With a bit more internet searching and fewer constraints, we managed to locate a school nearby with very friendly teachers and fellow students (except for that one creepy guy...sigh...there's always that one creepy guy...) with reasonable rates and commitment options (we'd planned to go for just one month but after the initial lesson (and the initial drink) husband turned out to be okay with the 3-month scheme).  In fact, he actually enjoys the "intuitive" (his word) teaching style ("sloppy" according to me) more than I do.  It's all good; I've had a lot of lessons before and mostly need things dredged up from the murky tar pits of memory.   (Though I prefer more kind of:  "This is the step you do on beat one, it's called X, and this is the history of that step, here let me show it to you 5 times; all right now you do it 5 times; remember now that's called X and you do it on beat one or when your partner does Y; we're going to demonstrate Y now 5 times; and it leads to Z which you do on beat two, and this is why you do Z on beat two," ad infinitum.  I understand why most people don't learn or teach well like this, I just don't understand how anyone ever learns anything from seeing a teacher go "Okay now this is the SHAZAM!  Watch:  SHAZAM!  Great, right?  Ok now you do it!"  Aaahhh!  What?)

Choosing the Halloween event for our first lesson did mean that our first instruction came from a woman dressed up (appropriately enough I suppose) like Carmen Miranda, and we were able to observe all sorts of folks tangoing, including a bass player dressed like Jesus and a woman dancing with a python.  (Yes a real python.)   No, I'm not going to post their pictures, either.  You just gotta believe me.  This is a pic of my future tango shoes.  What, you thought I could tango in these?  Not a chance! (but I *can* _walk_ in them  ;P)  My actual tango practice shoes are not that inspiring to look at (but oh so comfortable...).  I held out for a long time, wearing my tried-and-true old black strappy $35 sandals with the chunky wooden heel and one-inch platform, until the tango teacher actually expressed pity over my "heavy" shoes (what?!  these are _stylish!_ ) ...and I stepped on my own toe a couple times.  Owie.  For now, I save the fantasy tango shoes for housework  (LOL  ; )  ) and wear the ugly practice shoes for tango practice.  But...we've been threatened with a public tango command performance at my icky brother-in-law's wedding, and I'm sure not wearing the ugly shoes to that shebang, so who knows?  It's not like any of those people will be expecting much from me, so if I fall on my face, at least I will do it with fabulous shoes on.  XD