Damon and Leah Clean Up at the Valentines Salsa Night (and I'm not talking brooms)

On Saturday night, Damon and I got all dressed up and went Salsa dancing. Well, I did the dancing while Damon did what he always does at these sorts of events. He watches from his perch at the bar and tries not to tap his toes to the beat as he and his buddies make fun of all of the male dancers.

The simple fact that he comes with me to my Salsa dancing nights is fantastic enough - I won't push him on the dancing...yet.

It was a charity event held in our favorite lounge/bar/restaurant ( http://www.cuveeloungebar.com/ ) by a friend of ours, and was a huge success - both for the charity organization and for Damon and I who swept up at the raffle prize giveaway.

As we arrived that evening, the first thing we noticed was the enormous marble table piled high with raffle prizes. There was wine, kitchen ware, sunglasses, gift certificates - and all proceeds from tickets purchased were going to help to buy a home for abandoned children. We simply had to buy a couple of tickets, it would be rude not to. At ten past nine, they started the raffel draw, and so began our journey into the spotlight.

It was embarrassing. We kept winning, and winning, and winning, and winning. Of course, with each winning draw, Damon pushed me to the front, so as not to draw attention to himself, and I humbly (though bursting with excitement on the inside) accepted each raffle prize like I was winning as Oscar:

'Oh! Thank you! I really don't deserve this! Thanks so much for all your hard work at this event, and thank you all for helping the children...'

People started shouting out things like: 'Hey! Check her ticket!' and 'That's not right! You should let someone else take the prize!' And I pretended to consider it, I really did; but there was no way someone else was going home with my piece of Japanese Cloisonne. I had number 06A - the absolutely fabulous decorative dish was mine. As was the bottle of wine, the champagne, the silk table cloth, the k-swiss sunglasses, the handmade crystal wine glass charms, two gift certificates for restaurants in town, the manicure and the bottle of sake. Well, ok, not mine...ours.

After the raffle, as the evening wore on; one by one, people began to forgive us. There were lineups of nosy guests eager to catch a glimpse of our bounty and ask questions like, 'So how did it feel to keep going up to the front?' and 'Are you excited?'

And so, we went home satisfied. New friends and new merchandise. And the kids will get a new home! Apart from our wedding, I think that was the most successful night of my life.