It’s pretty amazing to think that one week ago I had reluctantly agreed to have an angiogram, knowing quite well after a couple of years of denial what the photos would show. The “test” would be immediately followed by an actual angioplasty, which consists of reaching the blocked arteries with a catheter and craftily opening them up with a tiny balloon followed by the installation of a wire mesh (stent) that prevent the artery walls from collapsing again.As we took the first spins last night at the milonga, I definitely could tell the difference of feeling my heart receiving and pumping unrestricted flows of blood, and as the night progressed happiness trumped fatigue while our attention focused on next day’s announced Night of the milongueros.

As we prepared for our brown bag lunch lecture Valorie negotiated with the organizers our participation in the exhibition where local milongueros would be featured. As a returning milonguero thirteen years later, we were thrilled to do an exhibition. We wonder what the doctor would say if he new what I was doing way too soon! But, paraphrasing the immortal words of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Cholo character in Naked Tango, “Alberto only lives because of his tango.”

Alberto and Valorie dance to Recuerdo at the Tango Fantasy in Miami Beach