Day 106

It was a dark and stormy night. Well, day. On my first full day back, I mustered up some motivation and headed out into the rain, driving an hour all the way down to Chula Vista. Amanda's holed up there because it's easier for her to recover from her recent back surgery in relative peace and quiet at her grandmother's. I hadn't talked to her at all over the busy weekend and the rhythm of knowing what was going on had momentarily slipped away.

We drove around doing her errands for a bit, which mainly consisted of trying to find hair styling supplies. The beauty supply store was so serious. A giant double sided row of brushes, insane amounts of hair dye all stripped of their packaging and offered up in "Don't buy this unless you know how to use it already" bottles. I could go on but overall I was just staggered by the sheer number of options. Girls do not have it easy do they? What the hell isn't ionized or tourmalined or whatever? It doesn't help when the saleslady clearly didn't know as much as Amanda. I guess the experience is like taking a (typical) guy into Fry's or Home Depot. Everything looks similar and offers the same options but there's a world of difference if you know what you're looking at. On a sidenote, is there a comprehensive site that offers reviews of womens' products similar to how electronics and gadgets are reviewed? Is this already done or is this possibly a business idea?

And let me just tell you that looking into a 10x mirror is frightening. Who'd ever want to subject themselves to that daily? Ew.

During dinner, twin spaghetti's at Macaroni Grill, we read each other's tarot cards. We both have the exact same Albano-Waite decks, hers are older and more well worn than mine -- even if I insist that I've been taroting longer. Her cards are wrapped lovingly in a scarf from Japan. Mine sit in my trunk along with all my other gaming supplies. Other items in this cardboard box include electronic Catchphrase, a bag of Squabble tiles, a chess clock, two decks of cards, and a lipstick holder containing various dice. I won't even go into what those dice are used for. You either know or you don't.

I was recently at a museum where they had some old tarot cards exhibited and I finally learned about the artist behind the iconic Rider-Waite designs. Pamela Colman Smith was her name. Good trivia fact.

Spreading the Amanda shuffled cards out on the table, I took careful notes of which cards were displayed and then used a tarot book to jot down notes on the individual meanings. I know and like tarot but I've never been able to commit the symbolisms and significances to memory. My divination process involves lots of time and scribbling short hand on paper. It's not very mystical but I assure you it's very accurate.

There's a moment in every fortune telling when you see the story you can spin. I love that moment. Sure it's usually pretty generic, sure it's mostly contrived, but there is actually a sense and a meaning there. What I suck at is arriving at this sense and meaning without showing all the cogs and pulleys behind the process. My inner wizard doesn't even bother with the facade or hide behind smoke and mirrors. I tell it like it is and just stitch a few interpretations together. Amanda was much better at reading, not to mention quicker. She laid the cards out in the cross formation and began revealing my future immediately. No twenty minute period of page flipping or note taking. She had to refer to the book once in awhile but the story she told was compelling, semi-detailed, and would have me convinced. My story telling was a lot less specific and magical even if it was undoubtedly true. Her style was certainly better but I'm still positive my third eye is stronger than hers.

I asked about my writing career and the upcoming release of the book. She asked about her love life. We both have good things coming around the corner apparently, mine in mysterious form and hers through a letter or email. Can't wait to prove that I'm right.