The other day I met Melissa at Sofra, which is usually so crowded it's impossible to find a place to sit, but not that day. The place cleared out at 3:30, and we had our choice of tables. I drank good camomile tea and ate an almond crumb bun. Melissa had the bad fortune to end up with a greasy wrap/sandwich, and a vile cup of coffee. She was wonderful about the bad food and drink, didn't mention the coffee until days later, and said only a few words about the wrap; though, when we were about to leave, she told the man behind the counter how greasy it was. It oozed oil.
Served bad food, many people seethe, grumble, and ruin what could be a good time. Not Melissa. We talked and laughed. I first met her at the Bagel Bards, which gathers every Saturday morning at Au Bon Pain in Davis Square. We also follow each other's blogs. If I had not met her actually I'm not sure I would have had the courage to meet her in the flesh. Meeting people through blogging is a lot like carrying on an epistolary correspondence: we become acquainted with the narrative self: a composed persona, no matter how fragmented the post may be. I am afraid of disappointing in person.
I tried to find a dog ornament for Melissa's tree--she is devoted to dogs--but had to settle for a mouse-like dog. She liked it!
The weather was bitterly cold, but Sofra was warm, the toilet even hotter. I staggered out, faint: "It's as hot as a sauna in there," I said, and we laughed again.
