home.

went to look at an aptmt yesterday - tristen and rachel are looking for a roommate. great location, beautiful aptmt. two cats. damn! i'm allergic to cats. and they were looking for someone who wants a "home" not just a place to stay. that's what i want! darnit! it's hard to find homey homes in big cities. but i sat and chatted with them and their friends jeremy and sara. and we had a wonderful conversation that swayed from tom cruise and katie holmes to authors and books to "real genius", with val kilmer. it was great. i love being able to discuss celebrities seriously, as if i know them ("katie's clearly under his control" "tom is clearly gay.") i love finding people that i can have these conversations with. so, it was fun! but no apmt for jess.

today, while getting out of my car here in piedmont, an elderly couple stopped me. the woman saw my license plate and said "are you really from massachusetts?" "yup, i really am."

she was from sterling, ma (near worcester), and boy did she sound like it. it was like home, hearing that accent again in common conversation. and just like you can take home for granted, because it is so much a part of you, i almost didn't notice how warm it felt to hear her dropped "r"s. then it hit me - what's different about her voice? oh, yeah, she sounds like every elementary school teacher i ever had. the ones who said "bubblah" and "idear" and "hon." i'm surprised she wasn't named "gayle". they're always named "gayle."

anyway, she lives in my neighborhood, and left saying "it's good to have another yankee here!" she and her husband chahlie trotted away. i think i made her day. my license plate did, anyway (she moved here in the 60s, after working at harvard for 2 years. isn't that nuts?!?!? *i* just worked at harvard!)

oh, yeah, and i knit now. made it through smith without ever learning, but now i'm a knitting maniac. you're all getting scaraves for christmas! (it's all i know how to knit - here's a pic).