Seducing Al Gore at the Byrd House Market

I frequent the Byrd House Market because it's the farmer's market nearest J-Ward, so I can walk or ride my bike.

I like the fact that it's on Tuesdays and not the weekends when I tend to have lots on my plate.

But I hadn't been in weeks and with only four hours sleep under my belt, I was looking for an easy, pleasurable and unchallenging activity for the afternoon.

Buying veggies and fruit? Even the sleep-deprived can do that.

In the intervening weeks since I'd last been, so much good stuff has ripened that it was hard to narrow down my selections to what I'd realistically have time to eat.

But it's tough not to let my eyes rather than my head do the buying when everything looks so ripe and ready.

After multiple laps around the field, I kept it real with apricots, blackberries, yellow wax beans ("try them with blueberries and balsamic," I was advised), beets, squash (how could I resist after my recent reminiscing about squash fritters?) and micro-greens.

Lots of good stuff for the next few days.

Heading out, I was stopped by an eager young man on his first day of canvassing for Repower America, the movement for clean energy and the subsequent jobs to be created by developing U.S. sources rather than continuing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Explaining a little about the movement, the guy told me that they were recording videos today of real people explaining their desire for a shift to clean energy sources.

To demonstrate legitimacy, I think, he said that Al Gore had started the movement.

"The newly single Al Gore?" I inquired.

"The same," he replied. "Make a great video with me and maybe he'll call you for a date."

Well, with an incentive like that, how could I say no?

Of course, I've seen Al's iPod playlist so I would already guess that we're not musically compatible, but I'm sure the conversation on other topics would compensate to some degree.

At least for one date.

So I made my video, trying to be earnest, just an everyday sort of person (who was glad she'd worn a cute dress to the market today) making her online appeal to lessen our dependence on the Middle East and create jobs in the US .

I even threw in the part about my own job issues, just for good measure.

And I smiled with every syllable.

Actually, I do that anyway, but Al wouldn't know that.

After we finished, I signed a release and the guy thanked me.

I then spotted a girl I know who works at the Byrd House Market and went over to talk to her.

We had an awkward moment when she first realized she didn't know about my single status, but we segued right into their upcoming benefit dinners and the sound of cannon fire, of all things, in the distance.

As I was finally leaving for real, I passed Canvasser Guy one last time.

Clipboard in hand, he leaned over toward me, clearly intent on saying something.

"Has Al texted you yet?"

Hard to say who would be more surprised, Al or Canvasser Guy, to discover I'm not textable.