Was out earlier doing errands, getting the paper and the morning hit of espresso.  Another beautiful a.m., quieter than recent days due to the absence of the rear-end/front-end loader at the construction site across the street.

Heading back to the flat I passed the plaza, where people sat on benches talking, others walked through in transit, folks went in and out of the Metro, dogs did their thing (smelling communal pee spots, hanging out contentedly by their owners, yelling comments at other canines or engaging in close encounters, some friendly, some cautious, others tense or openly hostile).  I realized I didn’t have a notebook with me, something that’s been happening a lot lately.  Somehow I’ve gotten out of the habit of carrying one, which has led to moments where I go to pull it out to begin scribbling stuff, then remember it’s back at home.  D'OH! moments, the real item.

I continued on, making my way through people walking along the sidewalk or out in the street, approaching a woman who appeared to be your standard issue 60ish alma de casa (housewife), dressed in standard semi-casual warm weather older folk garb.  She’d stopped in front of a shop window to study something in concentrated fashion, then pulled back, making a loud critical comment about the prices.  From her manner, I assumed she was with one of the people around her, but as she turned and headed up the block, it became clear she was solo, which didn’t stop further critical comments.  She thought the prices were too damn high and she wasn’t keeping it to herself.  I reached the door to my building and stopped, pulling out keys.  She continued on, veering out into the street, moving toward the nearby cross-street to move off to the left.  Still talking, still righteously displeased, passersby glancing at her then away, all of it just one more passing moment on a lovely Friday in a city of close to five million souls.

She disappeared around the corner, the day moved on.

7:12:36 PM    comment []