Mr. Obama, You Can Thank Me Later... In Person.

Oh, Good Deed of the Day has lifted my spirits, say... 60%. Right before lunchtime today, on a very wet and rainy walk to bring ArJay home from kindergarten, I spotted something on the puddly sidewalk that very closely resembled a flat, mini Bible. However, we initially dashed past it as we were running about seven minutes late, and I didn't want a replay of last week when SiKay and I arrived a little late and found ArJay in floods of heartbroken tears because he thought we'd forgotten all about him. Gut instinct prevailed, though, and told me to turn around and pick the navy-coloured booklet up. Thank goodness, because it turned out to be someone's completely soaked-through passport, lying forlornly facedown. (I thought these things were designed to be, if not waterproof, at least somewhat water-resistent, like money. What was really quite surprising was how much rain this thing absorbed!)

An "Oh, shit" moment struck as I felt a massive rush of empathy for the owner, who was probably completely panic-stricken at that very moment, and as we turned to sprint towards ArJay's school after stashing the thing in my pocket, we spotted another piece of paper absorbing yet more rain. It turned out to be a Voter's Registration form, still waiting to be filled out. Oh, geez. For some reason, based on the picture of the passport owner, I could just tell he was an Obama supporter, and then it became completely imperative that I track him down as soon as possible.

When we got to ArJay's school, I showed his teacher the passport and asked if there was any protocol involved with lost passports. She shrugged and said, "The office?" to which we looked at each other and lost it. The secretaries up there don't inspire the greatest amount of confidence in their physical speed or quick-thinking abilities, and unfortunately, we didn't even have to exchange more than a knowing eye-glint to burst out laughing. "Right. I'm taking this home and I'll track him down. Google ROCKS for this kind of thing. I'll figure it out." To which she winked and replied, "Yeah, girl, you'd better, and fast, 'cuz he looks like he'd be putting the checkmark in for Obama this election." Ha! So it wasn't just me!

So tonight, after a mad, full day of running around, I was finally able to hop online and get to work. Birthplace: Maryland. Birth year: 1969. City of Passport Application: San Francisco. Found in a splishy, splashy Seattle puddle this morning. I tracked someone down with a variation of his name with an address somewhat close to here, so I decided to just go for it and dialled the number. It was after 10:30, but I figured it'd be more merciful to call him late than to leave him wondering about it until morning.

Thankfully, not only did it turn out to be the right guy who was essentially shitting bricks all day and going through the five stages mourning, but it also turns out he's a guitar teacher who got his degree in classical guitar over fifteen years ago, teaches cello, lute, dulcimer, and all forms of guitar, builds his own instruments for fun, and actually lives about eight blocks from our house. What luck. What "meant to be" kind of luck!!! You see, around four birthdays ago, Boy bought me a gorgeous, wonderfully warm-sounding acoustic classical Yamaha guitar which I'd been lusting over for years... but I still haven't gotten around to doing anything with it yet. And now, here's Passport Ken. And since he lives so close, I might just start taking lessons in Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical guitar from him in the very, very near future. My gosh, what if I can even play a very simple Bach fugue by Christmastime?

I would cry.

And yes, he is indeed an Obama supporter.

I am soooooooo pleased.

Also, Saint Cat is coming to visit in one week and a day, and after that, Boy may let me go visit her in DC for some much, much needed R'n'R. (I completely fell apart at the seams tonight and cried, wept, and sobbed hard for over an hour. I am falling apart... but at least Boy is understanding my desperate need for solitude and space, so this turned out to be a very a good thing. He actually said "yes" when I asked if I could get away for a while.)

And how I would get away... The Smithsonian museums I'd dreamt of seeing for so much of my life (Aviation and Astronomy! Natural History! Photography! Archaeology! The Portrait Gallery!), Saint Cat's legendary workplace (I swear I will treasure my Al Jazzy visitor's badge forevermore), the historic monuments, the Memorial where SC went to attend a war protest and interview for her current job while she was locked out at the CBC...

(And I know this makes me such a girl, but I even know what I'll pack: some black, knee-high black leather boots with fuck-me heels, my to-die-for Moorish-tile-patterned intarsia winter coat from my dear Anthropologie, some cute miniskirts to wear with the boots, some adorable argyle knee-socks to wear under the boots, a charcoal v-neck sweater, a burnt-orange hoodie cardigan sweater with sweet, crocheted-butterfly pockets, the lovely purple scarf Supe knit for me last Christmas, some very cute hats... My awesome sweater-weather clothes can finally dance their way out of my cedar chest!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!)

Goodness, it'll be an interesting time to visit Saint Cat at work, too, since I hope to go in November, which happens to be election month and she'll likely be going at top speed and freneticism, counting down to broadcast time and standing there with her headset on in front of all the monitors, telling her minions which cameras to cut to and... oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH. Honestly, I hadn't realized that until now!!! I might end up going during election time!!!

I HOPE SHE'LL LET ME COME THEN!!!

I can scarcely imagine the possibility...

After all, what if Obama wins by one vote?!? It'll have been because of the passport!!! The passport I found!!! The passport I found in the rain!!! That belongs to my hopefully-future guitar teacher!!! And cello teacher... why not?!? And I can actually be in Washington, DC for the very first time in my life, standing next to one of my favourite people in the world, in the control room of what may well be the most controversial television station on the planet, broadcasting the breaking news as Obama wins a historic election!!!

Whooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Can it really happen? Can it all really happen?!?

Yes, I am such a freaking nuttin' butter. But a heartened one, at least. An Obama vote, potential guitar lessons, and a promised trip to visit a beloved girlfriend and have some time alone to wander, get lost, absorb, think, write, and breathe... in a place I've never been before. Not bad for a day's work.


(Photo credit: This picture of Passport Ken comes from Resonance Music. I hope I have the right Ken in my story this time!)