Monday June 24th, 2013

The exercise:

Write a little something that has to do with: dodging.

Managed to get the raspberries picked for tomorrow's boxes, despite all the rain. Otherwise it wasn't an especially productive day, but we did get a bit of clothes shopping done for Max this morning.

Now I'm just hoping that the rest of the harvest tomorrow morning won't be a wet one.

Mine:

Before I met Art I'd never even heard of anyone who could dodge raindrops. So you can imagine my surprise the day I realized he could do just that.

Now I'm not saying that he could cross a street in a torrential downpour and not get wet. That would be a level of insanity such that I wouldn't bother trying to convince others of its truth. Better to keep that knowledge to myself and avoid all that padded room time, thank you kindly.

No, Art was much more subtle than that. I must have witnessed it ten or twenty times before I cottoned on. But he did it, all right.

The first time I saw it, long before I figured out what he was doing, we were out walking on Main Street. There were a few clouds overhead, not particularly dark though. The weatherman was calling for zero precipitation all week and Monday and Tuesday had taken his side of things.

This was Wednesday, though, and she had other ideas. But before she let everyone in on her surprise Art glanced up (I remember wondering if he'd seen a rare bird or something and followed his gaze), then stepped into a crowded coffee shop. I followed after him, but not fast enough to avoid the first drops of rain.

Next he cancelled at the last possible moment when he was supposed to meet us at the beach. I could have sworn I saw his car leaving the parking lot as we all ran for cover from a sudden cloudburst (I would have been right).

There were many more examples after that, but I seem to be the only one who has put it all together. I don't know how he does it, but I plan to find out.

Only problem is, I suspect that Art knows I'm working on unearthing his secret.

And I don't think he's happy about that.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think clothes shopping for Max is one of those things that you'll keep doing every three months for a couple of years :) I trust that he's only wearing the most stylish designer threads!
Good luck with the weather tomorrow too :)
I like Art, and he's definitely got the right way of dodging raindrops. Trying to literally dodge them can put your back out.
Art's very nicely described to by his actions; I feel like I've got a good idea of this person even though I've never met him. Skillful writing!

Dodging
Team Building at the Aquakitty Sanctuary for Feline Psychopaths was going slightly better than Dr. Septopus had hoped for. The Green and Red Lightbulbs, despite being conjoined, were doing a passably good job of building a shelter for the team. Green had decided to model it on the Council of Nastiness Headquarters, and Red had turned out to have a knack for plumbing that verged on the miraculous and had got showers installed and working. Between them they had seven rooms built and had apparently drawn up plans for a further thirteen.
Sylvestra was clearly in her element with all the trees and shadows around, and not only was the shelter heavily camoflagued but predatory fauna coming close were being eaten by the flora. Dr. Septopus wasn't entirely happy with the idea of a carnivorous forest on his doorstep, but he had to admit that it was effective.
He dodged sideways again. The Demented Jaguar, which apparently was an endangered species, was still stalking him. It moved very fast in straight lines, so Dr. Septopus had to keep jinking from side to side as the lethal black cat brushed past him, all fangs and halitosis. He wiped sweat from his bulging, bumpy forehead and looked around. Where the hell was the entrace to the shelter?
He dodged left again, and the Jaguar sailed past him on the right and landed in a heap at the base of a tree. The tree promptly bent its branches down and swiped for the cat, and Dr. Septopus, his senses screaming at him, dodged further left. The Jaguar lept for freedom from the tree, and only just missed Dr. Septopus's head.
"Doc!" The Green Lightbulb waved a hand from behind the Jaguar, and the Red Lightbulb waved a plumbing wrench, somehow not quite missing Green's arm. "Over here!"

Marc said...

Greg - oh yes, only the best for my boy :P

Oh yes, it does sound like team building is going wonderfully! How could it not, really?