pencils

This morning I bought a pencil sharpener for twenty cents and now I'm a pencil-sharpening fairy. I go through phases in my love affair with writing implements, and just now all the humble wooden pencils I can find are receiving loving care and pointy-tipped makeovers. I feel compelled, now, to use them.

I also just finished reading The God of Small Things, which is a breathlessly painful book. Last time it was for "fun," and this time it's for class -- I don't know if I could make it through a third. Have you read it? (I was in a coffee shop today, and I noticed how many people share my somewhat rude but very human and endearing [I think] habit of bending at funny angles to see the title of a stranger's book.)

Other bits of day:

a woman walking down a local street with grocery bags in both hands and a twelve-pack of Coca-Cola on her head;

the elderly man who hangs out in front of his building at all hours of the day and calls me "Sleepy" whenever I walk by because once I yawned when I passed him--today it was, "Awake today, Sleepy?" and big, big smile;

a workman (beautifying our building) who blocked the sidewalk when he saw Josh and me approaching, held out his arms, and in Balkan-tinged English demanded five dollars and laughed delightedly when I told him we didn't have five dollars (we've been friends this week, ever since I nodded approvingly at his work);

two pounds of strawberries for just a bit more than a dollar (shortcake this weekend? yes? who would like to come over for some?).