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Unhealthy For All

Stranger than fiction and stranger still. After Monday’s friendly neighborhood drug raid (just up the block) it took me a while to calm down. Until the last of the undercover cop cars pulled away, to be precise. At that point I decided it was safe to venture out with the little man. I didn’t have anything too complicated in mind. Just visits to the local coffee shop and library, respectively. We could have walked, but I decided to drive. And thankfully so. As we neared the generally quiet corner I shook my head. It was surrounded by at least seven squad cars, with just one lanky-looking teenager in cuffs…conveniently blocking the coffee shop’s door. I inadvertently made eye contact with the arresting officer, but kept driving. To the library. I related these newsflashes to our favorite librarians, while the little man played games on the computer in the kiddie corner. After a sufficient amount of time passed I decided to make another attempt. My supply had dwindled down to one lousy little scoop of French Roast at home, after all. Thankfully it was all clear. I parked, and paused to talk to one woman who was just ending her shift. Apparently there had been a movie style foot chase, with the suspect (suspected of what, we don’t know) cutting through yards and alleys, until he decided to make a break for it by running into the coffee shop…via the back door. A beat cop was right on his heels. They dashed through the kitchen and into the front sitting room, startling patrons (this is a favorite hangout of the neighborhood’s retirees). And somehow the chaser and the chased managed to avoid breaking anything (there are shelves and shelves of coffee cups and teapots and French press carafes and ceramic salt and pepper shakers for sale). What a weird day for the sleepy West Side of St. Paul. And yesterday morning we woke up to headlines like “Today’s air ‘unhealthy for all’ in Twin Cities, officials say“. Man, do I ever need a vacation. But today I woke up and found myself alone in bed, at least. It was the first time in well over a week that the little man had slept through the night, and stayed in his own bed. It’s the little things in life…
Bonus: A few years back I picked up the book Thumbsucker. It made me cringe and squirm and laugh. Overall a good read. Apparently the film adaptation is finished and was just screened at Sundance. I adore Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio and Vince Vaughn, and the initial response has been positive. But Keanu was cast in a main role. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Plus: Making Fiends, episode 15, is now available, in all its fiendtastical glory.
And: Yesterday I was watching the little man as he was snacking. I was disconcerted tp discover something. He dips his potato chips into applesauce. And then eats the combo. Ugh, chocolate and peanut butter it is not. (I think he prefers to use pita bread for the dipping, but we’re all out.)