May 01 2006
On the Street Where I Live
Escorting Miz Rita around has made me notice my surroundings more, especially now that she’s the Dog Detective, meandering along and sniffing thoroughly to discover who’s been there and what they’ve been up to. It seems that investigation is more interesting than chasing the ball these days, though she remains the terror of pigeons and squirrels alike.
While waiting for Rita to be ready to move on to the next scent, it occurred to me that the zoning on my street must be on the eccentric side, if not on the wild side. Within one block, there are:
- A Domino’s Pizza.
- A huge construction site with accompanying noise, from workers and machinery alike (Question: why are men so fascinated with construction sites? Even on days when no-one’s working, there is always at least one guy standing there, staring at the rubble as if the answer to the universe is there.).
- Narrow Victorian row houses (former housing for workers in the former coffin factory down the street?).
- A halfway house and daycare.
- The former coffin factory, where I live (in what used to be the wood working shop). It’s an unofficial live-work place, housing artists, photographers, and miscellaneous businesses, including a one man printing press and a paint store specializing in reproducing antique colors and finishes.
- An art gallery.
- A City building, suitably bland, with a sign saying “Corporate Services”.
- A restaurant with a sign that says “Speedy Restaurant” on one side and “Smile Restaurant” on the other. It’s never open. Once I saw an elderly Chinese woman scuttle in and slam the door, though. She wasn’t smiling, but she was definitely speedy.
- Behind the Speedy/Smile restaurant is a slaughterhouse, which can be all too fragrant at times.
For all these things to be on one block, the zoning laws must be the legal equivalent of Miss Havisham, or Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria. No wonder I fit right in.