2003-04-08 - 12:23 p.m.

On the internal soundtrack: The Roman Catholic "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace". GROOOOOOOAN.

On the corner where Poindexter works, there is often a man there selling t-shirts. Usually sports t-shirts. He yells the entire time he's there. "T-shirts! T-shirts! Eagles T-Shirts! Six bucks! Get your Eagles T-shirts!" The guy's a native Philadelphian and black, so he's got a charming accent that adds to the appeal of the pitch.

With Eagles season long past, this enterprising individual has a new contribution to the t-shirt market. Poindexter came out and heard the pitch and couldn't believe his ears.

"The Frennnnch SUCK! Get your France Sucks t-shirt! Six bucks! The Frennnnnnch SUCK!"

To make this even more amusing, there's a nice hotel on this corner as well. Poindexter said, "Can you just imagine a French tourist coming out of the hotel and hearing that?"

Poindexter has been rather outspoken (around the house, at least) in his distaste for French politics, so I said, "Well, damn, why don't you buy one?!?!" But he can't bring himself to do it. I think I may have to make a little trip down there to get myself one before the guy disappears. I mean, six bucks. I can give it to Poindexter next Christmas.

Seriously, I wonder if the guy would have more luck selling t-shirts with "Support the Troops" on them.

MONTHS ago, I bought myself a plain-faced Timex Indiglo watch at CVS, except it has a gold-tone case instead of silver. I love this thing. I have a thing for analog clock faces, circles, and arabic numerals, so I get a happy feeling every time I look at it.

The Indiglo thing, which had nothing to do with why I bought the watch, has been useful as well. When I wake up in the middle of the night, it is actually TOO bright for me to look at. However, it serves quite well as a very faint flashlight, helping me find the sink in the dark to wash my hands, or helping me find my way to the bed without tripping over anything (our bedroom is nearly pitch black at night). Very, very nice. Also useful for shining in Poindexter's face after lights out, just to annoy him.

And while we're talking about clock faces, I have a thing for analog clocks. I just love 'em. If I didn't control myself, I'd have a house full of analog clocks. I'm trying to hold out for the REALLY SPECIAL clocks. So, I've been passing an interior design shop for months now on our commute that has a big clock face, with no casing, done in distressed paint. I've been pining after it from afar, calling it "my clock". On Friday we actually found a parking space right across from the store and went in. It was just as cool up close as it had been from afar, if a bit larger than I thought (3 feet in diameter, maybe 4), and a gasp-inducing price tag. THREE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.

Maybe it ain't "my clock" after all.

(Edit: It's been suggested to me by the dear New Iconoclast that I could make one myself, or, failing that, I could buy one like this for a slightly more reasonable amount of money.)

And finally, in addition to my love affair with clocks, I've been having a love affair with a boat. "My boat".

When you go to Wal-Mart or Home Depot in South Philadelphia, from the parking lot you can see, peeking over the tops of buildings, the two red smokestacks of a huge old cruise ship docked in the Delaware. I've been in love with this thing since I first saw it. It's absolutely huge, and it's falling apart -- rusting, paint peeling -- which only makes me love it more, what with my fascination with modern ruins. I've called it a "ghost ship" because of the eerie look it has, especially when you are driving down I-95 and look over at it and it appears to be mixed in with the buildings.

After the rally, when I *finally* had my camera on me while being in the vicinity of this thing, I got Poindexter to go over there with me and take a few photos:

In that photo, I brightened myself up in the lower left corner so that you could see that I am, indeed, in the photograph. The dock was gated off, and there is a security guard in a little booth to my left inside the fence (not visible). I waved at him, hoping he'd come out and tell me stuff about the ship, but he didn't look the least bit inclined to move.

Then we moved around to the other side, and took these two photos:

There was a couple in a pickup, parked facing the ship, eating Burger King takeout. I asked them if they knew anything about it. The guy said they'd just been to an electronics store, and there was a bookstore next to it that had a book about the ship. Apparently it holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing.

As we were leaving, another couple drove up, ostensibly to look at the boat too.

Hmm.

So, I got home, and what do I discover but that the freakin' boat has a big cult following, of people who love ruins, and people who love boats, and people who want to see it restored. In amazement, I said to Poindexter, "There's a whole fan base for this thing!"

And he said, "And you thought you were the only person who cared about that boat!"

Well, now I know why the security guard was so bored and not interested in me. He's got curious gawkers coming by all day long.

Anyway. It's going on my list of "secret tourist attractions" in Philadelphia. If you come visit me, and you dig boats or ruins, we'll take a ride over there and try to talk the security guard into letting us walk up close to it.

And finally, yesterday I was having a good hair day thanks to my new hair goop, which works better and costs less than the salon stuff I just ran out of. So I put my resident photographer to work. This is the first of a short gratuitous photo series: Evelynne Heats Up Some Leftover Chinese Food for Dinner:

Part I: Evelynne opens the refrigerator door.

Those of you with very sharp eyes may notice that this is the same sweater Kit is wearing in the Double COTD feature, but in brown. Damn, I love brown.

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