funny thing happened on the way to Target...

Ok, so it wasn't actually on the way to Target, but while I was actually there. But I thought it would be fun to slip in a Stephen Sondheim reference there.

Anyway... so I went to Target last night. Wait, let me back track for a second. Lola and I moved into our apartment last weekend (YAY!) so we have now officially relocated to Boston. Funny thing is, we don't have much to fill it, with the exception of our beds, making it so that it echoes a bit, but I'm digressing. The other morning though, we had an incident with our toilet, and NO! it's not because of anything that either Lola or I did, the water pressure isn't that great which makes it difficult to flush, etc. etc. So I thought it would be good to purchase a few bathroom items in the event that we have any major problems with the toilet, i.e. toilet brush, toilet cleaner, plunger, and a few other necessary household items, and so I ventured off to Target. Now mind you, I just moved here in January, which I guess is now nine months (wow! I didn't know it's been that long already!), but I still don't really know anyone. When I'm not working, I'm sleeping, and the people I work with are slightly older so they don't typically do things that recent college grads would do and so on - in summation though, I have no friends, I don't know anyone. Ok, so to recap, I'm in Target buying embarassing, yet necessary items for proper bathroom maintenance and am dressed in my most comfortable pair of sweats and one of my favorite sweatshirts because it had been raining that day so it was cold and I just wanted to be comfortable after a long day of work. So I'm scooting my little cart around, walking down the aisle and stop to compare toilet bowl brushes and plungers, when all of a sudden someone strangely familiar comes around the corner. I look at him, recognize him as someone I've definitely seen before, but I can't really put my finger on it and then it hits me - this guy played in one of the games from my work's softball team. He doesn't work with me (thank goodness because that would've been even more embarassing) but he played a few times as a back up player and actually gave me a mini fifteen minute lesson on how to properly swing a bat. My face instantly turns red and I look to see where I can make the quickest and least noticable escape. But it didn't work! We make eye contact and I can feel my face go beet red again. CRAP! Ok, so I calm down, realizing that there's no way I can avoid the situation without at least saying hello, so I do. He says hello then proceeds to tell me we had a class together, Prof So-and-So, but I cut him off before he finishes, only because I'm so embarassed and I'm trying to divert his attention from my toilet accessory filled cart, and tell him that we played softball together. Oh right! he says, you work at Sawyer. Yep, yes I do... so what brings you to Target? Then we proceed to talk about mops since they are on the other wall in the aisle, and he tells me that cloth mops are better than sponge mops, yet I disagreed, but how he couldn't find the refill for the one he has... it was very stimulating conversation. Of course I was entirely preoccupied the entire time with just getting the heck out of there!! Then, the moment I was waiting for, he just so happens to glance down at my cart, clearly seeing what was in it. He makes a face, realizes he's made a face, then pretends he didn't make the face, and then tries to ignore the fact that he looked in my cart altogether. Then he tells me you can get great picture frames at Target for a great price. Great! I say. Ummm.. ok, well I'm going to head out, it was good seeing you! But just as I was about to go, his friend comes around the corner which led to a round of introductions and another five minutes of awkward conversation. Finally, though, and I don't remember how I did it to be honest, I escaped. But I did see them at least five different times after that in various aisles in the store (and at the checkout, but I quickly maneuvered my cart in the opposite direction, pretending I had forgotten to pick something up).

The story is lengthy, yes, I agree. But what baffles me the most is that of all times, on all days, in all places, looking as terribley bummy bohemian as I did, why did I have to run into the one and only person that would ever recognize me in Boston?! And with a toilet plunger in my cart!!! He must think I have a terrible... well I honestly don't even want to imagine what he might think... Anyway, it was completely embarassing, but extremely funny all the same.

PS Stay tuned for pictures of the new apartment.