It's a gift.

So, what’s up? It’s another rainy, cool, delightful day here in Royal Oak. No, seriously. For as much as I like the sun and the blue sky and all that, with the exception of a few outliers, the days that have meant the most to me in my life have been rainy ones. I’m a pretty fun loving guy. I’m not afraid to go out and enjoy the weather. You may not agree with me that Frisbee golf is a good way to kill a sunny afternoon, but you’re misguided and eventually you’ll see the error in that judgment. You need only go once with Nic and Jay and I and you’ll be hooked, and likely drunk, but whatever. Still, there is something fantastic about sitting inside on a rainy late summer or early fall day watching great movies, or cooking up a storm or both. Or maybe just spending 12 straight hours playing crazy 8’s or Rumy or Go Fish with someone who doesn’t like cards, laughing the whole time.

At present I’m sitting in Beaner’s having another hazelnut soy latte and laughing at the events of the morning. It all started with my inability to eat a cranberry crunch parfait. It’s simple, right. It consists of nothing more than some plain yogurt, a handful of cranberries and a sprinkling of granola, and yet, as I sat there cleaning it off my pants for the third time, I started laughing at how hard this parfait was fighting my attempts to eat it. “C’mon yogurt, be a team player”, I said…..out loud. The girl sitting kiddie-corner to me laughed and asked if I always gave motivational speeches to my food. She raised her hand to introduce herself as Genie (spelled just like that I would later find out). Even with my monkey arms I couldn’t reach to shake her hand so I did what anyone would do, half stood up to take up the distance. Here’s where it gets ugly. I went to stand up and my foot became entangled in my laptop cord. I was stuck, caught between trying to look cool and not thrashing my laptop. In a frenzy of arms and legs and laptop bags I went down…..hard. I spilled my coffee, and hers, though not on either of us shockingly. I finished on my back as if I were prepping to make snow angels on the wooden floor. “That’s Awwwesome” I heard a guy say from the lounge chairs by the window. With precious little dignity left I did the only thing I could do, “So..…do you have dinner plans?” I asked her. It's a gift. If someone were to follow Matt and I around and chronicle our nearly daily public meltdowns, they could entertain future generations for years to come. (sigh)

I’ve got class in a few hours. I woke up early this morning to the sound and smell of the rain. No thunder, no lightning, just rain. I love it. Upon careful review of my class assignments I found that I had no homework to do, bonus. The rest of my day looks like this: tobacco shop and then to the bookstore on Main, hunting for film and some T-max developer (the developer only if someone offers the use of their darkroom……anyone?), quick bite to eat and school. I normally drive to Toronto after school but I can’t check into my hotel room until Tuesday so I’m going to wait and go back then. I hate that drive at night anyway.

Music: "Satan gave me a Taco" - Beck