Apparently I was right when I said, last May, that this man and I must have been circling within 50 feet of each other for the past several years and that, post dating him, I was bound to run into him nearly every place I went. The fact that I have now spotted him twice (on two occasions where he presumably didn't spot me) makes me wonder how many times he's seen me while I've been unaware. It also makes me wonder where I can expect to see him next. This could actually be a fun game, I suppose. Like Where's Waldo (er, Where's Adam?) but without the stocking hat and thick-framed glasses. At least on Wednesday (unlike that day at Target), I was properly showered and lip-glossed. I can only hope the same holds true next time as well.
I was actually thinking about my first near run-in with that guy (and with the subsequent in-Target encounter with Crooked Soul Patch McLikeshimself a few weeks ago) before heading out to Target again today. As is my usual routine on a Sunday that involves no social plans, I spent a few minutes considering the To-Shower or Not To-Shower question. I wasn't planning to see anyone I knew or to be out for any length of time. A quick dab of powder and a ponytail seemed entirely sufficient for the day. I have learned my lesson now, however. I picked To-Shower this time.
This afternoon's Target outing marks only the third time I have left my house in the past four days. I stayed home from work on Thursday and Friday because I had no desire to spend three hours in traffic crawling my way through what I recently heard referred to as The Snowpocalypse, nor to spend the night in a motel somewhere off of Highway 36 due to an inability to make it the entire drive. Instead I gave myself an impromptu four-day weekend and took a work-from-home day followed by a self-proclaimed snow day.
You'd think I would get stir-crazy, cooped up alone for four consecutive days. (I did venture out for social outings a bit on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, but the majority of the past 96 hours were spent entirely on my own.) You'd think I'd be happy to go back to work tomorrow and rejoin humankind. Instead, I am dreading my 6:00 alarm the same way I do every Sunday around this time. I actually had a lovely four days of peaceful lounging about. I watched Ellen and Oprah two days in a row, which is two more days than I've seen either show in the past six months or more. I watched a mini-marathon of Gilmore Girls Season Three. I nearly finished the tiny baby sweater I am knitting for a friend's soon-to-be-born child. I got 140 or so pages closer to the end of the Hunt Sisters book I'm reading. And I realized, oddly and unsettlingly, that being homebound and anti-social is maybe a little too comfortable for me. It's a slippery slope, I think, between being content with a few days of mostly hermit-like solitude and suddenly seeing the appeal of unemployment and relishing the fantasy of life as a shut-in. I've said for years that I'm quite comfortable in my modern spinster role. Times like this, though, I realize I'm maybe just a few steps away from crazy old Cat Lady... minus the cats, of course.
I shouldn't say I spent the whole weekend lounging, however. I got plenty of exercise shoveling Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well. I thought I was finally done for a while, so you can imagine how my heart sank when I went out to my car this afternoon and saw that a City plow had gone through my alley one more time and left another mini-wall of snow across my driveway. Unable to bring myself to haul out the shovel yet again, I decided to ignore the fact that I drive the vehicular equivalent of a 98-pound weakling and to try to charge on through the wall anyway. My wheels spun a bit and I thought I'd have to admit defeat, but eventually I made it past the obstacle. I should give my little Saturn a bit more credit, I suppose.
You know what else deserves more credit? That whole myth of "Minnesota Nice." Check it out: my next-door neighbor proving that Minnesotans actually are nice and that being on a speaking basis with your neighbors really isn't actually all bad. That is him with the snowblower; that is my driveway he's snowblowing. I really sort of love him right about now.
11 comments:
Yay for good neighbors! I can be a hermit for many, many more days than 4 particularly if there's snow involved. Remember, those days are harder to come by when you're part of a couple...pluses and minuses, my friend ;)
Holy CRAP, that's a lot of snow!!! But I know what you mean - I go in phases when I'm entirely too comfortable spending alone time in my home than I should be.
I could quite easily slide over into agoraphobia, I think. Sometimes it's just so nice not to have to be out there with other people and their crap. And I already have the cats. Ah, but somebody has to go out there and bring home the cat chow. Guess that'll be me. ;)
Yeah, that IS a lot of snow. Isn't it great, when someone does something so nice for you and it restores your faith in humanity almost?
I totally know what you mean about being too comfortable by your lonesome - I've started turning into a bit of a hermit in the past year, but I'll just have to be the crazy dog lady, since I'm allergic to cats. Makes me think of that scene in the beginning of "Bridget Jones" where she fears she will die alone, eaten by Alsatians. Heheh. Maybe this is a sign that there's a Colin Firth right around the bend. Here's hoping!
This one (seven foot tall!) guy who lives on my street was going around with his snowblower and helping out everyone who was trying to shovel the giant piles at the bottom of their driveways. It was amazingly nice. I want to bake him cookies, but I am not sure which house is his.
Sognatrice--I can totally understand that. I am always confused when my friends seem so lost and out of sorts when their husbands are out of town for a few days. If I were in their shoes, I think I'd be thrilled at the chance for a few days to myself! Perhaps this is why I'm not married yet, actually. I might value my alone time a little too much.
GG--Indeed. It's been YEARS since we had that much snow at once. Mind you, almost all of that is just from the past week. Before Blizzard 1.0 (a week ago Saturday), we had maybe an inch of snow on the ground).
Liz--Don't they have Simon Delivers (or something similar) where you live? You can order online and have someone bring the cat food TO you!! Perfect solution!
Anniina--I think of that line from Bridget Jones's Diary often. I'm more worried about falling down the stairs and no one finding me, though. I don't think we have many Alsatians in my neighborhood. And I love your suggestion that a Colin Firth is on his way! Come on, Mark Darcy! :-)
R--Seven Feet Tall? Wow. It's like you've got your own altruistic and legendary Paul Bunyan on your block or something! I should bake my neighbor cookies, I suppose. I tried to give him a gift card from this great liquor shop and deli in our neighborhood, but he gave it back! Said a "thank you" was all he needed. I don't get it.
Stefanie, I feel like you live in Anytown USA (or possibly a sitcom), what with your constantly running into old dates. What are the odds?!
And because it cannot be said enough: DUDE. That is a ridiculous amount of snow.
I can't imagine running into past date mates on such a regular basis, it sounds stressful. But not as stressful as all that snow.
Metalia--I know, right?? Like I said last time, I do not live in Stars Hollow, for fuck sake. This is getting ridiculous.
NPW--True. On both counts. It's not fair.
I hear you about the getting too comfortable with being a shut-in theory. Yesterday I thought about getting the mail and stopped myself when I realized I hadn't left the apartment all day and I didn't want to "ruin" my streak.
That is an insane amount of snow. Your last picture didn't do it justice.
Since I started working (by which I mean "working") at home, I've worried a bit about becoming crazy hermit lady. The fact that you can buy pretty much anything off Amazon doesn't help matters either.
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