#60 In Roads-Klutz clan
Today marks two months of this project. Yep, for 60 days I have managed to consistently meet someone new. It’s been an adventure that I’m not giving up, even though there are days when I would certainly be happy to skip the whole process. I have to admit the experience is definitely broadening my horizons.
My newest friend is a 23 year-old college student whose parents are convinced her new boyfriend is an axe murder. They’re from a small town in Texas and are certain that anyone born in California is surely a homicidal maniac so they fret for the physical safety of their only child. This is pretty funny since said boyfriend, William, is the kindest soul you’d ever hope to meet
Kate is attending a culinary college in Oregon. She’s a little bummed because she’s taking classes about accounting and management crap when she really would have enjoyed more cooking stuff. Eventually she hopes to own her own restaurant but for now she’s enjoying the dining scene in Portland and can recite locales and menu items from many of the local establishments
We’re at a wing joint with picnic tables out on the sidewalk as she entertains us with stories about being the only child of a klutzy dad and his nurse wife. Dad was famous for his injuries while he skipped around doing different jobs, working his way through the various pipeline positions before settling in as an inspector. Mom has nursed in labor and delivery forever, never changing jobs. She says mom chose the specialty she did because if she’d chosen any other area she would have spent her time stitching up and tending her accident-prone husband and child all the time instead of delivering babies.
“I got poked in the eye with a stick when I was little,” Kate tells us. It strikes me as hilarious and I crack up, even though it sounds cruel to do so. “Seriously, I started school with a cast on my arm and an eye patch,” she declares. “The teachers loved me, though. I looked like a pirate. My cousin and I were having a sword fight and I got stabbed but at least I got an eye patch out if the deal so I thought it was cool.” I ask if she was a tomboy. “Well kinda, I guess. Maybe a little bit but mostly I just got the klutz gene from my dad. It runs in the family.” For someone so admittedly accident prone, it’s interesting that Kate is a veritable twinkle toes on the dance floor. Turns out she’s quite the accomplished dancer. Personally, I attribute that to being from Texas.
