Monday, August 22, 2011

A Watchin' of the People

I have been meaning to record this. One day, perhaps a month ago, I drove past the large bus stop in downtown St. Paul between the library and the Landmark Center. There was a woman standing there, rotund, obviously not completely with it, holding a can of Pringles. She appeared to be having a food fight with someone I could not see, behind the shelter. She would throw food, then skitter back, almost into the street, giggling. As I nearly have an accident trying to see what’s going on, she reaches the point of exasperation and chucks the whole can of Pringles at the offender. It is then that I realize she has been food-fighting with a flock of birds. She would jump back when they all jumped on the food, scattering it, which was why, from my viewpoint, it looked like a food fight.

(Another day)
Went to the Irish fair yesterday, oh my lordy. So many kilts. You ave your average pretty tartan kilt, your black heavy metal kilt with studs, pumpkin butt kilts, and last but not least. THE CAMO KILT. No one will ever notice you. Other observations: We saw our good friend shirtless-kilt,-and-lei man, eating fish and chips under a tree, muttering away and shaking his head. His kilt is green plaid, and we see him all over. He is present at Irish Fair, always, as well as the Harriet Island bandshell. If he weareth not the kilt, he weareth overalls with the straps undone, staying up most dubiously. There was also a pair of people in full Renaissance gear, King and Queen.

(YET ANOTHER DAY)
8/15/11 I had a good time on the bus today. There were these two silly women in the back. I may try to draw them later. There was no one else on the bus, and they kept pointing/staring. They were likely just talking with their hands, but it was funny because there was no one to point at besides me and the bus driver’s mirror. I will try to describe them before I forget. One was tall, everything about her was narrow, her skinny body, her hawk nose, her face. She had no glasses, but that kind of long, overbrushed, trying-to-be-curly hair that isn’t huge, but still makes you want to knit a sweater with it. Her khaki pants were a little bit above her natural waist, and her maroon Subway-style polo was tucked into it. It had some kind of work logo on it. She was wearing tennis shoes, and looked annoyed/nervous.
The other woman was the physical opposite, except for her hair, which was similar, pulled back in that half-medieval, unflattering way one associates with old-maids-to-be. She was round and staring. Her glasses were as round as her face, making her rather bulbous blue eyes look even bigger, and her mouth was disapproving and thin. She was wearing a blue t-shirt that fit her poorly, and I think jeans. She sat hunched into herself, always staring at something. They huddled together and talked in this funny, quiet, intent, almost angry way. For some reason it tickled me.

8/16/11
I just remembered a charming incident from way back when I worked at Perkins. One day, as I was waitressing, a man paid for an older woman’s meal. She did not look wealthy, though I don’t think she was poor. He told me not to tell her who did it, and then told me that he had traveled the world, and in every place he ate, he would anonymously pay for someone’s meal. He himself looked like your average blue-collar workman, not what you think of when you hear “travel the world.” Just goes to show, you never know till you’ve talked to someone. I wish it would rain: it looks like it, and nothing is as cozy or productive as rain. You feel like a bear all snug in your cave. P.S. It did rain: poured for an hour actually.

YESTERDAY
was sitting on the balcony, some dude walks by. Looks up, says hi. I say hi. He asks if I’ve ever heard of an eyeglass brand called Kate Spade. I have, so I say yes. He asks how much a pair of glasses would cost. I waffle. He says thanks and walks on.

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