I'm Studying You

A bang-snap 4th.

Since I can't youtube today, here's today's track. I'll wait as you cue up and listen to "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins.

Dashed out to The Wall. Ask hailey for the play-by-play. Circled around and she wasn't around. Ms. CWC, that is.

Doritos and a paper. Make my way to the place where they make you pay for shit. And there she is, womanning the 2nd register. Your hero gets into her line and becomes absorbed with the cover of People magazine and totally ignores twit-boy at the other register calling "Sir! Sir! I can help you here!" Fine Junior. But I'm still gonna talk to her.

I'll admit. I loitered just to talk to her.

She asked if I had been to the parade and if I went to the carnival, because she didn't know it started yesterday. I told her I didn't have a pretty blonde to go to the parade with, but went last night for something to eat (word up to all the chili dog lovers in the house!). And mentioned I thought of asking her if she wanted to go and take her boys (Josh and Alex...I'm now privy to such info), and then maybe catch the fireworks.

I dangled enough carrot for her to finally catch a nibble.

She didn't go to the festivities last night because when she got home, her cat Lily escaped. When I asked her her plans for tonight, they included looking for her cat. Like a champ, I stepped up and offered to help her...she's worried about the train tracks we live by and her cat. At some point I told her I hate cats, but like girls and that sounds a lot better than what I could be doing.

Then she went on about how her kids should've been camping with their dad, but it fell through and she still might have to "drive them all the way to Cheektowaga", which, may I tell you, is about a 15 minute drive at best, and happens to be right by the block I grew up in. So we've got things to talk about.

I told her again I'd help with the cat, and with my phone already on the counter from texting in-between her customers, she said the magic words...

"I get out at 5. Give me your number and I'll call you and let you know what I'm doing." And as I'm scribbling down my diggies and enhancing their legibility, she tears off another piece of paper and writes hers down! If this were Scrabble, that'd be like the triple word score with the double letter bonus using the letter Z. It was that kinda moment. Of course, the idiot in me cracks the joke "yeah, I'll need your number so I'll know what number to ignore when you call". Oh the fun I have.

And I didn't even have to go pyrotechnic on her! Remember bang-snaps? Those little white things that were like a nickel a box when we were kids, you threw 'em at the ground and they made a loud popping noise? For shits and giggles I bought some last summer on our daytrip to Chatauqua Lake. So I found them today and was fully strapped and ready to scare the hell outta her had I had the chance.

I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have a few emails to get to and a shower and a CWC phone call to prep myself up for. And yeah Hailey, I made it home ok, though I don't recommend texting while walking through traffic. Ahhh Jess... I may never wash the pocket that little piece of paper sits in right now again .

Happy Fourth y'all...try not to blow off too many fingers!