Morning and evening

Morning.

My favorite roadtrip vacation is my favorite for two reasons. One, it was epic. Two, it was for the right reason.

I was working in Colorado. I loaded my brand new Harley in my brand new Toyota X-Runner and headed to Alabama, visiting friends on the way. From my friend Pat's house in Alabama, I drove up to Virginia Beach to visit more friends.

The last morning in Virginia, I got up at 9ish, took a nap by Morghan's pool in the afternoon, and was getting into bed around nine or thereabout when the phone rang. After the phone call, I packed the truck and drove through the night to Atlanta. I got there at 7 AM, if I remember right. I got to hang out with the girl I'd driven all that just to be on the East Coast at the same time she was for three hours, then she had to fly back to Moscow. I drove out of the city until I hit a traffic jam, at which point I got a hotel room and slept for a day. I skipped a lot of the story, and glossed over some really good time reconnecting with friends I hadn't seen in a long time. I just love that story. I wish I could have seen her when she was in Philadelphia, or San Antonio, but life throws curveballs. I have grown past thinking the future will hold what I used to think I wanted when it comes to her and I, but I still cherish our friendship and love talking to her. it begs the question, is love longed for but never had somehow better in imagination? What if it would have worked, some crazy way, but not forever? Say, I would have been too immature? Or we didn't mesh on a day-to-day basis? Having a long distance, very real, very honest relationship based on a very real connection long ago is very, very sweet, and at times equally painful. Some nights its the feather pillow I lay my head against, and others its the rocks in my bed. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Its more real than most of life, it makes me feel, it helped me learn a lot about myself, friendships, loss, gain, the irony of life, on and on.

Fast forward to tonight. I didn't act on this idea for a week and a half, to see if the desire persisted or subsided. It stuck around. Here's the scenario: I had to get new glasses last week after mine flew off my face while I rode the bike home on the 6-lane bypass around the city. There was a young, witty, very attractive girl about my age working at the glasses place, and we shared a few laughs and intelligent banter (more than normal chitchat crap.) So, today....

(man enters LensCrafters, walks swiftly and directly to front desk)
Jennifer: "Hi! What can we do for you?" (or something like this)
Luke: "Well my glasses are fine. Would you like to have dinner with me?"
Jennifer: (Immediately, with no expression change [still smiling, that is]) "I would, but I have a boyfriend."
Luke: (somewhat under his breath) "Lucky bastard!"
Jennifer: (laughs)
Luke: "Can I say that?"
Jennifer: "Well, you just did!" (still smiling)
Luke: "Yea, I just did, huh? Ok, see ya later."
Jennifer: "Come back anytime!"

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Even the shots you DO take aren't misses-they're practice.