Dancing to Bark in the Park!

Just half way through the month and it’s been a long one so far, my medication rattles most morning when I can drag my sorry bum from under the Duvet. It would help if I ate a more hearty breakfast!

Some times during this month I have had such a great time from having a dance on the beach, ice cream, flash mob, dance class and the Melonga on Sunday 16th June, I so look forward to these evenings in my social calendar.

Classes are a mixture for the past few weeks, cause of the nice weather there has been a marked lack of dancer’s coming to the practice evening, but I have been going religiously for the past month, and my Friday free practice and help out of Carola my dance tutor.

She is an inspiration a good mentor and has really showed me the joy of movement, dance and a willingness to push me and the other students on to perform our best, what more could I ask for?

I even have a dance partner Kim although she is not fully tango, she does ballroom as well, poor girl has to keep in mind of so many moves how she does this is beyond me.

I have been really just dipping my feet into different forms of dance, ballroom and all that it encompasses, which is vast much more than I give the contestants on Strictly come dancing.

Well its Sunday 16th and there are two things on the Bark in the park, for Obi which we went too, I was impressed by the sheer size of it, and the rain did threaten to make an appearance but maybe all the dogs barking drove the dark clouds away?

Who knows… so many dogs and owners even some of these leads, not sure if I agree with that, maybe it’s because I can’t let Obi of the lead, there’s a bit of envy there I think?

All in all the occasion was a very enjoyable and a little chaotic with the judging dog’s coming and going and getting tangled in there leads with other dogs that want to do the same thing sniff bums and do circles around each other.

On the lead up to Queen’s park, I think that Obi must have sniffed, peed and tried to dig up every tree, all that dog pee and not enough to sniff, by the time we got in the park, he was dribbling and drooling at the dogs on show.

I was only too glad to get a way, my arm was hurting from all the pulling and being pulled all over the place with one excited Tibby, the sun was really quite hot, and I did not bring a bowl for Obi in case he needed a drink of water but I found an old plastic beer glass, cleaned it out in the men’s toilet and gave him a drink from it, he lapped it up poor boy was suffering maybe a little too much heat, he is after all a winter dog with that thick coat of his.

Here I come crys Obi off he trots. On the beach there was more distraction, the bike ride from London to Brighton was in full swing thousands upon thousands of cyclists descended upon this seaside town/city. I like it when Brighton hold’s these shows, can’t wait for the next one, not sure what it is but no doubt, I will see all the portable loo’s and van’s arrived just in time.

Nose to nose with a baby Tibby only 5 months old, and ready for his first cut, I pointed them in the direction of Doggy fashion in Kemptown. Ola!

Health and movement.

You know the more I dance the more I have a deeper appreciation of music past and present, just this week, I've found a great album and re-discovered a old favourite singer of mine her music is just so tango well some of it. Not all music is suitable for a sensual dance like Tango, but just every now and the pen someone plays a track you remember from the past and.... Wham! That be great to tango to! Over the past couple of weeks I've been using an app called Tune-in radio at first it was just to listen to one of my live UFO shows and I started to tinker with the various radio stations and found a few tango stations in actual Argentina and Germany! Yeah Germany it's big there and my teacher is German so it makes seance. The first bolt out of the great and hard as nails Grace Jones's classic Walking in the Rain and I've seen that face before, so powerful is the image it leaves I can dance it all in my head, some of the other tracks of note pull up to the bumper and La Vie En Rose a wee bit long but worth an arch or two. One group I've heard of but never listened too is Massive Attack Mezzanine why am I only hearing them now? I find its great to play on the beach watching obi run around like a loonies, I can practice to it but I find I am no longer doing tango to it but something else! For the past week I've been practicing the 4-6-8 step and going into cross space to get the follower to do the arches and the kink is getting her to cross leg before going back to the 4-6 step, I think I've sussed it at last. I will practice a lot more tonight at the dance class, so I might go early the class has been a little on the thin side with all this nice weather I am not suprized, although I am not one for standing in line for a partner, I just hope there is a balanced crowed tonight. There is a flash mob on Saturday at the jubilee library in Brighton I like to dance but will turn up and hope for the best and also I will want to take photos as well so I might only do one flash mob and the next one which is in Churchill square I will photograph this one and we off to the bandstand for a Malonga yay. What a result I got a paint of second had leather souled shoes for £6.50 out of the Sussex Beacon the AIDS Charity shop, I'm so over the moon I'm going to try them out at tonight's dance class. That was a bad move, I stepped on the foot of Isabella my foot shot forward like a palaris missile, poor girl jumped up and down a million times, I wish the ground would open up and just swallow me. On a nice note I met up with Kim my best friend in the world who does practice with me poor girl I wore her socks out lol, we or she got me involved in Ballroom now so not only am I now doing Argentine Tango I am also doing Ballroom!

The Brighton half Marathon

What a beautiful day for running your heart out having fun, weather as a spectator or as myself a spectator dog walker, even Obi found it all rather amusing personally I could not have asked for a nicer day, and as with any nice day it all starts in the morning.

Well its 5:18am the time I have started this blog, I woke to use the loo, but feel actually quite refreshed and actually wide awake, I was dreaming about a trip I had following in the footsteps of someone who died over 2000 years ago! (Don't ask!)

I have sent a feeler into the Astral for a pair of dancing shoes, size 8 one inch heel black or B/W and I asked out of the blue does that big boot sale still go one up the top of the hill on the Sunday? Nicola responding it indeed did, and gave me directions on how to get to it, so it a really early start for me and fingers crossed the powers that be have heard my plee.

Well for a start there was no boot-sale at the race corse it was all turned over to the Brighton half Marathon, which was ok, I don't have that much money till Saturday or Monday. So it was over the hill for me and Oberon and right down to the beach front, coming from the tall mobile phone mast with its array of antenna's and round dishes, it brings you out directly behind the hospital where I spent a small amount of time after my first heart attack.

What a day for a Marathon the sun was shining it was cool I would not say it was very warm but the buss of the crowd watching and taking part was such good fun, I even cheered on Batman and a Banana egging them on only a little more to go fella, and Lassies.

Such a good positive vibe from everyone it keeps me going by the time it was time to head back to the flat in Whitehawk I was clapping and cheering my lungs out that is something no one could ever take away from the British public we are a nation of we care passionately for family, friends and our good causes, well done all of you runners whom or who ever you are, I salute you xxxx

I'll stop the world and melt with you...

That's is the words to a song that have always had a message for me, no mater what the world is going through the words remain the same love, I can close my eyes and melt with you, the beat and harmony to the song is a slow Bossa Nova slow beat, the girl singing the song has a wonderful voice, I could never think of a dance for it other than swinging in a hammock on a Mexican tropical beach, until now.

The future is open wide and I'll melt with you baby. The Argentina Tango is perfect for this song.

In all my years of marriage I can safely say I have never had not only make my own entertainment but actually for once in my life take the bull firmly by the horns, and I shook it.

I stood apprehensively opposite the Station Pub, with the sounds of daily life, the trundling trains as they take of to Brighton and Worthing, a taxi cab obscures my view of the pub, I silently curse him to move on, darkened figures emerge from the Hove commuter station a single man with a black umbrella darting into the waiting cab.

I continue to watch trying to see inside the dark interior of the Pub two people dance a slow tango, the bust stop board springs into life the number 7 bus to the marina is due in 3 mins.

Silently accept my failure and decide to go back on the bus to the Marina I start to type out on Facebook for some reason I stop and I have courage and dash across the road and will and push myself into the pub walk to he back and a few of the students from my class standup smiling and waving me to join them at the table.

The Crow's nest sails again!

I'm not one for the drama of it, but hey that's just me but during Obi's first walk of the day I walked along the beach from the Grand, past the big wheel way by gay quarter of Kemp, its bustling cafes line the long narrow one way street, accommodating its myriad of shops the Ann Summers of Men to pampering pets to a drag pub, as well as he usual local shops bakers, paper shops and burger joints and of course Pubs.

But here I am, in a flat with my sister her Man two cat's and two dogs, and a whole kitchen full of cleaning products just begging to be used, well the flat is a two bed kitchen bathroom toilet and front room with a veranda over looking the racecourse up above where horses can be seen on race days.

I suffer from a mild form of OCD, I can't stop cleaning, sometimes I will clean till I make myself sick, I hate dust, dirt and spills I cannot leave it un touched, even worse when its not my place, its as if untidiness mocks me.

That aside, now for the blog, well I actually started the crows nest when I was in Brighton nearly 5 years ago, and now its come full circle, its now back in Brighton its Origins, and in that time so much has happened.

And of course Brighton has changed also, something I should have done here the first time round was start my own massage business and do more activities but since my impromptu dumping of me and Obi here on the 21st of December I have gone and done just that.

From the 18th of January on wards I will be doing two Argentinian Tango lessons a week for the next six weeks then down to the one held at the Good Companion in the seven dials area of Brighton a place I recognise as a place I used to go drinking with a work pal Selma so many years ago, I wonder where she is these days?

I have come back with and I hope new wind in my sails, taking on what new challenges and trials that washes upon my stern, with finally feeling I can call myself a now and new none smoker I am finally taking control of choosing when I am to die, I am no longer in a rush to embrace my old and tiered friend death just yet.

The New Year at Last.

It took me and Obi nearly an Hour and a Half to get back from the beach, it was not wet or windy for a change and the walk was fun if not exhausting and only one person wished me happy new year, the beach was full of clicks people and the odd beggar trying it on see if he can get money.

Several groups of people started counting down but it was all different some were on 5 where as others were on 20 then 14 drink or drugs or just cheap watches who knows lol. I just choose my time and wished every one a happy new year as me and the boy walked along the sea front, as if in our own little world.

As we walked along the seafront, leaving all the pubs, and night clubs behind us, the big wheel but a distant speck of illumination in the sky line, the marina's fly over of cars coming and going, the constant bustle of life and Celebration, and overly guy attitudes of young good looking men.

The day after or morning after, me and Oberon are both like Zombies, I am sure he lost 2-3inches in hight from all the walking on the 31st December, since we came here on the day of the end of the world 211212, We have not stopped since we landed on her door step... Essex feels so far away now.

Every thing feels so long ago now, i have many new plans for the coming month, If only I had more money, I really need my massage table here with me, J said she bring it soon, I really hope so.

Well a few emails have been sent back and forth J is coming tomorrow with Tom and they will bring my massage table, computer, and surround system, plus some bags of stuff! its going to be busy today as well as my stuff coming, Obi is due his first hair cut of the year at Doggy Fashion in Kemp Town the guy quarter of Brighton, which is also one of the most vibrant places lot of cafes, bars and restaurants and we are told it will cost $40 will blog it tomorrow just hope its a good experience!

Well I got a visit from J and her mum and Tom it was so nice to see them and they brought the stuff I needed to get started my massage table at last plus my computer now to get some Business cards made up and get some adverts in the Friday Ad.

I got an email this morning from Friday AD telling me my advert has went viral at last, I could not afford to get it into the free newspaper, but If i get a client or two out of the web ad, I will put some of the money by to get a place on the paper as well, and the name of my little therapies company is SOUL SOLUTIONS, with big thanks to my darling sister for helping and John for doing my business cards.

Obi Looks proper dapper in his new hair do, and golly he did strut his stuff coming down kemp town last night, I took him for a short walk along the beach so he could show himself off to his adoring fans that might be about its true people did look more at him and yet I find him most beautiful when you can't see his eyes lol and he a bit scruffy, but then people accept neat and tidy far to easy these days.

I hope your start to the year was good and that you did not have a terrible 1/1/2013 of Worshiping at the Porcelain thrown. xxxxxx