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December 2005 Blog
Rick Hampton Square Dance Caller
 

December 1st
It was a fun nite at Frazier- Looking forward to Sunday's Hoedown up there (2-5pm) Saturday it's the Toys 4 Tots gig in Fresno.
I got an email from my late radio mentor's wife today, which gave me mixed emotions- Charlie Scott (Griggs) is SANTA and if you have youngsters-they can email SANTA at letter2santa.com and they'll get an email back with a voice message. I do miss him and it was good to hear him again (although it wasn't  in person or on the radio this time)

Rick

December 4th
A  fun but SMALL toys 4 tots dance. I wonder why the Fresno area hasn't ever got into the idea that you learn how during the week the you do on weekends. I hope we learn soon- The Visalia group may be trying to start some but 6 days before the test dance (on a new hall) I still don't know if we're doing it, Who's coming etc. AGGHHH  Back to toys 4 tots- We were only half joking to call it an Anniversary dance next year! Anyway a fun, cold Hoedown today and I enjoyed returning a lost dog to it's owner afterwards

Rick

December 6th
Mrs. Ricks BIRTHDAY  Last nite was Fun but small-The anticipated Visalia Visitation didn't happen-I wonder if the Bakersfield group will quit reaching out to this club-Too bad as they come 4+ times as often as any Fresno group comes to Visalia-Go Figure, Do the math and y'all better show up soon if we want visitors-if not??

Rick

December 8th
Last nite at Skirts, Someone asked what day is it- Thank GOD we remembered Pearl Harbor ( It dawned on me n the way home that it was only 18 years and 3 months before I was born-seemed like an eternity before but now I realize it was just a short time -I've got an almost 18 year old baby)
Tonight was the Mountain Squares Christmas party-Good Food/Fun and fotos- yep a photographer for the "Mountain Daily Buzzard" or whatever the name of the paper was there and I have to admit-I've never seen a photo from the perspective of laying on the floor in the middle of a square-I am looking forward to this piece.-Burbank Friday, Visalia trying out a new hall Sat.-Nothing like planning ahead-this was decided Tuesday- and then Mariposa on Sunday- Too bad there ain't frequent driver miles

Rick

December 10th

A Great time last nite with the Western Weavers in Burbank, The Foggiest nite back I've seen in 4+ Years!!  Tonight the test dance went well 3 squares ,a Great Floor , Sound was fine-(It is a loud hall)- Too bad it's not available on Tuesdays- Too bad it took this long for this club to realize we cannot afford the other place- I first mentioned it to the club 3 weeks after I started calling for them (what's that 4-5 years ago?) I hope we can come up with a Tuesday solution and be able to sponsor Saturdays.

Rick

December 11th

A Fun afternoon, 3 squares A2 then 8+ for plus.  A little "communication" problem was resolved at the end and hopefully this group will grow from the experience. Had some quality time afterwards with Mrs. Rick and today's staff at the Coarsegold "meeting hall" on Lucky Lane LOL.  I  hope the Christmas season is being a good time in your family, Don't forget who's birthday is 12/25-and be sure to praise his and my father for that!!!!!!

Rick

December 13th
A Foggy Night-So Foggy we actually sent the class home at 8:10pm and The club only danced 1 tip before the meeting.
I see some progress (finally) with an active pursuit of a cheaper hall and/or a re-negotiation with the current hall. I've agreed to help out $$ as this club is (again finally) trying. I see so many clubs in trouble, and I'm saddened that very often, they did it to themselves.  Let's hope ,in this case, it's not "too little, too late"

Rick  

December 14th
So which famous, good looking, talented, handsome, caller had his sweater on inside out for the first tip? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks Mudd for pointing it out. Mr. Mudd gets no more records (he knew but didn't say) I sentence him to the BBQ pits of..............Oh well LOL. It was a FUN last workshop for 2005 -Good to see Fred/Carol back after a rough time in their lives .(I've been there-Hang in Friends)
Gene thinks I'm the "smoothest talker" on earth cya on the 15th.( If you didn't understand any of the above-you should stop by on Weds. in 2006-A2 and FUN along with the latest gossip-as they say "miss a week miss a lot")

Rick

December 20th
Why do clubs continue to book Callers who repeatedly cancel/Double book/Oops-I forgot your dance??  I'd love to know some reasons!! I've gotten 2 calls this week to cover "repeat offenders" and had a long discussion with another GOOD caller who has gotten the same calls.  One of my clubs asked me what they should do, as a "repeat offender" hasn't returned a contract after 6+ months- My answer was 2 words........................................FIRE HIM.  I've not "double booked" myself EVER and have never "forgotten a dance" in 33 years of calling.....I've come close a few times, but these "repeat offenders" do this crap (in some cases) MONTHLY?????????????????  WHY do YOU put up with it?? EMAIL

Rick

December 21st
#1 and #2 Daughters and I took Mrs. Rick out to a Birthday/Christmas Dinner tonite- It was a GREAT evening despite the fact that the Restaurant we intended to go to wound up with a 2 HOUR wait-We didn't-Went to Claim Jumpers instead -A nice meal with family.... I'm enjoying a few nites off with the gang while fighting the WORST allergies ever (So much for the Family Doc-I'm awaiting the verdict (Insurance) on the allergist referral (After all It is 4:45am and I just got out of bed-I Don't keep these hours)....Speaking of Insurance we MAY finally get a settlement on Lynn's accident-MAYBE, then again if they don't get their S##T together in the next week or so... I see attorneys in January.  I was browsing the web earlier and looking at websites of clubs I call for and (See above 2/20 post) I saw a club who actually named  "repeat offender" as having cancelled and thanked the sub.................GOOD FOR THEM... Finally anybody know of a cheap hall for the Tuesday group??

Rick

December 25th
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Merry CHRISTmas to all
Rick

 December 28th
A Fun Party Nite- Again we had visitors from Bakersfield and again our own VASD area was AWOL (I hope the Tuesday club HEARD that the south valley gang won't be back without some mutual visits- The Bakersfield group comes up 10+ times a year Fresno maybe 2- 3 times-DO THE MATH and visit-  Oh well- In the GOOD NEWS department I see a Squarama Ad in the blue Book- WOW- I hope that it will be the start of actual publicity of this festival, with good facilities and a good line up I suspect attendance can grow if folks know (I'm a poet LOL).  I hope that the "powers to be" don't say the ad didn't work (It was the January issue-so it likely will not generate any pre-sale) However It will bring our event to the attention of a missing audience-GOOD JOB y'all.  Friday is some kind of special event that we're supposed to go to At Steppers- Unfortunately Nobody knows what it is and NO ONE was at the only dance this week to publicize-I guess it's just another week in the VASD area.

Rick.

December 30th
A sad day in the neighborhood as the Mom of one of the kids who hang out here-She passed away-The deja-vu for me is that I lost my mom at the same age as this kid (15) and the same time.  I pray he will handle it better than I did.  Anyway at the Steppers tonight it was FUN- The door prizes were great (Corporate Sponsorship-It Works!) and they truly did "Give them something to talk about" (Besides the Great Food Table Collapse of 05)  Many Sequoia Squares were there (attaboys/attagirls to all) I did enjoy my new Tee Shirt Given to me and I look Forward to calling at Steppers in January

HAPPY NEW YEAR-We're going to see Jay Leno

Rick