Sam Bauman: Square dancing club seeks new members

In my youth in Ohio, square dancing was common, and often I would enjoy watching couples sort about a farmer’s barn floor. Nothing fancy, usually bib overalls and cotton skirts. Lively music and all seemed to be having fun.

I was reminded of this by an email from Marge Konieczny, president of the square dancing Capitol Cutups Dance Club. She noted that the club is the oldest club in Carson City (45 years and counting).

“Square dancing seems to have lost its appeal. We are slowly fading,” she said.

That certainly seems to be a shame as square dancing is an important part of American history.

She continues: “Square Dancing has many health benefits, and it is good for all ages. It is good, wholesome fun that is easy to do. Not only is it good physical exercise but it exercises the brain too!

“It is good mental exercise. Dancers must remember dance movements the caller calls, must pay attention, and know their right from their left. They also have fun and get to meet many others.

“We dance on Friday nights and rent a room at the Senior Center. lt promotes a healthy lifestyle. Actually, we want younger dancers to join as we are all getting old!”

“The club is starting a new dancer class in January 2015 and would welcome new dancers. The club does not require square dance clothes. It is recommended/not required for our big dances, but casual wear is good for our weekly club events.”

Seniors ski season ideas

It’s two months until the lifts start running, but it you’re a senior and hoping to try the slopes this winter, you might want to start getting ready.

Perhaps the most important muscles in skiing are the quads — those thick ones in the thighs. They are crucial to the constant demands of up and down in motion.

One way I get ready for ski season is to lean against a door frame and slowly sink down until my thighs are parallel with the floor, to a count of 25. Then I do a slow slide to a count of 100 and hold the position for as long as I can.

Also good is plenty of walking and stair climbing. While my skiing level is not what it once was, I can still get down the green and blues.

About skiing, resort news is the Vail Resorts has bought Park City in Utah, and is also added to the Vail Epic season pass, which includes Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood.

THANKS FOR COMPUTER HELP

Recently I’ve been having laptop troubles, including a locked photo on the screen. For the lock up of the photo I went to DeBug computer service on Saliman Road for help.

There Chris Hunter explained to me once again how to clear the photo off my screen. Simple, he said. Just push down the power button and he did and the photo disappeared.

But I tried that, I said, and it didn’t help.

“Did you hold it down for five seconds?” he offered.

No, I didn’t, although the last time DeBug fixed my computer the techie clearly said to hold it down. I just was only hearing what I wanted to hear.

Then it was a different problem: A disc wouldn’t eject. So I went online to seek a solution. I found several, the most common the instruction to bend a paperclip for a long leg and push “I” of the leg against the small opening above the disc slot.

I did it several times with no result. The online instructions had a lot of other ideas, some suggesting trying to dislodge the disc. So I took a blank disc and pushed it in the disc slot. Nothing happened for a minute and then the disc icon appeared on the screen and I could eject it.

A typical senior trick, I fear. We hear what we want to hear and then blunder on.

Sam Bauman writes about senior issues for the Nevada Appeal.