Just another day with-guns-on-display & play in Washington, DC. I love the 16th Street line. You see a lot--sometimes too much. I worry about all those children, elderly folks, pregnant ladies, I worry about everything. I see an email has just arrived from the White House email blast re: the H1N1.E-mail late Wednesday evening to [most-excellent friend]. Just so Metro does not sue me, this has nothing to do with buses, the Red Line accident, etc. Sigh. Gina L. here has been locked out of her house by the cat-who-hid-the-keys. Even though she looks great in her bathing suit, come on gatto, knock it off & point-a-paw. [it's a scan from Hollywood Cats, link here to previous post until I can get independent bookstore link.] The shot is by genius Philippe Halsman. I still have the pamphlet from the Portrait Gallery's 1998 Philippe Galsman Retrospective exhibit. Here's a Magnum link to him. But he's so cool. He's the one who asked people to Jump! & they did.
Note: No, I haven't gone nuts. This long numbered thingy will only be up for a day or so & then pared down.:)
UPDATE: Sunday, 12 July 2009: I assure everyone that I am fine. But so busy (in a good way), that I cannot edit/rewrite below in a way that satisfies (even low standards) until late in the upcoming week. So I leave my mess out in the open. It's nothing I wouldn't say again. It really is an email I sent to a friend. I'll continue with pix-I-like & limit my sarcastic remarks to a few lines or so. I promise.
UPDATE: Wednesday, 21 July 2009. Took out tons & rewriting. Another day.
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1. Julie hid my keys today & I couldn't find for hour. Late getting down to [deleted].
2. Great time talking to [deleted]. I am happy....Security has been massively upgraded from already-very-good. Relieved after HM shooting. Hang out with [deleted] about an hour & then head home for many errands.
3. Bus out front arrives in 5 minutes!
7. Someone insults someone (outside of bus) & manhood is apparently in question. Cellphones pulled out, backup dudes arrive quickly.
8. To prove that he is a wuss, guy pulls gun & starts to shoot. I think, here we go...*
9. Tell about-to-panic people, 'don't panic, scoot down, & don't worry because..."It's low-caliber. Not much of a shot unless it's direct..."
10. Strangely, it calms people. Disturbed at my coldness & choice of words.
14. ...Life is never dull as a full-time pedestrian.
17. Walking home, so tired.....there's a man in wheelchair in the road. People walking by, driving by. In the ROAD.
18. ...Doesn't want help. Too bad. He's trying to get hit. Perfectly obvious. Passerby who is preggers helps push him onto sidewalk. Neither concerned woman or self is surprised that people pass by. I recognize one as newish neighbor who has a 'we love everyone' welcome mat. He avoided my eyes. I'll think of that every morning when I dash down for the newspapers. Past his cute little mat. I'll spare you rest.
23. I thought of your maybe-wedding dress at Nordstrom. And the invitations. What did the printer say? Is the dress as great as it looks?
I shall gain wisdom from chocolate & DVD. And I'm back on the 16th Street line every day...to swim & save my life. Ha.
ciao bella!
*just realized I have (succinct) poem about being on bus in Jerusalem & something similar. Will find...published somewhere. I really don't remember.Forgot all about it.
2 comments:
WHAAAT?! you were involved in a gun incident? How absolutely horrible. I have nightmares of this happening to my son. How come you are so calm?
On a lighter note - Gina's sucking it in.
Hi Hazel. Have missed you. On the lighter note first, I'm laughing. Yes, Gina's sucking it in...I will be, too, soon. My swimsuit is not nearly as revealing.:)
As for nightmares, etc. I hear you. I wish I could say, "don't worry, it will never-unlikely..." It would be foolish & stupid & callow for me to say so. Especially considering personal circumstances. In this I might seem cruel, but I assure you I am not.
I want to clear something up for everyone who emailed (I really wish you'd leave a comment, not for commenting sake but it helps me keep track of it). If it seems like a long time to show up, it is. It's dial-up, the lowest of speeds, as in late 1990s speed. I am trying to find someone to help me install it. A still-useless box o' Verizon tangled bits & bobs sit next to me on the floor.
[NOTE: I have just taken out possibly 5,000 to 10,000 babbling words about the world & community & abandoning children & then being surprised by the outcome, gangs..& still, our self-interest, if nothing else, should impel us to action, & betrayal of trust..blah blah & placed in a Word document that will become a follow-up post or something else. If you're all naughty devils, I'll post it:)]
I'm thinking about the man in the road trying to get hit by a car. It's one of the busiest roads in the metro area that is residential. I mean, it's called "Highway" for a reason. He was suicidal. In the road. I would not have it. No. Will he be there when I walk to the Metro stop? If he's not, where is he?
Veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan (& some Vietnam guys) are a major presence in my neighborhood. That's all I'll say here.
I'm leaving this up a longer & continue on with lovely Friday plans with the unfortunate recipient of my numbered email.(which I titled something like 'my day in bullets' & then lost the formatting & had to put in numbers...just so you know I also torture friends with silly titles, etc.)
See, the thing about Wednesday was...I got something I've only dreamed for...so many years I could burst into tears with relief. It would be almost nothing to most people reading this. When I said at the end, swim to save my life, it was not hyperbole. Really. And yoga, too. And a new community to be a part of where it will be less likely that I will be hurt. And where people will know me, expect me to show up.
But to get there, I have to be part of the unpredictable world more often than I have been in about 18 months. (I'll be used to it in about 3 days.) So I got what I wanted...I'm not complaining. I feel twinges of guilt about getting what I wanted.
But I know, it seems I've always known, that what we so want, desire, ...it often comes at a much higher price than we could ever have imagined. And that has to be weighed & accepted, or declined. And even then, there's no guarantee. I choose the unwritten, unknown price, in this case.
This is not a particularly dangerous place. We live in a dangerous world. I guess that's what I mean. I'll think about it. And I'm so sorry this is hastily, poorly written. I wanted to reply before I left for the day. And wonder how you are (Hazel), & oh my god I'm going to be late to the cafe. Maybe that's why friend said to meet there:)
Hazel: I'm thoroughly enjoying your Renoir/Paris/real estate investigation.
xo svs
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