saturday

three things:

1) i woke up at 4:30 on saturday. i had to go to work. the bike ride through strathcona was unexpectedly peopled - i invented a game "coming or going." the rules are very simple: is this person coming home or going out? most of the 20 people or so i saw were pretty definitely in the coming category, leaving me lonely and travelling along in the going category. i did see one fellow in a yellow t-shirt with whom i shared a definitive shared look of misery as we both neared work at the early hour of 5:30 am...

while i don't like suffering from sleep deprivation, there is something about the extremity of waking up at 4:30 that appeals to me. the extremity of the fatigue that overtakes you. the challenge and sense of accomplishment of finishing the day - albeit at 8:30!

2) after finishing work at 10AM i headed to the beach to read the paper, only to be distracted by a friend. we spent the morning indoors listening to sarah mclaughlin... then i walked him to safeway and back before heading on my way. as i was walking to where my bike was parked i heard a voice behind me: where's your bike? "right there," said me. A conversation ensued about bike tires and treads and city riding (which i mostly do) vs. mountain biking (which i've never done). "What's your name, anyway?" and after I had introduced myself, "would you mind if I gave you my phone number... we could go for coffee sometime..." er. uh. "you don't do that sort of thing?" no... "ok, well there's no harm in asking! have a good day!" and he was gone.

no, there's no harm in asking. thank you, stranger, for your courage, for putting yourself out on the line like that. i mean, it looks like a line to me, a shaky one at that. but you, you just asked. and it was easy and generous and breezy. you are an inspiration.

3) by the time i returned home i was super-pooped, however the day wasn't over yet! time for a guitar lesson with maiko and nicky. what a frustration! i could feel my brain growing, stretching, forging new pathways. keep going, i say to me, keep going.

we went for a beer afterwards, and nachos, because what is a beer without nachos. oh. except that i had a caesar. i guess the nachos make less sense then....

anyhow, as we were walking down the sidewalk i heard my name. i turned... puzzled... could it be... ben yankson! a grade school friend somehow refound in the same way my sister refound mathieu - another grade school friend - only to bed him and move into a loft apartment with the fella.

so much happening in one day...