Hello darling, I am this close to not posting at all tonight. I have been feeling slightly under the weather all day, sleepy, fatigued & achey - mildly but persistently so, and gray skies all day, limpidness never lifting, haven't helped. I'm actually in a good mood, a mellow one, thinking about a possible rendezvous (for coffee) this weekend, but feeling amused at some of the exchanges. But Discretion is Paramount, which I fully respect. Let's just say that no meeting seemed too realistic, certainly not any ongoing encounter, because we're a little too geographically farflung. Ah, but we could meet in the middle. Which we will, for coffee. But as per my brainiac email to him this morning: "I do have a question though - back to practicalities - let's say we do hit it off -- where would you imagine our private assignations to take place?" He hadn't thought about it! And I had no answer. "I don't quite see myself spending time in motels," and assumed that he wasn't in the financial position to "whisk up a comfortable pied-a-terre" in the middle town. No, but what a swell idea! - getting a nice place to stay from time to time...

He had thought that once we got to know one another and I was comfortable, I could drive to the middle town, he could meet me there, drive back to his town, and then drive me back to my car afterward, and then we'd each drive in opposite directions home...

All that time, all that driving...

And then I thought of the solution...

The long & short of it is -- if sparks fly (doubtful, I really am very very fussy, & I'll know in about an instant) -- but if they do fly --

then the Empire Service will be my personal F train, suddenly reducing the vast distance between our river towns into no more, in terms of time & ease, than the stops between, say, Carroll Street and 47-50 Sts/Rockefeller Center. Totally doable. I might get some reading done. I'll be a commuter - of sorts! Oh, and he'll cover the fare.

Aren't you proud of me for coming up with that? I think I'll start my reading program, for the runs downriver, with Anna Karenina...

yours in great humor & spirit darling,
hoping all is well with you -
love, Belle