Parks in Parkdale...

Today was one of the first days since our warm spell a couple of weeks ago - where it was kindof springish again.

So bieng newly unemployed...i spent about an hour in a little park on Dunn, right off of Queen...read my book and sipped my Coffee Time. It was very nice. And also pretty amazing the amount of people that walked past me over an hour period. A crazy mess of humanity seemd to be walking across my path

...first there was a pregnant woman and her friend . the pregnant women sat down on the bench near me and just starting wailing - crying so loudly - and then she just pulled herslf together after some reasuring hugs from the friend and they went on thier way silently. Then there was this olderlady with a bag of bread crumbs making sure she covered every corner of the park - for the pigeons and birds...she seemed very happy, wore purple sunglasses and was very thorough with her work. Then there was a couple carrying boxes through the park - presumeably from the large apartment building facing it..they seemed tired. Then came 2 Jamaican women who sat on a nearby bench and they must have talked over every person in the entire neighborhood... then there was this Dad pushing along a Double stroller, and as he was walking he was entertaining his one little girl by playing a game in a very loud sing songy voice "Where is Daddys nose? Here is Daddys nose! Where are Daddys eyes? Here are Daddys eyes!" etc. I found that one the most enjoyable....because he was so wrapped up in his daughter that nothing else mattered. There were various other people who passed by me...one portly older gentleman who stopped, looked at me and said "yes - the perfect day to be sitting on a park bench reading a book". And right he was.

The whole time all I could think was...in those moments...how much I love this place. This place where I live. I love it's people. I love it's quirks. I love it's smells. I love it's greek food and it's Thai food. I love it's beer. I love it's children. I love it's sacs and even it's mentally ill. I love Parkdale.

From the park I went to NoFrills and bought a few things. Bumped into Braun, found out he lives in the neighborhood and we had a nice chat in the frozen foods section.

And a good day was had by all. Now I must try and plan my trip. yikes. I can feel my stomach tightening at the thought. But plan I must...just one cigarette first.

peace,
-julia