i forgot how long pershing is

If you haven't been to my neighborhood, that's a street that runs parallel to Forest Park's northern edge. It's a nice route to take back out of the park, over the metro and passed some big apartment buildings. The reward, though, is the best part. Just before getting back to De Boliviere, there's a nice little fountain perfect for cooling off hot feet. Not quite as nice as the one up at Jewell, but good enough all the same. As a sidenote, it was obviously a good day to be out as several joggers of the female persuasion were taking advantage of the park's scenery. (The only thing better than a runner, of course, is a soccer player, but that's a post of its own.)

Speaking of outdoor fun, I took Kelly to get her bike this afternoon, which means that the six month ordeal of hearing from her about how great it would be to get a new bike is finally over. Hopefully it meets her expectations!

I also got confirmation on a hunch from yesterday. As I was leaving with Doug to go shopping for meat (we're smoking today-come at 6:00) a guy came up to the car with a gas can and a sob story about running out of gas by the Amoco station up on Delmar at Goodfellow. I wasn't in a hurry so I told the guy to jump in, and I drove him up to the station. I keep change in my car for parking meters and people who ask for money. It was kinda funny, because the guy was trying to guilt-trip me into giving him more, as in "my '77 Cadillac needs at least $5 worth of gas just to get it going". My bin is deep but a little narrow, so it takes a bit of manuevering to get change out of it. And this is where the guy gives the game away (as if his story about having relatives he had just visited in Atlanta and not being from around here yet knowing the neighborhood streets better than I and wearing a Cardinals cap didn't give it away). He gets impatient with me grabbing change, realizing that when I said I had some change he could have that I meant it literally. So now, instead of "I need more money", it's "ok, thanks man" as he opens up his door. Ingrate :) But I do sympathize. Whether it's for alcohol or a drug debt, paying in dimes and quarters is probably a little annoying. Poor guy. It means the homeless dude who's always asking for money on the exit ramp from 40 east to Grand north isn't going to get anything for awhile.

The thing is, he got me a little with his story due to two details. First, he had been carrying a gas can. If he wasn't out of gas, that's dedication. Second, he let me drive him up to the gas station. Either he had walked all the way down from there, or he was going to have to walk all the way back. Again, that's dedication. He earned a few dollars.

So this morning, while I'm heading over to the park, another black gentleman, about the same age and similar style of dress, stops me. Now, my favorite part of this is the culture clash. Here I am in sandals, a pair of Gap jogging shorts, and an old raggedy t-shirt listening to my iPod, and the guy expects me to have money. Where, exactly, would I be hiding my wallet? The guy of course has to get right in my face because I'm not ignoring him; I really just can't hear him. So I take my left earpiece out and ask if he needs something. And guess what? He tells me a story about needing gas money because his car ran out of gas near the Amoco station at Goodfellow and Delmar. Gee, where have I heard about that station recently? These guys are almost as good as the scalpers who work baseball games. By the way, if you've never watched a group of scalpers work, some buying, some selling, some watching, try it sometime; it's fascinating. Well, if you're into business operations and the function of grey and black markets and such. If you prefer softcore porn and artificial drama, go watch MTV's the Real World Austin.

Enjoy this, my last in the series of blogthing quizzes.

You Have A Type A- Personality

A- You are one of the most balanced people around. Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want. You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back. Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?