LOVE STORY
2003:
THE 2003 SSQQ
"SLOW DANCE AND
ROMANCE" YEAR IN REVIEW!!
(This story originally appeared in the January 2004 Newsletter)
Written by Rick Archer
Rick
Archer's 2009 Note: In 2003, SSQQ saw 34 different
couples from the studio either get married or engaged.
This total broke the previous record of 32 set in 2000. As
of 2009, this 2003 record has yet to be broken. Here is
the story of this remarkable year.
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On Saturday, November 8,
2003, by an unusual coincidence, SSQQ Instructors
Rachel (Seff) Koenig, Vicki (Bernard) Smith, and Patrica (Or) Holmes
all got married on the same day.
Yes, SSQQ accomplished an amazing trifecta:
all three lovely SSQQ instructors became three lovely
brides on the very same day!!
Of course the first thing you say is: They
planned it that way! No, I don't think so. I talked to the
ladies and they said they simply wanted to wait till after
Halloween.
Besides, SSQQ Instructors get married all the time!
Although of course I am slightly kidding, by another coincidence
just three weeks later, long-time SSQQ Instructors Ann
Bush and Brian White got married on November 29 during the
Thanksgiving Weekend. That made four weddings
in one month.
Nor was the ssqq wedding frenzy complete yet – during this period
SSQQ Instructor Michele Wann announced her engagement to Trent
Haynes. Shortly after, SSQQ Instructor Michelle Yeiter got engaged.
This wonderful surprise for Michelle Yeiter marked the 30th SSQQ
Engagement and Wedding this year.
So as 2003 ended, five instructors had just
gotten married and five more - myself, Linda Cook,
Michele Wann, Michelle Yeiter, and Timm Chavez
- made five more SSQQ Instructors who
were
engaged!
And you think the rumors of the SSQQ Wedding Factory are a myth?
Guess again. Without trying to sound
too schmaltzy, something special is clearly going on at SSQQ.
As we start our 27th year of business in 2004, SSQQ has been rumored
to be a highly contagious place for Romance to develop for a long.
Not only have hundreds of our students literally met their
future spouses here at the studio, many other students have had
the sense to bring their boyfriend or girlfriend here during
their courtship due to our reputation as the right place to
“seal the deal”. Indeed, the list of couples who have backed off is remarkably small.
Once you get them dancing, they fall even more hopelessly in
love. SSQQ does not come about its Reputation as the Romance Capital of
Houston by accident. We earned it!! The number in 1999 was 23. In 2000 it was 30. In 2001 it was 23. In
2002 (post 9/11) it slipped to 16, but no
surprise there. In 2003 we bounced back
strong to hit
30 again. With the exception of the large churches
with singles groups numbering in the hundreds, can you imagine
any other Houston institution that can claim to have created 20 to
30 marriages a year for 25 years?
Want to Get Married? Become
an SSQQ Instructor! In particular, members of the SSQQ Staff seem particularly
vulnerable to the mysterious Love Bug that permeates the studio.
Like any good Bug, the more you are exposed to it, the more likely
you are to catch it!! It is no accident that this studio feels like one big family.
After all, it practically is.
Although it is unlikely you will recognize many of these people by
name, please read the following list:
- Stan Clark
- Pam Silverblatt
- Michael Miles
- Terri Box
- Diane Head
- Jim Smith
- Mike Fagan
- Tom Easley
- Mark Matthews
- Judy Stidham
- Peter Shores
- Paula Yerks
- Arlene Phillips
- Tony Graham
- Amelia Cate
- Brian Swanson
- Lisa Starnes
- Nancy Faulkner
- Reid Faulkner
- Mike Hitzhusen
- Hannah Baker
- Richard McDonald
- David Vining
- Tonya Binig
- Tom Binig
- Michael Stephens
- Suzy Kish
- Larry Carlton
- Liliana Ashley
- David Bagesse
- Terry Johns
- Heidi Moynihan
- Beth Hentges
- Allen Hentges
- Linda Decker
- Rad Decker
- Sylvia Key
- Renee Reisinger
- Janet Wukman
- Kathleen Alexander
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Do you have any idea what these
40
people have in common? Take a
Wild Guess....
For starters, each one of them met their husband or wife here at
SSQQ. You probably already figured that one out yourself.
But they are linked by another very strong bond.
Each one of the
people above is a former SSQQ instructor who met
their future husband or wife here at the studio
mostly during the Roaring 90s
CURRENT SSQQ STAFF 2003 - It's a Family
Affair Thanks to the
November Wedding Surge, at the end of 2003 the SSQQ staff
had 19
instructors who met their spouses
through the studio.
- SSQQ Instructor
Daryl Armstrong met his wife Joanne here?
They were married in October, 1998.
They have two children: Austin and Ali.
- SSQQ Instructor
Ben Liles met his wife Diana
here at the studio? They were
married in October, 1999.
They have two children:
Cole and Allison
- SSQQ Instructor
Karen Clawsen met her husband Dennis here?
They were married in September, 2001.
- SSQQ Instructor Jim Coulter met his wife
Ulrike here at SSQQ. They married her
in 2002.
- SSQQ Instructor Paula da Silva got married a
year and a half ago.
- SSQQ Instructor Tracy King met her husband Jeff
Perry (#18), also an SSQQ
Instructor, here at the studio.
They got married a year and a half ago and recently had their
first child Kay Lynn in October.
- SSQQ Instructor Kathleen LaBounty got engaged
to Mark Oryhon in February.
- SSQQ Instructor Carol Armand met Arthur Madrid
here in 2001. They married this July.
- SSQQ Instructor Rick Archer was engaged to
Marla Gorzynski in July.
- SSQQ Instructor Linda Cook was engaged to SSQQ
Instructor Timm Chavez (#19) in
August.
- SSQQ Instructor Michelle Wann announced her
engagement to Trent Haynes in October.
- SSQQ Instructor Patty Or married David Holmes
in November.
- SSQQ Instructor Vicki Bernard met Johnny Smith
here at SSQQ in 2001. They married in November.
- SSQQ Instructor Rachel Seff married Dave Koenig
in November.
- SSQQ Instructors Ann Bush and Brian White
(#17) got married at the end of
November.
- SSQQ Instructor Michelle Yeiter announced her
engagement to Scott Keepers in December.
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Plus I know a couple other Staffers who could very
easily succumb to old ssqq slow dance and romance magic at any time,
but I don't plan to jinx them by saying something!!
(2006 Note: I wasn't kidding when I said I had a crystal ball.
Of course, I had an inside edge- I was POSITIVE I was getting
married in 2004. I married Marla Gorzynski in September, 2004.
We had an "oops wedding" where everything that could go wrong
did go wrong (read
story).
Also in 2004, the two Michelles got married, Michelle Yeiter in
August and Michelle Wann in November).
In 2005, Sharon Crawford, Randy Winfrey and Melissa Gauthier
were 3 more SSQQ instructors who got married to people they meet
at the studio.
If you want to get married, join the SSQQ Staff. It's that simple.
Sometimes I tease we should rename the SSQQ Web Site to the SSQQ Wed
Site. (2006 Note: And we haven’t even begun to talk about all the SSQQ Kids. The list
starts with former wife Judy Archer’s and my daughter Samantha, Ben and Diana’s
two children Cole and Allison, Daryl and JoAnne’s Austin and Ali,
Tracy and Jeff Perry’s Kaylynn, Tom and Margaret Easley’s Tommy and
Ashley, plus late 2005 addition Zachary to
Rachel and Dave Koenig). These children are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, read
this letter:
ROBERT AND
JENNIFER LEAKE Wednesday, June 11, 2003 2:42 PM “Hi Rick. Four years ago (1999) I met my wife Jennifer at SSQQ
during a swing dance class. Our love blossomed over at the
Orchid Lounge in the Village. We married
in 2000. Well, the Orchid Lounge is no longer there and our pretzels have
all gone soft but today we have two wonderful additions... Our
Twins Alexia and Aidan were born last summer. They are now 8
months old...We are blessed. Thanks for everything!!
Robert and Jennifer Leake”
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SSQQ is a Family. There are literally hundreds of
Slow Dance and Romance children out there from the 400 or so
marriages created through SSQQ. Some of these kids are just now
getting old enough to take dance classes. You don’t suppose that
makes me happy, do you?
Now including Instructors and student alike, here is a review of the
2003 SSQQ Slow Dance and Romance list as we do
our countdown: January, 2003
SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 1 - IMRE KONDOR AND EILEEN KRIEPKE GET
MARRIED! February, 2003 SSQQ SLOW
DANCE AND ROMANCE 2 - Wayne Brodd AND Carol Jones ANNOUNCE
THEIR ENGAGEMENT SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 3 - SSQQ INSTRUCTOR KATHLEEN LABOUNTY
GETS ENGAGED TO MARK ORYHON. SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND
ROMANCE 4 - SSQQ INSTRUCTOR PATTY O IS ENGAGED TO DAVID KOENIG.
SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 5 - SSQQ INSTRUCTOR VICKIE BERNARD IS
ENGAGED TO JOHN SMITH April 2003 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 6 - RANDY BEST AND KIM GRAY GET ENGAGED
ON VALENTINES DAY!! June 2003 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 7 - WAYNE BRODD AND CAROL JONES GET
MARRIED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 8 - LAURA JEAN BRZOZOWSKI AND TIM BELL
GET MARRIED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 9 - BRIAN WHITE AND ANN BUSH GET
ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 10 - RACHEL SEFF AND DAVE KOENIG GET
ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 11 - MIKE HARRAH AND ANN MCGOWAN GET
ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 12 - DENNIS TAUPO AND HEATHER BLUE GET
ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 13 - JASON HEISER AND REBEKAH MORALES
GET ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 14 - CHUCK MORTON AND BRENDA UFFMANN GET
ENGAGED! July 2003 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 15 - MIKE HARRAH AND ANN MCGOWAN GET
MARRIED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 16 - RICK ARCHER AND MARLA GORZYNSKI GET
ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 17 - CAROL ARMAND AND ARTHUR MADRID
”Arthur and I were married in a small ceremony in Louisiana with
family and a few friends on July 26. Don’t worry, most people still
don’t know that we are married. We usually keep a low profile. It
helps to keep us out of trouble!” August 2003
SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 18 - SSQQ INSTRUCTOR LINDA COOK AND TIMM
CHAVEZ ARE ENGAGED! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 19 - BILL BLUM AND ELLEN CHAPMAN GET
ENGAGED! October 2003 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 20 - LINDA MALIN AND BILL HOLDEN
ANNOUNCE THEIR ENGAGEMENT! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 21 - VERONDIA NEVILL AND DELAIN GODDARD
GET MARRIED!! “Oh by the way, Rick, Delain Goddard, who I met at SSQQ in April
'02, and I were recently married on Oct. 26! Add us to your list of
success stories! Verondia.” “Ladies and Gents, Two-Steppers, Polka Babes, and those of you who
really appreciate a good-fittin’ pair of Sans-a-Belt slacks, the day
has come. Verondia and Delain are hookin’ up to show us how to do
the final lesson in the Rick Archer School of Meet ‘Em, Greet
‘Em, and Marry ‘Em.
Well, it’s official!
She said, “yes”. (Along with some whimpering, sniffles, and tears,
but I got over it soon enough after she handed me a tissue and told
me, “Geez fella, it’s just a marriage.”
“Not like you or I haven’t done that before.”
Okay, okay, yes, she fell apart and threw her arms around me,
squeezed me with all the glory of her affection, then said, “Okay,
and how big is the diamond going to be?”
Aah, that Verondia. She is so thoughtful. Always thinking about me.
. . and how come I can’t afford the “big rock” this time around.
Steady, Sometimes Quickly, and definitely with thoughtful
Questioning along the way, we have made the decision to join
together in marriage this Sunday, October 26, in a small,
informal ceremony joined by our children at Champion Forest
Baptist Church.
Verondia and I have been dating and exploring our likes and
dislikes, her dreams and my demands, for about 1 ½ years and have
come to the conclusion that I do know what’s best for us. So, she is
forcing me going along with my desire to make this a permanent
arrangement. As long as I continue to take her dancing, at least,
occasionally to boogy through the only three patterns we were
able to get under our belts before leaving SSQQ (for the time
being).
Gang, thank you for all the smiles and well
wishes you’ve extended to us over the past months.
We
always enjoy seeing everyone when we are able to get out and
meet up at the honky tonks.
Wish us well, pray for us,
and we will see you soon. Delain and Verondia . . . Goddard”
November 2003 SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 22
- ANN THEALL AND ED JABLONSKI GET ENGAGED.
SSQQ SLOW
DANCE AND ROMANCE 23 - SSQQ INSTRUCTOR MICHELLE WANN AND TRENT
HAYNES GET ENGAGED.
SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 24 - ANN KEYES AND JERRY GRIMM GET
MARRIED IN NOVEMBER! Editor’s Note: I am fairly sure that Ann and Jerry met in one of our
Whip dance classes. To be very honest, neither Ann nor Jerry took to
this difficult dance quickly, but I have to hand it to both of them
for their tenacity at staying with it. I remember distinctly the
many times they would stay after class to practice together. Then
this past summer they decided to join the 2003 SSQQ Jubilee Cruise.
They were definitely inseparable by this point. Congratulations!! SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 25 - CHUCK MORTON AND BRENDA UFFMANN GET
MARRIED NOVEMBER 1! Mara Rivas recently sent me this note: “Did you know that Chuck and Brenda got married November 1st?? It
was a beautiful wedding from the church ceremony to the reception
and the music was very appropriate for the occasion. Very sweet.”
Editor’s Note: Chuck and Brenda signed up for the SSQQ Rhapsody
Cruise in the Summer of 2002. I don’t know if they dated before the
trip, but I promise you they definitely grew closer together on that
cruise. Every day I noticed them curled up in a couch or on a lounge
chair at different places chatting away happily or simply
hugging each other quietly.
SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 26 –
JOHNNY SMITH AND VICKI BERNARD GET MARRIED
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Vicki Bernard and Johnny Smith got married on
Saturday, November 8, in New Iberia, Louisiana. Vicki and Johnny originally met at SSQQ in November 2001. At
that time Vicki was an assistant instructor in a Western class
that Johnny had signed up for. They soon started dating. One
year later they became engaged in December of 2002. Along the way, Johnny developed an interest in Western Waltz,
partially because Vicki began to assist Judy Archer in teaching
Western Waltz on Sundays. Taking a Waltz class was a good way
for Johnny to hang out with his favorite lady. As a result, when Vicki and Johnny began to prepare for their
wedding, it was easy to choose to Waltz for their first dance.
Although most people think Waltz is the perfect dance for a
“First Dance”, in reality only about one couple in twenty
end up dancing a Waltz because it is such a difficult dance
to excel at.
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With this in mind,
Johnny prepared very seriously. After taking several Waltz
classes in 2002, this year he and Vicki signed up for Sharon
Crawford’s legendary Western Waltz class that runs for 5 months
from April to August. He took careful notes plus he kept hold of
his various syllabi that Sharon passed out for her class.
Vicki and Johnny quickly decided on a very beautiful Waltz named
“When I Said I Do” by Clint and Lisa Black. Once they had the
song chosen, Johnny then went to the trouble of counting the
number of beats in the song, then mapping out all the
patterns he knew to create a routine.
After Waltz class was over, the two would stay after class on
Wednesdays and Sundays to practice whenever possible. By the
time the wedding came around, the two dancers were flawless
together. They knew the pattern like the backs of their hands.
Not only did they have their pattern down a T, they even had the
presence of mind to invent techniques in case of an emergency.
Now that’s planning! Johnny isn’t an engineer for nothing. As they walked out on floor for the wedding dance, Vicki told me
she was not nervous in the slightest. In fact she was looking
forward to it! She said Johnny may have been a little nervous,
but he certainly didn’t show it. They were so in control as they
danced that even a minor glitch didn’t stop them. Early in the
dance the strap on one of Vicki’s shoes slipped loose. Vicki
said she limped for three beats, then hesitated long enough to
lift her dress and reach down to adjust the strap without even
losing her stride. Such poise! Their emergency plans paid off as
Johnny immediately returned to a Basic. It was all done so
smoothly Vicki doubted anyone even noticed.
Her father was so proud of Vicki!! He said she looked like she
was floating out there. This makes sense because a well-danced
Waltz literally makes a woman with a lovely gown appear to glide
across the floor like no other dance can. It must have been
wonderful to watch these two well-trained, well-prepared dancers
in action! Vicki said when the song was over, 200 people stood up and
cheered and applauded with a roar! They had been treated to a
marvelous exhibition of dance. It was very inspiring! After the wedding, Johnny and Vicki honeymooned at Playa del
Carmen, a resort near Cancun in Mexico. They spent an entire
week in Paradise without a care in the world. However, they had a BIG SURPRISE waiting for them when they
returned to Houston. Vicki picked up her answering messages. One
of the first messages was from her mother announcing that the
two were not legally married after all. What? Vicki was stunned.
Once she resumed breathing, Vicki listened carefully. It turned
out that Johnny had not signed his name on the marriage license.
This was due to the fact that Vicki had obtained the license on
a visit to her home town one day while Johnny was still in
Houston. The plan was for Johnny to sign it on the wedding day.
However by the time the wedding rolled around, everyone had
completely forgotten. Vicki’s mother said they had two days left
before the 10-day expiration date kicked in and voided the
marriage!! Johnny and Vicki quickly got in their car and drove to
Louisiana. Simultaneously her parents did the same thing and
drove towards Houston. Somewhere around Beaumont they met.
Johnny hastily signed the license in time for the parents to
take it to the courthouse the next morning. Life can be so complicated!!
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SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 27 –
PATRICIA OR AND DAVID HOLMES GET MARRIED!!
Editor’s Note: On Saturday, November 8, SSQQ Swing Instructor
Patty Or, affectionately known to me and to her friends at SSQQ
as Patty O, married David Holmes. Patty is a lovely young lady
who moved to the United States from Hong Kong shortly before the
Chinese Takeover in 1997. She arrived here in the States just in
time to participate in the 90s Swing Dance Revival.
Patty is too modest to take credit for creating the Revival
herself, but I can tell you she was instrumental in promoting
Swing Dancing in Houston. Patty worked tirelessly creating one
Swing dance venue after another for several years just so
she and her friends could Swing dance practically every
night of the week.
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Although I was thrilled when Patty said she had gotten engaged,
I was also a bit sad for a very odd reason. I myself had coined
the silly nickname “Patty O” and had grown fond of using it.
Somehow Patty K or Patty Z or whatever her new last name was
going to be probably wouldn’t have the same ring to it. When I
pointed out I would miss calling her “Patty O” I was surprised
to find that she actually liked the nickname too! This is
something I was not aware of. Furthermore I discovered from
Patty that a lot of her friends liked to call her “Patty O”
as well.
I asked Patty what her fiancés name was. Patty said it was
“David Holmes”. She immediately went deep into thought, then
came back with a smile. Patty suggested I simply add an “H” to
the end of her nickname!
So now we have the lovely Patty OH on the staff.
Patty is too adorable.
By the way, if you visit her web site, you will see some of the
finest pictures of the famous sights of Las Vegas I have ever
seen!! (go to www.pattyanddavid.info
) If
pictures tell the story, she and David had a heck of a fun
honeymoon!
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Here is the story of Patty Oh’s
wedding in her own words:
“David & I met a year and a month before the wedding. Him being
a computer expert and highly musical, and me being in the
financials and heavily addicted to dancing; we love music all
the same. After one year of planning, getting all the details
nailed down... it was the big day. Our nuptial took place on
November 8th of 2003. We decided that it would be a good date
because the year before we had beautiful weather.
However, during the date, the weather was quite gloomy, not
necessary a bad thing because it was perfect for taking pictures
and boy do we have tons. The good thing was that the morning of
the wedding, I was basically resolved to whatever. Meaning that
if something were to go wrong, and I’ve been confirmed by
many that it will, I said to myself, there’s nothing to be
done about that, just go with the flow.
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The bad thing was
that there were a few miscommunications, the topper wasn’t on
top of the cake, the doors weren’t open when we got there. But I
didn’t sweat, just go with the flow. As you can see on the
pictures, the Swing lessons David took for the 3 months
prior paid off, and the private lesson with Judy in
Waltz/Box step didn’t look too shabby either.
Advice to many future brides: 1, don’t sweat the family, even if
they don’t get along, they will behave. 2, It doesn’t hurt to do
a last minute private lesson just to brush up a little before
the big day. We did, and it turned out great! Love, Patty O-H”
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SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 28 –
RACHEL SEFF AND DAVE KOENIG GET MARRIED!
I have known Rachel Seff for many many years. Rachel joined the
SSQQ Staff in 1998. Her warmth, intelligence, and charisma made
her one of the most popular instructors we have ever had.
Whatever it was that the studio needed, Rachel was always game.
If someone needed a sub, Rachel was incredibly giving with her
time. If I needed a new crash course taught, Rachel was always
game. Rachel loves to perform. Rachel taught belly dancing, she
was the lead actress in one Lip Sync skit after another, she
organized Christmas Carol singing at her house, and she became
notorious for her unusually popular Dirty Dance class. I might
add I never had the nerve to ask questions “why” her DD class
was so popular. I just smiled and said “thank you”.
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You might not know this, but Rachel was particularly good at
matchmaking. Particularly in our romance record-setting year of
2000 where we had 30 different documented couples who met at the
studio who either got engaged or married, Rachel claimed
responsibility for pairing about half of these couples together
personally. All year long Rachel and I had a good-natured
competition about which of the two of us deserved more credit
for assisting the various relationships along. Naturally Rachel
claimed she won.
During this same time, I came to realize that Rachel was
disappointed that she hadn’t found the right guy for herself. As
she watched her friends get married, she wondered why with all
her wit, beauty, education, business success, and sex appeal she
couldn’t find a man to settle down with. Mind you, that was
three years ago. To say that Rachel was picky when it came to men was an
understatement. She went about her affairs of the heart very
methodically. She was determined not to make a mistake. And when
she got depressed about waiting, she would confide her
disappointments to me. This said, when Rachel met Dave Koenig, I saw an immediate
difference. She liked him a lot right from the start. So ladies,
take some advice from Matchmaker Rachel - Do not compromise.
Wait for the right guy. He will appear if you are patient
enough. Here are some thoughts Rachel shared with me about her courtship
and her wedding: “Ahhh…you want the scoop, eh? I kissed a lot of frogs before finding my prince charming.
I was in multiple different dating services, went to lots
and lots of singles events, and literally forced myself to
go to activities where I knew eligible men would be present.
In the end, I met my Prince Charming (Dave) through a colleague
from work who was also a member of the dating service. Susan
had gone on a date with Dave. A few days later, I asked her how
it went. She didn’t think he was a match for her, but she
thought I might really like him. "Think about it, Rachel.
He's from Boston, he likes to dance and he has a boat!!"
(Those that know me know I am also from Boston, I love to
dance, and love the water and the outdoors). "Hmmm." I was a bit skeptical at first, but I trusted Susan.
Thank goodness because she turned out to be right! Once Susan peaked my interest, I decided to send Dave an email:
“My friend Susan thinks we might make a good match. Let me know
if you’re interested.” He wrote back immediately and we had a
nice ‘Email’ conversation. I told him a little about the dance studio.
I casually mentioned I would be teaching a Belly Dance
class, but Dave didn’t seem to pick up on the hint. So on Saturday, November 9, 2002 (almost a year to the day of my
marriage!!), I taught my belly dancing class. Then I stayed at
the studio for the SSQQ Swing dance party. As I started to head
home at 10:30 pm, another instructor, Jill Banta, asked me,
"Have you met Dave?" "What are you
talking about?" I replied. Jill said, “There's a guy here named Dave that asked me who you
were and I pointed you out to him." I responded, "Which guy?"
"Him," Jill said as she motioned toward handsome man in a
white button-down shirt and red suspenders on a chair in the
corner. "That guy has been watching me all
night!" I proclaimed. So I proceeded to flirt about and walk back in forth in front of
Dave a few times. No response. Finally, I waved at him and
motioned I was leaving. Dave stopped me as I
was walking out of the studio. "Hey!" he said. "When were you going to say hello?"
"When were you going to stop stalking me?" I replied with a
flirt. We sat on the sofas and talked for 30 minutes or so. It was a
really good first conversation. Covered all of the basics….where
are you from….what do you do…etc. And the romance began! First date to dinner at Argentine Grill.
He drove me home and immediately asked me out again. Second date
to dinner and theatre downtown…and the moment he picked me up I
knew this was one special guy. He was dressed in a handsome
sport jacket, big smile, and a beautiful bouquet of yellow
roses. "This is it!" I told my girlfriends JoAnne Armstrong (Daryl’s
wife) and Lisa Cloud as I gushed about him after our second
date. Both cautioned me that I have met a lot of frogs in my day
and not to get my hopes up that he was my prince. And although we didn’t tell each other out loud, we both knew on
the second date that this relationship felt very different than
all the others. (But I think it was the belly dancing that
really hooked him!) Turns out, Dave also told his friend Jerry after our second date
that he was pretty sure I was "the one." Jerry said no way and
told him. So Dave bet him $100 and now he has to pay up! Dave and I were married on November 8, 2003, exactly one year
from when we met. We had a destination weekend wedding in
Newport, RI, for close family and friends. My advice? Don’t give up! The only way you can meet someone is
if your force yourself to get out and participate in activities
where you will meet new people. And oh yeah, take my belly dance crash course in January. It
will drive your potential mate crazy with enthusiasm!
Rachel Koenig”
(Editor’s Note: I found it interesting that Rachel, always the
Matchmaker, actually met Dave through her friend Susan doing
some matchmaking of her own. As they say, What Goes Around Comes
Around. My guess is Rachel had some serious good karma to cash
in on! One of the ways the ssqq magic works is that many students
invite their friends to come to the studio with them. The more
targets for those floating pheromones to attack and attract, the
more likely the chemistry will react. Or put more succinctly,
the more the merrier.)
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SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE 29 – SSQQ INSTRUCTORS
ANN BUSH AND BRIAN WHITE GET MARRIED! Ann and Brian were married November 29.
They just got back from their honeymoon in Hawaii only a couple
days ago. Here is what Ann White had to say about the wedding and the
honeymoon: “Brian and I were united in marriage on November 29, 2003 at
Sagemont Church here in Houston. Both of our families were present
to witness this special occasion. On Sunday Brian and I left for our honeymoon, a week in Maui. We
arrived in Maui, late Sunday afternoon, just in time to witness the
end of their 6 year drought. It rained all day Monday and most of
Tuesday. It rained so badly on Monday, in fact, that we ended up
getting stranded in another town because the city shuttle bus
service quit running because of the flooding.
Wednesday was also spent in the rain but that is because we took
a tour of the rain forest side of the island.
Thursday was spent riding on Jet Ski's, parasailing and riding
on the Sugar Cane Train which included a bar-b-q dinner and
Hawaiian entertainment. On Friday we went on a
boat, with 120 other people, to go snorkeling off two other
islan! ds, Molokini and Lanai. Saturday, our final day on the island, (before we had to catch our
flight at 7:30pm) was spent bike riding down Mt. Haleakala. This
volcano has recently been reclassified as an active volcano in an
uneruptive state. From the top of the volcano at 10,000 feet (43
degrees at the top) we coasted down the two lane road for 38
miles to end at the beach (80 degrees at the bottom). We consider this last adventure to be our favorite of the trip
although it was all very memorable.”
SSQQ SLOW DANCE
AND ROMANCE 30 – SSQQ INSTRUCTOR MICHELLE YEITER AND SCOTT
KEEPERS GET ENGAGED! Editor’s Note: The very lovely Michelle Yeiter helps teach Salsa
at SSQQ on Tuesdays. Michelle and her handsome boyfriend Scott
Keepers have been seen on many occasions in SSQQ Whip
classes throughout the year. In Michelle’s words: “On Saturday evening, December 6, Scott and I were sitting
quietly together on the couch at his house. We were in the
living room in front of a colorfully lit Christmas tree and a
fireplace flickering in the background. To my absolute surprise,
Scott handed me a ring and asked me to marry him. He could not
have picked a more romantic time. I was very happy to say ‘Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes!’“
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CONCLUSION TO THE 2003 SLOW
DANCE AND ROMANCE STORY.
I found interesting an interesting coincidence when I read the three
stories of the November 8th SSQQ Brides. Did you notice that each
lady got married practically the same time that her romance began
one or two years earlier? Vicki got engaged a year after she and Johnny had been dating and
got married a year after her engagement. Patty got married a year
and a month after she and David began dating. Rachel and Dave got
married a year after they started dating. What do you suppose is the reason behind the SSQQ Slow Dance and
Romance Magic??
Try
catching a butterfly. It is a lot of work and not terribly
satisfying because you have captured a living creature against its
will. But if you sit quietly in a garden with lots of butterflies,
the odds are one will simply come sit on your shoulder. The
trick of course is to find the right garden with a lot of
butterflies.
Love
is the same way. If you chase love, it will flee from you. But
if you hang out in a safe, comfortable place like the studio
where a lot of people enjoy being nice to one another, love just
might come and sit down next to you one day.
I
could be more analytical, but why bother? Dance and Romance go hand
in hand. Let’s just leave it at that.
2003 was indeed a very
good year for SSQQ Slow Dance and Romance.
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