Your friends and neighbors

I have a knack for forming personal relationships with the people around me. My gynecologist is really great. Anne knows me even though I only see her once a year and is always happy to see me. She's nice to the friends I refer to her. We talk a lot about public health and such. She tells me that she wishes we could hang out longer, but she has like 5 patients who have been waiting for hours to see her. She also hugs and kisses me on the cheek goodbye. Some find this weird, but let's think about this: if someone is spending time with my privates, I should be getting a kiss good-bye rather than just a note (or prescription, in this case) slipped under the door, right?

Maybe that was an overshare.

I also have a relationship with my hair stylist, Stacie. We are the same age and turned 30 a few months apart. That was a strong bond between us. Plus, she gives me good haircuts. I brought her back a small birthday present from Prague. She also hugs and kisses me goodbye. Granted, I also tip her well, but we have a connection.

And then there is BFF Bartender, but you've already heard about him previously. Ditto on the kiss goodbye. (I have a special way with bartenders in general and am known for getting free drinks frequently. I just wish I had this special way with bakery or Haagen Daaz employees instead. Or even donut cart people.)

So, I think I have made progress in forming a relationship with my ConEd man. Wait, let me preface this with the fact that he is a nice, attractive, young man. Not some old creepy dude. Anyway, it's been a much longer process developing a relationship. The man reads my gas meter every month. (Although it's been more of an every other month schedule.) This takes about 2 minutes. Nothing so involved as poking around my privates annually, cutting my hair every 3-4 months, or serving me numerous drinks every Wednesday night. But we chat, and say "I haven't seen you in a while. Where've you been? How's it going?" and he'll tell me he was on vacation, but working his second job. Or I'll tell him that I was on vacation (but without mentioning I was on my Eastern European Trifecta tour, because that sounds so bourgeois). We'll discuss the weather and things like that. And that's it. But this morning, I got a handshake goodbye. I was touched. Now, I don't need a hug and kiss goodbye from the ConEd man. That would be weird. But I like to think that I am one of his favorite meters to read in the building. And no euphemisms there, kids.