Street life

TR said I should write down some stories about my neighborhood. I told him I had a blog and I could put them there, but the blog had a theme and those stories wouldn't fit. Still, I think I will share some with you. Last Saturday I walked east on H street to get to my new neighborhood coffee shop (13th & H NE). On the block between 7th and 8th, I fell in behind a man who made this announcement "Dope, Crack, Meth. Dope, Crack, Meth." Good times in the neighborhood. You may also not know that my immediate next-door neighbor is an entrepreneur. A black market or underground economy entrepreneur. You know what I mean: a drug dealer. I don't know what his product is, perhaps dope, crack or meth? He has a booming business, a great deal of which is done through his front window. It's cold, you know, so why not do business through a walk-up window? I noticed the other day that there is a path worn down through his front yard that goes up to the window.

Yesterday I finished up almost all of the party shopping. I couldn't find maraschino cherries or cocktail napkins. Maraschino cherries are like hidden treasure in this town. We may not even need them, but just in case anyone wants a Manhattan, I want to be prepared. I have lots of ice, though, so we're mostly set.

I had to go to the grocery store, which felt something like running a gauntlet. The store that turned out to be the most convenient for me was in Jake's neighborhood. I didn't want to go there, but it just made sense. It was ironic because I wouldn't have even known about that particular store if it hadn't been for Jake, though I'd been in that area many times. I worried about bumping into him, but I just took a deep breath and went anyway. I was there for over 40 minutes and I didn't see him. I also got everything I needed (except the cherries).

Today, it snowed and they let us off work early. I didn't actually leave as early as I could have, but my Spanish class was also canceled, which left me time to cook tonight. I relaxed for a while and then I made hummus. Then I made a dip from sweet potatoes. It's rather spicy but I like the flavor. I have to chop the veggies, make brownies, and make two more dips. Most of that will wait for Saturday. I think I will make the brownies tomorrow and maybe chop some of the vegetables. There is also the dread vacuuming, which I've managed to avoid so far. When will I vacuum? Tomorrow? Saturday? Never?

No dating news. It's ok. I need a break.

I'm grateful for a good, productive day at work. And snow. The snow is really pretty.