17 December 2014

Caltrain.

On Caltrain this afternoon, the conductor announced our approach to one station thus: "Belmont! Belmont! Party town! This is Belmont!" And the next station: "Hillsdale! Home of a really big mall! Go shopping! This is Hillsdale!"

Exteriors

A friend reports that ads for credit cards have appeared on the exteriors of local buses. The name of one purported cardholder is 'Alex Martin'. I'm reminded of the moment when, a few years ago, I was getting off a bus downtown. Two women passed in front of me on the sidewalk. One of them said to the other, "And then Alex Martin said..." ...I'll never know.

04 December 2014

Handsome is as handsome does.

At Trader Joe's in Stonestown, I needed an extra bag for my groceries. "Extra bags are free for handsome men," said the cashier. "If you say so!" I replied, with a smile. No one has called me "handsome" for many years.

01 December 2014

Spin

At a bus stop, I observed an older man, 60ish, spinning wool or cotton with a hand-held drop spindle. The yarn was colored, so I imagine he had dyed the unspun tufts. He had with him a small spinning wheel --- the wheel had probably belonged to a small child's bicycle. He continued his spinning on the bus, completely absorbed in his task.