where is the mason-dixon line ?

i went to kinko’s yesterday to print and fax some loan documents for the additions i’m putting on the house.

at 10:00am in asheville the average customer profile at the kinko’s matches the AARP’s demographic.

as i’m waiting for my fax confirmation at the check-out counter, the 70-something year old couple i saw struggling with the collating features at the self-serve copiers come over to pay for their copies.

this is the memorable quote from their conversation with the clerk:

kinko’s employee: ‘may i help you?’

the couple: ‘well, we were being helped by the colored man before. is he around here somewhere?’

ok, this is interesting to me for a couple of reasons:

1. as i write this, i cannot remember if the husband or the wife said this. but neither one seemed to think it was weird.

2. the kinko’s clerk’s (a white guy) reaction was subtle but slightly reassuring. he noticed what they said. and there was a slight pause before he answered their question. so even though he didn’t comment on their question, he at least was uncomfortable that they said it. that’s gotta count for something, right?

3. did they want to see the ‘colored man’ so he got credit for the sale?
if so, that means they didn’t want him to lose his commission?

4. it seems oddly appropriate to me they the couple drove away in a 1988 lincoln town car. i don’t know why. it just does.

by the way, i must admit i love kinko’s.

why start ?

i was thinking about starting a blog.

what happened in the last 2 days makes me think i have to or i won’t remember
half the stuff that goes on.

1. ricky the lawn jockey came to cut the grass.
he said he saw a snake in my yard that barely escaped being cut-up by
his lawnmover.

i have snakes in my yard ?!?

2. the architect of the project told me he’ll probably rent one of my
apartments because
he is selling his house and building one for his himself and his wife
(his partner in the firm) so they need a place to stay as their new
house is built.

hallelujah!

so that would mean one place is rented even before construction
begins. and since he might live in the place he’s designing, i hope
that will be an incentive for him to keep on top of the contractor to
ensure good work.

3. i had to stop my car in the street in front of my house because a
possum was crossing the street. a fuckin’ possum, like grannie would
roast on the ‘beverly hillibilles.’

4. at kinko’s tonight i was printing some of the loan documents for
the construction line of credit; a radical faerie with a prince
valiant pageboy haircut was giving me the evil eye.

i need to buy a camera.