Rain, rain, go away...

Look, I know those southerners and easterners need this sort of rain to fill up their empty aquifers etc but we had full reservoirs before it all started over a fortnight ago and this level of deluge is just annoying now, ok??! It puts you off doing fun stuff like walking the dogs, golfing, going for a run, gardening, walking down to the pub/shops etc etc It leaves you sitting in front of the telly or computer screen thinking about snacking. Now, I did plenty of that over the winter and am now ready for glimpses of the Great Outdoors again so ease up on the precipitation, at least here in the sodden north, pleeeeaase...

Yep, despite my sterling performance on the golf course yesterday, the rain is getting me down. (I have just discovered via the invaluable "How Did I Do?" website, that I won the comp on Wednesday. Go me!!)

I want to get back to that lovely sunshine we had at the end of March - golfing in shorts and t-shirts; taking the dogs for a run along the river bank (currently impossible due to mud); sitting outside the pub with a glass of cider (currently impossible due to biblical volumes of rain...). Come on! I'm bored of winter now.

I was so tempted on Wednesday night just to light a fire and stay in and watch a DVD or something but, no. We dragged ourselves out into the downpour, crept throught scary sheets of water to Sheffield for the first ever midweek Social Dance practise session. It was pretty good in the end - 2 hours of music to dance and practise to for a mere £3 each so good value too. There was even a little tuition if you could snaffle the teacher in between changing the music. There was much amusing marital discord going on on the floor and Rich and I started off a bit tetchy (probably the rain...) but, once we got going, it was well worth it. We made definite progress in the waltz and tango as we actually managed to remember the routines all the way through and master the turns so that we ended up dancing in the right direction! It may seem an obvious thing but this has been a problem for us, especially with the waltz: we remember the steps but don't have the floorcraft to keep it going in the right direction and find ourselves reversing or heading into the middle of the floor, which is not to be recommended!! Anyway, as with dieting, baby steps are the way to go. You have to take the positives (waltz, tango, rumba, cha cha, samba and jive) and forget the negatives (Rich wasn't up for even trying the quickstep or foxtrot as didn't feel confident that he could remember the steps). At least we know where we are, had a pleasant evening out and can work on the quickstep and foxtrot in evenings to come.

I was so pleased with the waltz though - it was a breakthrough to feel Rich's arms confidently swirling me round and to realise that we had made it all the way through the routine and could start again unscathed.

As always, it is a fantastic place for people watching too. We took some breaks and had a beer to loosen up and there were some intriguing couples on the floor. There was one couple who were obviously very proficient - they knew loads of steps and danced with style and panache - but NEVER smiled.... Why?? Why would you do something like dancing together for years; obviously commit a lot of time to it but not seem to actually enjoy it? They were also annoying as it happened as, despite the fact that they were better than everyone else there and easily able to navigate round the floor, they didn't and just ploughed through you sighing theatrically! What did they expect from a practise session, Strictly?!

Then there was another couple, also much better than us but wild and hectic looking; they had no neatness or style but real enthusiasm and energy. They were a big couple and they set off round the floor like a pair of wrestling hippos (especially in their solo Viennese Waltz!) but seemed to be having a lot of fun and were happy to help out with a step or make room for you if they could. I know which couple I'd rather be!

In passing, I would have hoped that my sodden round of golf and 2 hour dancing session might have encouraged some progress on the scales but, so far, they are remaining stubbornly unmoved....(maybe it's the rain...). I will keep at it and keep smiling!!