The look of the panhandler

So you're driving down the street, stop at a light and there on the corner is a panhandler, with his little cardboard sign. What does he look like? I know, I know, you generally try to avoid eye contact and hence don't really look at him, but when he walks behind your car, you know you take a glance in your rearview mirror. So picture in your head for a second what the guy looks like.

So the other day I saw an attractive male panhandler, probably my age or a little older (sad that mid-30s I consider "a little older"). Not hot, I probably wouldn't look twice if I were to see him in the store or movie theater, but in the role of standing by the side of the road holding a cardboard sign I must admit I had to look twice. And then once more. You know, you just don't expect a panhandler to be attractive. I thought it was interesting, anyway.

Ding Dong, the truck is gone!

Julie and I like to abuse pick-up truck owners who live in apartment buildings. Pickups are good for, well, picking things up. Hauling things and helping people move, right? What do people living in apartments have to haul, we frequenly ask. Wouldn't it be cheaper to rent a truck that one time you need it and get something more practical like a Civic for every day driving?

There's this one green truck in our parking lot that has been the bane of my existence. In reality, I don't care if you own a pickup, I really don't. But seriously, it's big. Do you have to park it in the exact middle of the lot? And then, the guy forgets that he has it. Seriously, this truck has not moved an inch in a year- I do not exaggerate, it's been a year. Ok, now I'm one to talk, I know, I owned 2 cars for not one but 2 years, a lot of which one sat in the parking lot doing nothing. But at least I put it in the side lot where people don't tend to park! This guy put his truck smack in the middle of the parking lot and completely forgot about it. There are a few other truck owners who also like to park around there, forcing me to park my little Honda in between two gigantic trucks. Frequently. One cannot see in either direction when backing out if they are in between two gigantic trucks.

And then, just like that, on Wednesday night I trot out to my car headed for choir and the truck is just gone! I imagine something like this happened: Wife says hey, didn't you used to have a truck? Husband says oh yeah, wonder what happened to it? They both look out the window and lo and behold, in the middle of the parking lot, there's their truck. Husband says maybe I ought to move it. Wife says let's just sell it. They sell it and bada bing, the world is a better place.

I get happy about it all over again everytime I see green truck-free parking lot.