Rocking the Paradise

Rocking the Paradise

Albany Art and Air Festival made a calculated decision to book only Rock Bands to play at the venue. The reason is because this area is saturated with Country Music. Sweet Home has the Jamboree, Brownsville the Country Music Festival; Benton County Fair tends to book country acts as well as Albany River Rhythms.



With that decision, Large…. Really large (and in half the population of the city) attend the Art and Air Festival music venue. Last year, it was Joan “I Love Rock and Roll” Jett with approximately 23,000 people. It’s a crazy venue in that, the stage is in a pond (yes, you read that correct) and the crowd sits on this dome shaped mound that is slopped for stadium seating provided you have your own chair. And 23,000 people in that space tends to make no room for movement. No way to reach the beer tent. Did I forget to tell you the music is free?? As in no-cost.



This year, it’s the Music of Styx. You know, the 70- 80’s rock that your parents didn’t allow you to listen too solely based on their name. (Styx is the river that leads into Hell. The band made a quip about how great Albany was for putting the stage out in the water just for them. I’m sure most people missed the reference to their name. Anyhow.)



The city anticipated a large crowd, the same as Joan Jett. In order to maintain a safe environment in which someone could go get a beer, the city gated the venue and had two entry-exit points with the gates opening at 10 am. Yes, I was in line. Many people were scared away. There was no guarantee you’d be allowed back in the venue, even with your hand stamped. It was a pity really, since getting in and back in seemed to be no issue. I set up my chair at 10 am and returned around 6 pm for the 8 pm show. I heard they closed the gates at 7:10 pm however that is unconfirmed.



Styx rocked the house. Some the music sounded really 80’s. However, the audience stood the entire time and sang along to “Blue Collar Man” and “Too Much Time on my Hands.” They didn’t play Mr. Roboto the song in which many American’s learned how to say Thank you very much in Japanese. (In case you forgot its Domo Arigato.) Maybe because Dennis DeYoung who wrote and sang that song left Styx’s in 1999 and then sued the band. (He lost.)



After the show, fireworks. Yeap, a good 15 minute show of fireworks to ooh and awe over.



I’m looking forward to next year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ZZ Top.

Rafting Adventures....and a Child Guide

The dirty, old looking van with broken door handles didn’t worry me as much at the 12 year-old looking kid who stated without much enthusiasm he was going to be our guide for the day.




If I wasn’t a bit nervous about white water rafting before; I am now.

Our driver looked to be…oh about 17 years old. He had to be a teenager since in between sticking his head out the door in the steep, rough not-made-for-driving-on road to make sure the tires stated on the loose gravel and instead of over the edge (to which I thought I’ve had a good life and it was sad it was going to end this way) he would text. (Now I’m convinced my life is going to end in a dirty, beat up rusted out van.) As in, take out the cell phone and text and not have his eyes on the road all the while our “tour guide” slept. He must have been at least 13 because that is what teenagers do; sleep and nap for long periods and 12 years old would make him a child. None this is behavior was lead to my eagerness to raft.

My rafting mate for the next four hours was a mother-daughter team with whom I was camping with for the weekend. (Along with eight other women, camping in tee-pees.)

The other three rafters were Korean. A father and two nine year old children. The father spoke English although his listen skills were not keen. The child/teenager/river guide would command us (okay maybe command is a strong word for his soft spoken, non-authoritative voice) to paddle three strokes forward. I took these commands seriously. No way did I want to end up in the icy cold river in class four/five rapids. Our Korean man would paddle until someone told him to stop unless he was keeled over in the raft. Yes, he had a tendency to fall inwards often going over the least powerful rapid. The kids; well were kids. They did not do anything that assembled paddling. Nor did they understand our child/teenager guide since they did not speak English. This left three women and one child/teenage guide to steer, move and get the raft safety downstream.

It’s a wonder I lived. But I did. Next time I raft, it will be with a guide that is older than 12; and it will be on US Federal lands. And if a rusted out, beat up, broken handle van comes to pick me up I’ll know to walk away.

Zumba Classes OR How my Belly Dancing has Paid Off



Over 50 pounds gone

Finally my Belly-Dancing lessons have come in handy.



“Why don’t you blog about Zumba?” My Zumba friend inquired…and friend is a loose term since she lost over 50 pounds in seven months. (Like who can be friends with someone who can lose weight that quickly??!) She says it’s not all because of Zumba but attributes some of it to Weight Watchers. Whereas me, I celebrate losing a pound and mourn when I gain 10; both events without any significant effort. However, that would be a boring blog. Back to Zumba.



The Zumba crazy was started by an immigrant in Florida when asked to sub at his local gym the Aerobics class. Having never taken an Aerobics class he did what he didn’t know….and did a dance routine to Latin Music. And thus, Zumba was born.



The wave of Zumba first hit my area several years ago. Back in “those days” each class was $7.00 and you had to commit to 6 weeks at a time. Not for those pitching pennies no matter how much weight you wanted to lose. My partner (the gal with whom I’ve been working out with 5 times a week for the past 15 years) and I went to the free preview Zumba. Can’t say we were sold. Maybe it was the price. Maybe because we felt like uncoordinated fools. And no doubt we looked the part.



Almost a year ago, my partner wants me to try out Zumba with her again. This time, it’s at her church and it’s only $2 bucks a class. Since she is my partner, I said yes without any zest or zeal, vin or vigor. (Whatever that is supposed to mean.)



This time, I still felt like an uncoordinated fool, however I could figure out the routine and I liked the instructor. I purchased the punch card and made the commitment.



Zumba has a lot of core body work. Lots of moving of the waist and abs…and making me grateful I know how to do belly rolls thanks to my year worth of lessons of Belly Dance. The moves area always the same to whatever song they play. The moves in the chorus is always the same and always to the beat of the song. If you can move your feet, you can Zumba. Mind you, you might feel like Jim Carey in Pet Detective running around in a tut-tut looking like a fool but you will feel as good as Jennifer Beal in Flash dance. (Sorry, could not think of an Belly Dance references.)



Zumba is the only time I look forward to hearing a Justin Bieber Song.


Will I be seeing you in class soon????