Dear [random ____ I saw today], I love you.

Dear intelligent-looking, secluded but stylish blonde, who actually smiled back and mouthed "szia" from by the door when she left the coffeehouse, I love you. Made my day.

By the sound of it Nimh....you've had the permanent horn since moving to Budapest.

Is it something in the water?

Nah ... nothing that exciting. Thread like this is where I show up when something does come up (no puns please). So if you look at it that way, it hasnt exactly been a lot. Just seems more by grouping it together in a thread like this

Dear random middle eastern men in the grocery store.
I was having a terrible day. Im sorry I tried to brush by you in such a hurry. Thank you though, for the flirtatious wink and big smiles. I hope my returned smile made you feel as good as your simple flirty smiles did me. You made my entire week. I love you both very much.

Dear Post Office Clerk,
Yesterday you waited while I and a helper dragged twenty four 30 to 40 pound boxes of books over to your station to mail. I was feeling badly about it as the Christmas package mailing crowd was there and I was holding up the process.

I'd had no choice - I had to mail the books to save several hundred dollars in moving van charges, and to mail them now.

You are a handsome older man, and were staring at me quite sternly. As soon as you took one box and set it on the scale, I tried to get more on the counter, if only to rest the next after the next on the edge..

You stopped and said, "now young lady, I want you to calm yourself. We'll get this done, one at a time." I relaxed. We both grinned. I love you. Not least for the "young lady".

Also, nothing really to do with horny, in the first place ...

Now if I'd go clubbing, and some pretty girl start dancing close, then horny would get into it. But I dont, and she wouldnt.

This more about pleasant reassurance ... and fleeting charm. <nods>

<nods and winks>

Dear girl who is sitting besides me while I type and hoping you don't look on my screen, even though it's probable that you don't speak english, because then I would be ashamed of what I'm writing for you, I love you.

Dear me, I saw you today in the mirror and frowned because I didn't think you looked pretty enough, but am writing now to remind you that it doesn't matter, and you should love yourself anyway.

Dear sort of chubby, but overall very cute, sweet-seeming girl with the nice smile at the party last night who I smiled at a couple times and then finally kissed on the cheek and wished a Happy New Year, but waited too long to actually go over and try to talk to, until you were actually on your way out the door, and therefore never got the chance to know...I don't know if I love you, but you were cute, and you gave me hope for the coming year.

Thanks, and once again, a Happy New Year to you.

damn, nothing worse than the party girl who got away, i've had that happen a few times

dear curly haired guy on the public bus, i love you

Dear (very) young, (very) pretty girl in the California Coffee Company, with your dark hair put up and wearing a flimsy, transparent top with frilly straps that kept sliding off over a red bra, I love ya not just cause you looked exquisite, but also because you must have been really after that boy you were with, to dress in that in this bloody weather ... I thought that was moving . All the more since he was a rather goofy-looking teen, not at all good-looking tho with cute sneakers. Thats nice.

In the Italian kavezo where they have good brusschetti, there was this couple tonight ... first, they wanted to head up (to the tiny first floor part), but that was already occupied, so they cuddled up in the edge downstairs inside. They were so cute.

She was pretty, long red curly hair partly put up, a black layered dress that balanced exactly between wild and elegant, asymmetrically cut across her thighs over high boots. He had black, kinda bushy hair, dark eyebrows and wore a black turtleneck. She wasnt perfectly beautiful, out n about legs, but very pretty, quite sexy and looking rockish. He was handsome enough but not overly so, with a geeky, not wholly surefeeted edge. He was totally into her, she was totally relishing it, they had a plate of brusschetti then tramezzini, eating together she half on his lap while he kissed her neck, the shoulderstrap of her dress slipping ... and the cute thing was, he was quite short, she was quite tall, and without any embarassment he kept laying his head on her shoulder, and she looked at him lovingly ... just like it was self-evident. Sweet.

My colleague who sits in the next office from me, you helped me a lot with Perl scripts and laugh at my jokes. I gave you an orange today (my folks mailed a bunch up from Florida) and it was in a Ziploc bag. This time you made me laugh by asking if they're grown that way, plastic bag and all.

And you thanked me nicely. In a Spanish accent.

Dear guy I-have-not-bothered-to-ask-your-name! You give me hope every time I see you for the hearts of all men. You listen to old music, ahhh I remember that Beck cd takes me back, but you look so cute moving to it, and it lets me enjoy it all over again. You are too young for me, ay, I can tell you've had a rough sort of life, and I love you for staying strong.
Thank you for being so kind to me, and showering me with those incredible warm smiles that wrinkle your whole face. I felt lovely inside, when I managed to laugh today, and I felt clean. I love you man-I-will-ask-your-name.

Dear short order cook at the small place we sometimes have breakfast,

RP and I were the only patrons yesterday morning, and you said you made our omelets with love. And mine with more love.

Thank you for the love-filled corn, roasted red pepper and cheddar cheese omelet.

Dear Cubs that I peeked in on when I got in this morning a t 2:30...even though you're in high school now and bigger than I am... you will always be my babies. I love you.

Aww..