tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313139.post-1136614685061054292006-01-06T23:18:00.000-07:002006-01-06T23:21:32.683-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2729/166/1600/eye.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2729/166/320/eye.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">December 4</span></span><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Dear </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Wichita</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Anna showed up fashionably late for coffee at Hock's yesterday. She was wearing a Gore-tex jacket, her hair hidden under a trendy knitted hat. Her earphones were tucked inside the hat.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Hey."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Hey."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"What are you listening to?"</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Joni Mitchell, her <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Both Sides Now</span></i> re-issue."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Is that the one with the painting of her smoking on the cover?"</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Yea. It's a good album. Doesn't feel as old as it should."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">We drank coffee and chatted about random things, music, news, the weather. Of course we talked about the weather. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">She has bright, busy eyes. They flick around, watching people for split seconds and then moving off again. I found it kind of distracting at first, but she always looked me in the eye when I was saying something. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Her job was okay, her commute was decent, and the people she worked with didn't play too many games. She wanted to know more about </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Kansas</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">, why I was way out west instead of, as she smilingly said it, "at home driving a combine."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Not every one from </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Kansas</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> drives a combine you know. Does everyone from </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Seattle</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> listen to Nirvana?"</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"I know I know."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Sheesh. No I came out west for a change of scenery. I wasn't feeling like I fit it so well anymore. In </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Wichita</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> I mean."</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Why not?"</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">"Ah, um. Well I wanted to get more into the arts scene, especially photography, and </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Wichita</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> is a little red-neckish when it comes to that kinda thing." I think my eyes flicked.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">She nodded, looking at me intently.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">I shifted in my seat, looked out the window.</span></span></p>Darth!darth-tator@hotmail.com