Glimpses

Tuesday, walking from work to the bus stop--there's a group of little Japanese maples, their bare brown twigs jeweled with drops of rainwater. I know it's a cliche, but still totally gorgeous.

Then on the way to the store, a girl darted by me. I just saw her from the corner of my eye, grave elfin face framed by perfectly straight light red shoulder length hair, all at a slant as she hurried off to wherever.

Late at night, walking Rose, we passed by two women involved in some quiet, intense conversation, Eastern European accents, heads leaning together as they walk down Monte Vista. One woman's perfume was a burst of Narcissus, followed by the smell of a dentist's office. ???, I thought. Oh yeah, she smells like novocaine.

Then I realized the tip of my tongue was numb. Very odd airborne novocaine-narcissus perfume.