Vignettes: The Lighter Side Pt. II

Greetings and salutations, one and all!

I am working a post with some big news, which I had been hoping to write last night.

Instead, I came home late from work (followed by a stint at the gym), ate a slice of pizza, and then fell asleep watching the Red Sox defeat Oakland out on the Left Coast. 

I awoke with a start, mid-drool, at 3:00 AM, with half my face imprinted with the corduroy from my backrest. 

(And before some smart aleck (read: Kelli and/or April) asks: no, I will *not* be posting pictures!)

Instead, I *will* share another quick story about work, this one involving my friend D.

I have written before about D.

The more I get to know D, the more I like him. 

And the more I admire him.

I will be writing more about him in the months to come. 

He is one of those people who comes into your life for a reason. 

As stressful as this job has been, and continues to be, I have been beyond fortunate to count S, RW, B, L, and now D as people I consider not only dear friends, but people from whom I have learned a great deal about myself, and how to conduct myself with honor and compassion.

But to bring this back down to earth... a brief story about D that proves the old adage that we often know things before we even realize we know them!

S has told me that on several occasions D has come by my desk looking for me after I had left for the day - and referred to me as "she." He catches himself... but he has done it more than once.

D is absolutely brilliant; not simply book-smart, but also remarkably perceptive. I have learned a great deal from chatting with him about work, and never cease to be amazed at his ability to make me look at something seemingly familiar in a way I never had before.

Perhaps he is doing that, unconsciously, with me. :c)

Why do I say that?

Last week he came by my desk to tell S and myself about his search for either a new apartment or condominium closer to the office.

S was attending a meeting, so he hopped on my desk and shared photos of his most recent possibilities.

Suddenly he stopped speaking and frowned.

"What happened to your shirt, [my boy name]?" he asked.

I looked down and saw what he meant. One whole side of the loose white polo shirt I wore (the better to hide the girls) had a reddish tint.

I later determined the culprit:

It was the red thermal bag I use to carry my lunch.

We had one of those patented summer cloudbursts as I was walking into the office that morning. Before I had my umbrella up, the strap on the bag apparently got wet enough to stain my shirt.

D did not know this, though.

Instead, with his patented impish smile, D said, "I know what caused this, my friend!"

"Oh?" I said.

"Yes," he said. "It was your girlfriend, right?"

I grinned in return and assured him that most definitely was NOT the cause.

D then leaned closer to me, his smile even wider.

"I see!" he said, his voice soft. "So then... it must be your liptstick, correct?"

With considerable effort, I managed to contained my laughter.

Barely. :c)

I looked at him, completely deadpan.

"We all have our secrets, D."

:D

***

In case anyone is wondering, I took the photo at Fort Adams in Newport RI at sunset, several years ago.

And speaking of lipstick and sunsets... here is a gorgeous, moving song from John Hiatt's masterpiece, 1987's Bring the Family:

You can see why BTF is one of my Desert Island Discs. 

BTW, that is the amazing Sonny Landreth on the breathtaking slide guitar. He is a superb songwriter in his own right, and well worth checking out. Here he is collaborating with another of my favorite guitarists: Mark Knopfler:

Sigh... this is utter guitar bliss...