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2005-01-09 - 2:14 a.m.

Well that was an experience! I just got back from my first night of salsa dancing.

It's actually sort of funny, I was originally going to go with Duke to this one place, but then it turned out he couldn't go so I ended up deciding I wasn't going to go either. But then yesterday at work, these two technician girls were talking about going salsa dancing at another place and they ended up inviting everyone else in the pharmacy to go. So I decided to go after all. They printed up maps and handed out their phone numbers so we could meet up once we got there and everything. Nobody else committed to going, but these two were for sure going to be there.

So I got there a little after 10:30. I called one of the girls who was for sure going and she told me she decided not to come after all. I called the other one and she didn't answer her phone. I decided what the heck, I was there, I'd make the best of it. I found a place to stash my coat and purse and I didn't even have my coat off before someone asked me to dance. Of course I've never salsa danced before in my life so I warned him and he said that's ok, he'd give me a quick lesson. He did, for two songs and then passed me off to the next guy. I swear, every time I went to sit down someone else would ask me to dance. I was feeling very promiscuous. Although I have to say that the same guy never asked me to dance twice. Yes, I'm unfortunately not a talented dancer. In fact, I definitely suck.

Later in the evening, the second girl finally came. She brought her roommate and her roommate's boyfriend. They'd already been out drinking somewhere before they came and they only stayed for maybe five songs tops before the roommate said she wasn't feeling well and the second girl left to take them all home. But at that point two of our other pharmacy technicians came in and stayed until closing with me. One is a guy and he just sat at the edge and drank. The other was a girl and she was asked to dance almost as much as I was.

Over all I had fun. I think it would be good if I had an actual lesson of some sort so that I knew what the heck I was supposed to do. Guys would do these things with their arms and expect me to do something in response and sometimes I'd be completely clueless. Clueless in the dance floor is not exactly the most fun feeling. It's interesting the different dancing styles of different guys. Some were very easy to dance with, they would lead very well. Others were horrid leaders. And this one guy lead with the opposite foot from everyone else I danced with and of course that through me way off.

But wow are guys short! My goodness, I think I danced with three guys all night who were taller than me. There was one who would stand on his tip-toes while I ducked to spin me. And there was one particularly disgusting guy who somehow managed to have his face in my chest every time I turned around. Ew. I was reminded very much of junior high dances.

But anyway, so today (er, yesterday) was my birthday. I'm now officially 26. It doesn't feel so bad, though, because right now I feel like I've at least accomplished something. I have a real job and my own apartment and I don't live with my parents. Sure, I don't have the whole boyfriend/family thing going on, but I'll get to that.

This morning I was awakened at 9:30 by my parents calling to wish me a happy birthday. Then I drove over to Duke's house and picked him up and we jogged around Green Lake. It's pretty cool, we jog about the same speed. Actually, I felt like he would've gone a little faster than I was willing to go, but he said that if I hadn't been there with him he would've walked some instead of pushing through and jogging the whole way. So that made me feel better about slowing him down.

Afterwards I took him back to his house where I changed into jeans and then took off to run errands. Out where he lives there was still snow on the ground this morning. There was none to be found where I live. When I got home I made myself a birthday cake. Hey, nobody else was going to do it. Later, Duke picked me up to take me out to dinner. We went to a really nice seafood restaurant called Ray's Boathouse. So we both got all dressed up and I have to say, Duke was looking really good.

After dinner we drove up to Kerry Park for a view of the city lights. I thought if something was going to happen, it would've happened there. A couple of times I thought it might, but it never did. And now I don't know if it's because he doesn't want it to or because he's too shy to instigate it when he doesn't know for sure that I want him to. But nothing happened there and so he took me back to my place. I changed from nice dinner clothes to salsa dancing clothes and headed out.

And that was my birthday!

Tomorrow night I'm planning on making myself some lasagna. It's tradition for my mom to make me lasagna on my birthday, but again, if I don't make it this year, who will? I was thinking of inviting Duke over to my place for dinner tomorrow night, but I wimped out. Tonight he made some comment about how his mom makes the best lasagna. I've never made lasagna before and I'm certainly not the world's greatest cook, so how can I compete with his mom? Shoot, I don't even know if the lasagna I make will be edible. I can't invite the poor guy into that situation, can I?