500 pages the archives made available online.
The unnamed pilot said he and another airman
were scrambled on the night of May 20, 1957 to intercept an unusual
"bogey" on radars at a Royal Air Force Station Manston, an airfield
at the southeastern tip of England about 75 miles from central
London.
"This was a flying object with very unusual
flight patterns," the pilot said, according to a typed manuscript of
his account mailed to Britain's Ministry of Defense by a UFO
enthusiast in 1988. "In the initial briefing it was suggested to us
that the bogey actually was motionless for long intervals."
Ordered to fly at full throttle in cloudy
weather, the pilot said he was given the order to fire a volley of
24 rockets at the mysterious object.
"To be quite candid I almost (expletive) my
pants!" the pilot said, saying he asked for confirmation -- which he
received.
Retired U.S. airman Milton Torres told
Britain's Sky News today that he was the pilot and has spent 50
frustrating years attempting to uncover the truth of his mid-air
encounter.
Speaking from his home in Miami, Fla.,
Torres said he never saw the UFO with his naked eye, but watched in
awe as it appeared on his jet's radar and sped off before he had
chance to fire.
"All of a sudden as it was coming in, it
decided to take off and leave me behind ... The next thing I know it
was gone," Torres told Sky News. "It was some kind of space alien
craft. It was so fast, it was so incredible ... it was absolutely
death defying."
In the newly published government file, the
U.S. airman said the UFO appeared impossible to miss.
"The blip was burning a hole in the radar
with its incredible intensity," the pilot said. "It was similar to a
blip I had received from B-52's and seemed to be a magnet of light.
... I had a lock on that had the proportions of a flying aircraft
carrier."
As he closed in on the object to prepare for
combat, however, the object began to move wildly before fading off
his radar. The target gone, the mission was called off, and he
returned to base to an odd reception.
"I had not the foggiest idea what had
actually occurred, nor would anyone explain anything to me," the
pilot said. He said he was led to a man in civilian clothes, who
"advised me that this would be considered highly classified and that
I should not discuss it with anybody not even my commander."
"He disappeared without so much as a goodbye
and that was that, as far as I was concerned," the pilot said,
according to the account.
Britain's military said it had no record of
the incident, according to the files. Neither did the U.S. military.
The second pilot's account, also included in the files, paints a
somewhat different picture of events, saying there were not one but
several "unknowns" and that he did not remember being contacted by
anyone about staying quiet. He did not mention the targets' size.
"I know this is not a very exciting
narrative but it is all I can recall," the second pilot said.
His name, like his colleague's, was redacted
from the files.
David Clarke, a UFO expert who has worked
with the National Archives on the document release, said it was one
of the most intriguing stories he had culled from the batch of files
released today.
He said that the CIA once had a program
intended to create phantom signals on radar -- and that this may
have been an exercise in electronic warfare. Whatever the case,
Clarke argued that "there's no doubt something very unusual
happened."
Clarke said the batch of files released
today -- which include witness accounts, investigations, and
sketches -- was part of a three to four year program intended to
make a total of 160 UFO-related files available to the public.
A HALLOWEEN JOKE TO WRAP THINGS UP WITH
It was Halloween night. An extremely modest
man was in the hospital for a series of tests, which had left his
bodily systems extremely upset. Upon making several wasted trips to
the bathroom, he decided the latest episode was another false alarm,
so he stayed put.
However this was a bad decision. He suddenly
lost control and filled his bed with diarrhea. He was stunned at the
enormity of his accident. The thought of the nurse seeing what had
happened was beyond his ability to deal with. Losing his composure,
he jumped out of bed, gathered up the nasty bed sheets, opened the
hospital window, and threw them out. As he reached for extra sheets
on the adjoining bed, he comforted himself that no one would ever
know.
Meanwhile, a drunk was leaning on the
hospital wall below when the sheets landed on him. Grabbing his
nose in disgust, he started yelling, cursing, and swinging his arms
violently trying to get the unknown things off, and ended up with
the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet. He picked up his
walking stick and pounded the sheets violently, turning them
completely brown in the process.
As the drunk stood there staring down at the
sheets, a hospital security guard heard the commotion and ran over.
He immediately grabbed his nose. "What the heck is going on?"
The drunk said, "I just beat the youknowwhat
out of a ghost."
.......
RICK ARCHER'S NOTE:
That's a wrap for now. Thanks for reading!
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