Taxi

I made friends with a cab driver last night. We were waiting for our poor friend Cam at the airport. After about an hour, I went outside for a cigarette. The man started feeble conversation from 20 feet away, "If I'd a known this, I'da brought a jacket." That seems to be the way a lot of my conversations have started in Missouri. For some reason, I attract a little attention.

Last weekend, we walking into Barnes and Noble, and the same thing happened. An older man did a double take at me, and said something like, "That's what happens when a person gets old, I guess", and literally clutched his jacket around him. I was wearing a long skirt and a tank top.

I've been explaining to these people that I'm from Wisconsin. They get a knowing gleam in their eyes, because they think Wisconsin is constantly under 18 feet of snow. That might not be the case, but when it's 71 degrees in mid-November, I personally don't feel the need for a sweater/jacket combo.

It happened once before, too. When I was living in Minneapolis, taking german. Our class was small, and we all got along very well. I trudged into class, depositing my bag and my jacket on the back of my chair. Someone was looking at me, I could feel it.. I looked up, and caught him in the act. Jonathon was staring at my shirt. Literally. He stared for a few more seconds, as I stared at him, incredulous. Finally he shook his head a little bit, and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry.. it's just that I haven't seen a tank top in months."

From what I remember, I blushed furiously and tried not to look pleased. I've got a slight vanity problem.