one of the things i love about living in the city is that you never, ever know what to expect. in the bleakest of slums, someone has planted a community garden and has pieces of found art scattered through the grounds. tower grove park has a rather prominent statue of shakespeare in the roundabout. why? who knows. but it’s little gems like this that make the contrast of the sprawling suburban blankness so utterly grating at times.

but don’t get me wrong, sometimes the surprises around the corner aren’t so endearing. the grocery cart parked out back besides our trash dumpster, for instance. or the random vehicle abandoned in the front of the house for two months by an ex-neighbor. it only took two calls to the police to get that situation taken care of, thankfully. however, i’m still waiting for the joy of shopping cart rides down the alley will wear off the kids from up the street.

but the most exciting incident of late happened yesterday. i’m at ella’s daycare for afternoon pickup and the three and four year olds are outside playing in the postage stamp sized area optimistically called a playground. as ella and i exited the “playground,” i noticed a police car driving down the street and then stopping. not paying much attention, ella and i continued our conversation. then i hear this weird announcement-like voice coming from somewhere and i look, getting closer to our car parked in the lot next to the street, and see the cops have a car blocked in. guns drawn, they have two black men pulled over. the perps are face down on the ground, their two open beer bottles next to them broadcasting their guilt, and the cops are in classic weapon-ready position, shouting orders. all the while, the children and caretakers continue their play, blissfully unaware of the armed shakedown thirty yards away.

and this is when it hits me. again. you don’t get this kind of culturation in the vapidness of the county.

so, we welcome you. but it’s not for the faint of heart. or the unadventurous.

or the uninsured.

two things, in missouri at least, that should NOT go together: snow and my spring break.

i’m beginning to think the break gods are conspiring against me.

but as i know the outpouring of empathy will be nary a trickle, i’ll shut up about it now.

sorry.