The city stinks. The smell of body odor and trash are almost over whelming. The coffee shop is my haven for fresh air. Hot drink in hand I step out into the thick air. Like a punch in the face, I feel the smell hit me. I walk back to work wishing for a rain to wash the city clean. My only respite is the smell of my coffee as I drink. I hunger for the stale air of the library. As I enter the building I inhale the bland air, and sign relief. Damn, this city stinks.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 Lunch walk
I head south on Tryon, walking to a bank. I get a nod from the guy sitting on the sidewalk, playing guitar. He’s the dude that hosted the 4th of July party in the pink’o house. We talked for a bit and he told me he was working, referring to the guitar playing. I wished him luck, then walked on. A block+ later I get a nod from a bike messenger with a hunk of metal through his nose. We didn’t talk, I just returned the nod. I “know” him from parties and I have seen him at the Penguin.
I made it to the bank and handled my bidniss. Now my goal is to figure out what to eat. I run into the little sister of a guy I knew in high school. She works for one of the banks in Charlotte. We talked for a bit and she told me about her brother (I never really liked the guy), I pretended to care and look at her boobs. Then we head of in separate directions.
I have my food and I am sitting in a food court like area, indoors. Just watching the people. I am wonder if I should have given money to the guy playing guitar. I don’t usually give out money. I start to wonder how he made the decision to start that, he was working for the library last time I saw him. Then I wonder about that bike messengers hunk of metal. That had to hurt. I finish eating and head back to work. I pass the little sister I spoke to and she waves from her table and I nod. If this were a movie we would now change to her point of view and then follow her thoughts for a bit. And in the end she would walk by the guy playing guitar, and throw down a few bucks. And at some point she would give the messenger a package to deliver.
Monday, January 03, 2005 Empty seat
Saturday night I went down to Rock Hill, SC for a farewell party for Chairman Mike and his girlfriend Leanda. They are moving to Austin, TX where Leanda is going to start Grad school. While I have not hungout with Mike much since I left my old library, I know that I will miss him. I mean, I miss all my friends from my old library, but at least I get to see them now and then. I wish Mike and Leanda the best of luck in their new city, with new jobs, and in school. I know that it can be difficult to move to a new place, but they have each other for support and a huge group of friends and family back here in NC to try and help out when needed. So I think they will be fine. Good luck guys and lets try to keep in touch.
