now playing: joseph parsons, “another way around”
i know what the cute little saying is tryin’ to get across – but the fact is, if someones’ watching, you really should at least make some effort to dance like someone’s watching…otherwise, it may come back to haunt you.
why do i bring this up, you may ask?
three words….
company. christmas. party.
yes, i was there…and yes, i danced.
and yes, i kinda suck at it.
the funny thing is, i used to dance all the time – in my late teens, early twenties…i was never self conscious about it at the time. hell, i’m not really so much self conscious about it now. it’s just that i have no idea what to do with myself. i didn’t realize this until i had gotten up and went out onto the dance floor, and it hit me – what the hell do i do now?
i guess the natural response to that question would be, “whatever you feel like doing” – but i literally had no idea what it was that i was supposed to do…so i just kinda started rocking from one side to the other and trying to get my body to respond to my mental commands – you know, very specific things…like “don’t act like a dork” or “maybe it’s been long enough since hitch was out that you won’t draw too many comparisons” or even “watch the guy who knows what he’s doing” – which would’ve been great if there was anyone who fell into that category. that, in and of itself, was my saving grace, because had there been anyone there who had some skills, i’d have looked even more like a doofus. as it was, i just looked like a rhythmically stunted preppy caucasian version of rerun from what’s happening after taking a little too much ecstasy.
i did, however, have a good time.
this year, HR approached me about playing at the christmas party, so i set up the whole production and played a 60 minute set before dinner – i got a lot of compliments, with the only complaint that’s made it back to me thus far being that it was hard to hear in the back of the hall. if this happens again, i’ll make sure that this isn’t an issue.
there were several people taking pictures, but none have made it back to me yet. wendy got one, in particular, of me at the piano that looks pretty good on the camera LCD, but i haven’t seen any of those yet, either.
i felt pretty good about the show, all in all – i recorded it to my laptop, from the headphone jack of the console, just to be able to go back and listen to it after the fact to see how i did…if i’d paid a little more attention to how the acoustic guitars sounded through the console, i’d have had a really good show recording. as it was, the guitars didn’t carry to the recording well at all…so i’ll probably end up getting rid of most of it…at least that’s my first impression.
i did go all out, though, in terms of presentation – i brought a pair of regular acoustics, a twelve string, a resonator guitar (and a mandolin that didn’t get used at all) and the piano. it was the complete jackson browne setup – i was determined to do the most professional show i was capable of doing, and i did. it didn’t mean, however, that i was ignored any less than i am when i play any other gig – because that was certainly not the case. i think that, had i been playing during dinner, that circumstance might have been different…and i may suggest just that for next year. i really don’t care if that means that i won’t get to eat, to be honest. if the food is along the lines of what they had this year, that’ll be ok.
anyway – i played well. i danced with wendy and angela and patty, who showed up determined to have a good time, and i’m glad she did. chris and jamie, the perennial goofballs of the party, were largely themselves…that is, until an unnamed employee began gettin’ just a little close to ol’ chris, much to the dismay of his wife….so they retreated to their table until things cooled down.
yesterday, there was a plan, of course – but i woke up with a splitting headache…apparently, even a single corona counts as a bender when you get to be my age…and all i really managed to do for the day was to go visit my adopted daughter – well, depending on who you ask. angela and kevin’s daughter alicia reminds me a great deal of jayda when she was her age…precocious, adorable, curious and energetic. i had told angela earlier in the week that i might stop over this weekend to take a look at their computer, and she told me that when she told alicia, she immediately informed her mom that “tom will play dora with me!” (“dora” being a flash animation/game on the nick jr. website that she fancies).
and then when we left, alicia stood in the doorway with her hands up against the glass and watched us drive away….
…just like jayda used to.
...from the rear view mirror 