New Life Update

For all the devoted AYISF readers demanding the latest news on some old topics (all three of you), here are some updates on previous posts, along with a look ahead to what lies in store.

Your humble narrator dances. Sort of.

The Rifters--one of the bands of choice at the local dances

As mentioned a while ago, my SFS is a devotee of dance, particularly the country-western style so popular here in the Southwest. I’m happy to report that after my first foray onto the dance floor, I have returned several times, and there are still no casualties. I have become fairly adept at the two-step (in a very simple, white-suburban-boy-from-Connecticut kind of way…), and am getting better at the waltz (which is like the frigging easiest step in the world, but for some reason I keep struggling. Or the moments of fluidity are not as plentiful as I would like). Emboldened by Sharon’s encouragement, I actually danced with other partners this past weekend—four, count ‘em, four!—and they all lived to tell the tale. Next up: gotta get working on the swing steps. And I hope to provide a pic or video of me on the floor, to assure all of you this is not some delusional experience on my part.

I produce a play, and perhaps it will turn out well.

Oh, come on--fly out here and see my play!

We had the first rehearsals for my play Huck Finds the Raft, a 15-minute affair that will be part of the short-play festival at the local theater. I don’t want to jinx the process, but so far I couldn’t be more pleased with the director and the two actors. We’ll see what the fine Santa Fe audiences think come February 2. The rehearsals so far have been like sitting in on an acting class, as director Jerry pokes and prods the actors to consider new approaches to the text or to find more effective blocking. I have also cut some of the lines, which I think is always a good thing. And I try not to cringe as the actors consistently drop some of the remaining lines or misspeak them a bit. After all, they’re not supposed to be off-book yet, so no major worries. And it’s inevitable, I think, that actors sometimes massage the written lines a little as they take over the characters. They should just be glad I’m not Edward Albee, who I hear is pretty tough about the literal reciting of his words. Of course, I would be very glad indeed if I were Albee, except for the age thing…

Getting out and about.

La Fonda--the place to stay at the end of the Santa Fe Trail

The holiday season did not bring many chances to explore the nightlife of my new home, partly because things slowed down a bit, and partly because I was solo and so less inclined to go out. There was one pre-Christmas excursion to La Fonda, a storied (more or less) downtown hotel, for a weeknight session of dancing (damn, this whole dancing thing is getting serious…). And a night out at Tiny’s, a local bar/restaurant that also provides free music. The evening was a mixed bag: Tiny’s is within walking distance, and for a second I could pretend I was back in the Windy City, where so much entertainment was so close to home. And the band—which included a guitarist I had met before, a friend of Sharon’s—was good. But Tiny’s itself—oh, boy. Tacky décor and overpriced drinks in a bar in a small strip mall off of a four-lane commercial byway; yikes. I have never paid prices like that anywhere else in Santa Fe, or even in Chicago, outside of swanky downtown establishments.  We were far from downtown and far from swank. Rest assured Tiny’s will not become my local Cheers.

One of my assignment pics...

...and another

Some future social events I’m looking forward to: the photographers’ Meetup group, which I’ve only attended once so far. The group is a little intimidating, as most members seem to have much better equipment and skills than I do. And also a lot more time and/or devotion to the craft. A planned shooting road trip will take two hours each way just for travel time. Uh, call me a snob, but I want to make sure I have something in common with my carpool mates for a ride that long before I commit. And our “assignments” seem to come fast and furious. I did one, and will go to the meeting where we’ll review the results, but after that—we’ll see.

Writer, director, editor, actor, novelist--enough already!

I’m more excited about another upcoming event: hearing John Sayles speak. It’s part of a series sponsored by a local foundation (I wrote about a previous talk here), and it should draw a good crowd in what some LA folks refer to as “Little Hollywood” (OK, I have no verification of that, but Sharon met some people “in the biz” when she was back in CA for the holidays, and that’s what they told her). I’ve been a Sayles fan since Return of the Secaucus Seven—though some of the later stuff has not bowled me over—and I’ve read one of his novels too. Look for a recap of the talk either here or at the History Nerd.

So, I guess that brings us up-to-date. For the most part, life here in the City Different has settled into one of comfortable routines with work and Sharon, with the welcome diversions of the play and other artistic events. And always, every day without fail, there is the natural splendor. Walking to Trader Joe’s today, I thought, “I could be in any suburban neighborhood.” The houses in this residential area are middle class or better, close together but not too close, single-family homes of various sizes. But of course, none of the suburbs I’ve lived in had adobe dwellings, or a Trader Joe’s in walking distance, or snow-capped peaks just beyond the city limits. No, life may be comfortable here, but it never feels routine in a land so unlike most of the United States. Life, as my landlord would say, is bueno (he calls me Miguel too). Maybe that will be on the agenda next—Spanish lessons. And I still have that Casio—a post-marital dissolution purchase—waiting to be played. Seems I will never lack for things to do in my new home.