"The pond's warm."
"I know, right?"
"Like, for this time of year?"
"Yeah, I'm shocked."
"I told you waiting to migrate was a good idea."
"You were right."
"This pond is as warm as anything you're going to get in Florida this time of year."
"You're right. When you're right, you're right."
"So, you got any plans for the weekend?"
"Uh, you know, I've never been up here around Christmas time. Usually I'm down South by now."
"Oh, it's great up here. So much you can do."
"I don't know. I was thinking about just hanging low. Finding a tree somewhere in the suburbs. See if I can find a family that doesn't close it's living room curtains and catch an episode of Law & Order."
"How do you know they'll be watching Law & Order?"
"Somebody's always watching an episode of Law & Order."
"But if you're just watching through the window, how will you know what's going on?"
"Believe it or not, I've found that Law & Order is actually a lot better when you can't hear any of the actors talking."
"Fancy that."
. . . . .
"What do you usually do on Friday nights up here?"
"Well, I like to fly over the city."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, just, you know, find one of those fancy charity balls that people are always throwing, and perch out on a ledge somewhere near it. Look in and watch all the people in their tuxedos and their gowns and just, you know, enjoy it."
"That sounds really nice."
"Yeah, it is."
"My cousin got eaten a charity ball once."
"Oh God, I'm sorry."
"No, no, don't worry about it. He was a nasty guy. A real ugly duck."
"Ling?"
"No, his name was Claude."
"Ah."
"Some times--do you ever do this? Some times--I fly over the highway and see a car I like. Just--a car that seems interesting or something. I can't describe it."
"Yup--go on."
"And I decide to follow it. And I do. I fly with it to wherever it's going. Sometimes it goes into the city and I watch the people in it try to find parking, and go to, like, the theater or the movies or just walk around on a date or something. And sometimes it goes out to the country, and a guy puts out a picnic for the girl he's with, and then sit and drink and talk all night and watch the sun come up. And sometimes it just keeps going and going and finally I have to give up and turn around, but I always wonder about that car and where it was going."
"Sometimes I find cars that have that same kind of look?"
"Yeah?"
"And I, you know, poop on them."
"...Oh."
"It never occurred to me to follow them."
"Oh, well, you should try it some time. It's interesting to just--randomly put yourself on the same path as a stranger."
"Sometimes I think that's why we're able to fly. I think it's because we're meant to go, you know--"
"Wherever the wind takes us."
"Exactly."
"So are there any charity balls tonight?"
"I think there's one downtown for the Wildlife Foundation."
"Well that works out then, doesn't it?"
"Yeah...You should, you know, come."
"Oh, I don't know. Like I said, I was going to make it a night in. I mean, I'm going to be outside, but I'm going to be watching people staying inside, so--"
"But you can do that any night. Come downtown with me. We can check out the charity ball, and then fly to the top of the tallest building we can find, pick a person down below, and just follow them around the city all night."
"Well, I've never follow a person. Just a person walking around, I mean."
"Let's do it then! And afterwards, we can find a park somewhere and perch and watch the sun come up."
"You know what? I'm in."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. That actually sounds like a wonderful night."
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