Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Ride Home

Corey and I were stopped in traffic on Penn Ave between the cemeteries and the new Children's Hospital. I hate being stopped there because the whole scene is so depressing for me.

First, I hate seeing the flower guy. No matter what the weather, he stands there in a blue windbreaker, his wind-chapped face staring blankly into the cars, beseeching us to buy his fake flowers from a paint bucket. He always has a cigarette dangling limply from his teeth. Always. He makes me feel sad.

Today, there was also a woman jogging in a BUM Equipment hoodie. How long has it been since you've seen one of those? All I can think is that she's been stuck in Allegheny Cemetery jogging in desperate search for the entrance since they were in fashion.

Finally, I hate that there's a big "NO BICYCLES" sign in the cemetery. Why? Why no bicycles? Surely they are easier on the paths than cars. And there are lots of cars in there of late since the slain officers were lain to rest (I tend to think of both adjoining cemeteries right there as one entity, even though I know there are technically two burial areas separated by a fence).

The whole scene is capped off by a big hospital for children, which just makes me think about childhood illness and increases my sadness. I wish that light had been green so we could have swooped past more quickly. Now I feel blue.

3 comments:

PeaceLoveMath said...

Don't feel blue! Baby Lev is pointed down, getting ready to come out in 10 weeks, and he wants you to be happy! So I assume it was his foot digging into your rib cage the other day?

Jane said...

As if we could figure out your thought processes before, now the raging maternal hormones have me stumped even more :)

Snacky D said...

Hahahahaha! B.U.M. Equipment! That is so 1992. I guess if this person has been jogging through the cemetery since '92, they are more than fit enough to run the marathon next weekend!