Night of randomness

ALRIGHT!!! Here it is - the much anticipated re-count of last Saturday night's events!!! Yahoooooo!

Saturday, for me, started around 4:30pm when I made the decision to finally get out of bed. This may sound absurdly pathetic to some...but let me just say that this is just what I've needed for the past 3 years of my life. Sometimes, in life, we can get so busy that we forget to take time to "be still". So this was that time for me. Glorious.

But, I digress...

At 7pm, Blythe, Lisa & I all convened at the local Chuck's hamburgers where each of us ordered something other than, well, a hamburger. While chowing down on our dinner, we had several what I consider "unique" convos. For anyone who's ever wondered what it is like to be in the super secret convo realm of us 3 girls...well, you're in for a very rare and special treat indeed...

So, of course, the topic of amputation eventually came up. {Insert your collective, bewildered "HUH?" here...} Blythe had seen a documentary earlier that afternoon about people who are compelled to seek the amputation of their own appendages. Lisa, being well-versed in the medical field (and our resident expert on all things medical related), was quick to address my astonished look by attempting to clarify. This unique phenomenon, she explained, is psychological in nature and people either suffer self-esteem issues (thinking they actually look bad with all their limbs) or blame all their problems on a specific appendage (If it weren't for this left leg, my life would be problem free). Obviously, not having suffered this phenomenon myself, I had a little difficulty relating/understanding...that was, until I got up for a drink refill and walked straight into a small wall/partition on my way to the soda dispenser. "If it weren't for that left leg..."

Fast forward to our Salsa dance lessons which began promptly at 9:15 in Carrolton. The setup was normal enough. Wooden floors. check. Mirrored walls. check. Remarkable regaee music. check. Super patient dance instructor. check. 3 girls (youngest in the room) ready to have a great time. CHECK.

Though none of us had ever had Salsa lessons before, we caught on pretty quick. Soon (by soon I mean in 5 mins), we became restless with the pace. As our instructor kept reviewing the basic steps for the slower learners, we added our own "flair" to the dance steps. Exaggerated hip movements (which seems comical b/c the dance itself already relies so much on hips), "jazz hands", the mashed potato and several other dance moves from the 80s & 90s slowly worked their way into our dancing. It was a riot for sure!! Our poor instructor...

Then came partner practice. Sadly, the guy/girl ratio was not in our favor and I found myself looking longingly at the dance floor where everyone else was partnered up. Kudos to Lisa for snagging the latin guy who WORKED there as a dancer!!! Fortunately, I didn't have to miss out on all the fun. The instructor felt sorry for me and invited me to be his partner. I was elated, practically skipping my way across the dance floor! Then the anxiety set in... Oh, I thought, I've been goofing off this whole time. Now I'm dancing with the instructor and everyone in this room is gonna be looking at ME. AH!!!! Not only that, while we danced, he continued to instruct via the mic in his hand. "Now we're going to try turns". Oh dear Lord, I was panic stricken. This room of 50 are gonna laugh at me!!! We executed the turn and I felt great! Now I can say that I'm ready to dance confidently with a partner. Eyi Yie Yie!!!!

Later, we got a chance to do partner practice informally to the live band. The 3 of us took turns dancing with a different people. Which leads me to one of the greatest and most profound dancing dilemmas of all time: When dancing w/a partner, do you continue to try to do the "right" steps and keep time with the music EVEN IF your partner is not? Or, does one graciously accomodate said partner in an attempt to keep them comfortable? Hmmm...

Before we left for the night, a lady from a nearby table got up to make her way to the dance floor when she practically fell on Lisa!! Lisa was gracious about the incident and the woman, obviously embarassed, blurted out, "I can dance just fine; I just can't walk apparently!" After she walked away, I leaned over and whispered to Lisa, "You should've recommeded amputation...she seems like an ideal candidate." {wink}

Disclaimer: No apendages were harmed during the writing of this blog. If you, personally, suffer from this rare medical condition - do not be ashamed but please seek help immediately from a medical professional.