Oh, look at me the fool: I tell you I'm going to write with more frequency, and then I skip five days. Well, I do have excuses:
1) It was really freaking hot this weekend. Hotter than I can ever recall it being here in nordic Minnesota. Really, where else can I go to have the cool summers I so desire? Siberia? The worst part was that it didn't cool down much at night, which meant that my house just sucked up heat for 3 straight days. By Sunday evening, it was literally intolerable. Even my tube of toothpaste was warm to the touch. The fan in front of which I sat for relief blew only hot air. I believe I said at one point "Can we just please DIE? It's hot as hell already, we might as just die and really go there." Fortunately, Sunday night brought a spectacular thunderstorm, which cooled everything off and dispelled the suffocating humidity. Well, for now.
2) I had cats following me all over town. Friday evening, you see, I decided to go for a stroll around the neighborhood. It was past dark already, leaving it cooler outdoors than in my house. I wandered about a mile down my street, went south a few blocks, and headed back towards my house with the intention of dropping by the queer house on the way. I was about halfway there when I encountered "little buddy", the scrawny black stray cat who has taken a liking to me over the summer. I stopped and talked to it, stroking it and letting it make figure eights between my legs. After 5 or 10 minutes, I wanted to get going. So, apparently, did the cat: it followed me for a good block or two, keeping up with my quick gait, even crossing streets with me. We reached a particular corner and the cat's demeanor changed; it crouched down, growling quietly. I couldn't figure out what the matter was, but then it became abundantly clear: there was another cat on the corner, this one a sleek white and tan one, considerably more well fed than my scrawny buddy.
They circled each other, noses low to the ground trying to pick up any scent. I tried to shoo each of them away in turn, but neither wanted to give up ground. "Alright, guys, I have to get going. You're going to have to work this out yourselves." (yes, I was indeed speaking out loud to them) I began to walk away, when I noticed something moving alongside me. No, it wasn't my scrawny black pal. The other cat had apparently decided that I was a good person to follow! It followed me even longer than the first one, and each time I thought I had lost it, it popped up in front of me. It trotted along all the way to the queer house, up the front walk, and up the porch stairs, and even tried to poke its head in the door. As I shut it behind me, I heard the cat mewing expectantly outside. Mariano departed after I had told Richard, Tony and him of my feline adventures, but not for long. A few minutes later, he was back inside: "The cat is still out there- should I feed it?"
Saturday night, Becca and I had made plans to go to the Blue Moon Cafe, a coffee house reputed to be the hangout of many many queer women. While the reputation proved true, unfortunately they were all either attached or 45. We did, however, uncover the friendliest coffee shop employee ever. Most, I've discovered, either hate their job or think they're too good for it: "What? You want moi, a hip-and-happening scenester, to serve you? >sigh<" The women we encountered at the Blue Moon was just the opposite- she seemed positively delighted to see us, gave us a casual discount on our drinks, and didn't even mind that we (unknowingly) stayed 15 minutes after close. What a gem, even if she was 45.
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