The Side Effects of Endorphins

Today I was setting a running trail in a rural area outside of Portland Oregon. The town is Boring. I don’t know the area all that well. You read that sentence correctly. The town is called Boring. I was supposed to meet my friend at the bottom of the big hill leading down to the stream. It should be noted that a sunny day in mid November in Oregon is sparkling. The trees were in full bloom and a cool mountain stream rushed by contently.

I was running down the hill, and saw a woman down on the trail,. I yelled for her. The woman answered back and I assumed it was my friend. I got to the bottom of the trail and the woman in a broken accent asked me if I knew anything about mushrooms..

It is also that time of year to look for mushrooms in Oregon. I love to eat mushrooms, but I am intimidated by finding them as eating the wrong one has some capricious side effects.

I looked at her I and thought, do I know you from somewhere?

Then I realized I didn’t know her I just knew her accent.

Without even thinking, I answered.

Kommen Sie aus Deutschland?

I think I said, kommst du using the less formal version. Being in the middle of the woods in rural Oregon, I guess the right thing would be to use a formal sie.

I am bad at languages

Ya. She answered

Ich weiß nichts über Pilze.

I told her in German, I knew nothing about mushrooms.

My friend soon ran into me on trail. She was probably baffled that I was speaking German in the middle of nowhere, well to be more specific Boring Oregon.