i have the spiritual gift of parallel parking.

i don't mean to sound smug - i only bring this up because my talent was recently recognized by a complete stranger. on friday, i was meeting a friend at railhead. the lot was full, so i found a spot on the street. i backed in in one smooth, precise movement. i hopped out and checked the distance between my wheels and the curb (a roomy 6 inches) and said to myself, "textbook."** as i was walking away, a guy driving by rolled down his window and said with clear admiration, "nice job!"

** whenever i do something well, i say to myself, "textbook," as in, "that was textbook perfect." i credit my cousin for introducing me to this form of self-accreditation.