A date with an angel

It's been a while since I've been on a date, unless you count the many times Linda brings home a bag of award-winning burgers and fries from the Lion's Tap in neighboring Shakopee. But since we don't go out for the burgers, I guess I can't consider those "dates". So I was thrilled to finally hit the town Friday night when I took my girl to the CCC, a local hangout where we spend a lot of time together. I even showered and shaved, a rarity for me these days. Unfortunately, I gave all but one of my suits to Goodwill after I hung up my selling shoes, and the one suit I kept was purchased back when I was about 12 pounds lighter on my feet. So instead of a suit, I wore dress slacks and a nice button down shirt, so I was at least presentable. I asked my date to put on her fanciest dress because we'd be going out dancing. I picked her up at 6:30pm, and we headed out for the annual Sweethearts Dance at the Chaska Community Center (CCC).

As we walked the Red Carpet before entering the dance, the paparazzi shouted "Claire! Who are you wearing?!" And like the superstar she is, Claire simply turned toward the cameras, struck a pose and declared, "Auntie Karen, of course!" Adding, "And it's a one-of-a-kind!"

It was a great night, although I was a bit worried it would turn out like all the dances I remember from my junior high school days - with the boys lined up on one side of the gym while the girls danced together to Pierre's very own Bad River Band performing their version of Mickey Gilley's version of John Lennon's version of Otis Redding's version of The Searcher's version of Ben E. King's (original) version of Stand By Me. If you're over 40 yrs old, you might remember Mickey Gilley's country version of the song from the Urban Cowboy movie soundtrack. Ah, those were the days... 

Luckily Claire's best friend from preschool, Addison, was also at the dance. The two cut a rug all night while us dads looked on. In fact, all the dads were pretty much lined up against the wall while the girls danced together. I couldn't help but be overcome with a feeling of deja vu. The only thing missing was Mike Pfeifer's sultry singing voice, and Forest Lidel punching me in the arm every 10 minutes... such great memories. But although I never actually got to dance with my sweetheart, it was still a magical night. We even got a chance to make Momma a Valentine. I can't wait to take my girl dancing next year!