Saturday night contra dance, and why it didn't work out

Saturday night was another planned contra dance - in the new location, the brand new Arts Plaza in Carrolton. The webpage had been saying that it was still unfinished - and apparently the floor was done but would have to be REdone later - and they were waiting to see if things would be on or not depending on whether the city building inspectors okayed them to have people inside. If not, the dance would be cancelled. The mailing list got an email Friday evening saying it was okay, we were ON. (I love being able to get my mail at any computer, yes I do)

So Saturday we were all set up to go. I picked up the babysitter, driving through some pouring rain and thunderstorms to get her, took her home with the kids, met up with Karl at Brandy and Miles' place, changed into the brown ruffly skirt of Dance! Brandy decided she wasn't coming, but the three of us headed out, found the place, found close by parking even. Yay. Nice little old-fashioned town square with a gazebo, antique stores and such around the square, and they were just closing down various 4th of July activities, like the pony ride. We found the Arts Plaza - it is apparently going to be an arts gallery, except with a dance floor and stage in the middle. A small one. Oookay. The seating areas are raised galleries up stairs with railings and cafe-tables and chairs - so to sit down between dances you have to go upstairs. Eh. The railing still had "wet paint" signs but it wasn't wet anymore.

Karl and I did a first dance - which was a fun one, I got to play a bit with Jim, he's fun to dance with, always turns it into flirt/interaction. But by the end of the dance I was so hot and so wiped out and my chest hurt. After 1 dance? I'd been planning to dance the next with Miles, but he said I looked like I needed the rest, why didn't we wait one out. He was looking all hot and red-faced and he hadn't even danced yet. We ended up all three going outside and watching the oncoming thunderstorm for a bit, then going back in for another dance.

Lined up for that one with Miles, Karl had a partner a couple spots down. I'm glad we danced that one - the caller said Bernie had requested it (He's one of my favorite regular dancers, him and Jim - Bernie's a sweet guy, a nice dancer, and cute), because he likes the gypsy. Gypsy and gypsy meltdown are some of my FAVORITE dance steps (that, and hays), so I was pleased indeed. It had gypsy meltdowns with both partner (for the active couple) and neighbor, whee. Miles and I became active couple almost immediately and headed down the hall, and after a couple repeats I suggested we switch to the gypsy swing and explained it, and we switched next repeat and stuck with it for the rest of the dance. That was FUN, also helped block more of the view of things spinning around, which was good because it was a dizzy dance. Again, by the end of the dance I was hot, exhausted, my chest hurt, and I was lightheaded.

Went to get a drink. Others were talking about the heat and the lack of ventilation too. Miles and I went outside to sit and watch the rain, and discussed just how wiped out we were. I felt awful to be wiped out by two dances, even if it was hot, but we talked about giving up and heading back to air conditioning. Karl was just starting another dance, so we waited for that. He came out happy, having enjoyed his dance with a good partner, and I mentioned he seemed less wiped out than I was. He pointed out I am more sleep-deprived than he is. Then he had a realization - they'd just been renovating, there was probably lots of sawdust in the air, and in the past that's messed up my breathing and made me really miserable. I remembered right, the fresh paint, which would still be outgassing - no wonder I felt lightheaded and my chest hurt. Yeah, bad idea. In theory I could have figured this all out earlier...

So we gave up and went home and played card games. I'm glad, I had been really feeling awful there. I'd hated to think that somehow I was just in much worse shape - when only a month ago I'd danced almost every dance. Sadly, there's going to be a lot more renovation work in that building, and I don't know if they're putting in better cooling/ventilation or not. Possibly I may have to give up on contra for the hottest months here and until the renovation is well past. We'll see.

VBS Crafts

So VBS will be starting in two weeks at our church. I'd signed Maggie up for it, knowing she's going to LOVE it, especially since with Sunday school and Adventure Club shut down for the summer, she's been missing that. I didn't know what age limits they have, so I put Jamie down on the sheet with a note that I didn't know if he was old enough, and put myself down on the volunteer sheet with a note about Jamie, figuring if he *could* go in, then I could help out. I should, with as much as my kids are getting out of this I should give back. I didn't want to be at teacher, I'm not up for that, but I figure hey, I can help hand out snacks, right?

So Karl got a call when I was out Friday, saying they wanted me to help with crafts, and they were aware of Jamie. Aware? What's THAT mean? I didn't get to call them back Saturday, but there'd been a note that the guy co-running it would be at Janelle's office at church today 9-11. So we got there early, and I went in to chat with him. Turns out they will be running a nursery for the siblings under 3. Okay, so I can help with crafts, sure, why not? I'm thinking there will be someone in charge of this and I will be an extra set of hands, sure.

Apparently there's three women signed up for crafts, and I was the first he'd gotten to see. I don't know the other ones. He started showing me the booklet on crafts. I'm reading through and saying wait, what, we have 3-4 different crafts per age group per day??? No, those are options, he explains, we pick from those. Okay. So I'm reading through it, and shortly after that Karl's finding me paper, and I'm making notes on which I think are more feasible and what would need to be done - and at this point, honestly, I'm thinking okay, I write up my preferences and get together with these other women and discuss what we all think is best, and come to some sort of consensus...

Okay, everybody who knows me well enough to see what's coming here even though I didn't, go ahead and give yourself your little colored star and bonus points.

Anyway, then I had to scurry off to get to the 11 am service. Thought about it on the way in, thought about it as service was starting. Came to the conclusion - and then right after service, went back to talk to him more. He hadn't heard from any of the others signed up for crafts. Okay, say I, how about I pretty much take over running crafts here, just take the lead, and plan things out? If this isn't going to step on any toes? Then I can figure out what parts I can delegate and hand out to the others to do all the prep ahead of time, so it all runs smoothly during VBS? Sure.

Karl says the guy was probably grateful to think he wasn't going to have to twist anyone's arm to do this. Yes, I am now in charge of crafts for VBS. (Heck, I haven't been involved in a VBS since I was small enough to be a kid at them.) I am expecting that most people who know me will be totally unsurprised by this.

I asked Karl if I was being too bossy taking charge of this, am I a tyrant? Karl said "You have initiative." I told him sometimes it seems like initiative has ME.

I have a lot to do in the next two weeks. Gotta work out my planned list of crafts, write up a supply list, get the church to email that out to the mailing list to see if anybody will donate supplies, go do shopping runs for supplies, do Kinko's runs to get stuff copied as needed, make up templates/stencils/shaped sponges/etc, make up prototypes of the various crafts, etc. Hopefully I can do well at this.