June 16, 2007
Table of Contents bookbrunch
I got up quite early this morning. The Table of Contents* was meeting at ten and I wanted to allow my tummy troubles time to run their course so that I could arrive on time. Alas, my belly didn’t get the message and it was right around ten before I was able to leave the house. I’ve missed a lot of gatherings lately, so I decided to go anyway, even if it meant arriving just in time to share an after-brunch coffee with my friends. Only a few miles after leaving the Coast and gaining the freeway I was greeted with the scene above. “This is a KSSK traffic alert,” blared the radio. “According to our cellular posse, road work in Pearl City has backed traffic up from the Kaahumanu overpass all the way to Waipahu. Drivers are reporting delays of up to an hour.” My spirits sank. A light rain started falling and I found myself wondering if even lasik surgery would improve the dismal view. I suspected not.
Traffic was at a complete standstill for ten minutes at a stretch a couple of times, but mostly moved along at a steady crawl. I soldiered on with grim-faced determination. By the time I passed the crew doing pothole repair, they had managed to travel a mile or so closer to town. So had I. I had traveled about twenty miles from my home in about an hour and a half.
The last ten or fifteeen miles felt like flying, and when I arrived at Longhi’s Restaurant I think it was close to noon. I was afraid my friends had moved on, but they were still there. They had finished their meal and were just relaxing, talking story, swapping books. Hug-hug, air-kiss, “wow, havent’ seen you in so long.” Books and the remains of their meal littered the table. A stack of books was removed from a chair so I could sit.
Dustyflint filled me in on the her latest theatre project, while Hyphen8 tried to seduce the waiter into taking some of our books off of our hands. Meanwhile, Purple58 carefully considered the tomes on offer and submitted her usual insightful commentary on the ones she had contributed to the bounty.
Ghir’s acerbic wit was spot-on, as always, as we both panned an award-winning author whose prose had left us flat.
I managed not to cry when I saw Zanla for the first time in a couple of years, but it was tough. I apologize to the sweet, absent Allysther for holding on to her man just a tad longer than was seemly. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ll have the same problem next month when you and the little man put in a long-awaited appearance. Regardless of the day chosen, it will be your presence, not my birthday, that we will be celebrating.
Fanclub’s books, mailed to me from the mainland in February, were finally distributed to the group, and her note was passed from hand to hand. Yes, it’s been that long since I’ve gathered with the group. It was almost as if no time had passed, though, and our friendships did not need to be rekindled. Some fires burn steady, even when not fueled.
*Table of Contents is a group of Oahu BookCrossers who have been meeting since January 25, 2004. If you love to read and don’t know about BookCrossing, you should check it out and give your books a new lease on life!
[tags]bookcrossing, books, friends, traffic, traffic jams[/tags]
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June 16th, 2007 at 9:24 pm, allysther Says:
Sigh….I can’t tell you how much I miss you. Seeing you in just a few weeks makes those weeks look less daunting. Trust me, he was under orders to give you an amazing hug. I love the pictures, but the one of the two of you makes me all teary-eyed.
Mahalo, my dear friend, for posting this today.
June 17th, 2007 at 2:29 am, Denise Says:
ghirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
June 17th, 2007 at 7:18 am, Emsxiety Says:
Ghir looks fantastic. Tell her I said hello. Haven’t emailed her in forever. Glad you made it, tummy troubles suck.
June 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am, skeet Says:
I felt all of you in that hug, dear, sweet friend Allysther! I did this post for you and am getting sooooooooo anxious for you to be here! Hurry! Hurry!
June 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am, skeet Says:
Hrrrrrrruuuuuuuuump! You don’t react like that to me anymore, Denise!
June 17th, 2007 at 9:39 am, skeet Says:
I’m not sure what she’s doing, Em, but she looked ten years younger yesterday than the last time I saw her. Maybe just living a clean, stress-free life? I need to find out her secret! I’ll send her your aloha!
June 17th, 2007 at 3:52 pm, sassymonkey Says:
Ghir! She looks great!!!
June 17th, 2007 at 4:00 pm, skeet Says:
She really does, Sassymonkey! I had to fool with the photo because the sun coming in the window made her show up as a shadow. I’m glad I was able to fix it so you could see her face!