The Last Of The Birthday Festivities

I had been so looking forward to today for so long now...and my day - the 13th - starts out walking under a ladder at the bookstore ! Luckily I am not the superstitious type...

As I was driving up to Cleveland, I called H__ and asked that if she had a spare hour to get a cup of coffee with me. Happily, she did. We were going to walk over to Cafe Limbo from her house, but she felt too warm, and so we drove. She always manages to get the parking space directly in front of the joint. It's uncanny...

After a lovely chat on a lovely afternoon, it was time for me to take my leave so I could go to Sergio's, where I was meeting Heather for a triumvirate of celebrations.

As we rounded the corner back to H__'s house so I could get my car, we noticed that about 100 feet in front of where my car was parked a minivan was engulfed in flames and pouring a huge cloud of noxious smoke up into the sky.

I offered to pay H__ to chauffeur me to Sergio's, as I did not want to be anywhere near the impending explosion when the flames reached the gas tank of the minivan. Declining all financial bribery, H__ did some nice illegal driving maneuvers and we quickly arrived safe and sound at Sergio's, where H__ and Heather finally got to meet for the first time. Heather invited H__ to join us, but she was at the end of her day. Heather said she respected H__'s ability to be so honest - it means that you respect that in others. I thought that was a cool observation.

{ I want to take an editorial moment to report that I have received several emails from Faithful Readers speculating about H__'s identity, and every one of them assumes that H__ is Heather. H__ is H__. Heather is Heather. }

This dinner marks the first time of being able to sit outside on the patio of Sergio's this season! We ordered a libation to get the party started, a dark Brazilian beer, Xingu. Heather has finally graduated with her hard-earned Master's Degree, and in addition, we were celebrating each of our birthdays.

We had a great meal, the coffee (which goes without saying) and the now standard (it seems) coconut cake - which Heather approved of as well.

Although Heather and I talk on the phone to each other frequently (well, we voice mail each other frequently), we have not seen each other since our last meal at Sergio's, which was on St. Patrick's Day. Now here it is, Friday the 13th. Nothing bad happened, other than the umbrella for the table across from us started to fall our way, threatening to impale us, but it was caught before a scene was created.

It was so nice to spend time with Heather - I have missed her very much and I am very selfishly glad school is out! She better not be thinking of getting her PhD anytime soon, that's all I'm gonna say on the subject...

So, Heather drove me back to my car, as she lives about four blocks away from H__ - convenient, huh?

My trusty car was sitting all safe and sound, with nothing but a large circle of cinders in the street to tell the tale of the burning minivan.

I headed home, and clouds rolled in for the predicted thunderstorm.

By the time I arrived home, there was only a steady gentle rainfall, a distant rumbling of thunder, and wonderful clean scent filling my apartment. With fresh air and clean linens calling to me, I took a magazine to bed, and had a wonderful, sound sleep.