So, where are you two from?

Thats how every conversation seems to start when you are on the road. We aren't asking other folks, they ask us. Of course they do -look at us - they want to know our story. In these cases, I've decided that people like R need people like me to interact with other people in lobbies, on tour buses, at gas stations, at hotel reservation desks, etc. I am the talker, the communicator with a face that says to everyone "talk to me, I promise I will talk back." This happens with the phone too!

For example, yesterday as we were leaving the inn restaurant from dinner, me holding my little take out box in the hope of finishing it before bedtime, a man says "was it worth the wait?" Now nothing said he was talking to me and R was moving right along in the opposite direction, but I turned and raised an eyebrow and he repeated his question. I stopped and walked back to he and his wife (maybe) to answer...thoroughly. Of course I drag R into the conversation by noting his dinner selections too.

In contrast, we stopped at Starbucks drive thru the other day and R was driving. The young barrista dude was trying to chat R up but it just didn't go as the young man planned. R thinks "why is he still talking to me?" LOL

Here's the thing, I personally think we get this more because of people's natural wonder - although truly I talk to everyone. I generally just answer the initial question with "Kentucky" and I am ready to move on. But over the last week and a half I have revised my answer to be more specific and include "Louisville and Lexington". Now I doubt that truly explains anything to anyone but our history is too complicated to explain...worked together, roommates, still buds...nobody's business.

I will however always accept my role as communicator. For R this tends to be a NMA (not my area) topic.

In turn, the other day as we were leaving Yosemite I was photographing a small animal...a lady asks me "what is that?" - of course she does - and I say "I don't know, I am waiting on my friend to come over here so I can find out." It was NMA. FYI R said groundhog and that's kind of true - a marmot. We don't have those at home I don't think but it's NMA so I can't be sure.