Birds, P's, and Confusion

Today's laugh comes at my expense (don't they normally?). I don't mean for conversations to turn out quite so funny, but ... well ... they just do. I guess that's okay; I keep reading that laughing out loud is a terrific stress reducer.

So - let me set the stage.

We've spent the winter at our condo in the mountains. While our home is in a resort community and we do have an occasional neighbor, for the most part we're pretty much alone. Seems most everyone else likes to be there in the summer. We, on the other hand, like to be there during winter because the drive to one of our favorite ski mountains is a quick 25 minutes up a gently rising, wide, very-little-traffic road. We can ski from 9am-noon and be home in time for lunch. For us and at our age, it's a perfect setup.

The problem is, unless we walk to the village, or drive into town for groceries, we are pretty much by ourselves. And, in all that quiet and twosomeness, we sort of lose track of the days and weeks. More importantly, we forget things about the town where we live the other 8 months of the year. Which is where a recent conversation made me laugh out loud.

My friend Kimberly and I were texting back and forth about me being gone so long and how we really needed a good catch-up coffee date, now that I was home.

Me: Hey - how about coffee this week? I've missed you.

Kimberly: Missed you, too. Lots going on. When?

Me: How about Thursday? 10am or 2pm?

Kimberly: That works. 10am?

Me: Great. Tell me where and I'll meet you there.

Kimberly: How about Pelican. I don't think inside seating is open so we can sit outside.

Me: K. There's that new little bench between it and Jimmy John's subs.

Kimberly: Huh? Where's Jimmy John's?

Me: Next door. If inside isn't open, how do we order? Use the drive through? 🤷‍♀️

Kimberly: Huh?

Me: If inside isn't open, how do we order? Like - walk up to the drive-through window?

Kimberly: Um, you go up to that tall glass thing on hinges, take hold of the handle, and pull.

Me: Huh? Oh, wait. Is the door open? 🤷‍♀️

Kimberly: Well, yes, silly. That's how you go inside to order.

Me: But where do we sit if inside isn't allowing seating yet?

Kimberly: Along the side street?

Me: Huh? I think I'm totally confused. Is there seating on the side street?

Kimberly: Um, yes? Around the corner where the tables and chairs are?

Me: HUH???? I'm really confused.

Kimberly: Oh my gosh - where we normally sit?

Me: We've sat there before?

Kimberly: Several times? Are we even talking about the same place?

Me: I think so?

Kimberly: The bookstore?

Me: Huh? Oh wait. 😂😂 Isn't there another coffee place? It starts with a P too. And it's a bird?

Kimberly: Huh? 😕

Me: Wait. I'll look it up. Penguin. Penguin Coffee. LOL. 🤦‍♀️

Me: 😂😂 Evidently we have two coffee places that start with a P and are named after birds.

Kimberly: 😂😂😂😂😂😂 You have been gone waaaaay too long, my friend.