Somehow you're other message got deleted, so I'll reply to this one instead. I'm glad that you've been getting some good calling in. I know that you had been frustrated with how little you were getting to call last time I heard from you. Until really recently, I had been mostly aiming for about a dance a month. That was about right as far as weekends away from home went. Then I realized that if I booked 2-3 dances in one weekend, I could get twice or three times the number of dances in, with the same number of weekends away from home. The apparently I went a little crazy. This is my schedule starting Tuesday: 6/23 - Winston Salem, NC w/ Big Home Band 6/27 - Roanoke, VA w/ Root 2 7/10 - Carrboro, NC w/ Gypsy Meltdown 7/11 - Greensboro, NC w/ Gypsy Meltdown 7/12 - River Falls Lodge - Special Afternoon Dance - w/ Gypsy Meltdown 7/13 - Asheville, NC (Grey Eagle) w/ Gypsy Meltdown 7/26 - Brattleboro, VT w/ Anadama 7/28 - MIT Contra Dance, Cambridge, MA w/ Nor'easter 7/31 - BIDA Contra Dance, Cambridge, MA 8/1 - 8/8 - Pinewoods - American Music and Dance Week, attending Kathy Anderson's Square Dance Callers' Workshop 8/13 - Rochester, NY w/ Nor'easter 8/14 - Ithaca, NY w/ Nor'easter 8/15 - Buffalo, NY w/ Nor'easter 8/16 - Owego, NY w/ Nor'easter 8/17 - Concord Scout House, Concord, MA w/ Nor'easter That's 14 dances, in 6 states, plus a week at pinewoods in just under 2 months. That's more than I've called most years. I've really enjoyed getting to work with one band for multiple gigs. I've done that twice before....three gigs last August with the Avant Gardeners, and then the mini tour I did with Gypsy Meltdown in April up in Virginia. I've been feeling a bit scattershot as far as real work goes....need to get myself better organized about getting in touch with folks....working on that. Week before last, though, I did 1500 miles worth of driving....out to do a training, and then an install on the way home, then out for three more demos in the next two days -- all more than 2 hours from home (though at least one pair were both in the same direction). Then last week, I didn't travel for work at all. Really need to manage to spread things out. My goal is to do 2-3 days of traveling and have 2-3 days in the office each week. I'm working on it. What work are you doing out in Detroit that keeps you living out of a hotel? I hope that you at least get some sort of travel allowance. Another possible get together is that Lark is trying to get a group of folks together to go to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival the week of August 10th -- the week after Pinewoods (the beginning of the week that will end with our tour Thurs-Monday.) We'd be looking at going to plays Tuesday or Wednesday or both. There's probably a group coming over from Ann Arbor. It would be great to see you this summer if we can work it out. Take care, Jack At 07:01 PM 6/14/2009, you wrote: Last night I called the dance Bronwyn Woods wrote and called at Callers week "Hortensia's Cravat". It was a nice memory. The dance community enjoyed it. It brought back fond memories of our night on the floor. Laurie Pietravalle _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net [1]http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers References 1. http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers