The Monday before…

Last Monday I was in “a mood”. I woke up mad and I managed to stay mad for a good part of the day – no particular reason either – I was mad. My first order of business was to send my tap teacher a note, “Dear Brenna, I’m not going to your class today. XXOO Beth” I audibly ended my note with a big self-satisfied cranky “HMPH!” while thinking, “take that, tap teacher!”

I got to work and practically hissed at anyone who came my way. “Good morning, Beth” You can take your good morning and … – and I actually muttered at almost everyone. My favorite, a co-worker who asked, “Beth, can you show me how to do this again? I know it must get tiring.” That started the whole, “oh nooooo showing you for the 5th time is going to be as fun as when I have to show you for the 12th and then the 17th – it’s a !@# #!$!%% frikkin’ privilege to review this every couple of days – READ YOUR NOTES!” I said this all under my breath while glaring at her cubicle. So, you get the picture. Grumpy and delightful as always.

With about an hour left in the day I decided I should just stop and go to tap – it always makes my day – my teacher is great (she won Best Dancer in Austin, just fyi) and she’s funny AND she doesn’t mind that I never get better from year to year or that I have leopard print tap shoes just like she does. (I have a Christmas tree angel who also wears fuzzy leopard print dress – I have no taste.) I didn’t have dance clothes, but a quick trip to the store rectified that. Plus, I can wear my teacher’s extra shoes – no problem.

We got to tap and no one showed. My mood started taking a big dive and I was regressing to 7am Beth. However, Brenna offered an alternative. The dancers from Tapestry, their dance company, were meeting up at Ruta Maya, a local coffee house for a tap jam, – that’s where local musicians provide the beat and the dancers get up on stage and improvise. I was in.

Now my only gripe about this place – no Shiner Bock. In Austin I don’t see how a place can get away with it; I truly think it’s the official City Beer and if it’s not, it should be. And for the record, I think the place should be fined for not carrying it. Beer aside, the dancing was GREAT! It was not only fun to just watch Brenna do her thing (completely unhindered by a spastic tap class) along with the other dancers, but it was great to just be out in a coffee house doing something besides sitting at home. It reminded me of the me I missed – the live music listening, bar hopping me – the me that liked to go dancing – the me that could stay up past 10pm and the me that didn’t stalk into my office space snapping and hissing. Now don’t get me wrong, I also like the lazy me, but I think I’m going to try to get into the habit of going out a little more or at least to the next Tap Jam. You should, too.