It’s on deep, cool nights like this that I’m in danger of falling in Love at a touch. Maybe summer’s dead. I can only hope. The death rattle of summer that equals the dry rustle of autumn leaves. Tonight was a night for driving with the windows down (I did), chasing a friend down winding back roads (I did), listening to old music that reminds you of ex-girlfriends (I did) and running my fingers through a woman’s hair (which, unfortunately, I did not). Still, the majority of my sensual, seasonal tasks were realized and the last one simply solidifies into a melancholy longing that heightens the sense of melancholy.
I went to see my friend Erica on her opening night of “Much Ado About Nothing” – a local production – but it was good to finally see her perform. She was dazzling, beautiful, powerful and passionate. I was actually eally impressed. There were flubs here and there, stutters and misses but overall the production was Lovely, set to the perfect background of a darkening sky and the slow arrival of stars (or were they jet airliners?). There was a bad moment when I was afraid that a cicada in the overarching tree would drown everyone out, but he soon got over his own amorous nature and settled in for the show.
Playing Magic at my friend Michael Berkowitz’s place I get to witness their preparations for the construction the Lego Millenium Falcon. I was struck with the Geek Awe.
Afterwards, I met up with friends to play a couple of hands of Magic. They were brutal games, every one of them tight and hard-won. I think we each took a couple of rounds and by 1.30am we were ready to be done, but none of us had that despair of a no-mana night. At that point I got to follow my friend Peter back to his place – chasing along a long, windy path. I was stupidly dazzled by how his headlights lit a perfect, beautiful ring around his car, flashing an incendiary path through the low-hanging tunnel of trees. Windows down for gentle whiffs of all the different night smells Laurel has to offer. Surprisingly heady.
Tonight I’m sleeping on a couch – it’s been a while but it’s hardly unfamiliar – and the thing with couches is that when you get just the right one, they’re even better than beds. They cradle you and keep you contained. They’ve got your back (HA!). In the morning i have to eat Thai food.
Meep.
