An Average Ashley August Afternoon

San Francisco is currently experiencing its coldest summer since 1971. Waking up to chills and clouds has become a constant. And so began another August Saturday afternoon by the bay.

Before heading to rehearsal in the Mission, I stopped into Martha's, our neighborhood coffee shop, for, big shocker here, a coffee. Similar to Sally in "When Harry Met Sally", I tend to have some specific demands with my orders but I also attempt to add my own solutions. For example, I enjoy my Martha's iced coffee with Trader Joe's vanilla soy milk. Knowing that, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to take some with me so that I could the enjoy my delicious combination on the run. So, I placed some milk into a small container, kissed my dog goodbye, and left. What could go wrong, right?

I claimed a spot in line behind a smiley man fresh off a workout. He turned around, gave me an uninterested glance, and then caught the eye of another lady. A blond one. She got in line behind me and he turned around a bit further to compliment her outfit. I couldn't help but wonder if I had decided against wearing my worn in Salvation Army threads if he would have shared some kind words in my direction. But in any case, I stood there, with my small plastic container, in the middle of this budding romance. Minutes passed. Workout Mcgee continued to turn around longingly to his blond stylish beauty while I awkwardly stood in his way thinking about food fantasies and coffee beverages.

Thankfully, for all of us, I got my drink and this gentleman was able to more actively pursue his gal. I watched for a few moments as they engaged in new conversation and flirtation as I pulled out my soy milk. Well, in typical Ashley fashion, I opened the container and spilled it everywhere. My cheeks raced to red as I scurried to remedy this accident. All the while, I continued to wish the new couple well.

I then got on the bus, found a seat, and within ten seconds, a mentally disabled man followed me and complimented MY outfit. He was very sweet and then proceeded to spend the next ten minutes making observations about me like, "You have two feet." "I can see your ankle." "You have brown hair." Whenever he remarked about my hands we would high five or he would shake my hand. Part my idea, part his.

Leave it to the SF bus system to prove to me that there really is balance in the world and while one person may not appreciate my hair color or clothing choice, another one will. As for my clumsy ways and coffee addiction? Well, some things never change.