Wednesday 23 July 2008

RU Redux

Observations from the inaugural RU Fun unschooling retreat/ gathering/ non-conference on Saltspring Island…

To feed 47 fish eaters, apparently you do not require fourteen whole salmon. A more accurate number would be about seven! Or maybe ten - that way we still would have had enough for salmon mousse and the “most excellent salmon-salad sandwiches ever”. But who knew everyone would contribute such plentiful and succulent side-dishes (though we should have known Frank would turn plain old shrimp into an appy no one could possibly resist and get full from)?

Through our RU Fun t-shirts, I managed to trick 60-odd people into becoming James fans by sporting not only James’ logo (the daisy) but also a quote from “Waltzing Along”. Bwa-hahaha.


By simply plopping the odd frozen blueberry (courtesy of Rachel) into the pancakes I managed to make a lot of people really excited about their pancake dinner and, in turn, fool them into believing they were eating something exotic from some sort of superior chef. Little did they know that I normally cook my pancakes in nothing but my underpants.


Not only can Ronnie spend HOURS at a time playing on the beach with a HORDE o’ kiddos… she can take pretty darn good pics of them too.


Guitar Hero is gads more fun with people who don’t really know what they are doing than with people who can rattle off of the hardest song on the hardest level (while employing their chin on the frets no less). The interloping axe-man may have had crazy skills but our unschooly guitar had stickers!


Despite a huge assortment of child-centred/ ultra-aware parents permanently in attendance at the beach, it was astounding the number of times children under 5 managed to seemingly appear out of nowhere out on the dock… alone. Ahem, twice in Fergus’ case!

I’m most disappointed I didn’t manage to slip “Fergalicious” by Fergie into the dance playlist. Not that the Ferg-meister was anywhere to be seen after the first song. I also conceded to 70’s and 80’s era tastes as opposed to venturing off into the world of obscure 8-bit driven electro-dance like I had hoped! So, out of the 272 songs I had tagged as danceable, here is what ended up getting played (somewhat in order and probably a little incomplete since I left the iPod unmanned at one point to go put a kiddo to bed):
Axel F - Crazy Frog
The Hampster Dance Song - Hampton the Hampster
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
See You Again - Miley Cyrus
The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
Love Shack - B-52’s
He Ya! - Outkast
I’m a believer - Smash Mouth
Super Freak - Rick James
Dancing Queen - ABBA
Come on Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runner
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
What is Love - Haddaway
Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite
Ma and Pa - Fishbone
Blister in the Sun -Violent Femmes
Gone Daddy Gone - Gnarls Barkley
Technologic - Daft Punk
Tainted Love- Soft Cell
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
What I Like About You - The Romantics
You’re The One That I Want - Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta
I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
Low Rider - War
In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry



I shall NEVER AGAIN hang my freshly tie-dyed t-shirt directly above the previously oh-so immaculate hot-tub in breezy weather while the View-Master-Shades-Wearing/ Skimmer-Sporting Property Manager is nearby and on the warpath.

I shall NEVER AGAIN hang my freshly tie-dyed t-shirt directly above the previously oh-so immaculate hot-tub in breezy weather with the View-Master-Shades-Wearing/ Skimmer-Sporting Property Manager nearby and on the warpath.

I shall NEVER AGAIN hang my freshly tie-dyed t-shirt directly above the previously oh-so immaculate hot-tub in breezy weather with the View-Master-Shades-Wearing/ Skimmer-Sporting Property Manager nearby and on the warpath.

I shall NEVER AGAIN hang…

5 comments:

Rachel said...

Yep, that is pretty much the playlist I heard from our cabin, where the kids decided to hole up during this hopping beach boogie. And I can confirm that you did play Ma and Pa, directly followed by 500 Miles, because those are the two songs I was present for and danced to. But I am pretty sure that Chumbawamba happened quite a few songs after that, or I would never have returned to the cabin to relieve Gillian (oh, thank you sweet Gillian for sending me down to dance just a little bit!), because who doesn't love to dance to Tubthumping, I ask you?

It was a great playlist, and I'm glad you posted it here, so I have some inspiration for the next time we feel like an impromptu dance party (or even a very well thought out dance party). Or maybe we should have one here tomorrow night? You've already got the playlist...and I definitely think you need to get some more use out of that hat. :)

Oh, and your post made me think of one more thing...we haven't played Guitar Hero with you guys yet! Tomorrow? It seems the time is already running short. We need to talk music, we need to play music, we need to dance to music, and apparently we need to visit the lagoon. How can we fit it all in?

And one final note, those pancakes were pretty darn fantastic even without the blueberries, and you deserve all the credit for getting people excited about breakfast for dinner. But I do think it's a good thing you dressed for the occasion. ;)

Schuyler said...

I like to cook my pancakes in a frying pan, but you say underpants are superior? hmm...

Cap'n Franko said...

I promise to never again make delicious shrimp.

I promise to never again give Jon a lap dance.

I promise to always suck at Guitar Hero. (And when I was playing rock'n'roll for real, my lead guitarist had stickers all over his cherry-red Gibson ES335, so it must be a righteous thing to do!)

And as for pancakes... what Schuyler said! Glad we got the grilled ones!

Zenmomma said...

So do you think all of those new James fans will be joining us for the concert. That would rock!

helen said...

Hello,
Loved your redux ...:) And the play list may well be a crib list for an event this side of Victoria;)
Thank many times over for a fabulous R U Fun:)

Big hugs,
h and the gang