Darrin and Lucinda

Darrin collects toys. As a child he was never allowed to play with violent toys, video games or watch violent tv shows. This rule was highly stressed and Darrin was not one for rule-breaking. Even at slumber parties when the rest of the boys were in their jammies watching highly intense, action-adventure shows with grenades and other explosive things, Darrin would excuse himself to another room to work on a crossword puzzle. Now that Darrin is an adult, he can't get enough of violent toys! Because adults aren't supposed to play with toys, he keeps them in their packages. They line all of his shelves and adorn every inch of dresser-top and coffee table space. He admires them all while drinking his Dr. Pepper, which he couldn't have as a child either.



Lucinda has a passion for fall fashion. In the summer-time while her friends are splashing around in the pool, Lucinda is in her basement, where it is nice and cool. Down there she knits hats and draws sketches of herself in pea-coats and listens to sophisticated news programs. When the weather finally cools down she'll be able to head outdoors in her fashionable hats and discuss politics over coffee in outdoor cafes.

Darrin and I don't have much in common except that I too wasn't allowed very much soda as a child. I remember fantasizing about being a grownup and thinking that all I would do was drive around in a car and drink cokes. "That would show 'em," I thought.
I know I am not the first to have this happen to me, but I have been a little heart-broken lately. I have had this idea dancing around in my head. It's one of those really great ideas that require lists, and sketches, and months of dreaming, and serendipity, and tea with honey and milk, and the purchasing of some special equipment. It's the kind of idea that forms in tiny bits when your driving around or taking quiet, morning walks with your son. And then, at 2 in the morning when you are clicking around the internet in an effort to wind down after tending to your baby that woke out of the blue, you realize that it is the kind of idea that someone else already had, ages ago. Also, this person already executed this idea, only they executed it better than you thought up in your own head. It's not exactly the same exact idea, of course, but it is so beautiful and really quite similar. Oh sigh. I have to share it with you and let you see too. See? Isn't it awesome? The funny thing is, I don't even remember how I clicked around to the site, it was such a blur. But, I am happy it exists because it looks so whimsical and whimsy is important for the world. But, at the same time, "darn-it!".