Spent the morning sipping coffee with some new friends who ended up buying this one. It had rained overnight and even though the sun was out and bright, every time I thought to hike up into the hills for this view, another shower would come through and soak everything anew. ⠀
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But that was just fine.⠀
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I like coffee.⠀
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And I really like coffee out of an unfamiliar mug. It means new places, new people, new horizons…⠀
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And I especially really like coffee over the meandering conversations that happen after spending the night on a makeshift bed in the middle of an unfamiliar living room with borrowed blankets exactly like the ones we used in my grandparents home long ago.⠀
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Rotating the leaning mug in circles on its edge, nearly empty now, feeling the tile and grout through stone-cold ceramic vibrations over a pause in the conversation as another downpour passes through and signals that it’s time for yet one more warmup. Yes, please. Fill it to the rim, and where were we?⠀⠀
Discussing gardens and children and work and real estate and history and multiple versions of tomorrow- none of which look anything like today. ⠀
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Just one short year ago we could bounce down the road and in and out of each other’s lives, enriching, sharing, cross-pollinating ideas, enjoying our human experience in proximities that feel scandalous by these pandemic standards we find ourselves living now. ⠀
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It’s ok to miss those times and yearn for them again…⠀
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When the most pressing thing in the world was getting to know a generous stranger over another cup of coffee in their home while discussing mountain lions and poetry and the hopefully imminent end of these rogue showers.⠀
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As for this day, the showers lasted longer than they were forecasted. There finally came a good break and up the hill I went. But by the time I finished this one, drops were falling yet again and I had to pack it up quickly to avoid an unwanted soaking.