Cautiously…Friendly?

Star Date 15092016

Today marks my second to last paycheck before surgery. Not sure why that is hitting me at this moment, but it is. Not what I intended to open with. Nor is this:

“

Green Lights”

Something special happened today I got green lights all the way With no big red sign to stop me No traffic jam delay

See I was driving over the moon (Ohh I) In my big hot air balloon (Ohhh I) Floating high into the darkness (Ohhh I) I hope I get there soon (Ohhh I) It so many things to do So many people I need to talk to And they’ve all been waiting for me Well I gotta make it through

Something special happened today I got green lights all the way With no big red sign to stop me No traffic jam delay

Thank my stars for air that we breathe (Ohhh I) You have no idea of what it means…no no (Ohhh I) To a man whose always traveling (Ohhh I) Whose seen the things that I’ve seen (Ohhh I)

I don’t know what’s yet to come Not sure of anything that I’ve done Really makes that much a difference Well I hope it has for some

Something special happened today I got green lights all the way With no big red sign to stop me No traffic jam delay

This was my walking and keeping beat song. Okay…whistling. I love my 70’s funk music. Aloe Blacc gets pretty close on this album and an album called Lift Your Spirit…which he does. Great voice. Great beat. Just sayin. I could not recall the words as I was walking and whistling, but I got back to the hotel and looked them up. As I am in Lititz and there are more Amish than red or green lights, it was the paragraph in bold that hit me.

Lititz. Or as I heard recently. Li-titz. More surprising to some would be the person who said it. He actually giggled after he said it. This man rarely laughs during working hours, so a giggle seems way out of the ordinary; however, funny. I was on the mean streets of Lititz today…walking…whistling. Impressed was I (anastrophe…that’s right…anas plus a trophe), with the reuse of an old Wendy’s having been re-imaged and re-branded into a bank. A McDonalds into an I (long I)talian restaurant. Which…is the restaurant we broke bread at, last evening. Nice little tidbit of info. If ever in Lititz on a Wednesday, sit in the bar. La Piazza is the place. Why sit in the bar? Free slice of pizza. Decent pizza. They apparently used to offer a free slice with every drink. Now? Now, sit in the bar area and just ask for a slice and it magically appears. Like a unicorn. …that you can eat. We were told you can continue to order a slice with regular frequency…not that kind of frequency. And the bonus? Wedding soup. I love me some wedding soup. As I wasn’t saying, I walked the mean streets of Lititz this morning. I do not know the average age of folk in “America’s Best Little Town.” …fo real yo. …Well, according to my boss…who lives here. What I do know is I see nothing but ancients this morning. Oldens. Geezers. Here’s a little game I like to play when I am walking neighborhoods: Eye contact. Without words. Not creepy, I’m gonna follow you home, eye contact…Just pleasant (for me) eye contact. And….here we go. Old couple passing. They did a quick look at me but go back to talking with lots of hand motions. They are still about 200 feet away. A second look from them and they see something strange. …about me. What is that? granny says something like this to gramps, “Is that a brown guy in our predominantly white neighborhood? And does he have a tattoo on his shin?” They look away again. Now look back. One smiles nervously and the other decides to say hi from almost half a block away, and though there is ample room for four abreast on the sidewalk; however, woman double-times in front of man to ensure I do not get too close. Man puts left hand on her left arm as they pass me. Idiots. This happens a few more times, just on this street. There are no men walking alone. There are a few of the women folk. I pass no less than five of them at various points on my am ambulation. Again, lots of room for walking without veering. Alas, they hug the grass line or walk on someone’s grass to avoid getting too close to Brownie. Idiots. I wonder if people think that my brown will rub off. I may try this on my walk tomorrow. Hehe. Unsuspecting general public rub offs…er…somethin. Small towns…gotta love them. I do not belong in them…clearly.

Fast forward. Long but good day with good friends, who happen to also be my customers. Spent the day…and eve…and into the night, at the golf course. No…not carrying bags…I was concerned as well. I do get a chuckle, but was actually a little miffed when I showed up, drove the roundabout to drop my bag at the …you guessed it…bag drop. Pop my trunk, get out, and ….wait. Three guys are there who’s job it is to get bags and put on carts. Nope. Not mine. Five other folks come and go…clubs having been taken to carts. I finally take mine to my cart. Golf is awesome. For others. Rest of the day was delightful, except for Charlie. He was quite amiss. Shitbird.

As much as I am not a fan of sales functions…shocking to most of you, I did enjoy most of today. I had great people around me and my coworkers are the best I’ve worked with. A little suffering on Charlie’s behalf was well worth today.

Alas, I have nothing left in my tiny think tank today…and am 39 minutes in to a new day, so have missed my daily post. I am a big, brown failure.