Life of Wry

I wrote the below a while back sitting in Mishka’s, between meet ups.   From the self-absorbed file.   It was written on a day very much like today… wet, stormy… so am pasting it here, to accompany this picture taken this morning on our walk home from an early Sunday morning kid-free breakfast.

So, here is a slice out of that day a few weeks ago:

It is a day made for sitting in cafes, and I’ve spent a good part of my morning–all of it really–in various of Davis’ busiest.  In my third…and it’s only 11:30.  It’s raining, and not just a little.   The world outside the cafe is dark–very dark for midday–and lacking contrast..  I’m looking out on gray skies, gray pavement, and gray buildings all darkened by heavy clouds and blurred by lots and lots of water–rain, standing water everywhere, splashing water.  Lately, the sunny days have been very springlike, but this is not a typical color-filled spring view.  None of that rich brown spring soil, nor the green of new foliage, no sun, no shadows, and definitely no dazzling bloomage to see.  I don’t even see cars that might add color to the scene.  As I said, no contrast; it’s all just dark and gray.  But.  I’m finding it exhilarating; it’s fervent and fierce and wind flurries are adding the perfect drama.  And I’m totally digging being in here, looking out.  This scene–think charming, winter, bustling Parisian cafe–calls for steamy windows.. and we have them.  The cafe’s crowded with people sitting at small tables, too close to feel private.  But being a cafe sardine today is tres appealing.  The sound track: classical music (of course) barely audible, grinding beans, the occasional gasp of the steam machine, and the muted roar of dozens of conversations.  I’m looking at a guy in a fedora talking to another guy whose hair is wet and fussy and flattened across his bald spots.  Every woman has a scarf around her neck, all tied, it seems, in the same variety of hitch knot.  There are also a lot of people staring at laptop screens in postures that would annoy their mothers.  I’m loving this winter so far and in no hurry for it to end.  I am so enjoying my cafe time with hot coffees and poppyseed muffins and friends and so many conversations.  It feels okay to be sort of immobilized–by the weather, by all these clothes, even by a lack of direction. There are moments when I’m impatient with it and get some impulse for productivity.. but it’s a reflex I’m content to ignore for a while in favor of just being and listening.