GJ Willis' Art Notes

I had to go into work this morning to do some overtime. I’m not really sure how buses run on Saturday. I just hoped on the first bus I saw which was a #20. The bus was driven by a very short man. He was so short that his head did not come up to the back of the seat. He let the entire bus out at the University Hospital stop. This was just plain wrong. The majority of the morning passengers have to get off at the main connection point for the buses in the city which is about five blocks away from where the driver stopped.

A passenger complained while walking down the street,”They know they wrong! They just doing this cause ain’t nobody out here but black people!” As I looked around I noticed that the majority of riders were in fact black.

I have to admit that it was bone chillingly cold throughout the long walk. Halfway through the walk to the light rail station I noticed that a McDonald’s was open so I stepped inside and ordered a hash brown and orange juice. Anyway you slice it, it looks like I’ll be late this morning. So I figured I might as well be fed and late as opposed to hungry and late.

I can’t say if the light rail was on time or not as I do not normally catch it on Saturday. However, it was a special treat this morning. We had the light rail driver that sounds just like Barry White. It’s was nice hearing him announce each stop in that sexy bedroom voice of his!

SCARY MAN LURKING AGAIN: When I left outside for work this morning. The strange man was staring at the house again. Instead of standing in the middle of the street he was standing across the street staring at the house. I do not understand what the allure is of staring at the house so early in the morning but it worries me. I looked at him while he was looking at the building hoping that maybe he’d walk away. He didn't walk away he just looked right back at me. What is his problem? Is he on drugs or something?

In case there are any strange cases of rapes, murders, or robberies in my neighborhood I’ll describe him. He is a dark skinned bearded black man who wears a blue baseball cap. He has a stocky build. Maybe next time since I carry a camera with me I’ll take his picture and see what happens.

MY COLD: Yesterday, at work I felt wobbly. I still feel like an AT-AS walker from the Star Wars movies that’s in danger of being attacked by Ewoks. I feel as though there’s a 50-50 chance I might pass out or my legs might give out under me.

WHAT I’M WEARING TODAY: Today I’m wearing my rarely worn at work black Doctor Who sweatshirt with the blue Doctor Who logo, stone washed blue jeans, and ratty Payless tennis shoes.

This morning it’s cold and damp outside. Despite the weather and my illness I’m heading to work.

I got on the #2 bus. It was driven by a heavy set woman who wore her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The light rail driver is the usual gray haired man. I suppose maybe he was out sick the first part of the week.

I caught the train with the harbinger of lateness guy you know the young Andy Rooney look a like. Even though he was on the train I was on time for work.

MY COLD: I still feel discombobulated and wobbly. I didn’t check my temperature this morning. However, I suspect that I’m still running a temperature.

I took my big bottle of echinacea with me this morning and a couple of vitamin C’s. I have to be careful with the vitamin C’s. I took a lot of those yesterday. I took so many that I got diarrhea.

WHAT I’M WEARING: I’m wearing a purple Henley, blue jeans, and black canvas shoes.

I didn’t go into work today because I’m sick.

Yesterday, when I got up my throat was feeling kind of scratchy so I bought throat spray with me to work as well as a couple of vitamin C tablets. By late afternoon my throat was feeling a little better, however, other symptoms were kicking in. My nose began running like a spigot and I was sneezing uncontrollably.

I was sneezing so much that the woman in the cubicle next to me didn’t just offer me a tissue but gave me her entire box of tissues! Also on the cold, wet,rainy ride home on the light rail an old man kept shooting me nasty looks whenever I sneezed.

When I got home yesterday I took my temperature and found out not surprisingly that it was high. The reaction of the old man coupled with the tissue box incident and the reading on the thermometer sealed the deal for me. I’m sick.

WHAT I DID WHILE SICK: I dutifully drank Thera-Flu every six hours as well as took massive doses of vitamin C (1 an hour) and Echinacea (7 with every Thera Flu dose). By days end I wasn’t sneezing as much. However, my nose was still a little stuffy. I still have a fever. However, despite my fever I will be going back to work tomorrow because we are running behind with our work load and I don’t want to be thought of as some kind of a slacker.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Right now I’m wearing a blue plaid flannel pajamas with fuzzy blue slippers.

The bus was on time. It was driven by the stern looking woman. For the first time ever the bus driver said “Good morning!”, to me.

The light rail train this morning is being driven by a woman. I wonder if it’s the same one who was being trained a couple of weeks ago. The light rail baby is back! I suppose it’s gotten over it’s cold.

WEIRD MORNING ENCOUNTER: When I left out the house this morning there was this weird fat guy standing in the middle of the street staring transfixed at the house. I wonder if he was waiting for someone to come out? I feel that this was unlikely because he didn’t seem to have a car. I suppose that maybe either, he’s on drugs, a stalker, or a peeping tom. One thing’s for sure he really creeped me out. At the hour of the morning I leave out for work it’s rare to encounter other people on the street. All in all I hope that he doesn’t break into the house while I’m away or is guilty of committing some heinous crime.

WHAT I’M WEARING:Today, I have on blue slacks and a purple lavender top with black canvas shoes.

This morning I just missed the #20 but as usual the #2 was right behind it. It should be noted that the #2 was more crowded than the #20 bus. The #2 was driven by a heavy set light skinned woman.

An odd thing this morning on the bus there was a row of elderly white men in the first four seats. This was odd because the majority of passengers in the morning are usually middle aged blacks. I wonder where the senior citizens were headed for so early in the morning?

The light rail was on time. However, it was not driven by the gray haired man. It was driven by the same man who drove the train yesterday. Is the gray haired man out sick, on vacation, or finally retired?

ANNOYING LIGHT RAIL PASSENGER: Right now I would really like to bitch slap this woman who keeps talking and talking on her cell phone. Who the hell is she talking to at 6AM in the morning!!! Why does she have to talk to them so damn loud!! Maybe she’s on drugs or the person she’s talking to is. Either way she’s annoying me to no end!!! One thing I’d like to know is when is this bitch getting off the train?

You know the only reason I like to get on the very first car of the train with the driver is because it’s usually quiet. This stupid bitch is ruining the peace and quiet that is normally a part of my morning commute. Thankfully, the odds are against people like her showing up on a daily basis.

WHAT I’M WEARING:I’m wearing blue slacks and a short sleeved grey sweatshirt henley. I’m wearing black canvas tennis shoes.

I left out for work a little later than usual. I caught the #2 which was driven by a thin man who had his hair braided in cornrolls. I had to ran down the street to catch the train. Since it’s Monday it’s unlikely that the gray haired man will be driving the train. So I figured that my chances were greater that who ever would be driving the train would actually open his door to let me in. My guess was correct the Monday driver did in fact let me in. So now it seems I will be on time this morning despite leaving out a little later than usual.

STILL WORRIEDI’ve been feeling substantially depressed and worried this weekend. I know this all came about with the possible situation I recognized at work on Wednesday. I think I’ll be buying St. Johns Wort and Niacin today to calm myself down. I hate feeling this way especially when I know that it doesn’t in any way involve me. I wish I were’nt overly sensitive to other people’s situations. I guess I can’t help it given the environment I grew up in.

WEEKEND DVD VIEWINGThis weekend I watched Knights of the Round Table. It was the most visually colourful King Arthur movie I have seen thus far. I was not surprised when I later found out that it was nominated for best art direction among other technical awards. The movie came out in 1953 it was one of the first movies filmed in Cinemascope. The movie was pretty good. I could’nt help but notice that all the leads were played by Americans.

I tried to watch Guinevere this weekend but was saddened to find that when I popped it in the machine that they had put the wrong version of Guinevere into the sleeve. The version I have is the one with Stephen Rea and Jean Smart. It wasn’t the one I wanted to watch. I wanted to see the one with Noah Wiley as Lancelot. I thought it might be interesting to see Wiley in another role other than ER’s Dr. Carter. Even though I have no interest what so ever in the one they sent me I will try and watch it later in the week.

Today, I’m wearing a short sleaved v-neck blue striped t-shirt with blue jeans and old Payless tennis shoes.