is it just me?

Monday, May 17, 2010

 

it doesn't get much more random than that

When we still lived in Boston, Mr. Lizard knew a guy named Jim. They had met at MIT (Mr. Lizard is a clever lizard) and then ran together. He was very, very weird. This was sort of a theme for the people that Mr. Lizard knew at MIT, as I know since I lived with FIVE of them upon my arrival in Boston a million years ago. Anyway, this guy was particularly unusual. It was accentuated by the fact that he had 1.5 front teeth, but he refused to get it fixed. He said this was because he knew exactly what was involved, and how precise they had to be, and how easy it would be to screw it up. Um...similar arguments could be made against almost anything surgical, yet somehow we trust, you know, professionals.

Fast forward, and somehow Jim also ended up in Madison. I saw him in a campus deli many years ago. He was with a girl, which was surprising, who was cute, even more surprising. He was still running, and tried to get Mr. Lizard to join a track club. We were astonished to hear they got married, as she seemed kind of normal - heavy on the kind of, since she was marrying this guy. Anyway, at some point he got a new tooth, they got married, and decided to stay in Madison.

They used to live in a town south of Madison, and he would run to and from campus. This is not a short nor a scenic run. Occasionally, I would be driving down the road and Jim would run by with his backpack on, looking weird and headed home. We never talked to them on purpose. But somehow (I blame facebook) we got invited to their housewarming party. They have bought a house about a mile from ours. So, we packed up Baby Liz in her stroller, and El Segundo in his backpack, figuring we could go, snoop, be nice, and use the kids as our excuse for an early exit.

The party was suitably unusual, though had the trappings of a normal party. When I said the obligatory "this is a nice place you've got!" Jim said, in the very formal tone in which he speaks about everything, "Well I appreciate your saying that. We think it is a very solid house. Well built." In fact, I think he actually bought the house mostly because it would not fall down. What an exciting reason!

I went into the living room to see about getting some much requested cake for Baby Liz (until she discovered it was carrot cake at which point she immediately shifted her focus to the cookies nearby). These two very blond EXTREMELY friendly women stood up, and introduced themselves as the 'hosts'. What on earth?! I found out later that they were the realtors, but at the time I was nothing but baffled. Why are their hosts? Especially when there are only 20 or so people? I think I am going to have 'hosts' at my next party just to give it more cache. In any case, they definitely did not look like all the other guests. With a husband in physics and a wife in psychiatry you end up with quite a cast of characters.

Anyway, after we went upstairs for a tour (which was suitably bizarre, and during which El Segudo laid on EVERY bed and climbed on every couch and chair)we come down and one of the realtors is now wearing running clothes. Presto change-o. They say they are going for a run on the track, which is right across the street. This strikes me as highly unusual. I wander out back and lose track of Mr. Lizard. But when I find him again, I jokingly ask if he is joining the run. He says "Yeah! I can't pass up the chance to run with (insert name of famous Olympic runner)." Holy crap. The nutty realtor is her? And in fact, she is. So now we leave a party for people we barely know to go across the street for a run. Mr. Lizard decides he can run with her WHILE PUSHING THE JOGGING STROLLER so he, Jim, random party guest and Olympian start trotting around the track. And I look around and think - what the hell just happened? They go around and around. She is giving them tips, showing how to elbow your way through a pack, all kinds of stuff. It is easily one of the most random, surreal evenings we have had in a looong time. And when they are finally done, we head back to part, pack up the babies and hit the road. And that, my friends, is why I love Madison. Because where else would you find a friend from 13 years ago, walk to their new house, meet an Olympian, go for a run and head home?

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