my life as a story line

This one's kind of long. But it's really good. Take a minute and read a good story. :)

I love my apartment. When I moved in, the first thing I fell in love with was the charm, the character of the place. It's the building with the most character on the street. It's right across from a little park. It is big and airy and light. It's old too, which means it has creaks and clanks and squeaks and weirdness but it is delightful. And it is very me.

The week I moved in I met many of my neighbors. They were all exceptionally friendly. When I introduced myself they all had exactly the same response: "Oh! How convenient! The former tenant was also named Katy." (Although according to the mail I still get for her, she spells her name the more traditional way: Katie.) And then they would (and still often do) tell me about "the other Katie" and how she did this or that and how they miss her and how they're so glad I live here now because I'm also a Katy. I've always figured I owed "the other Katie" some kind of thanks because she was clearly well liked by everyone and that made my transition pretty easy, almost as if the name alone made me acceptable.

One of the many things I like about my apartment is the neighborhood. It is lovely. One of the best places is my neighborhood restaurant/bar. I go there fairly regularly, mostly when I get home late from traveling and I don't feel like cooking. On occasion I've run into a few of my neighbors there and I have become a regular there, welcomed like an old friend by the owner and the staff. It's nice.

Tonight was one of those nights. I decided to go to Mezze for a glass of wine and dinner after a long day at work. I walked in and to my dismay seating at the bar was completely full. But then the owner - who was sitting at the bar deep in conversation with one of the patrons - saw me and he got up and said, "Katy! Perfect timing. I was keeping your seat warm for you. Have a seat!" And with a hug and a "happy holidays, dear" he got up and left me his seat. Ahhh... this is why I love this place.

As I took my seat at the end of the bar next to a young woman about my age with short hair about like mine, just a bit lighter and redder, she said, "I like your earrings. But then I'm also partial to your hair cut." We both laughed and fell into easy conversation. First about the convenience of short hair and constant thoughts of wanting to (but never being able to - or not ever really wanting to) grow it out.

Then we started talking about the fact that she has decided she's going to quit her job. I told her I just did that! I told her how liberating and, at the same time, terrifying it is. That moved us quickly into discussing our respective industries. She has a job offer at the very company with which my union has the partnership I've been working on: Kaiser. So that led to a long conversation about healthcare and politics, etc. She gave me some great leads for my job search since she knows the non-profit healthcare industry and public health world in the Bay Area.

The evening progressed and the conversation was delightful and interesting. We were finding that we have so many things in common. Then, just as I realized that we had never actually introduced each other, she was saying something about the fact that she used to live just down the block. I asked her where she lived. "Oh, just down the street, right across from the park." "Really? I live down the street right across from the park."

She looked at me with a weird smile and said, "what number?"

"3549"

And then in unison "Apartment 3!"

Oh WOW!!! She's THE OTHER KATIE!!! She immediately said, "OH MY GOD! You're The Other Katy!" She's still friends with the other tenants in the building and they have been telling her about me for the last 15 months just like they've been telling me about her. So we exchanged information and gossip and I got the skinny on all the history and background on everybody in the building (all 6 of them!) and I found out that there is storage in the basement so I don't have to keep my bike in the living room anymore (she did the same thing for years until she found out about the storage).

Ok. Now for the list of craziness: not only do we have the same name, we have the same short hair style, we both wear glasses, we both work in jobs we're quitting, we both work with the healthcare industry (and the same company - potentially), we lived in the same apartment (!) and frequent the same neighborhood restaurant/bar. We also both have degrees in music and are (were?) singers. And we're both mezzos.

Mezzos meeting at Mezze.

She used to practice in the apartment. The neighbors made dirty martinis and sat in the back parking area and listened while she sang.

Really?

So Katie and I decided we probably should be friends. We exchanged information and will have a drink before our respective New Year's Eve plans tomorrow evening. We're meeting at Mezze.

The other Katie. Finally we meet. And we're like slightly different versions of the same person. I didn't think this type of thing happened in real life but apparently I live in some kind of storyline, maybe a book or a movie? It's kind of fun!