And the winner is …

zoe_trope

! For one, she actually said, “I like you.” For another, she’s a poor college student and everyone else who entered were white males with relatively-stable incomes. Com’on guys. No pity for you!

I actually met her this morning for brunch (she’s visiting Chicago) and we went to Ann Sather, getting there ahead of the crowds. She was downright ascetic and had oatmeal with a fruit cup. Of course I was the opposite: cinnamon rolls, hash browns, eggs over hard and sausage patties. But then I spent a lot of time walking around afterwards, so umm yeah, I uh walked it all off. That’s my line anyway and I’m sticking to it.

Anyhow we had a delightful time talking about Chicago, Portland, eccentric college students and the like. We traded strategies on how to effectively procrastinate when it’s time to write and also shared our distrust of writing organizations. She’s a delightful person (the phrase “get-along gal” comes to mind but I wouldn’t want her to hit me) and it was great to finally meet up in person. Somehow I just feel a tad less jaded now.

I putzed around today and mostly avoided doing anything useful. I found myself going into daydream mode about the London trip and tried to snap out of it. After all, it’s still over two weeks away; if I let myself get this wound-up so early on then I’m in trouble. Good things come to those who wait. Which reminds me: no CD buying for me until I get there. I want to wait till I’m there and be free to snap up anything interesting.