While in Toledo, I decided to take my booty out for a jog before we spent another five hours in the car. I strapped on my swift scoots, grabbed Rocco’s ball cap and bounded onto the sidewalk.
Here’s an uncommon economic indicator for you – loads of people doing yard work on a Tuesday morning. It seemed like no one was off working. I can’t even begin to count how many vacant store fronts we passed. Every block had at least one bank-owned home for sale. It seems the ripples of Detroit’s economic troubles have reached Toledo.
Anyway, as I cruised through the neighborhood, dodging Redwing garden ornaments I was surprised by how many Duke fans were in Toledo. It seemed every other porch had a flag with the swooping gothic “D” that I’d seen so often back in North Carolina.
People sure weren’t as friendly as back in NC, though. I took all the scowling and glowering to be the by-product of unhappy unemployed-ness. I threw back an ear to ear grin at each person I passed. As blocks went by, I started to notice the negativity was strongest from the men I passed.
Eventually I turned around and headed back to Todd and Meg’s place. I ended up recovering some ground I’d already walked through that morning. The house, and the truck in front of it, were covered with sporting paraphernalia. As I neared the truck, I heard a screen door slam.
“Hey!” the owner called out, “Get off of my property!”
“Um, morning!” I sang in response.
“Morning my ass. I SEE your HAT.”
I just assumed I was wearing my normal plain black ball cap with a little tiny Columbia Records logo on the back. I certainly wasn’t aware of any cultures the little walking eye would offend. I tripped a little from the brain exertion. If I’d been trying to chew gum with all that multi-tasking, I surely would have nose planted into the angry man’s lawn.
“Go TIGERS!”
Oh yeah. I’m wearing Rocco’s hat. The one with a big bright Yankees logo on the front. Maybe, just maybe, that big ‘ol gothic “D” I kept seeing was for those Detroit Tigers he alluded so subtly to, eh?
Chemosabe strikes again.
Ha ha! Should have seen that coming!