EXILED FROM A QUICHE ENVIRONMENT

One of the illustrations from a year ago that popped back up on the horizon reminds me that we had more rain than average last year. So far this season it has only been a minor inconvenience. Last year it was a serious nuisance. I remember coming home in a rainstorm and being clobbered by my umbrella while holding onto my groceries for dear life.

Those occasions when it storm-rained were not comfortable.

Normally I do not mind being exiled outside with my pipe so much, but it's not something that in the middle of winter I enjoy. A pipe tastes much better when the smoker of same is not getting clobbered by the weather.

There's a row of awnings on the block where a favourite bakery / chanteng is located, several of them fronting closed businesses. They've removed the nice comfy awnings opposite the hospital, and renovated the building with a view toward renting out the commercial spaces that have been empty for a while. The jewelry shop whose owners retired provides a nice awning too. And all of these are near cups of hot Hong Kong milk tea and snackies.

That's on that side of the hill. Closer to home, this side of the hill, there's nothing but stern Karen-like disapproval and no shelter.

Severe Protestant white people strongly disapprove of awnings.
Shiftless people like me might take advantage.



See, what this city needs is for university graduates to look outside and say "oh do come in you fascinating man, I love the aroma of that nice Virginia you are burning in that handsome very collegiate looking pipe. I'll go put the kettle on for tea. And I believe that there is still a nice wedge of mushroom quiche left!"

Sadly, what's far more likely is some yuppie harridan in training will Karen-like screech that her precious dog Fluffy is being harmed by my smoking one hundred yards away, she'll call the cops on me. If I catch pneumonia out here, it's just what I deserve!

For some reason I am reminded of a large lumpish female person over in Oakland who was allergic to everything, weepy, and deployed a cannister of pepper spray from her purse on a bunch of harmlessly yelling people. She disapproved of smoking also.

She hated men who looked like math tutors. That's a fact.



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