December 16, 2004: The forecast called for mostly cloudy and rain
The morning was as predicted and a bit cool. I wore jeans, a sweater, scarf and coat and carried a hat in my pocket. It had rained quite a bit by the time we made it out and would turn muggy and uncomfortable as the day warmed up. My jeans were soaked at the bottom making them heavier and dirtier as my walking dragged them around. I was definitely overdressed but it was either carry all the stuff or just wear it and deal with it. I opted for the latter.
UT-Austin campus, beneath the fog.
We were to check out some art exhibits but, like every other museum in the world on a Monday, the Harry Ransom Center was closed - I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of it. She offered to walk me around campus to check out, among other things, Texas Memorial Stadium and the Alumni Center, home of the Texas Exes, where we took a break, grabbed a warm drink and enjoyed a brief impromptu recital by a stranger toying with the open piano.
The SLR was in its bag in the trunk of the car with a big patch of packing tape holding the film compartment shut. The lock had broken sometime in the past couple of weeks and I didn’t realize it until I tried loading it the morning after my arrival. Not exactly good news to start a vacation because fixing it meant five days in some camera shop making it not a viable option. Still, it didn’t matter at least that day as the rain wasn’t convincing me to lug the monster around town so instead I armed myself with the compact digital.
Any other day I might have gotten annoyed by it all. Yet, resting in bed later that afternoon, I stared out at the clouds as thought after thought ran circles in my head. It was good thinking time, mostly quiet, with only the wind and trees outside providing a comforting soundtrack. And in the foreground, the subtle sound of her breathing as she slept on her side, her head resting on my shoulder, was accented by its warmth on my neck.
It was nice.
Maybe I subconsciously remembered that sometimes I just think about things too much and end up missing out on a lot as a result. I admit, it’s hard-wired in me. Maybe sometimes it’s good to think about things but always may not be the best way to live. I turned to look at her and her eyes were now open staring me back. I reached over and we kissed for the first time.
That was nice
, I said. And I inched closer and put my arm around her and rested my head against her shoulder. It was my turn.
Being someone who over the past few years had become meticulous - and some might say, self-torturing - about the way I approached dating, I went against everything I had somehow trained myself to do. And I had no explanation why. She would later comment maybe it was just gut-feeling but what I knew then is that it felt amazing. And the things that would normally be annoyances, were rather insignificant.
As it happens often, the weather forecast was way off: it was a perfect day.