2009 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE!

SSQQ 2009 Important Moments

Toni Maciel and Richard Greason

Ana Torres and Bob Graham

Adam Lathrop and Renee' Landry

Cristina Lozano and Conor O'Muirgheasa

Dear Rick and Marla,

Penny Gunderson and I were recently married on Saturday, October the 10th, a date that will forever be etched into our minds as "10/10/09".

We had met in the fall of 2005 at SSQQ, but didn't know each other very well, except in dance classes and Tuesday nights at Wild West, until one Saturday in late February, we took separate cars, and met in Galveston on The Strand at the Mardi Gras. A great live band was playing on one of the town squares (little did we know they would end up entertaining our guests at our wedding). A cold front had blown thru that night, and it was bitterly cold; we found a vendor who sold Fosters beer across the street, and a couple of those numbed the pain.

After that weekend, we started dating, and found out we enjoyed many of the same things. We went to baseball and football games, went to Summerfest in Milwaukee, to Wrigley Field in Chicago, to rock concerts, on Caribbean cruises (Penny contracted a case of Killer Pneumonia earlier this year, which caused us to re-schedule this year's cruise), on Hill Country Road Trips, to Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and we also danced a lot, practically everywhere we went.  In addition to our old friends, we also picked up a lot of new friends along the way, many of whom are SSQQ alumni.

Sometime in 2008, we wanted to get married, but decided to wait until October of this year to have a wedding. We thought about how we wanted to get hitched, and figured, What The Hell, let's throw all the traditions out the window, and have a kick-ass party, with a short ceremony. Somehow, it morphed into a Groovy 60's Wedding, so for over a year we embarked on a quest to have the grooviest party ever.

To our friends who were not there, we have to apologize, because the facility was simply not large enough to accommodate everyone we would have liked to have been there (our wedding guests can probably attest to that, we had to cram them in like sardines, in order to set aside room for a dance floor).

Our Groovy 60's Wedding was held at 5:55 pm on 10/10/09 at the historic Houston Heights Fire Station on Yale and 12th Street. People asked us "why 5:55?", and we had to answer, "why not?".

Our guests have been nice enough to tell us that they thought it was the best wedding ever, and we are still thrilled they all had a good time.

Everyone got in the mood at 5:55, downstairs, signing our "Guest Book" (an old acoustical guitar), eating Bugles, Shoestring Potatoes and Chex Mix, sipping refreshments, and watching a 60's music video on our movie screen, that we had prepared just for that night. We heard later that they were singing along to the tunes; far out, man.

After that, they made their way upstairs, for our Ceremony (officiated by our Minister, Noel Townsend, an SSQQ alumnus), followed by dinner, with 60's music playing in the background.  Besides Noel, SSQQ alumni in attendance were: Keith and Betty Baker, Tom Huddleston and Bette Polishak, Kit Carney, Elizabeth Arrazate, Randy Piniola and Steffany Cunningham, Gus Donnell and Fran Zandstra, Sheryl Marquez, Cristina Lozano, Ed Anderson, Tina (Greer) Robert, plus Donald and Jean Taylor.

For the rest of the evening, The Fab 5 provided classic live 60's music (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Procul Harum, etc.). They played "Love Is All Around" by The Troggs, for our special Wedding Dance. Later, we had a 60's Trivia Contest; we had over 20 groovy Door Prizes that we gave away according to which "place mat" (the place mats were 60's vinyl album covers) was in front of the winners; we had 6 different trophies for Best 60's Costumes. The band was bitchin', the dance floor was hoppin', the drinks were flowin', and well…you gotta see the pictures.

Afterwards, it took Penny and I days to unwind, we were so wound up with our Wedding and all the preparations. Thanks to a small army of volunteers, we had plenty of help before, during, and after the wedding.  Eventually, we plan to make a display, showing what we wore that evening.

We plan to take a honeymoon sometime next year, when both of our jobs afford us a better opportunity than right now.

Suffice to say, if not for SSQQ, chances are slim to none that Penny and I would have ever met each other.

From: Anita Williams
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 10:33 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: SSQQ wedding couple larry parker donna baker

Hi Rick,

About four years ago I referred my co-worker Donna Baker to SSQQ.

Donna met Larry Parker in a two-step class.  They were pretty much inseparable one they met. They were married September 18 in New Orleans.  I think Larry took pictures for you at one of your Halloween parties (or maybe it was a Western Party). 

 

Rick Archer's Note: I know Larry and Donna very well.  And I remember their romance exactly the way Anita describes it.  For four solid years, Larry and Donna took every dance class under the sun - and they were rarely more than five feet apart.

Larry is a professional photographer and a good one too.  I ran into him by accident when he took the wedding pictures at Bryan and Lisa Spivey's wedding in 2007.  Throughout the Wedding Reception, Larry was always working.  I never saw him take a break once.

I don't think Larry has ever taken the SSQQ Halloween photos, but I believe he took the pictures at our fun 2005 Two Tons of Steel Dance Party. If you are a Two Tons fan, you will enjoy seeing these pictures of your heroes.

I was unable to find a picture of Larry and Donna together at the Two Tons Party, but I did find two suspicious pictures of Donna and Larry in separate pictures with the same attractive young lady.  I do not know for sure, but I am guessing the young lady is Donna's daughter. The lack of a photo with Larry and Donna together indicates to me that Larry was unable to take the pictures and be in the pictures at the same time.  I am guessing Donna took the other picture. Surely one of these days someone will develop a camera to solve that problem!

 

I haven't seen Larry or Donna in well over a year.  As always, I assume that as their relationship deepened, their priorities changed and dance moved into the background. 

How many times have you heard me say that before?  No matter.  I just miss them.

The important thing is that the old SSQQ Slow Dance and Romance Magic is definitely alive and well where this attractive couple is concerned.  I am very happy for both! 

And I am also glad that my friend Anita Williams took the time to send me the pictures and the update on this wonderful story.

I am sure that Anita enjoys playing Cupid just as much as I do!

Rick Archer's Note:  Gary and Dina were married on August 17, 2009.  They spent their honeymoon on the SSQQ Dance Cruise that began the following Sunday.  Here is the story I originally wrote for the 2009 Cruise Recap:

Our second honeymoon couple played a game of 'I've got a secret' with me. On Monday morning at breakfast, Gary Catalan and Dina Burton announced to me that they had gotten married one week earlier. Prior to the trip, I had noticed that both were smiling more than the average guy.  I assumed Gary and Dina were smiling at the studio because they were happy, but now I know their grins concealed their big secret. Both Gary and Dina are well aware how seriously I take "SSQQ Wedding Couples". I think they were looking forward to their chance to spill the beans and surprise me. Well, it worked! I started to smile from ear to ear at the news. I was completely taken off guard.

That said, this news didn't totally bowl me over. In fact, it gave me the chance to figure out what I had been feeling for some time. I had been noticing for several months just how much both of them always seemed to be grinning when I would see them at the studio. Most people seem glad to see me at the studio, but Gary and Dina seemed unusually happy to see and I couldn't figure out why. Now I had the explanation that allowed me to make sense of the special rapport I had been observing for some time.

What I did not expect, however, is when they said they had met at my dance studio. This was something I didn't know. I first met Gary and Dina in a West Coast Swing class. They showed up as a couple. I assumed they had met elsewhere and were coming to the studio to learn WCS. What I did not know is that they had originally met in a Salsa class. After class, along with a group of friends they would go out dancing. Over the next several months, the size of their group dwindled slowly but surely, but Gary and Dina would go dancing anyway. The group was no longer necessary - Gary and Dina had connected. I have heard SSQQ Romance stories EXACTLY like this so many times before, but I can assure you I still get goose bumps when I learn what an important contribution the studio can make to people's lives. I was very touched by Gary and Dina's story.

I noticed this couple from the very start. Gary is an accomplished Argentine Tango dancer (in fact, his Tango teachers Martin and Natia Palaez accompanied Gary and Dina on this year's cruise!) I don't think Dina knew much Argentine, so Gary set about teaching her. Even though they were at the studio on Sunday nights to learn Swing, whenever the opportunity came along they would practice Tango. During Breaks and Practice nights, I would see Gary working with Dina on her Ochos and leg whips. Argentine Tango has a neat look about it… as Gary would stand still, I enjoyed watching Dina wrap her legs around him. I have a hunch Gary liked it too. Gary and Dina looked really good together, so I went out of my way to praise them. They deserved the praise, believe me.

Picture of Loni and Doug on the 2008 SSQQ Greece Cruise

Rick Archer's Note:

Both Loni and Doug have been important members in the SSQQ Community about as far back as my memory goes.  I am certain that Doug began taking lessons here before 2001 and my hunch is that Loni goes back just as far. 

Loni has been on the SSQQ Staff as Daryl Armstrong's assistant for as long as I can remember.  I doubt seriously his class would be even remotely popular without his vivacious brown-eyed assistant.

I can now reveal that I was hoping that Loni and Doug would announce their engagement on the 2008 Greece Cruise.  Throughout the trip I have never seen two people happier together. 

Fortunately I didn't have long to wait... on Valentine's Day, 2009, Doug took his sweetheart Loni on a dinner cruise out into Galveston Bay.

The Colonel Paddlewheel Boat is an authentic replica of an 1800-style Paddlewheeler that sails from Moody Gardens down in Galveston. This 800-passenger paddlewheel boat takes guests on year-round hour-long cruises in Offatts Bayou. The boat features a large dance floor.

Hi Rick, we finally did it!  On Sunday, June 14th, Guy Thomas Hoover and I were married on Po'olenalena Beach in Maui.

At your request, I have added some of the details of our courtship and wedding,

Patty
........

How We Almost Met

Kernersville, NC 1991-92

I lived in Kernersville, NC in 1991-92 and worked in Winston-Salem. During the same time period, Hoover was living 8.7 miles from me and working at the Greensboro airport. Now Kernersville is not a large metropolis, U.S. census figures indicate a population of 17,126 in 2000.

hmm... maybe we passed each other on the road or stood in line together at the Food Lion. For whatever reason, maybe the timing wasn't right, our paths didn't cross until 10 years later after we individually moved to Houston and felt the need to dance.

How We Finally Did Meet in 2002

Dancing Machines - 1st Night in Beginning Two Step

In late 2002, my girlfriends Molly and Kim convinced me to take dancing classes with them at SSQQ. They wanted to take Two-Step.

Country music -ick!! I didn't like country music but wanted to dance so I went along with the plan. The first night of class I sized up the potential partners. One in particular caught my eye. There was something about him. As a rule, we switch partners during the class. When it came time to dance with 'Hoover' as his name tag read, we had a go at the dance steps and he finished by giving me a wink and a grin before moving on to the next partner. A wink!! How crass. I re-call expressing my dismay over the neantherthalic display to Molly and Kim after class.

"Of all the nerve - he winked at me. hhuummppp".

But secretly, I liked the attention.  Those cavemen get all the girls.


Rodeo Dance

Our Country-Western classes spanned four months. February is rodeo-time in Houston and everyone is a cowboy or cowgirl at least for a day. I had confided to Kim that I was interested in Hoover and she arranged for Hoover, Molly and I to go to the Rodeo dance on the same entry ticket.

Soon thereafter, Hoover, Molly and I began hanging out on a regular basis. Hoover was in heaven - escorting not one, but two, lovely ladies about town.

Not long thereafter, Hoover and I began dating on our own, freeing up Molly to meet Alan Wilson, her fiancé, 6 months later.
 

Our Wedding

On Sunday, June 14th, Guy Thomas Hoover and I tied the knot on Po'olenalena Beach in Maui. We had 14 guests at our ceremony.

Hoover and I arrived in Maui on the Pride of America - the same cruise Kim Runge and I went on with the SSQQ group back in May 2007.

To begin the ceremony, orchid leis were presented by Hoover and I to each guest. Don't they look stunning in their Hawaiian best!

Pastor Bob read 'Blessings for a Marriage' and officiated the exchange of vows.

After the vow exchange and prayer I presented Hoover a his groom's lei.

Pastor Bob offered a Hawaiian blessing to conclude the ceremony. 

Then there was kissing.

After the ceremony the wedding party had dinner a nearby restaurant. A few minutes after we were seated, we witnessed the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen.  

After the ceremony we had a dinner for all the guests, but no music for dancing. I felt quite incomplete.

So when we got back to the ship we changed into our dancing shoes and went to the Mardi Gras Lounge. It was Sock Hop night aboard the ship!  Perfect!

When we arrived they were judging the Elvis competition. At the conclusion of the Elvis judging we got to dance our first dance to the Elvis classic "Can't Help Falling in Love With You". Since we were still in our wedding duds the whole place knew we had just got married and we were congratulated by all.

Then the band fired up a swing song and we strutted our stuff center stage.  Needless to say, everyone watching was very complimentary. The end to a perfect day. This was way too much fun!

Planning a destination wedding can be a bit harrowing, but the end result was well worth the trouble.

Aloha! Patty P. (aka Mrs. Hoover)
 

Hey Rick, thanks again for your kind remarks.  Since you asked for elaboration, I’m sending you portions of our wedding website

Patty Pennington and Guy Hoover

Maid of Honor Molly Wright and Best Man AJ Jordan

Kim Runge and Kenny Hainline

Jack and Jackie were married on Saturday, June 27, with a hundred people in attendance.  They had an elaborate reception immediately afterwards.  Then for good measure, they threw a party for 300 people later that same night as well.

Jack and Jackie announced their engagement back in November 2007. 

However, before they could get married, they had a hurdle of sorts to clear.  In the summer of 2008, Jack and Jackie took a lengthy trip to Malaysia so Jack could get permission from Jackie's brother - the head of the family - to officially marry his sister.  Apparently Jack passed with flying colors (as you can see, he is quite colorful).  This allowed Jackie to begin plans for their 2009 wedding.

When wedding pictures become available, I think we can finally replace this wonderful shot from the 2007 Halloween Party.

From: Peg and Joe Wiggins
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 1:21 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: One More for the Tally

Hello Rick,  We just wanted to email you so you could add one more to this year's SSQQ matrimonial tally.

Joe and I met at SSQQ May 18, 2008 at one of your beginning two-step classes. I was there to learn to dance. Joe says he was there to meet some good women. Joe never could learn to polka and only lasted the one class.

I went on to take 3 or 4 more classes.

We were married last Saturday, May 16, 2009, just a day or two short of a year from our first dance. I am hoping that I can now talk Joe into a few more classes! Needless, to say, SSQQ will always be a special place for us.

Sincerely, Peg Leland Wiggins and Joe Wiggins

Hi Rick, As promised, I am attaching a few pictures from our wedding & reception.  We were married on March 21.  As you will from the pictures, SSQQ was well-represented indeed.

I think you have a general understanding of how Fran and I met, but let me fill you in a bit. Our connection is definitely through SSQQ, but not that we met while taking classes. Fran started taking dance lessons at SSQQ in 2004 and I started in 2006. Now here's the tricky part, Fran and I have different stories about how we met. Fran claims we met at a Sunday school picnic on Memorial Day weekend 2006, and I claim we met dancing at Wild West in June 2006.

And as is often the case the truth is somewhere in between. We did meet at the Sunday school picnic, but I do not remember the meeting (we were with different dates). So.... there's the conundrum. If I don't remember, then did we really meet? My first recollection is dancing at WIld West sometime in June. Therefore, I always tell people ..."we met the old fashioned way, at a bar"! And Fran tells the story of our first meeting at a church picnic. Frankly, I think my story has a little more sizzle (and hers has a little more steak).

We met up and danced a several times during June-Aug at Wild West, and we dated a few of times in July and August, but still we were not dating exclusively. Then we signed up separately for the 2006 SSQQ Phapsody Reloaded Cruise and the rest is history. As one of my SSQQ dance class friends said upon my return to class after the cruise, "You fell in love on the cruise!", and she was right. Fran and I have had many wonderful times dancing at Wild West, taking classes at SSQQ, and attending the SSQQ parties whenever possible.

Our wedding and reception was an East meets West event. Fran had 5 brothers & sisters fly in from California and I had 3 brothers & sisters fly in from New Jersey. In addition, we had a large contingent of SSQQ dancers at the wedding/reception. As usual, their dancing was admired by everyone and they became a major source of entertainment and fun at our reception.

Finally, I'd like to give a special mention to Steve Gabino & Caitlin Prescott (from SSQQ).

Caitlin was our wedding day Reception Manager. She made sure everything ran smoothly and she did an absolutely wonderful job. She was there when the first supplier arrived and she locked the doors after the last vendor left. And in between she managed the setup, handled whatever issues & decisions arose, and finally managed the tear-down. This allowed us to focus completely on our guests.

Steve Gabino was our wedding/reception photographer and as I'm sure you know, his photography skills are superb. He has a keen artistic eye and gave us many memorable shots. In fact, he took the attached pictures. I have included several pictures of some of the SSQQ dance folks. One in particular of Steve and his beautiful girlfriend, Vivian Gustafson.

Finally, Fran and I both want to thank you for helping us get ready for our wedding dance, the Western Waltz. We used the CD which you provided and the dance went off almost flawlessly.

Of course, you will see both Fran and me around the SSQQ studio in the future. We love dancing and will continue to take classes, because that muscle memory needs refreshing, you know, especially for me.   See ya soon, Gus Donnell & Fran Zandstra

Gerry Frances and Amy Adams were married on Saturday, March 28, 2009. They had both the wedding ceremony and the reception at the Tin Hall Dance Hall out in Cypress, Texas.

There were at least 60 guests from SSQQ, possibly more.  I wish I had pictures to post, but my camera ran out of juice after two pictures.  So I borrowed a camera and took lots of wonderful pictures of the guests, the bride and groom, and all the great dancing... except that the owner of the camera then left town for Iraq.  Oh well.

I can report the guests had a marvelous time.  Tin Hall has an enormous dance floor and we filled it up with plenty of Twosteps, Waltzes, and Swings.  The non-dancing guests watched in awe as our group showed off.

Gerry and Amy danced a wonderful Waltz to Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance (for the Rest of My Life)?"  It was obvious that Gerry had practiced quite a bit.  They looked wonderful.

Gerry has been Marla Archer's Swing assistant for many years.  In addition he serves as a Hall Monitor once a week.  Gerry has been so helpful to SSQQ for a long time. 

It makes me smile to see such a neat guy find such a neat gal.  

From: Leo Skiba
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 10:12 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Taking a class

Rick, I'm going to make my bi-annual appearance at the studio to take Beginning Twostep or Beginning western swing.  A few friends of mine wanted to take the class and I said I'd take it with them.  I think Rebecca will come along as well.

On a separate note, Rebecca and I got married a couple weeks ago on a ski trip on top of Sunlight Mountain, Colorado.
 

Rick Archer's Note:  I am very happy for this lovely couple.

Leo played a major role at SSQQ in the first of the 2000s.  He started taking classes in 2000.  Leo was not only a natural dancer, he practiced all the time.  As a result, Leo became a great dancer.  He was also really good about dancing with the beginners.  I was so impressed that I actually hired him to come on our 2001 cruise as a 'dance host'.  Leo was a great addition to the trip.

Pretty soon after the 2001 Vera Cruz Trip, Leo became a Western Volunteer.  Soon after that he joined his friend Wil as an Assistant Instructor.  Leo was promoted to instructor in December 2003. 

In early 2005, during Western Practice Night Leo met a pretty brunette named Rebecca.  Leo became a different person overnight.  Whereas he once danced with every girl in the room all night long, Leo lost complete interest in the group. The reason was obvious - Leo had fallen in love!

I watched their romance develop with a sense of doom.  I had a hunch that Leo's loss of interest in dancing would cost me an instructor.  After all, Leo had gotten his job in the first place when his good friend Wil had gotten married and resigned as an SSQQ instructor.  Sure enough, not long after he and Rebecca completed their 2005 Rhapsody Cruise, Leo did indeed resign to move on to the next stage of his life.

So now three years later we have the final piece of the puzzle.  Leo and Rebecca have taken their commitment to marriage.  When I saw them again in February 2009, they didn't seem like Newlyweds but rather people who been married for a long time.  They were totally content!

If you are interested, I wrote a long story about Leo's time here at SSQQ in my Matchmaker Saga.  After all, Leo's interest in dancing paid great dividends - he met his wife here!
Matchmaker Story about Leo