Last night, I received an email with the tantalizing subject line “EARTH SHATTERING COINCIDENCE.” And while the planet appears largely intact,* I must admit that the email went on to detail a spellbinding twist of fate.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Rob’s and my search for a house in Baltimore, mentioning that we had found one (a former funeral parlor in Little Italy) that we loved but were subsequently outbid.

The earth-shattering email was from the people who outbid us. They had stumbled across my web log entry and wrote to apologize (although I suspect their regrets extend only so far, as they got a gorgeous home out of the deal).

I had written before about the omens I received from on high that our bid would not be successful: two black cats and a swooping seagull with menacing eyes. My correspondent wrote that his omens were more encouraging: “‘fat cat on windowsill purring contentedly and licking one paw’ and ‘white dove carrying sprig of mistletoe’ (well it might have been a particularly clean seagull with a weed, but the effect was there).”

If nothing else, it is clear that this structure is a vortex of supernatural forces, a battleground of good and evil seagulls.

But the coinkydinks do not end there, oh no indeed. The outbidding letter-writer’s name is David. His email address begins with Faustus. His romantic partner’s name is Natalie.

As the super-sleuths among you know, my name is also David! Further, the online name of one of my dearest friends is Faustus! Further, Natalie was the name of my favorite character on “The Facts of Life”!

The spooky organ music should begin shortly.


* Although my boyfriend claims there is evidence of large holes in the polar regions, these are most likely unrelated.