Awkward Encounters

Awkwardness abounds these days and I cannot seem to stop stumbling (or stuttering) around life in general and Portland in particular.

Yesterday for instance. I had arranged to meet Alex, a potential roommate at his house at 235 N Buffalo in North Portland. I knocked on house number 235 and waited momentarily before a woman peered out the window and yelled something to someone inside.

"Weird," I thought. "She must be getting Alex to come to the door before she lets me in." I stood patiently out in the cold while I heard the woman fumble with keys to open the door. Alex and the woman both greeted me at the door, but didn't really seem ready for me to see the house.
"Alex?" I asked the guy, making sure I was in the right place.

"Yeah," he replied. I followed them into the house, waiting for them to make the next move. When they didn't say anything I started feeling awkward so searched for something to say. Right as I started commenting on the fireplace in the living room, they both walked into the other room. At that moment I realized, something wasn't right. I followed them into the hall.

"Do you have a room for rent?"

"No," Alex replied. All three of us realized the same thing at the same time and started laughing. I had come to 235 NE instead of 235 N Buffalo Street, and a guy named Alex just happened to live at each house.

"Hey I have some mail for that house, do you mind bringing it over?" The woman asked. We laughed again and said goodnight. The real 235 house was only 4 blocks away.