Scenes from the swing scene at the Hi-Ball Lounge in San Francisco, late 1998 or early 1999. My then girlfriend, now ex-wife Kim shows up three times in dance sequences … she’s wearing the black suit with red top, dancing with the big guy in the blue bowling shirt (whose name I’m blanking) and just after with the guy in the jeans and grey button-down shirt (Randall) about one minute in … and again later on.

Kim … I always loved watching you dance; I wish I’d had the courage to continue to dance with you over the years. We may still have ended up where we did, but we would have had more fun along the way … I’m truly sorry we lost that so early.

I wonder what Johnny (John Boulland in the clip, but we always called him Johnny Swing) is up to these days. That boy sure poured some MEAN cocktails; his watermelon shots and mind erasers were deadly.

The Last Call Cyclocross Race (and Utah Cyclocross Series Awards Party) were yesterday …

On a morning that looked like it was going to be another epic snow day in the valley, got up and headed down to Wheeler Farm to work the final Utah cyclocross race of the season. It was a day where almost everyone who showed up to race ended up on the podium … small, small fields, but everyone who did show had a blast slipping around in the mud and slush.

I just wish my pictures turned out, but alas, camera settings were wrong, and everything was underexposed and blurry.

Then on to the Williams Building up in Research Park for the Awards Party last night. 80s theme, and a lot of people turned out decked to the nines.

Me? I don’t do costumes, so I just pegged my jeans (also known as the tight-roll or fold-n-roll), like I did for about 20 years. Yep, I carried that look into the 21st century, and took no end of crap for it, until I finally decided that it was time to admit that I was an adult and started dressing semi-normally again. I’m a cyclist, so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be accused of ever fully dressing “normal” …

Big props to A-Train; who squeaked out a close win in front of Bart “Slash” Gillespie in the men’s category for best 80s costume … that was some “dance” move there, pal.

More props to Jenn Allen, who ran away with the women’s category after breaking out “The Worm” … but in my book Fastgrrrl’s and the Mistress’s costumes were better. In Marit’s case, I’m sure that winning the Bart Gillespie Team Replica Cannondale X4 cyclocross frame in the raffle makes up for it …

Fox even had a beer … okay, okay, it was a Rare Vos (Flemish for “Sly Fox”), and he didn’t actually drink it, but it’s the closest I’ve seen.

Everyone seemed to have a blast except for one incident that caused a lot of stress for one particular individual. MG … I’m sorry I didn’t step-up a little more quickly … I have a tendency to try to avoid conflict, but I really hope you know that when it comes down to it, I’ve got your back … and I think things worked out in the end.

Thanks to Matt, Jon, Ellie, Gardie and Bruce for helping make this yet another fabulous season.

Thanks to Jennie for securing the facility for party, and dealing with the logistics with the caterer and security. Thanks to Rosie for the decorations.

Major thanks to the Doctor for the clinics at Sugarhouse Park … if any person can take credit for helping to grow the series here in Utah, you definitely deserve it. Enjoy the Ardberg, and if you feel like sharing, I know there are a few of us who’d love a taste.

But most of all, thanks to all the racers for coming out all season … I already can’t wait until next season.

I love musicals … not the Andrew Lloyd Webber crap like “Cats”, but the old MGM musicals starring Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire …

I also love Broadway farces like “Noises Off” and “The Producers” (which is on HBO tonight, in fact, I’m watching it as I type this) …

I have a secret desire
Hiding deep in my soul
It sets my heart afire
To see me in this role
I wanna be a producer
With a hit show on Broadway
I wanna be a producer
Lunch at Sardi’s every day
I wanna be a producer
Sport a top hat and a cane
I wanna be a producer
And drive those chorus girls insane!

Of course, as anyone who knows me should know, my absolute favorite is “An American in Paris”, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Yep … Gershwin gets my rocks off.

I got rhythm, I got music
I got my gal who can ask for anything more
I got daisies in green pastures
I got my gal who can ask for anything more

Old man trouble?
I don’t mind him
you won’t find him round my door

I got starlight
I got sweet dreams
I got my gal who can ask for anything more
who can ask for more

I got rhythm, I got music
I got my gal who can ask for anything more
I got daisies in green pastures
I got my gal who can ask for anything more

A couple years ago, I was tagged by the best chick at my wedding, the devine mamazilla, the wonderful Lindy Bunny, to list my idiosyncrasies.

I did then … but it’s time to repost, and expand.

G-bunny even sent me a handy-dandy definition to go along with everything to help set parameters:

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies

1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity.
3. An unusual individual reaction to food or a drug.

So here we go:

1. I’m a mean, cruel rotten bastard. Except I’m also a really wonderful kind and generous man. Except when I don’t want to be, which is most of the time. Except that I’m working really hard to have a more positive outlook on life and stuff.
2. I like cheese. Cheese doesn’t like me.
3. I was 39 years old before I ever owned my own motorized vehicle. Since I got it, I’ve hardly ridden my bike at all, except that I’m racing cyclocross now, and despite the fact that I really suck at it, I’m loving it.
4. I really like the cheese from Liberty Heights Fresh. It still doesn’t like me.
5. I can dance. I don’t like to dance, but I can. Too bad it takes me 4-6 cocktails to get over myself enough to actually let myself dance, because God forbid that all of those dumbfucks out there whom I don’t know and whose opinion I really don’t give a rat’s ass about might judge me.
6. I like pizza. Pizza doesn’t like me, either.
7. I fall for women who aren’t available. Want me to get hooked on you? Start dating someone else.
8. I wear socks and flip-flops (well, slides, actually) in public, on purpose. Short white socks. And Bermuda shorts that come below my knees. And I shave my legs. I’m a cyclist. It’s what we do.
9. I once had a phone number that spelled GAY-MONK, while living in a house that was painted lavender, on a street that was named “Younglove” … talk about playing games with the psyche!
10. I like beer and vodka, but not at the same time. Hmmm … maybe that’s not so idiosyncratic after all.
11. Cabernet? Yes, please!
12. I have a tendency to piss off people I care about, when I least want to do so. That’s an idiosyncracy I’d love to ditch.
13. I’m a firm believer in retail therapy. Unfortunately, I don’t have the bank account to get really therapeutic.
14. And yet, I still have 4 computers, 2 televisions, 2 pairs of snowshoes, 4 pairs of skis, and 5 bicycles.
15. I’m a Democrat, and I love Utah. Okay, not all of it, but I like thinking that my vote might actually effect some change, rather than just being another “yes” man like I was in NorCal.
16. Most of the time, when I buy shoes, I buy two pairs of the same shoe, but in different colorways.
17. I hadn’t bought a new pair of pants in at least 2 years … until last month.
18. I last bought underwear in an airport. Okay, granted it was Brook Brothers, which happens to have a shop in Port Columbus International, but still … who buys underwear in an airport?
19. I eat when I’m not hungry, and don’t eat when I am hungry.
20. I’m finally learning how to ski powder, but still fall over in the lift line.
21. Like I said, I’m a cyclist. That’s idiosyncratic enough for most people.

So now, faithful readers … all 3 of you … TAG! You’re it. I expect to see your posts within the week … or not.