Here’s a bit of found art from the long, long drive to Colorado. I took this in a convenience store in one of the vowel states. (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois… I can’t remember now.) A machine extruded this cheese-like substance for your nachos. Tasty.

On the drive back, we stayed a night in a West Virginia Day’s Inn. The next morning at breakfast, we overheard this snatch of conversation:

woman with a rural accent: Yeah, I got them to do my nails, but they didn’t do as good a job as that other place… they filed my toenails all the way down to the meat!

That moment marked the official end point of our vacation.

Saw this vignette in my office building on July 21.

Girl was short and dark-haired, and wore a studded metal belt. Her style was vaguely goth/punk rock, though toned done for an office environment.

Guy was preppy, tall, and blond. As I entered the elevator, Guy was droning on about some problem in his apartment building.

Guy: …so it took them another week to fix the cable–

Girl: (teasing) –Oh, are you still talking?

Bystander: Snap!

Guy: (shakes head, addresses Girl) You’re luck you’re still alive….

Girl: See! It’s just like a German to talk about killing a Jew.

Guy: Hey, the shower at my apartment still works. Feel free to come over and use it.

Girl: (feigns shock, gives Guy’s arm a good solid punch)

Guy: (laughs)

Girl: (blushes, addresses Bystander) I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I had to punch him.

Guy definately put a double meaning into his shower invitation. And Girl’s punch looked very much like the kind elementary school girls give to boys when they want their attention. She seemed to realize this, since she felt obliged to explain the physical contact to Bystander. I got the feeling she’d join him for a shower if he re-invited her after a couple of martinis.

Holocaust flirting: creepy or cute?