Oh beautiful

It's my opinion that the song America the Beautiful refers exclusively to California. We've got it all: spacious skies, amber fields of grain, purple mountains majesty, and fruited plains. Not to mention great rivers and lakes, an amazing coastline, and fun cities.

I've been seeing a lot of Califiornia in the aeons since I last wrote. I've helped out with fieldwork for our project mapping invasive wetland weeds in the Sacramento River delta system. I've visited Jenny in Santa Barbara. And I've made a couple of fun excursions to San Francisco.

San Francisco is probably my favorite city. I always have the greatest time whenever I go to SF. It's always such an ego boost =). Like yesterday. Yesterday I got up early in the morning to go hang out with my friend Kristin in SF before she goes back to law school in North Carolina. As we were waiting at the bus stop to go swing dancing in Golden Gate Park (Lindy in the Park), a bum walked over to tell us how pretty we are. San Francisco has the greatest bums! This seems to be a common thing. The last time I visited San Francisco, a different bum told John and I what a cute couple we were. Too bad we were on the verge of breaking up =D.

Lindy in the Park was awesome. I looove swing dancing, and San Francisco has the best swing scene ever! I haven't been swing dancing since I visited Ben in May, and I don't even remember when the time before that was. While I miss it, the absense has it's plus side... I can use rustiness as an excuse when I screw up ;-). I had several interesting exchanges with the guys I danced with yesterday afternoon. The first totally grabbed my ass. And not a playful little pinch (like Colleenie) either. Not only was this a ferocious ass grab, but it was executed with amazing skill. Yes, I was definitely dancing with a practiced ass grabber. He had his whole little move worked out. It was very well choreographed. A swing-out, with an ass grab. No way it was accidental.

I think I'll recreate the other fun exchanges as dialogues.

Guy #2: "Have we ever danced before?"
Meg: "I don't know."
A few 8-counts of dancing.
"No, we've never danced before. I can't remember people's names, or even their faces, but I definitely remember people's dance styles, and I've never danced with you before."
"Oh yeah, I'm one that dances like a ballerina."
some more dancing
"Actually, you don't dance like a ballerina."
"Really?! Wow! I guess I've been made fun of enough that it's been beaten out of me!"
dancing until the end of the song
"So, are you a professional dancer?"

Heehee. That totally made my day! Of course Ben, with such absolute faith in human nature, thinks this guy was trying to hit on me....

Lindy in the Park was very matrimonial yesterday. One guy proposed to his girflriend right in front of me and a wedding procession jingled past and stopped to dance a few. So the djs took advantage of this, and had a wedding/engagement jam for the lovebirds. The following dance conversation was stimulated by all this officially recognized lovin'.

Meg: "I scared my boyfriend once by telling him I wanted a swing band at my wedding."
Guy #3 (I think maybe a Robert): "He's not a swing dancer?"
"No. And he also doesn't want to marry me =)"
"He must be an idiot to not want to marry you. Sounds like you need a new boyfriend."
"Oh, I'm sure only an idiot would want to marry me. I'm pretty crazy."
"No. In fact, I'm sure there are at least 12 guys here who want to marry you right now, on the spot."
"Wow... Lots of idiots here today, huh?"

Later Guy #3 complimented my following. Whee.