Eugene Oregon Tango and Real Estate

6:01pm: The Last Tango?
Tonight at 7:15 p.m. I'll be at the city council meeting to speak to try to keep the non-profit Tango Center open. The landlords have given us until this weekend (!) to get out. I've been an avid dancer and supporter of the Tango Center since it opened in 2003. It brings hundreds of people downtown every week. It will break my heart to see it close.

1:22pm: My other blog
I don't blog here much, but I update my other blog more frequently: http://www.MovingToEugene.net.

11:03am: Weekday Farmer's Market at the Tango Center
The Weekday Farmer's Market at the tango center on Broadway by Charnelton will only have veggies on Friday for now. It's open every weekday 10 to 4 p.m. with crafts, empanadas and espresso, but the farmers can only make it on Friday.

6:03pm: Krumping picture
I scanned the picture from yesterday's paper.  Here it is:
<img src="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72431157@N00/2211121660/">

5:02pm: DOWN WITH KRUMP
I made the paper today. On the front page of the City/Region section there's a picture of me doing an arm throw and kick.

Yesterday I attended a Krump workshop and the U of O taught by Ceasare Willis "Tight Eyes" of the Krump Kings of South LA. The caption next to my picture says:
"Jean Heneghan, 63 (left), tries out krumping at the hourlong workshop."

Here's part of the article:
"Stomps, chest pops and arm swings.

Those are just some of the moves that combine to form “krump” — a unique urban dance style that is gaining in popularity throughout the country, mostly among the younger set.
--snip--
Jean Heneghan, a 63-year-old Eugene real estate agent, skewed the median age of workshop participants.

“I think I’m probably the oldest person here,” said Heneghan, who began dancing in her mid-fifties as a way to exercise while having fun. “At my advanced age, krumping looks like people having a hissy fit,” she said, adding that she also loves hip-hop dancing for its physical challenges."

You can see the full article, but alas, not my picture, at http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=52020&sid=4&fid=2

6:21pm: MOTHER'S FASHION ADVICE
When I was growing up in the 40s and 50s, fashion advice from my mother was, don't ever let your underwear show (tee shirts were underwear then) and don't wear white after labor day.

I graduated from high school in 1962, and all fashion advice was out the window after that.  I was a great experimental time, and I enjoyed trying new things.

In raising my kids, I didn't give them much in the way of fashion rules.  They all are artistically talented and it was fun to see what they would come up with (especially Noni).  We didn't have much money when they were little.  They got creative in second hand stores, and still do.

I recently saw part of an Oprah show about fashion advice.  It was a revelation to me.  Panty line?  I never gave my butt a second thought.  I took a look, and sure enough, there was a panty line.  I bought my first pair of thongs.  The advice was to buy nude so they won't show under white, which I did.

11:16pm: Ogopogo
Last week my twelve year old cat was attacked.  My best guess is, it was a raccoon.  It happened on our deck, and the only animal that could hurt her that much that might be on our deck is a raccoon.  She has a large patch of skin missing on her back, just below her neck and a deep puncture wound.

She's recovering nicely.  She's been very clingy, and likes to sleep under the covers with my arm around her.

My daughter Loreen was here a couple of days ago with our nine month old granddaughter, Beatrix.  While GrandDad played with Beatrix, Loreen went up to our bedroom and took a nap.  Ogopogo got under the covers and snuggled with her.

She's an injured cat.  Loreen is a nursing mother, and smells, to Ogopogo, like comfort, protection, and love.  It was a nice nap for both of them.

6:32pm: Haiku
Sorry, my attempt at pasting my haiku resulted in unreadable HTML. I tried Rich text and I tried HTML, but no go.

9:46pm: Visiting the new granddaughter in Las Vegas
Friday I flew off to Las Vegas to spend time with my six week old granddaughter, Juniper Snow, while her parents (son David and daughter-in-law Heather) gambled. She is so beautiful, and such a good baby! . She is my first grandchild, but lives in Philidelphia, so I won't get to see her as much as I want to. While there I went to see the Circ Du Soleil show "Mystere". Wow! I've never seen anything like it in my life!

My daughter Loreen and her husband Damon are expecting my second granddaughter in March. They live here in Eugene. Yay!

Flying out of Eugene to Las Vegas is a piece of cake on the weekend. There are direct flights, so it only takes about 1 1/2 hours. I love the Eugene Airport. It's small, but very nice and has direct flights to many cities.

4:06pm: The feds had me locked up, but I escaped.
I had a look at our new Federal Courthouse. It's located in a formerly industrial area on the Willamette River. I'm looking forward to seeing that beautiful riverfront developed into something we can all enjoy. There used to be a corn processing factory there. Now there is the new courthouse and lots of dirt for something else.

On the outside its interesting, but does look a bit like an Airstream trailer. It gets much better on the inside. I like all the sweeping curves and views to different levels. The art is interesting if you like abstract stuff.

I was there during a public tour. When I tried to leave, the elevators were so crowded I decided to find the stairs. I opened an unmarked door, and there they were! Down I went, with two other folks. We went down a long hall and encountered a guard at the other end who told us we couldn't go out that way. So... back down the long hall, up the stairs to the door. Locked! Trapped! I took it upon myself to knock until someone opened the door, and we were back at the elevators.

The feds had me locked up, but I escaped.

6:57pm: Tango Tree
Today I got out all my Christmas stuff.

Every year we cut down a tree in our woods and haul it to the Tango Center in downtown Eugene where I decorate it.

I went through all my boxes and picked out what I want to decorate the Tango Tree with this year. This was especially fun because after Christmas last year I took advantange of some sales and got some new stuff. Since I haven't seen it in a year and never used it, it was like opening presents.

It takes me all day and into the night to do the tree, but I sure enjoy it. I'm planning on doing the tree either Thursday or Friday so it will be up for the Saturday milonga (tango dance).

We have a decorative wind-up victrola at the Tango Center. I made a record-size winter scene to put on the turntable. We're going to the Tango Center tonight for the Tuesday Bailonga and I will take that with me for tonight's dance.

6:19pm: Digging for Daffodils
Yesterday was chilly but dry, and I took that opportunity to dig up some daffodil bulbs that somehow found their way into the middle of my yard.

I've been meaning to do that for several years now, but I never could find them in the fall. This time when they bloomed, I marked them with re-bar. I got six fat bulbs. They are quite pretty blooms, double cream colored, unlike any other daffodils I have. I wasn't prepared to put them in the ground, so I potted them.

Today it rained buckets, so its good that I got out into the yard yesterday.