dickie

So, today I gave a talk---managed to fit it into an hour, for the most part---and I even worked up a sweat with enthusiasm for the skinning map---el patron said the talk was "exhausting," and our resident Ricci flow expert attended, both of which I thought were pretty fucking cool. Anyway, I was smoking afterwards and a gust of wind came up . . . spinning all of my notes in a wild spiral up and across the footbridge. All types of people started running after them as I slowly walked after them---a lot of others just watching me, perhaps as I seemed relatively unconcerned. As I approach one group, I kindly thank them, saying "don't worry, they're not really important" (note the change in tense). Two of the yellowed sheets kept flying, and a pretty girl kept chasing them, tracking down the last of them at last before the middle of the footbridge. "Here you go," she says (the tense again).

"You're really diligent," I say, "Thank you." And she walks away smiling.

Sometimes I really like people.