Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Bill Gates is starting to look like Woody Allen.
Fed my pal, the female squirrel (aka Little Buddy) in the rain. Well, squirrels have to eat too. (pix coming)
Two happy errands today. Picked up my bro-in-law Steve’s favorite coffee (Christmas gift) at the Starbucks on Lawrence/Central. The Central Ave. 85 northbound bus smelled a LOT like the inside of a hot dog stand.
My friend Carol P. had a special birthday today. Carol lives in my building and works as a cashier at Jewel Foods, right across the street from the Starbucks. Had some shopping to do anyway, so I crossed the street – which was heavily under construction – and headed, beneath threatening skies, to the Jewel.
I tried not to let Carol see me until I was in line. Bought a Happy Birthday balloon, and a chocolate bar that I hoped she’d like (she did). I got my other groceries, then got in line. “Is that balloon for me?” she said, as soon as she spotted me. “Shh,” I said.
It took forever to get up there, but Carol appreciated the balloon and candy. She told me I had to ring out cashier presents (she must get a lot of them) at customer service, which I did when we were done.
As Carol rang me up, I announced to all who were around – and there were plenty of folks, many regular customers who knew her – not too loudly, but loud enough, that our cashier, Carol “is having a very special birthday. It’s a milestone for her and she’s turning 40! Forty!” I was 20 years off on purpose, but Carol looks great and is putting in really long shifts for the holiday.
“So, if you don’t mind, folks…” They were ahead of me. “Happy Birthday, to you…”
Haha! That was fun. I told Carol it put a little color in her cheeks.
Back home on the bus. The cloudy skies opened and I was drenched – waits between buses were pretty long. Two buses later, the rain was on and off, so I decided to stay outside and smoke my pipe. I walked a couple of blocks north to see if the squirrels were out. They were – even when the rain came hard again. I had a hood – all they had was fur. Guess it worked for them, they were happy to grab a shelled peanut, stuff it in their mouth, and and scamper off to bury it as usual.
I put some peanuts in a hole up in the big Maple tree for Little Buddy. She took them first. It’s a sheltered spot, inside the tree. She even walked the fence plank get the roasted ones; the ones she likes for ‘dinner’. Sometimes, it’s English Walnuts.
Finally I came home. I often stay out as long as I can ’cause I don’t feel like coming in – until I hear my mom’s voice: “Get inside already, it’s raining cats and dogs!” Or, “it’s dark out. What are you waiting for, a special invitation?” Thanks, Mom. Miss those words.
Laundry, drying clothes, cooking a cornish hen – almost time to check the oven. Gotta go!
PS – Whatever happened to Bill Granger’s November Man? Bill used to write for the Sun-Times, edited the DePaulia before that. ’63, if I remember. We shared that distinction – my time as editor came in ’70-71, right after Kent State. Bill led the students through the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs, the end of Camelot, and the cultural turbulence that began to form with VietNam and the events that led to the Kennedy Assasination. Bill had a stroke and died way too early. He wrote a weekly column for the Times and later, the Daily Herald. Over the years, he also penned the November Man series.