Boston Tea Party 2009 Update #1

First of all, I want everyone to know that this morning I received the following text from Alina: “I am shoebag.” Ask Alina to explain it, and whatever she says, I don’t buy it.

We’re here at Boston Tea Party. Really only I am here cause GB flies up tomorrow. JetBlue! We love JetBlue – civilized, organized, huge leather seat. Comps should be held in JetBlue cities only.

So far I’ve been able to avoid all revolving doors what a relief. In Chicago I managed to get a lady stuck in the other slot while struggling to unjam my big pink suitcase, damn door making a grinding noise trying to push forward I was worried I might burn out the motor, mouthing “Sorry! I am so sorry!” thru the glass but the lady wouldn’t smile. I get to the hotel here in Boston and yay surprise another revolving door! But here they also have a big double door thank gawd which I jumped at.

Hoping for blue-hair-guys this weekend. No blue-hair-guys last year but 2007 loads of rakish guy fashion, sticky-out pink and blue spikes. Big Quebecois contingent in 2007, loud and rowdy, pounding the floor all weekend, and the ultra coolest clothes. Lindy dancers wear cool clothes! Okay, some do. Some definitely don’t. But Lindy dancers are cool – raucous, throwing people in the air all night. I like their whole vibe. I like everything about Lindy dancers, except the music and Lindy.

[couple hours have passed]

I’ve been down to see the ballroom. The main ballroom is west-coast – Victor DJ’d till 12 then Eric Cudmore took over – medium-small crowd, typical for Thursday comp nights. The Lindy room – which is a floor open to the lobby so you see it coming into the hotel and every time you go to the elevator – is *hopping,* however. Already! Sweaty people flying through the air, girls with flowers in their hair, guys in argyle vests, t-shirts, sneakers, sailor shoes. The Lindy dancers are arriving at the hotel in droves (Kate Hedin – a TOTAL sweetheart and world-travelling pro, from our neck of the woods) told me that this comp is the biggest Lindy comp of the year! Who knew! Last year 800 Lindy dancers were here! The revolving door is spewing them into the lobby at an alarming rate tonight.

Tomorrow is workshops all day (some already tonight – Robert and Deborah had 50 people!), competitors’ meeting at 7 (buh-lech competitors’ meetings, but at least this one is not at some ungodly hour of the morning,) opening ceremonies at 8, then Strictlys.

I am underwhelmed by the hotel. Why I forgot what a stupid hotel this is I don’t know but it is all coming back to me now. The free hotel shuttle which takes you from the Logan Express satellite (which takes a full hour to get to from Logan) decided to take the night off so busloads of people expecting to be picked up were left to fend for themselves, calling taxis or hunting down friends with cars who’d already arrived at the hotel. (Lucky for me I missed all this fiasco – Joe Mahoney picked me up at the airport! I LOVE Joe Mahoney!) Haven’t tested the showers yet to see if we have hot water but the torlet was left unflushed (eeww), hairs all over the sink and bathtub (double EEEWWW!), and no soap or shampoo. There is ONE LONELY ELECTRICAL OUTLET in the entire room, no power strips or extension cords to be had at the front desk. From now on I’m coming prepared, and tomorrow we’ll have to run to the store to buy sumpfin to hook up our: computers, phones, ipod boombox, camera stuff, blowdryer, and my electric blankey.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention: there’s also a children, dog, and bacteria-infested Water Park at the hotel in case you haven’t met your required daily dose of microbes.

Great breakfast and dinner buffets! Waitresses who remember us, who have been working here for 70 years! And have Massachusetts accents thicker than clam chowder!

xoxo

Love Liza

ps yes, Kay, I will talk to Yuna about your shoes!

pps Alina you are so shoebag