Slept late last night, 12:20 or so, so I tried sleeping in until 8:30. I felt alright waking up. April 12th 2024.
Aunt Kun and Uncle Mike and Aunt Lang came by around 9:45 or 10:00. Taught Aunt Kun and Uncle Mike how to use dictation on Google Docs... Aunt Kun is writing a book about her experiences as a Christian and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Around 2:45 or so we headed out to the shop, and then got some Starbucks. A pleasant surprise — Richard was working, and I didn't feel terribly embarrassed (I sent a chain of emails to him back in junior or senior year, not sure if he ever figured out it was me). I think the most I felt was shock that he was still here in [town]. I genuinely thought he transferred to a different university and moved out of town by now. Took some portraits of my aunts and uncle there on my Canon RP, and they even took a couple photos of me, though they seemed a little thrown off by my adapted f/1.2 lens.
We got back home around 4:15. I went to work around 5:35, had work until 8:10 ish. Might have to work all day tomorrow since my parents and grandma are going to the temple in Stockton. I was a bit annoyed earlier, working today, since I felt like I had very little time for my courses, but I suppose dropping/auditing photography will clear it up very soon.
I had this very very brief thought wondering what it would be like to talk to Richard, or be friends with him. Did he ever sleuth me out the way I did, four years ago? Is he paranoid I'm still in town? I have to imagine not. He seemed just as indifferent to the customer in front of me.
The downside of atrophied social skills -- you consult-interpret-scry your remaining connections, current or old or whatever you can remember, as intensely as diviners consult their tarot cards.
But I'm not young enough anymore to make ado about missed connections. I've got a transfer to look forward to and a final quarter to knock out!