A Drive Down Walker Lane

Ok, it's actually Walker Street, not Lane.

Despite details, I want to share on my virtual blog at lil' memory worth remembering.  (hey, I truly forget "the little things" a lot these days...what did I have for lunch today? got me!)

Every now & again, I take alternate routes home.  Sometimes it's just to see a different view.  Maybe see a nice string of houses that I don't normally see.  But the trip back home via Walker Street coming from 23rd is of special importance.  It tells a story.  A love story!  Those are fun.

So, first I pass a few scary abandoned buildings.  There's not really a love story there...except I could mention that my love once had a stray bullet enter his living room window that originated from that direction. Anyway, you get just a few blocks more and there's the house that my then-boyfriend lived in.  Many wonderful memories are there.  As silly as it may sound, I distinctly remember our first "electric" contact on that couch.  We both went to click something on the keyboard of his laptop at the same time, and, literally, our hands touching did a little static/electric thing.  Ye of little romantic, whimsical thinking may try to explain that phenomenon with science & logic...I choose to see the poetic foreshadowing in the situation.

So on we go.  We pass a few funky art houses as we approach the Paseo.  I then reflect back on the many strolls we took past all of this on spring & summer nights during the dating days.  We'd walk over to catch First Friday, maybe a coffee at the "old" Sauced.

Immediately following, we come to Samir's.  It's perhaps the only topaz-painted grocery/convenience store you will ever come across 'round here.  Some may not realize that Samir is actually the owner's name & he is usually the one behind the counter (or, at least, that was the case in 2008 & 2009).  I giggle to myself in this part of the car ride; the thought just occurs to me that Samir may have witnessed our blossoming romance more than anyone during that time.  We went in there a lot. I will always think fondly of Samir for this reason.

Next, I pass a few houses--houses that I once had memorized down to the porch decor since I made that drive from the boyfriend's home to my own quite often.  At a small stoplight, I see the Red Rooster on my right.  We didn't go there a ton while we dated, but I recall a distinct memory there.  It was early on in our dating days, perhaps just a month or so in.  We sat under the awning of their tiny patio.  As we watched a summer rain & saw a bright flash of lightning, I felt at peace.  I just felt...really, really good.  It was definitely at that moment that I KNEW I could very easily be falling in love with this person.  It's one of those moments that you wish you could recreate.  I kinda always wanted to go back and sit under that awning during a summer storm.

I pass more houses, and finally come to the church that I've for years referred to (in a loving way) as the Boob Church.  (CAN that be a loving reference?  haha).  I laugh out loud (for real, not a computer screen lol) as I think of our memory there.  We were in the "good side only" phase of dating.  Ya know, every move made is just to be sure & let this person see how funny/pretty/smart/clever you are.  In this particular instance, I wanted him to see how athletic I was.  By now, friend, you MUST be laughing.

One pretty day we decided to ride bikes the 25 blocks from my house to his.  Boob Church is a little over the half way mark.  There is a hill (it's one of those sneaky, doesn't look steep but is a beast if you are biking it) around this point.  It was hot outside.

Oh yea, I am not athletic.

So, by the time we finished said hill, I was out of breath and literally seeing "stars" as my vision was beginning to turn into a tunnel.  I tried to casually mention that we should rest in the pretty grass at Boob Church.  He may recall the time frame better, but I must've laid in that grass for at LEAST 20 minutes trying to regain composure, breath, and, oh yea, NOT PASS OUT.

I pass some more lovely houses and then I am home.  Home that I now share with my sweet lil family.

Samir always wished us well.  I should stop by sometime to let him know we are now married with two kids.
 I should stop and buy some candy and just tell him about how I will always cherish that time in my life.
The time we frequented Samir's.
We never go there anymore.

But I still take these occasional alternate routes home.