Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Morning Tally Sheet


The other day, while brushing my teeth, I did some simple math. Math is generally something I avoid and this was early in the morning to boot so, believe me, it was simple math.

I met McKibbin when I was sixteen, and turning thirty-six this year marks twenty years of conversation between us. Not always polite conversation, mind you. With a mouthful of toothpaste I wasn’t overcome by sentimentality. I was just running the numbers. But I was a little surprised by the lump sum of twenty years between us.

A couple of minutes later McKibbin was inspired, by the smell of fresh coffee, to kick out from under the warm covers and trudge toward caffeine. I was putting in my earrings, McKibbin poured us some coffee. His eyes still puffy and longing for sleep I had him verify my simple math. Like I said, math is not my strong point. To be fair, though, talking before coffee isn’t his strong point so we were both in a rather vulnerable position.

Sixteen when we met...thirty-six this year...equals twenty years of needling each other with adolescent banter, right?

"Mmmm-hmmm," he mumbled, then paused to breathe in the coffee vapor. "Twenty years and you still won’t do yoga if I’m in the house."
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Currently Reading: The Teapot Dome Scandal by Laton McCartney
Currently Listening To: The Decline and Fall of Rome (lecture series) by T. Madden
Currently Watching: Rome Season One
Dinner Line-Up: Pesto and Pasta Shells Stuffed with Ricotta and Butternut Squash

2 comments:

m@ said...

god i love your blog.

Melissa said...

Thanks, M@, you're the best! This exchange just made me chuckle.