Burlington

Not the best thing to see on a day with two final exams… But just half a block away, the world was redeemed with this… …and to all at Groovy-UV: GOOD LUCK on your finals!

An encounter today… Walking from campus to downtown, I see a group of young children and their caretaker outside the Y Annex. They are looking down at the sidewalk excitedly. “What’s all the fuss? I ask. A little girl runs up to me, grabs me by the hand, and tugs me over to where they are looking. “We found a worm!” “Oohhh. Well. Let’s have a look.” They all point, and sure enough, there’s a worm right at the edge of the sidewalk. ... Read more …

Seen and heard about town today… The sound of birds returning – and skateboards. A woman driving down Main Street with her elbows on the steering wheel, flossing her teeth. A man with a prosthetic leg, walking a dog with three legs (none prosthetic). Someone texting while driving, who drove over the curb, knocked down a street sign, and left their vehicle marooned on a snowbank, bottomed out, with all four wheels spinning in the air. ... Read more …

Seen about town today… A old-timer with a walker and oxygen therapy tank and tubes, stopped to have a smoke. Call this “unclear on the concept”. I thought of 21 Grams. A girl with a surgical mask to keep from spreading germs. Her mask was decorated with a dog nose and whiskers.

Seen about town today… My taking note of this little flypost coincided with the the publication of this warning by 15,364 scientist signatories from 184 countries. Serendipity, perhaps. I try hard to see all sides, but I can’t help but feel that many actions of the current administration are truly mean-spirited, and not of the “help those who help themselves” or “cruel to be kind” variety. No doubt there are other explanations. ... Read more …

Seen about town today… A dude on bicycle with boombox playing John Sebastian’s “Welcome Back” (the theme from “Welcome Back, Kotter”) at high volume. A woman standing next to a parked car, screaming through the window at a baby in the back seat. A fellow in a big SUV evincing considerable road rage when the car in front of him stopped for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Woman in a ragtop with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. ... Read more …

Seen about town today… A half-dozen or so young women, hugging and making mewling noises A really cute puppy named “Suzie” Folks in lift trucks putting up holiday lights on Church Street A dog sitting on a cushion in the window of Burton’s downtown store, yawning A red door, being painted black Someone who’d cut little holes in their window screens—about 3 cm in diameter. They were sitting by the window, watching the world go by, and spitting onto the pavement below through one such hole. ... Read more …

Seen about town today… Near the Royall Tyler Theatre Near College and Center, someone was trying to parallel park and failing miserably. They hit the curb with their car angled at about 45-degrees. I guess the dismay was visible on my face. Another passer-by noticed, saw the car, looked me in the eye and said “Yup. That’s ugly.” A few blocks down on College there was a group of five women – one was giving a tour. ... Read more …

Seen about town … A note, dropped on the sidewalk, giving thanks to Butthead and Chubbs. The continuing cycle of destruction and renewal at UVM.

For Ron: With love, –Montag