Not that I'm restless, or anything, but as the mood strikes, I can be found engaging in any of a number of pasttimes. I have rearranged the information on this page so that reading it will be easier. Click on one the titles below to read my comments about that particular interest.
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Ballet
Folklorico
I helped to found, and now volunteer to coach, El Grupo de Danza y Arte Folklórico de la Universidad de Tejas, which is also known as the U.T. Ballet Folklórico. I have helped to keep this student organization going since the Fall of 1975; whatever it takes: teaching, organizing, advising, sewing, cooking, hanging-out - having FUN!!! Although I am not compensated for my time and efforts, it's been a very rewarding experience just the same. It's somehow odd that the costumes are now older than the students who wear them....
I've branched out, so to speak, in that I now travel to give dance classes in this specialized dance form. In December of '99 I choreographed my first Quinceañera - for this traditional birthday celebration of 15 years I taught a waltz, and a pop piece set to Ricky Martin's 'La Copa de la Vida'. What an experience!!
I also helped my best friend, Roy Lozano, to form his professional dance company. I've developed a website for Roy Lozano's Ballet Folklórico de Texas; check it out!
Throughout the years my U.T. students have honored me in many ways. *Sniff!* What a great group of kids! For example, click to see the pictures from the "We Like Mike" Fest in April '96!
When I'm not busy teaching dance, I try to research costumes, dances, and music of México. See a sampling of Mexican Regional Folk Costumes which were featured on stamps issued in 1962-1963 by El Comité Nacional de Lucha Contra la Tuberculosis, México, DF. Good sources for information are available on the web at Los Danzantes de Alegría
and the Instituto Cultural de Raíces Mexicanas (I contribute to their Bulletin Boards on a fairly regular basis). I have also researched the National Hymn, the hieroglyphic of the founding of México, and the National Seal. Visit my
México page to read details!
México's Patron Saint is 
La
Virgen de Guadalupe; visit one of many websites devoted to Her!
Teddy
Bears
I love cuddly teddy bears! My favorite teddy bear artist is Lucy Rigg, of Lucy & Me fame. I don't know; her drawings are so irresistably cuddly! I bought my first porcelain figurine by Lucy at a Citywide Garage Sale, which just happened to coincide with my birthday that year! Which figurine was it, you ask? Why, the one of the bear holding a birthday cake, of course! I am on the lookout for more items whenever I go shopping, but I'm not a fanatic about it...well......
I didn't start collecting bearaphernalia until just over eight years ago. Actually, Herman, a small, white stuffed bear, was given to me by students years before. Naturally, he sits in his rattan chair, keeping all the other bears in line. I think Lorenzo came next; he looked so sad in the pile of plush animals at a Settlement Club garage sale that I just had to take him home! There's Wu, the Western Union birthday bear; Picnic Bear, a wind-up musical plush; Brudy, a white bear who appears to be brooding; Lula, a small white bear in a grass skirt with a lei about its neck and a flower behind its ear, brought to me from Hawaii by my best friend Roy; and Pearl, a tan jointed plush decorated by and given to me by my stepmom. There are many, many others!!
Now that friends know I like them I never know when new bears will arrive! Although some friends have nicknamed my home "The Princeton Palace" I prefer to call it Bearadise. The bears are everywhere! A wallpaper border! Towels! Dishes and matching drawer pulls! Refrigerator magnets! Notepads! Figurines! And at Christmastime, you should see the place! Look what I've done to the chair!!
One Teddy Bear link I've found is the Teddy
Bear's Picnic Ground
Travel
Although I don't get to travel very often, I have visited quite a few places. The farthest I've ever traveled has to be Paris, France. I spent over three weeks in Paris back in August of '95, visiting my good friends, Margaret and Peter. Some of the sites I took in while there were the Cathedrals of Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, and L'Iglese d'la Trinite. We visited, but did not ascend the Eiffel Tower (I'm holding Herman and Lorenzo in my arms, though you can barely make them out in the photo); the day was hot and the lines were long, so we just walked around, instead, enjoying the views! Although closed to performances while remodeling, L'Opera was open with a fabulous display of costumes from operas that have been featured there. A new friend took me Le Grand Louvre on a Sunday afternoon, and I returned there the following Wednesday with my friend, Santa. The crowd in front of the Mona Lisa was more like a mob scene, and I soon found myself pressed against the opposite wall facing the famous portrait. I stayed in the Latin Quarter, very close to the Sorbonne, and found myself walking just about everywhere. During my first weekend, we traveled to Cannes in order to spend some time at the beach. O la la! What an experience!
In Mexico, I've been to Mexico City, DF; Saltillo and Ciudad Acuna, both in Coahuila; Monterrey in Nuevo Leon; Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; Palenque, Chiapas; Chetumal, Quintana Roo; and San Luis Potosi, SLP.
Within the US, my friend Roy and I drove out to San Diego, CA, to visit my brother for a couple of weeks. While there, we visited the beach on what was reported to be the hottest day of the year; yet, it's funny how I was so cold I thought my nips would fall off!!!
Months after the death of my best friend, Margaret and Peter arranged airline tickets for me so I could go visit them in New Jersey. This trip's purpose was twofold: Peter was craving some of my delicious home cooking, and they both wanted me to get away so I could have a change of scenery, to get my mind off my woes. We drove into New York City on the weekends and spent time in Manhattan and The Village. Peter paid for my haircut at Free Time; what a place! The fireworks on July 4th were incredible!! Margaret and I drove to New Hope, PA, and we walked around a bit to visit the shops that were there. I took my first train trip along the eastern seaboard to Providence, RI, where I met my friend Glen, who lived in Fall River, MA at the time. We traveled by car to Boston, as well as to Provincetown, MA.
I've traveled to Bowling Green, KY with my students to perform at Western Kentucky University. In the summer of '98, I spent a week in Fargo, ND, conducting a dance residency at the Trollwood Performing Arts School. In May of '99 I got to go to Schaumburg, IL (near Chicago) for an educational conference. In June of '00 I travelled to Orlando, FL for antoher educational conference and stayed a coupleof extra days to visit Disney World! It should go without saying that I have been to many cities within the great State of Texas.
Baking
and Cooking
At an early age, I learned to bake and cook; as a result, they tell me I'm very good in the kitchen (actually, I'm very good everywhere, but that's another story for another day, boys & girls!).
Some of my favorite cookies, cakes and other pastries include oatmeal cookies with butterscotch pieces, chocolate sheet cake, German fruit cake, and cheesecake.
Among my favorite dishes to prepare are Arroz con Pollo, Tortilla Soup, Calabaza con Pollo, and Picadillo (chicken with rice, chicken soup with strips of corn tortilla and vegetables, chicken with squash, and ground beef with potatoes).
Good recipes can also be found at the
Diabetic Gourmet. Click on the link to get to my main recipe
page, with links to individual recipes.
Long
Walks
I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes
in December of '94, and the doctor recommended that I walk to help keep the sugar levels down (as if six hours of rehearsals per week weren't enough!). I rediscovered the Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail, and make a 4+ mile loop 2 to 3 times per week. (When I lived just a few blocks south of the river, I would ride my bicycle along about 8 miles of the trail, which follows the Colorado River as it snakes through central Austin, just south of downtown). It is used by walkers, joggers and bikers,
alike. Many employees in the area take advantage of the proximity of the trail to exercise there before or after work, or during lunch. Rollerbladers have also been known to use the bridges that connect the north with the south banks. In the past, friends Rosemary, Dale, and John accompanied me on a regular basis; occasionally, Ronnie and Jon would join me for walks, too. When no one was available I went anyway, armed with my portable cassette player and emergency sugar packets. Whenever I'm at the coast, I like to take long walks along the beach.... I have now swum in the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean,
the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean, a cenote in Chetumal, QR, and a river in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico!!!
Music
Music! It would be difficult to live without it! I love most types of music, but am partial to the urgent rhythms of salsa and merengue. On the radio dial, I alternate between KUT 90.5 FM and KVRX/KOOP 91.7 FM for the variety of music they offer. John Aielli's Eklektikos programming is just that: eclectic. Tune in and check it out for yourself! KUT can now be heard over the web if you have RealAudio installed. Go to the website, and have a listen! For Latin music, I recommend Horizontes on KUT on Fridays from 1:00 to 3:30, Sancocho Boricua on KOOP on Sundays from Noon to 1:00, and Por Los Caminos del Sur on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on KOOP. Don't miss my page of music resources!
Recommendations: Anything by Celia Cruz, Oscar D'Leon, and Jerry Rivera, to name a few. Kitaro, Patrick Bernhardt, and Raoul Duguay/Michael Robidoux are among my favorite New Age artists.
Bargain
Hunting
Who doesn't love a bargain? Citywide Garage Sales, SAMI shows, closeout stores, local thrift stores: you never know what you may find! Sales? Percents-off? I'm there! I have rarely paid full price for anything I own....
Photography
I love to take photographs, and entered a few in a local exhibit many years ago. I prefer taking candid, unrehearsed photos of friends and family, but have been known to compose group photos for great overall effect. I love architectural details, and occasionally take photos of older homes or buildings, as the mood strikes.
Here is a sampling of my talent: a Texas sunset, Feb. '99; a shot of San
Jose Mission in San Antonio, TX; another of the Nunnery's arches; here is dear Ayesha; don't miss Lulu, with the UT Tower in the distant background; and, here are some shots of the downtown Austin skyline in the early 90's.
Gardening
Roses are my favorite flower! My grandfather taught me to grow them at an early age; nowadays, among my rose bushes I have: JFK (white), Blue Girl (lavender), Rio
Samba (yellow to coral), and Poinsettia Red. Mums, daylilies, Easter lilies and a chile piquín pepper plant grow "wild" in my garden, and I've discovered a poinsettia tree (yes, tree) on my lot, protected from the elements by the house and the shade of the neighbor's trees.
A Christmas cactus and bromeliad seem to thrive on my kitchen windowsill; what gorgeous blooms!
Carnaval
Brasileiro
This pre-Lenten celebration has been an Austin tradition since the late 70's. Though not as popular as Halloween on Sixth Street, this is definitely the largest annual indoor party in Austin! The music is live, and the sambas, frevos and marchinhas whip the crowds into a frenzy every time! Conga lines form early and mutate frequently, dictated by the intensity of the crowd. Next to the Soiree
Mousse (foam party) I experienced at Le
Queen in Paris, France (along the Champs Elysees; "I saw Paris, I saw France; I almost danced in my underpants!!!" ;-D) this has got to be the wildest party to which I've ever been! Normally mild-mannered folks become rambunctious as their inhibitions (and clothes) quickly get lost in the music and the heat of the moment! I'm sad that the organizer(s) no longer sponsor costume contests - but, oh, such memories.....(and the
potentially-incriminating photos)!!!!
Samba on over to the Austin
Carnaval web site (but don't forget to come back here!)!
Wrestling
ME? Wrestling??? What can I say? Although
I was somewhat traumatized by the experience of my first live match when I was just a wee lad (the guys broke into the crowd and began to throw chairs around) televised matches of the WWF and WCW are some of my favorite pasttimes. Don't be surprised to call me on the phone and hear a match going on in the background.... I can do without all the shouting
and self-boasting, though.... What's up with that, anyway?
Languages
I enjoy foreign languages! My first language was Spanish, but when I entered school, I had to learn and speak only English, or the nuns would have...well, you know. I also began writing as a Lefty, but those nuns and their rulers forced me to use my right-hand, instead. Well, okay, enough nun-bashing! I must give them credit for my excellent penmanship, after all! I've studied Portuguese, in addition to Spanish, and know phrases in French, German, and a few other languages. The Latin I learned and studied in Parochial school gave me a good foundation for these Romance languages, and I also like etymology, the study of word origins.
Reading
As the mood strikes, I like to read, especially about archaeology, ancient civilizations, mythology, folklore and astronomy. I have many books in my home library about the Maya, Aztecs, and other Lost Civilizations. On the less-serious side, I enjoy a good mystery, humor and biographies.
AIDS
Awareness
I've lost way too many friends and acquaintances to AIDS to not be constantly aware (and to encourage others to become aware) of this disease. If you must play, Coach says, *fweet!!* Play Safe!
Ponderings
and Quiet Reflection
I enjoy collecting thoughts, phrases, and sayings, both inspirational and witty. 
Movies!
The movies! I love watching all kinds of movies, and don't have any particular genre in mind as a favorite. Classic black and white films, foreign films, romantic films, comedies, musicals - most anything, but I draw the line at really scary movies. Blood and gore I can live without! Among my favorites are The Ritz; Gone with the Wind; The Rocky Horror Picture Show; How Many Miles to Babylon; Maurice; Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte; Springtime in the Rockies; Weekend in Havana; Carmen; El Amor Brujo; Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands; Naked Sun.
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This page was last revised on November 7, 2003
