My daily walk

Today I went for my lunch time walk. It was warm, sunny, and still. Custom made for a stroll downtown. Plus, I needed the steps. I have become a slave to my Fitbit, I live for the congratulatory shudder it sends up my are when I cross that threshold. But, it was not a peaceful walk.

Signs plagued the area. "Sidewalk closed, use other side." Behind the signs were huge machines. Some designed to break apart sidewalks and claw shovels full of dirt out of the ground. Others lifted craftsmen up in little caged boxes to work on windows, or patios, or walls, it wasn't always clear what they were working on. They spent a lot of time yelling at co-workers in another little cage or down on the ground. They seemed angry, or at least loud. I was not going to get close enough to find out. There was always, at each one, an armed policeman. "Hey, shoot that guy." I couldn't hear what they were yelling, it probably wasn't that, but who wants to roll those dice.

Traffic was heavy, and people seemed to be in a big hurry. With such wonderful weather they probably wanted to get back to work in time to set outside with the smokers. Smoking has become a shameful, controlled activity. But, as far as a great way to waste time it is now up there with writing a blog, which is the method I choose. There is a huge building, monstrous, just a couple of blocks from where I work, and the "smoker's lounge" is in the back, below ground level, next to giant noisy equipment. Some people must have to travel miles in that building. And when I walk past there is always a noisy crowd. Introverts probably don't smoke.

Most disturbing of though, was a tall, narrow steel building that had been assembled right in the middle of a parking lot. It was bright red, probably about 12 feet square and forty feet high. Even my co-worker John, who knows a lot about building things, had no idea what it was for. It had a garage door on the north side, and a personnel door on the south, but no windows, or signs. It might be a beacon for aliens, or a storage facility for ladders, or maybe just a mistake. "Not there, you fool! Why would you build an elevator shaft in the middle of a parking lot?" I will keep an eye on it, stay tuned for updates.

But a lot happened while I was gone. Pepsi pulled a controversial ad featuring Kendall Jenner. I was shocked. I didn't know Pepsi had an ad featuring Kendall Jenner. Stephen Bannon was removed from the National Security Council. I guess the honeymoon is over. Or everybody complained about his snoring. And most important of all I got my copy of Armies of the Night, by Norman Mailer. A novel by Norman Mailer, about his favorite subject; Norman Mailer, and it is supposed to be non-fiction as well. Who could resist?