Working backwards, i experienced a moment yesterday that left me at loss for words (rare, i know).
A quick trip down to the Safeway for t.p. and coffee cream last night before company was coming over had me scanning the checkout lines for something shorter than 12 people waiting for the self-checkout stand.  So when i found a line at the far end with only two people in front of me, i was fairly happy with that.  But, i had barely stepped behind the man in worn Carhart coveralls, callused skin, and slightly frizzled greying hair, when he glanced over, smiled (revealing somewhat crooked, yellowed teeth) and said,
“You know, when i was a kid, it was ladies first, so…”
And he gestured that i step ahead of him in the line.
Smiling what i hoped to be a warm, friendly smile, one that i hoped was devoid of the perplexed and slightly suspicious thread of thoughts running through my head, i said ,”Thanks”, and took the offered spot in line.  He shook his head, “No problem. It makes me feel like a kid again.”  And here, i have to admit, my thoughts continued to run something along the lines of,
“Why would he do that? Nobody does that. Does he want something? He looks decent enough, a little work worn, but….’like a kid again’? Is that creepy? Maybe not. i should say something. Return conversation. hmmmm…… i wonder if..nah, he looks like a normal enough guy working a labor job…come to think of it, he’s not that old…when was he ‘a kid’? How long ago was that?..”
And i watched my purse a little more closely, and i made some small chitchat – something to do with the huge sandwich that he was purchasing (it would last him 3 lunches, apparently) – and it wasn’t until i was fully out of the store and on my way to my car that it hit me.

No one has ever done that for me before.
Oh, okay, maybe when i’ve been with friends and we’ve been ordering something, coffee perhaps, but not this. Not a stranger freely and publicly giving up a spot in line or anything else to that effect, simply based on a rather old-fashioned idea of courtesy.  It was straight-up, old-school chivalry.  And it was pretty damn nice. And i hadn’t known what to do with it.

So to the stranger, who may never read this, thank you again.
Thank you for making my busy afternoon a little bit more special, for making me pause and put a hold on my normally overly-independent pace of life, and for living a little more graciously than we expect.

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The treat: Secret’s out – i’m absolutely loving Kawa’s soy latte with Malabar Italian espresso-style beans.  i could live on that stuff.

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Cheated? Well, not quite.

i’m not getting evicted after all!
Nope, no moving, no roomate, no nothing….never was.  So, why then was i all up in a tither, trying to figure out a new living situation?
Turns out my (still) current landlord was playing us tenants for additional commissions. Apparently she would keep the commission from us re-signing our current leases for 2008/09, but if we managed to break them by Nov.1 (when the new landlords take over) and agreed to rent one of the other places that she was offering to show us (as a help, in our dismal situation, poor us), she would gain the commissions off of those as well.  When my neighbour finally got the new landlord’s phone number from her to clear things up, landlady du jour (who was proposing to stay on as building manager….thereby gaining four more commissions when she filled our vacant apartments) suddenly announced that she was resigning as building manager.   C’est la vie…. and so long, landlady!