Want to stop here?

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Mr. A and I left the house close to 10 tonight, both of us wary after long days of work. He's been buried under a massive to-do list as he prepares for a vacation. (And at his company, like many others I suppose, "vacation" means "do all your work before you're gone and then be reachable on email the whole time you're away." Evil. But I digress.) I spent the day on something related to my professional development -- a job application! For a really fantastic opportunity. The chances are slim because they will likely hire from within, but if I do get it, or even land on their radar and encourage them to consider me for future opportunities, I will be one happy asker. More details to report soon, I hope.

So we headed out. Our goals were similar: clear the brain, reconnect after a crazy day. Our plan was vague -- ideas we tossed around included a belly dancing show at a local bar, shooting pool, or listening to blues downtown.

But after a quick stop by an ATM, we scrapped those ideas and opted for something different: drive around and find some place we've never been before, and see what emerges. Mr. A, who was behind the wheel, headed for an area not far from our house with a lot of bars, figuring we'd find something new there.

"Here?" I tried.

"No."

"Here?" he tried.

"Not yet."

It seemed we'd been everywhere, or the options didn't look promising. And then, as quickly as you can say "tiny wine bar tucked around a corner," I saw it. A tiny wine bar. Tucked away, around a corner. Perfection.

"Look! Want to stop here?" I asked.

"Fine by me. Let's check it out."

"Are you sure? Didn't you want to play pool?"

"It's okay. As long as it's something new, I'm good."

That is how we discovered a fantastic wine bar in our neighborhood. It's about 100 square feet, with maybe 10 seats, exposed brick walls, big windows, 150 types of wine and a friendly bartender. When we walked in, there was one man sitting at the bar (a seismic engineer, father of 3 and one of 12 siblings, we later found out) and a couple in a corner. The menu was varied and interesting. The prices were reasonable. The best part, though, was the music: tango. A very danceable tango.

And that is exactly what we did: danced, in the tiny bar, knocking against tables and chairs and smiling until the music died.