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GATHERINGS

The Juggling Hotline in Seattle: Dave Finnigan will answer and let you know everything that's happening there.

Two juggling classes are held each week throughout the school year in Eugene, Oregon. A beginners class is held from 7-9 p.m. on Mondays and an advanced class 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Lane Community College Downtown Center in the Eugene Mall. Anyone interested should call Tom Dewart or Janet Planet.

The Atlanta Jugglers Association will host the second annual Groundhog Day Juggler's Festival in the Atlanta Civic Center on February 1,2 and 3. Anyone interested should call Rodger French.

Nashville iugglers gather every Sunday afternoon in Centennial Park.

The Los Angeles Jugglers Forum is held every Monday night. Call Geno to find out where.

San Francisco jugglers gather all day Sunday in Golden Gate Park near the conservancy.

The Atlanta Jugglers Association meets Thursday nights at the Moreland School at Euclid and Austin Avenues. Call Rodger French.

A TRAIN STORY

by Dave Finnigan

On Wednesday morning at 11, I boarded the Coast Starlighter in Seattle, bound for Davis, California. First stop was the cocktail lounge in the dome car where an old friend from the last trip, Walter Burke, tended bar.

"Professor Confidence," the usually jovial Walter scowled, "Where's the party? You get out of here and don't come back until you've got me a party!"

Well, orders is orders, so I ran down the platform to the head coach. Me and Jeremiah, my giant red-headed traveling companion, worked our way to the rear of the train inviting likely looking travelers into Walter's lair. By noon at Tacoma our convivial crowd was rocking the car with laughter. By 5 at Salem we were in great spirits, but something was missing. "Get me some music:' demanded Walter. "Don't come back 'til you've got a guitar, a harmonica and at least one other instrument."

It was an interesting challenge, so Jeremiah and I strolled to car one again and began working our way rearward. This time, however, I wore my tuxedo and stuffed my pockets with balls, apples and bean bags. I gave a little juggling show in each car and invited all musicians, singers and merrymakers back to the cocktail car.

You can imagine Walter's face when I delivered 60 people, 5 guitars, 2 harmonicas and a trombone!

What a party! When we rolled into Davis at 6 a.m. there were still enough revelers for a last round of song. We howled our way through Auld Lang Syne and declared the party a success. My advice to extroverted jugglers is to travel by train and make parties!