i love this place.

The wind is raging outside, pushing up against the house, knocking and begging to be let in. It's forcing its way through the wind chimes, and the trees outside are rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

I'm sleeping on the couch. One of those sleeps where I'm semi-aware of what is going on, but still, lost in my dream.

I wake up. Eyes half-open, I stumble down the stairs.

Gram, sitting at her desk, opens wide her arms.
I sit on her lap.
She holds me in her arms, like I'm a little kid again. It's nice.
She says, "I love you so much."

I love this place.

Now the music is playing upstairs.
Tango, twenty-four/seven.
I can hear heels tap-tapping on the floor, and Gerald saying "uno mas, uno mas."

I tangoed, too.
A nice man asked me to dance and led me around and around the floor.
Then Gerald asked me to dance. He loves to share his passions.
Tango embrace. I closed my eyes and followed, leaning into the arms of my partner, finding the rhythm of the music and somehow doing steps I've never learned, back-stepping and front-stepping, turning my body to the right, and back again.
I can tango? In hiiigggghhhh heels? Apparently.

I love this place.

p.s. Heated toilet seats are such a cold-morning treat.