Not a Winner

Well, it was 1.24 miles. That's a long way for an old guy. We'll do better next year if we don't get diverted again by George Washington or do a Rocky on the Art museum steps.

The Parkway Run/Walk was the wife's idea.She enjoys being part of a community fund raising effort. She likes people. Even around her. Strange. Me? I'd rather write a check. I don't travel well. But Brenda and Jas do. Especially Jas, being a hotel and hospital kid from all the operations, cancer treatments and doctor's visits. We stayed at the Hotel Windsor which I highly recommend. Clean and way cheaper than the Four Seasons. Efficiency, centrally located, nice restaurant down below and heated rooftop pool. I floated on my back and looked at the glass walled Comcast building towering above. Just like being in a commercial for the good life. Valet parking so these Jamaican guys disappear your car when you get there and if you need something out of it you have to get them to bring it back and disappear it again. I'm not sure I like that. I like having at least three vehicles and their contents wilthin easy reach. I guess you're supposed to tip them. Hell, I don't know - I did - every trip. Why I should care if a couple of Jamaican guys think that I am a clueless rube I do not know. But I do.

Philly makes me a little uneasy, although it seems cleaner and safer than when I was a kid. Part of the unease resulted from my wife's boy howdy attitude towards everyone she met as she dragged us to every fucking fountain in the city. I guess when you're from the suburbs of a cow pasture any conversational encounter is a good one. She is so nice that she will stop to give directions to total strangers even when we're lost. In my humble opinion, that's a little too nice.

Better class of bum than in the old days, too. More mellow. Not like the wild eyed obscene agressive juicers of my youth. Maybe they're dispensing Prozac down at the shelter. Here's where I get deep: You have to wonder what brought these men to this sorry state and how close any of us are to having our function switches turned off. I suspect any accidental turn of the screw could sit any one of us down at any time. I'm sure some of these guys had families. And some of them had stuff. I can almost see how it happens.