We had one of those classic adoption encounters this weekend, really of the kind you only dream about. Ran into our old neighbor from across the street, who we consider a friend, at the grocery store. I’ve seen her probably a dozen times over the last year, but the only lengthy conversation we’ve had was about evil sports parents. Still, I think of her as someone I see fairly often.

She greeted us, chatted–I see you’re one short today–yep, Wyatt is at a friend’s–and you have a little friend along for the ride, too! (she talks that way, don’t hold it against her.)

Rory was in the cart, so at first I thought she just meant, oh, your little one is riding then it clicked. Oh, this isn’t a friend. This is my daughter, Rory. Rory, can you say hi?

Rory managed a credible hi, which is mire than my friend did.

She was flabbergasted. She boggled. Her jaw dropped. She fulfilled every cliche of amazement in thirty seconds or less.

It was very entertaining.

She said all the right things, and then appeared, regularly, at intervals, to say more things, some right, some wrong…her visits on various aisles punctuated the entire grocery store trip. I have to rethink my whole idea of you now, she declared. But if anyone can do it….

I assured her that I in fact did not always do it well, and she left again, reappearing in the dairy section. I just can’t believe I didn’t know! I can–she’s the least likely person to gossip I know, and someone who sticks close to family and a few friends. It’s one of the things I like about her.

At the checkout lane she finally out her foot solidly in her mouth. I knew all along that she would…because that, too, is one of the things I like about her. She has a knack for saying, completely without ever knowing it, the most tactless thing possible and walking away happily, never, as far as I know, realizing she’s done it (as in, so and so has llost a lot of weight, hasn’t he? And it’s so great, because he really needed to!)

You’re dying to hear what she said, aren’t you? With that build up…

She reappeared at the checkout and surveyed us all, so happily–she was delighted by the whole thing–and declared “And it took us six months to decide we’d get a dog!”

I am still laughing.

On an entirely different note, I am a known gadget girl and joined at the hip with my new iPad. I am trying to see if I can get it to function in lieu of a laptop for travel. Blogging–here and for Slate and Babble–has been a barrier. I finally triumphed over the Slate software today, I think (and that one mattered least, because I could have asked an editor to cut and paste for me). WordPress had me stumped, but for no reason….yes, there’s an app for that. If I can get Babble to ok the use of the app, i’ll be good to go.