Out West

I just finished a Scrabble game at the Socorro (N.M.) Public Library. Online Scrabble is heaven to me. So many people to play with! For this particular game my opponent was a Pennsylvania woman who was friendly and funny and we had a lot of laughs chatting.

Then she referred to someone as "he." I wrote, "Who's he?"

She wrote, "He is you."

I said, "I'm not a he, I'm a she -- I know because I was in labor for 30 hours."

Looking back at our chat, I realize that she -- thinking I was a guy -- was actually flirting with me! I hope she wasn't too mortified to learn of her error. I guess she must have assumed "stickfarmer" was a manlike user name. Maybe I should change it to "stickfarmerette"?

The tone of our chat definitely changed after the epiphany. I'm thinking maybe I should've just let her go on thinking I was a guy. I can imagine. Someday she'd want to meet me. I could dress up as Crank Farrell, a fictional good ol' boy from the fictional town of Deadpan, Maine, but I think Crank Farrell would be as much, if not more, of a shock to her. (For a picture of Crank, send an SAE -- self-addressed email -- to me at stickfarmer@verizon.net)

So here I am Out West, enjoying the wide openness, the big sky, the bare ground and the mountains that appear pleated and draped in beige plush. Last night I stayed at the Riverbend hostel in Truth or Consequences, N.M., and it was everything the online reviewers said it was -- wonderful hot springs, shabby dorm, strange people. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll stay there again.

My favorite hostel -- the Sandia Mountain Hostel -- is in Cedar Crest, about 14 miles east of Albuquerque. It's very comfy and friendly, and even has donkeys roaming around free-range. (Nice donkeys; not like the one I once owned.) One of the owners is a Scrabble fiend and I'm hoping to play with her next Sunday.

Catch you later.