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The Grass Is Always Greener
Sunday, Mar. 30, 2003 - 12:07 PM
Last Tuesday it was over seventy degrees outside. I walked across Freedom Plaza and to the corner where there's a hot dog stand. After fierce deliberation I decided that due to the cash factor I'd buy a coupla hot dogs this time instead of half smokes. "How much for a dog?" This question is mandatory before purchasing a product from a vending cart because otherwise the price could be twice as much or more. The general rule of thumb is, gouge the tourists, be kind to the locals -- they just may become loyal customers. I was a loyal customer when I was doing the inventory and relocation of the National Park Service in the Main Interior Building. There was a guy who set up his cart directly in front of the door at the E Street entrance. I would buy two half smokes with ketchup, a little bit of mustard and relish, and more ketchup from him nearly every day. It got to the point where he would tell the three people in front of me that he was out of halfsmokes so he could sell me his last two. I never knew his name, but I always tipped him 50 cents no matter if I got my usual or just a bag of chips that day before slipping over to the park accross the street to sit under a tree and feed the birds a crumb or two of my lunch. My reply came from the lady from whom I'd just asked for a price. "For you... $1.25." "I'll take two." I handed her three dollars, tipping her fifty cents. My two hot dogs with ketchup, Pete, and I walked back to Freedom Plaza and absorbed the sunshine while talking about everything from the guy that was playing his tiny guitar and preaching Jesus to where we thought homeless people of the city slept when it rained. It was relaxing... and it was seventy-four degrees. Today I woke up at about 11. Today it is snowing. Today the snow is sticking. We'll be back in the seventies again on Wednesday, but until then we'll once again don our jackets and stuff our shorts beneath our jeans in our drawers. The weather is manic depressive. I hope it gets its hands on some Lithium so we can all return to eating lunch in Freedom Plaza or strolling to the bank on the lunch hour even though it takes twenty minutes longer than if I just went to the bank that is less than a mile from my house. The funny thing is, in about a month I'll be wishing for the biting cold of winter again.
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