The Caller’s Wife

Travel-by-Air TipsB Y B E V S U T T E R

Why do we need to walk barefootthrough a public metal detector whenwe wouldn’t go barefoot in a publicpool or shower area? It’s required byTSA rules to get through airport

security. It’s unsanitary to say the least. Goto: www.TSA.gov and check out the web site

before every foreign or domestic flight. And look at thelist of do’s and don’ts.

Locking our luggage was to avoid the risk of havingthings stolen or have it fall open. A year ago, you could-n’t put a lock on it. Now you can use TSA approvedlocks, obtainable through certain places where they cancharge you what they can get away with. I think the gasprices are linked to the same word: Gouging. One keyopens ALL the TSA locks. Security? Safety in numbers?

When my checked luggage goes into a TSAInspection Office, I don’t want the thought of a strangeperson going through my delicates or anything else inmy luggage. Now, I put all my undies in a clear zipperbag. Everything goes in clear bags. It also makes it easierto see if you’ve packed everything. Take the inexpensivelook-a-likes in your carry-on. In case they are stolen it’sless traumatic for you and the insurance company.

Traveling where there are souvenirs to be purchased,I wear clothes and shoes I’ve decided to drop off atGood Will or consignment shop. Good enough to wear.Not worn-out. Tired of wearing them. By wearingthese soon to be cast-offs, I won’t feel so stressed when Ileave them behind. Yes, leave them behind. You caneither throw them in the trash or ask the hotel if there issomewhere they can donate them. More space. Moresouvenirs. Lighter luggage.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep your medication and anyother kinds of medical equipment in your personal pos-session AT ALL TIMES. Medical equipment does not

count toward the carry on luggage limit, keep it withyou. Have an extra set of clothes in your carry-on forwhen you go to Puerto Vallarta and your luggage goes toCanada in January. When traveling with a companion,put a day’s worth of clothes in the other’s luggage. Incase one suitcase is lost you have one day’s spare in theother suitcase. Then hope they both don’t get lost. Ifyou need to get new clothes from Wally World orJacques Penney, keep your receipts with your airlinetickets and ask for a re-imbursement when you docu-ment lost luggage. You won’t get all of it but there is anallowance.

Place your business cards or address labels allthrough your suitcase for identification if the outside tagdisappears.

Take photos with a camera that can display time anddate stamp on the photos. Take pictures of our luggagein case some damage is done. If anything is missing fromyour luggage when you open it, and no TSA note is init, you have proof of what was missing.

If you are on special medication, maintenance med-ication or have a special diet, keep a record of thoseitems and doses with you at all times. It is best to keepmedication in their original containers too. If somethinghappens, emergency medical services have more knowl-edge to help you.

ICE? It stands for In Case of Emergency!Program ‘ICE’ into your cell phone with a number thatconnects them to family, friend, or doctor. Additionally,program a number that EMS can use to notify someoneof your location, condition and ask questions about yourhealth. ‘Mom & Dad’ or ‘Home’ listings are great!

Play safe, travel safe, and arrive safe.If you have any ideas or experiences you’d like to

share with me, send them to:info@squaredancingtoday.com.

When packing for a flight we’d lock up the luggage, put some detail on it to immediately recognizeit at the carousel and go on about our vacation. Now, getting anywhere on vacation is causing usto need more vacation time to recover from the stress of going on vacation. GGRRRrrr

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If I’ve attended a previous dance or weekend inthat same location, it’s amazing how easy themind shifts back to the many details about theprevious event. Sometimes just the smell of theair outside my car and the migration of dancers

toward the hall can get my blood moving and I startbecoming excited about the evening to come.

Last night when I walked into the front door of thehall, the treasurer stood, smiled, and shook my hand.One of the club members, standing near the fronttable, was there with one of those sweet square dancerhugs along with a great smile. These club memberswere greeting me like I was a guest in their own home!Because the dance was a Luau, I could immediately tellthat the food that was to be served that evening wasalready in place, because the smell permeated the hall.It was as if I had just walked into a restaurant and mealswere being served at any minute.

The round dance cuer was already cueing a round.The sound of people talking, shoes shuffling on thefloor and the music playing created an energy that wasdefinitely contagious. I set my sound equipment on thestage, and stopped to greet a few dancers that were sit-ting around the hall. I realized that the temperature wasbeginning to elevate, or I was personally warming updue to my own energy.

Now I know that as a guest caller, I’m not requiredto be concerned about things like the temperature ofthe hall, but I also know that sometimes things like thatcan be inadvertently overlooked. I personally think thecaller or cuer can and should be responsible for helpingout when necessary, without offending anyone or evenmaking a big deal out of it.

I verbally checked with a few dancers and specta-tors to make sure that I wasn’t the only one having a“power surge”, and began to open a couple doors. Ialso found a few wall switches that activated six ceiling

fans that were not on and the hall cooled right down.Later that evening, I was glad I took a couple extraminutes to help increase the circulation of air in thehall. The evening was very comfortable.

After setting up my equipment, and greeting a fewmore dancers, I was fortunate enough to have the timeto dance a few rounds. I immediately could tell that thefloor was a little slippery in two areas and made a men-tal note to make a humorous announcement about itbefore the first tip. Sometimes just a quick commentcan save someone from slipping during the dance andoccasionally you can fix the situation prior to everyonesquaring up.

When I first started round dancing that evening, Imade a point of checking out all the decorations thatthe club had placed, and realized how much that onething seem to add to the evening. I could feel that theenergy of the arriving dancers was up a notch or two,because of the extra effort the club had made to makethat evening special. I made a point of thanking thoseclub members during the dance that night, that hadworked so hard decorating the hall, preparing the food,and handing the other behind the scenes duties. Iwanted to point out to the attendees that evening thatthe special touches the club had added were reallyappreciated.

The dance was a great evening of fun, and the pointI’d like to make here is this. The effort that goes intorunning a regular or special dance is deserves a “BigThank You.” The work involved in putting on a multi-ple day event is valued even more. I salute all thoseindividuals in our activity, who bring in our newdancers, make so much fun for our existing partici-pants, and work so hard to keep our clubs, dances, andfestivals vibrant and alive. It makes this dance of ours somuch more enjoyable, and the activity as a whole, somuch more special.

Outlook

A Big “Thank You”B Y M I K E S E A S T R O M

Dances are great fun! Weekend festivals are terrific too, but each dance or session Iattend or call is unique and the fun is the sum of so many different things. The momentI drive into the driveway and see the hall, a picture becomes painted in my mind.

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