Desert City 2012 Update #2

No more rain! Dried up after that last update and it’s been rain-free ever since! Muggy, like we’re on the inside of a cloud. (Heavy Cloud – la la la boom! – but No Rain.)

Phoenix weather – who knew? They have interesting names for things around here.

“The Boob travels at 100 km/h (60 mph) and approaches with no warning. The wall of sand can be 100 km (62 mi) wide, several kilometers in elevation. Rain does not appear at ground level but evaporates in the hot, dry air, a phenomenon known as Viagra.”**

Phoenix meteorologists evidently have one thing one their mind and it’s not the weather.

Some cool pictures of Phoenix Boobs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DustStormInSpearmanTexas19350414.jpg

http://brucedesilva.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/haboob_dust_storm.jpg

On a more serious note, Maxence has attached a video camera to his forehead and is leaving it there for the entire weekend, filming everything in front of him. It’s waterproof which means it will be on his forehead in the shower so I hope he doesn’t look down. This video will be priceless! A classic film is in the making here at Desert City.

Just as I expected, sounds like last night’s dance was off-the-chain. 300 people were still on the floor at 4am. Last year 175 on Thursday night … this year 300 sheesh! Crazy great, ‘specially for what is (or was) a “small” comp. Mike says registrations are up 120% from this time last year. Only six years old and Desert City has already outgrown three venues. Sick!

Ballroom is huge. Floor is big and spacious framed by the backdrop drapery in black and gold; round tables three-deep on three sides with two rows of risers in the back and behind these, comfortably spaced out around the perimeter of the room, all the vendors (clothing, jewelry, massage corner, Brad’s photography table, nutrient drinks, shoes); no special lighting (I don’t think – I might be wrong) but the ballroom lighting itself is quite bright and cheerful.

Cheerful is the word for Desert City – it feels cheerful here even in this grey foggy weather. Great vibe, friendly, happy, sunny, cheerful energy here. Fun.

Looked in on a bit of a Ronnie and Brandi workshop in the main ballroom – it was packed. Ronnie is emceeing all weekend! I’m excited, haven’t ever heard him on the mic and I’m expecting total funness cause Ronnie is One. Hilarous. Dude. Smart, funny as hell, and often inappropriate (which I’m hoping he will be and I’m sure he and Mike are hoping he won’t be.)

Jonathan Rogul just posted on FB – gonna be a surprise performance, not announced on the program, at tonight’s Opening Ceremonies (in an hour.) Ooh goody love surprises, wonder what they’ve concocted … can’t wait!

Brasilians are here! Diego, Jessica, Priscilla and three others! Love the Brasilians! Saw Diego and Jessica in the ballroom and we couldn’t understand a word each other said so Diego just kept kissing me, kissing the air around my head, kissing my hand, kissing my cheeks again, saying “more hotter Desert City than anywhere in world happy we here happy happy!” I think they’re happy and they love kissing. They’re here for nine days!

Saw some UK folks. And Libby (sans Brady) from Australia! Libby and I were in mid-hug when Shoshi came bounce-bounce-bouncing in and leapt – and I mean leapt like an oversized Labrador Retriever leaps on you when you get home from work – leapt up onto Libby knocking her out the door and almost down the terracotta staircase into the pool. What a duo! At Sin City everywhere you looked there they were again, holding hands, glued to each other arm-in-arm, long and leggy supermodel fashionistas dressed to make men stutter. Libby the Ozzie all fun and smiles, Shoshi staring above your head, off into the distance, expressionless, muttering mono-syllables with a Russian accent. Laurel and Hardy meets Boris and Natasha. I love these two!

Everybody and his grandmother out shopping for food this afternoon. For all-night room parties and 5 am munchies must be. Liquor sold in the supermarkets here. The restaurant on the property serves decent food at decent prices (just had our usual comp dinner of chicken caeser salad no dressing no croutons for $11 – standard price at hotels across the country.) There’s a second restaurant way high up on the mountain – Mike says $500 a plate (slight exaggeration) with panoramic views etcetera etcetera … yeah, no, most of us won’t be eating there.

Melissa Rutz is here, just back from Singapore! Jordan and Tatiana, and Kyle and Sarah are just back from Stokholm. Our pros are all around the world, so cool, I love it. Chuck Brown (himself either just returned from Singapore or still there) told me last weekend that there is now west coast in 23 countries!

Fashion alert! Hats! Sassy fedoras and fisherman’s caps in all kinds of patterns and colors spotted on girls in the ballroom and around the fountains!

**Paraphrased with 347% accuracy from wikipedia