It's a lovely evening and perfect for a walk which is what we just did-the boys and I. It's funny though the things that go through your head when your walking. I noticed that everyone else was outside too. We walked over to First Ave. as we usually do. The guy down the road in the house that looks like Mt. Vernon was still working on his yard-the back this time. As we walked I realized almost everyone had mowed their lawn just recently-I say almost everyone since me and two other people haven't. The family who is trying to sell their house-for almost nine months now-were all out in the front yard. The eldest daughter and a friend were cleaning out the car they had pulled all the way into the yard-mom was on the porch reading-dad and the two boys were playing catch-even the cat was sitting in the yard licking herself. I noticed all this but what went through my head was " How on earth do they managed to keep so many people in that tiny yard?" We walked on past 'The Duck Lady's' house-so called because she owns a duck-I noticed that she-like me- needed to get the grass cut. 'The Duck Lady' is an elderly woman who lives alone in her little albeit nice bungalow with her two cats and the duck. When the murders took place she was right up there in the middle of all the 'gore mungers', smoking her Marlboro reds and filling us in on all the 'gossip'. It's reassuring to know that I'm in such good company. Then of course we walk by the 'Murder House'-shiver. I can't look at the place anymore without thinking about that punk with a hammer-and then I have flashes of the old comedian Gallahger with his stupid watermelon and sledge hammer. We walk on past. Now the field-hey they need to cut the grass too. Alright! Longwood University needs to cut its grass-cool! There are dandilions growing all over it! And some girl running through the middle of it. Oh, no, a sudden flash of an old Massengil comercial ran through my head. Or was it Summers Eve? I don't know-lets move on. Around the far end and half way home. Then a sudden tug on the leash and I stop-Elvis is taking a poop. Great! I hope no one sees him since I did not think to bring a poop bag. O.k. done and let's go. Another yank on the leash-Fuggo is taking a poop! I swear these are the poopingest dogs I've ever had. Now I kinda pick up the pace a bit. Alright- about to cross the street on the stretch home. A mini van drives by slowly and some doofy looking guy is waving his arm off so I wave back. Do I know this guy? Don't think so. Then I realize I'm standing there with two dogs just smelling a fire hydrant-talk about looking doofy. So I yank the leash this time. Home boys, let's go home! But apparently some other dog had been down the same sidewalk and peed on everything. My two dogs had to stop every foot to smell some other dogs pee! Then I had a rather disturbing thought. People are a lot like dogs. We may not literally smell someones pee but we go around smelling each other all the time. Not only that but we always have our noses in someone elses business or up someones butt (in a manner of speaking). So I can't be too brisk with them if they stop to smell the pee. Finally, we are almost home. We actually got past Buddie's house without him seeing us. Coming up on the lilacs now. Oh, they smell so sweet. Suddenly I'm five again and in my nanna's bedroom just off Monument Avenue. She always smelled of lilac or Jergen's lotion-the original cherry almond one. I do miss my nanna-I really do. Around the corner now and home. The sun is almost set-the sky has a lingering strip of pink and lavender. The plants on my front porch look like arms reaching out to welcome us home. Goodnight.
It's a lovely evening and perfect for a walk which is what we just did-the boys and I. It's funny though the things that go through your head when your walking. I noticed that everyone else was outside too. We walked over to First Ave. as we usually do. The guy down the road in the house that looks like Mt. Vernon was still working on his yard-the back this time. As we walked I realized almost everyone had mowed their lawn just recently-I say almost everyone since me and two other people haven't. The family who is trying to sell their house-for almost nine months now-were all out in the front yard. The eldest daughter and a friend were cleaning out the car they had pulled all the way into the yard-mom was on the porch reading-dad and the two boys were playing catch-even the cat was sitting in the yard licking herself. I noticed all this but what went through my head was " How on earth do they managed to keep so many people in that tiny yard?" We walked on past 'The Duck Lady's' house-so called because she owns a duck-I noticed that she-like me- needed to get the grass cut. 'The Duck Lady' is an elderly woman who lives alone in her little albeit nice bungalow with her two cats and the duck. When the murders took place she was right up there in the middle of all the 'gore mungers', smoking her Marlboro reds and filling us in on all the 'gossip'. It's reassuring to know that I'm in such good company. Then of course we walk by the 'Murder House'-shiver. I can't look at the place anymore without thinking about that punk with a hammer-and then I have flashes of the old comedian Gallahger with his stupid watermelon and sledge hammer. We walk on past. Now the field-hey they need to cut the grass too. Alright! Longwood University needs to cut its grass-cool! There are dandilions growing all over it! And some girl running through the middle of it. Oh, no, a sudden flash of an old Massengil comercial ran through my head. Or was it Summers Eve? I don't know-lets move on. Around the far end and half way home. Then a sudden tug on the leash and I stop-Elvis is taking a poop. Great! I hope no one sees him since I did not think to bring a poop bag. O.k. done and let's go. Another yank on the leash-Fuggo is taking a poop! I swear these are the poopingest dogs I've ever had. Now I kinda pick up the pace a bit. Alright- about to cross the street on the stretch home. A mini van drives by slowly and some doofy looking guy is waving his arm off so I wave back. Do I know this guy? Don't think so. Then I realize I'm standing there with two dogs just smelling a fire hydrant-talk about looking doofy. So I yank the leash this time. Home boys, let's go home! But apparently some other dog had been down the same sidewalk and peed on everything. My two dogs had to stop every foot to smell some other dogs pee! Then I had a rather disturbing thought. People are a lot like dogs. We may not literally smell someones pee but we go around smelling each other all the time. Not only that but we always have our noses in someone elses business or up someones butt (in a manner of speaking). So I can't be too brisk with them if they stop to smell the pee. Finally, we are almost home. We actually got past Buddie's house without him seeing us. Coming up on the lilacs now. Oh, they smell so sweet. Suddenly I'm five again and in my nanna's bedroom just off Monument Avenue. She always smelled of lilac or Jergen's lotion-the original cherry almond one. I do miss my nanna-I really do. Around the corner now and home. The sun is almost set-the sky has a lingering strip of pink and lavender. The plants on my front porch look like arms reaching out to welcome us home. Goodnight.
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