tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10971908.post-1117113523900508562005-05-26T08:11:00.000-05:002005-05-26T08:18:43.906-05:00Joe called last night—a nice surprise. I was sitting on my couch, with my head draped back over a cushion, thinking about how my current prospects were dwindling. I was considering (and dreading) logging on my computer at 10pm to do a little shopping. The phone rang around 8:45pm, and Caller ID showed it was Joe. We chatted for 20 or 25 minutes, laughing a lot. Nothing too heavy, but fun and easy. I realized I was smiling throughout the conversation, and something made me think that he was doing the same on the other end of the line. I hoped he would suggest an audition; I wasn't going to go there myself. So I was gratified when he asked if I'd like to meet for a drink this week. We settled on tonight, at Charlie's (where else? I'm having such great luck there, after all). Busy day today, but I'm looking forward to it, if only to ask him what he means by "wild weekend."<br />***<br />Wow! I had a great audition with Joe, possibly the best I've ever had. What's sad is that past experiences warn me not to get the least bit excited—I've learned the hard way that people say all kinds of things they don't mean and that people can just disappear. Nonetheless, I'm going to let myself enjoy this, if only for the night.<br /> <br />We agreed to meet at 7pm, but I was a little late because I couldn't find my umbrella. He was standing at the bar, pint glass full in front of him. He wore thin-wale brown cords with a braided belt and a dark button-down shirt. I was running behind while getting ready, so I just grabbed jeans and a loose red sweater. I wasn't sure if he would sport a goatee or not because his profile has photos with and without—he did have the goatee, peppered with some strands lighter (OK—grayer) than his brown hair. His face had character, almost craggy, but not that extreme—more character than age. He has a great smile and we just talked and talked, with very few pauses. I really like his voice, which sounded familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.<br /> <br />"I have to ask," I finally said. "You're voice sounds so familiar. Do you ever hear that?"<br /> <br />"Uh, yeah," he responded, looking sheepish. He hesitated and then said, "Is it Dennis Miller?"<br /> <br />And, yes, it was indeed Dennis Miller. But, as I told him, his voice has a happy flavor, as opposed to Miller's cynical edge. It fits his attitude, which seems positive for the most part, although, like me, he's not a big fan of winter. He also admitted to sometimes getting down around Christmas but said that living in the city apparently had cured that ailment over the past few years.<br /> <br />We talked about all kinds of things, including the standard background info. What was great, though, was we how exchanged that info. Instead of the standard Q&A, it came out by telling stories. He told me about burning down his family garage as a kid; I told him about my neighbor's mother catching us making smoking screens with matches and how I wrote my mother a letter of apology that closely echoed the Act of Contrition. I told him about unwittingly digging up a neighbor’s dead cat; he told me about digging up the ashes of the previous owner's wife in his yard. Like our phone calls, we laughed a lot. Unlike our phone calls, I found myself looking him in the eye quite a bit. He admitted to being non-political, although he was reading a Howard Dean flier when I arrived, but, hey—I can mold that. He talked about sending his 13-year-old to boarding school for high school—gotta like that.<br /> <br />We stayed at the bar until after 9pm, and, history be damned, I was feeling pretty confident. Maybe that was because he asked me about my weekend plans at one point. Our plans this weekend conflict, but when we were going our separate ways out on Clark Street, he said it was great to meet me and "Let's definitely get together again."<br /><br />"Absolutely!" I responded.<br /><br />"Not this weekend, I guess, but soon," he said. I couldn't agree more, Joe.<br /><br />Then he went in for the handshake, I went in for the hug, and we ended up (at long last!), kissing. Nothing major, but I'll take what I can get. I hesitate to add this, but I practically skipped home. A fantastic mood blanketed me and still hasn't let go. Could that have been spark I felt? Would I even recognize it?<br /><br />I did ask Joe about the whole "wild weekend" thing. He said he'd never actually had one, but he figured he should make himself appear open to anything in his profile. He also claimed to have thrown his profile up a couple years ago and never checked it again. Ri-i-ght.<br /><br />Again, I'm probably making myself much too vulnerable here, but I do believe I'll hear from him. And he paid for our drinks, so I will definitely email a thank-you. We actually talked a bit about how rude people can be online, with dropped communications and outright lies. I said that I was raised with a real emphasis on common courtesy, and it always surprises me when others are so careless with their treatment of people. He agreed wholeheartedly, and it does seem that we were raised with similar values. He mentioned that, for example, he's always on time, that it's just considerate. Yes, it is, Joe! I couldn't agree more! So, anyway, I want to believe that he wouldn't mislead me.<br /><br />I know it may be short-lived, but I'm going to bed tonight feeling good.Bemusednoreply@blogger.com