And with that comes a trip to Charleston! And not a trip that will involve training for work, either. This trip will allow me to partake in one of my favorite things: contra dancing.
The second and fourth Friday of each month, the Charleston Folk dance group holds a contra dance at the Ballroom Dance Club, which is located on Ashley Hall Road, off of Sam Rittenberg.
For a while back in the early spring and part of the summer of 2007, I was not able to get to Charleston. I closed the North Myrtle Beach store on Friday nights, and I was not happy about that. Then at the tail end of July, I started opening the store Friday mornings!
So I was looking forward to getting to dance on Friday, August 10th. August began, and I went to PLUS (PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium). I rode the coasters at Dollywood on August 1st, talked Christmas lights the 2nd-4th, and came back home on the 5th. Worked like I always do on Mondays on the 6th. Then it was time for my "weekend." Tuesday, August 7th, two things happened. First, I went to Winston-Salem, my weekly trip up there to dance. Second, when I got home and checked my E-mail, I had, in the mid-afternoon hours (after I had left for the dance of course--a 4 hour one way trip) received my usual "Tuesday before the dance panic E-mail" from the booking person, asking if I could come down and call the dance that Friday. So I immediately started to plan for the dance.
Needless to say, the next time I danced in Charleston was not the 10th, but the 24th. I then danced on September 14th, and played in the band on September 28th. October's dance history, other than LEAF, seems to have escaped me altogether. November was sparse. I called the dance in Winston-Salem on the 13th, and the one in Wilmington on the 24th. I then found myself once again calling the Charleston dance on December 14th, and I was desperately hoping to make the dance on the 28th.
So as late December rolled around, I found myself in a play. And I made plans with the director to hang lights. The only problem was the only night he could work it in at that time was December 28th, so I stayed home and helped him hang lights. And wouldn't you know it? I found out in Mid-January that there was someone from the play who WAS at the dance that night, and it wasn't me (but it was someone who I wouldn't mind dancing with if she wanted to...but I'll stop there in case the Saylors happen upon this blog...I'd never hear the end of it from them).
So, now the play is over, and the second Friday of February is coming up. February 8th. The Hungry Monks are playing, and Joyce and Bob from Savannah are calling. I WILL be there! And I'm contemplating a trip to Columbia on the 9th, too.
I'll post videos of a dance that I called in Beaufort on January 19th in another blog. Actually, I need to get up there again, too. But I'll be in Columbia this Saturday. Maybe for the March dance?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
When The Target's Too Far Away
You travel on the Internet! To whatever destination you want.
Like today, February 5, 2008. I'm stuck here in Conway, SC. Got all my lights in out of the yard before the sun went down since I knew we had a chance for some great (or not-so-great, depending on how you look at it) weather tomorrow.
After getting that done, and seeing Bodhi off with his dad, I hit the web. I first opened two of my favorite sites for weather information, Stormtrack.org which concentrates on storm chasing and chasers, and Storm2K.org, which has a strong tropical following, but has an all-around weather function to it also.
By the time 3:00 AM on the 6th rolled around, I had no less than 10 different sites/windows open on the screen tracking storms. This is also about the time I gave up and did my usual rounds on Facebook and Myspace before typing this up and going to bed.
While I would have loved to have been in the field (still have yet to actually chase), I was pretty darn successful with my cyber chase! Tracked many tornadoes across the south through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky. Tracked a deadly tornado up through north central Arkansas. Caught a tornado on a live webcam out of Memphis as it tracked across the southern part of town. I'm still kicking myself about not getting to the Union University webcam before it got hit (had I hit the "go" button 30 seconds earlier I would have seen it hit the campus, and destroy the camera...but alas, I got a "the site could not be found" screen). Tracked a tornadic storm from Mississippi, all the way through downtown Nashville, and up past Tompkinsville, KY. Later tracked another storm from west of Nashville, through it's northern suburbs, and out through Monroe County, KY again. Then tracked yet ANOTHER tornadic storm through Franklin, and the southern suburbs of Nashville before just giving up.
After all, anyone in their right mind knows it's dangerous to chase after dark, anyway!
My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected tonight, and to those still being affected, and those to be affected tomorrow. Many fatalities occurred during this early season outbreak, and it's somewhat unsettling to know that as I was watching these storms track across the land on radar, people were dying in them (3 passed away in an Arkansas storm, 3 in Muhlenburg County in KY, 2 just west of Jackson, TN, I believe 1 in Memphis, and at least 2 in Sumner County, TN northeast of Nashville). And those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. There were MANY injuries all throughout the region, and classes have been canceled until at least the 15th (I believe) at Union University in Jackson, TN, where 3 dorms were destroyed, and several students were trapped (thank goodness none were seriously injured).
Round 2 tomorrow, though it shouldn't be as bad. And it should be right here! Hmm...maybe we should take that off the net and onto the road?!?!?!
Like today, February 5, 2008. I'm stuck here in Conway, SC. Got all my lights in out of the yard before the sun went down since I knew we had a chance for some great (or not-so-great, depending on how you look at it) weather tomorrow.
After getting that done, and seeing Bodhi off with his dad, I hit the web. I first opened two of my favorite sites for weather information, Stormtrack.org which concentrates on storm chasing and chasers, and Storm2K.org, which has a strong tropical following, but has an all-around weather function to it also.
By the time 3:00 AM on the 6th rolled around, I had no less than 10 different sites/windows open on the screen tracking storms. This is also about the time I gave up and did my usual rounds on Facebook and Myspace before typing this up and going to bed.
While I would have loved to have been in the field (still have yet to actually chase), I was pretty darn successful with my cyber chase! Tracked many tornadoes across the south through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky. Tracked a deadly tornado up through north central Arkansas. Caught a tornado on a live webcam out of Memphis as it tracked across the southern part of town. I'm still kicking myself about not getting to the Union University webcam before it got hit (had I hit the "go" button 30 seconds earlier I would have seen it hit the campus, and destroy the camera...but alas, I got a "the site could not be found" screen). Tracked a tornadic storm from Mississippi, all the way through downtown Nashville, and up past Tompkinsville, KY. Later tracked another storm from west of Nashville, through it's northern suburbs, and out through Monroe County, KY again. Then tracked yet ANOTHER tornadic storm through Franklin, and the southern suburbs of Nashville before just giving up.
After all, anyone in their right mind knows it's dangerous to chase after dark, anyway!
My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected tonight, and to those still being affected, and those to be affected tomorrow. Many fatalities occurred during this early season outbreak, and it's somewhat unsettling to know that as I was watching these storms track across the land on radar, people were dying in them (3 passed away in an Arkansas storm, 3 in Muhlenburg County in KY, 2 just west of Jackson, TN, I believe 1 in Memphis, and at least 2 in Sumner County, TN northeast of Nashville). And those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. There were MANY injuries all throughout the region, and classes have been canceled until at least the 15th (I believe) at Union University in Jackson, TN, where 3 dorms were destroyed, and several students were trapped (thank goodness none were seriously injured).
Round 2 tomorrow, though it shouldn't be as bad. And it should be right here! Hmm...maybe we should take that off the net and onto the road?!?!?!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
More Bodhi
These pictures were taken a few weeks ago, still in 2007, but after Christmas:
This video clip was taken the same night:
Isn't Bodhi just the cutest little boy ever?!?! I'm very proud to be his uncle.
In other news, I'm in a play called "The Winning Ticket," written by local playwright Kathryn Martin. It opened last weekend, and it runs Friday and Sunday this weekend, and then the following weekend. There is talk of extending the run to the first weekend in February since, according to Kathryn's latest E-mail, ticket sales for the next two weekends are doing very well. It's a cute show.
Also, I'm going to be in Beaufort, NC this Saturday, January 19th, to call a contra dance for the Down East Folk Arts Society. The band for the dance will be Gaelstorm, a group of friends of mine from the North Myrtle Beach/Calabash area that plays some of the greatest sets of celtic dance tunes you could wish for.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
It's SHOWTIME!
Have you been looking forward to videos of the 2007 Coastal Carolina Christmas show? Well, here they are!
2007-- What Is Christmas-- Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
2007-- O Holy Night-- Bart Saylor:
2007-- Appalachian Snowfall-- Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
2007-- What Is Christmas-- Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
2007-- O Holy Night-- Bart Saylor:
2007-- Appalachian Snowfall-- Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
Monday, December 24, 2007
Finally
Hello. I'm back. After MUCH delay, and MUCH anticipation, the Coastal Carolina Christmas 2007 is a go! It's been lit in some form since about Wednesday night, but it finally went off with all its glory on Saturday, December 22, at 6:00 PM. Good thing, too, because our open house began at 7, and lots of people were planning to attend, and expecting to see a light show. And they sure did see one.
There are a couple of slight changes in the show (not including "in display" changes) from 2006. Both shows have 3 songs. 2006 consisted of:
1. TSO-- Appalachian Snowfal
2. Bart Saylor-- O Holy Night
3. Mannheim Steamroller-- Joy To The World
2007 was originally going to be a 13 song show. Then it got cut down to 8. Then due to time constraints, and the fact that I started sequencing from scratch on Thursday, December 13, it got cut down to 3. The 2007 show consists of the following songs:
1. TSO-- What Is Christmas?
2. Bart Saylor-- O Holy Night
3. TSO-- Appalachian Snowfall
Also, some of the effects during the two repeat songs from last year have changed a bit.
For those who have already seen this year's show, tell everyone else about it, and to come see it (it'll be lit through January 5th...5-11 nightly--5-12:30 Christmas Eve and New Years Eve--5-Midnight on Christmas night).
For those who haven't seen it for 2007 yet, here are the other two videos of the show in 2006 for teasers:
2006, Bart Saylor, O Holy Night:
2006, Mannheim Steamroller, Joy To The World:
Videos of 2007 will be taken and posted soon (as soon as I can get them up on the net).
There are a couple of slight changes in the show (not including "in display" changes) from 2006. Both shows have 3 songs. 2006 consisted of:
1. TSO-- Appalachian Snowfal
2. Bart Saylor-- O Holy Night
3. Mannheim Steamroller-- Joy To The World
2007 was originally going to be a 13 song show. Then it got cut down to 8. Then due to time constraints, and the fact that I started sequencing from scratch on Thursday, December 13, it got cut down to 3. The 2007 show consists of the following songs:
1. TSO-- What Is Christmas?
2. Bart Saylor-- O Holy Night
3. TSO-- Appalachian Snowfall
Also, some of the effects during the two repeat songs from last year have changed a bit.
For those who have already seen this year's show, tell everyone else about it, and to come see it (it'll be lit through January 5th...5-11 nightly--5-12:30 Christmas Eve and New Years Eve--5-Midnight on Christmas night).
For those who haven't seen it for 2007 yet, here are the other two videos of the show in 2006 for teasers:
2006, Bart Saylor, O Holy Night:
2006, Mannheim Steamroller, Joy To The World:
Videos of 2007 will be taken and posted soon (as soon as I can get them up on the net).
Friday, November 30, 2007
I'm An Uncle!
Well, I'm back. And I must say, quite exhausted.
Since I last appeared here (you could also say, first appeared here), I have gotten absolutely nothing done outside with the Christmas display. It will happen, though. Just it won't be done by Thanksgiving, obviously.
In the past few days, I have become an Uncle. That's right, I'm now "Uncle Kenny!" My sister gave birth to a wonderful baby boy named Bodhi W. K. Pierce on Monday, November 26, 2007, at 0849 (for those not familiar with military time, that's 8:49 AM). He weighed 8 pounds, 3.4 ounces, and was 21 1/2 inches long. Baby and mom got to go home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. And I enjoy, and will continue to enjoy visiting him as much as possible.
Here's a picture of me holding Bodhi when he was 2 days old, still at the hospital:
And just for kicks, here's a taste of things to come in Christmas lights...this particular video is from my display in 2006. The song is "Appalachian Snowfall" by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
Since I last appeared here (you could also say, first appeared here), I have gotten absolutely nothing done outside with the Christmas display. It will happen, though. Just it won't be done by Thanksgiving, obviously.
In the past few days, I have become an Uncle. That's right, I'm now "Uncle Kenny!" My sister gave birth to a wonderful baby boy named Bodhi W. K. Pierce on Monday, November 26, 2007, at 0849 (for those not familiar with military time, that's 8:49 AM). He weighed 8 pounds, 3.4 ounces, and was 21 1/2 inches long. Baby and mom got to go home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. And I enjoy, and will continue to enjoy visiting him as much as possible.
Here's a picture of me holding Bodhi when he was 2 days old, still at the hospital:
And just for kicks, here's a taste of things to come in Christmas lights...this particular video is from my display in 2006. The song is "Appalachian Snowfall" by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
So It's Time I Get Started
Well hello there. I signed up for this blog thing about a month ago, and I've been pretty bad about actually writing anything. So here it is: my first blog entry.
I've been busy since November 1st out in the yard...well, OK...up on the roof line getting Christmas lights hanging. So far I have 1,900 up, and looking at around 31,000 total for this year. My lights on goal is Thanksgiving, and it ain't lookin' like that's going to happen. But things can change. I have 29,100 more to hang. The thing is, the icicles are fairly difficult to hang. Not only do they take more time because I constantly have to go up and down the ladder (which I'm feeling in every muscle in my legs at the minute), but I have two layers of icicles going all the way across the roof. A layer of white, and a layer of blue. To add to that, I have a third layer of icicles around the porch overhang that is a slightly different shade of blue. And on top of that I have yet another layer of lights that goes all the way across the roof. It's a string of 30 curtain strobes that I bought from Darryl Brown of Christmaslightshow.com at PLUS2007 back in August. That will be a neat effect (and you'll be able to see it in other areas of the display, too).
But once I get down onto the ground work, the display should fly right along. I figure I'll finish hanging the icicles and strobes tomorrow (technically today) and then get started on the ground work on Wednesday.
Oh, and I still have sequencing to do...lots and lots of sequencing!
It's 12:49 AM on Tuesday, November 13, 2007...time to get some sleep so I can get up and work! I'll write more later!
I've been busy since November 1st out in the yard...well, OK...up on the roof line getting Christmas lights hanging. So far I have 1,900 up, and looking at around 31,000 total for this year. My lights on goal is Thanksgiving, and it ain't lookin' like that's going to happen. But things can change. I have 29,100 more to hang. The thing is, the icicles are fairly difficult to hang. Not only do they take more time because I constantly have to go up and down the ladder (which I'm feeling in every muscle in my legs at the minute), but I have two layers of icicles going all the way across the roof. A layer of white, and a layer of blue. To add to that, I have a third layer of icicles around the porch overhang that is a slightly different shade of blue. And on top of that I have yet another layer of lights that goes all the way across the roof. It's a string of 30 curtain strobes that I bought from Darryl Brown of Christmaslightshow.com at PLUS2007 back in August. That will be a neat effect (and you'll be able to see it in other areas of the display, too).
But once I get down onto the ground work, the display should fly right along. I figure I'll finish hanging the icicles and strobes tomorrow (technically today) and then get started on the ground work on Wednesday.
Oh, and I still have sequencing to do...lots and lots of sequencing!
It's 12:49 AM on Tuesday, November 13, 2007...time to get some sleep so I can get up and work! I'll write more later!
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