Pawtucket dreamin'

[saintmari]

ha. so today after very productive work (got more than i anticipated done, made conspicuous use of the industrial, electric hole punch for my thesis reading and relieved the supply closet of some of the sundries i had been long coveting) Kelly and i embarked on the greatest adventure in Pawtucket i've ever experienced. (i've been on several roadtrips in Pawtucket, they usually involve lumber or real estate. not fun.) we zoomed up Hope street, through the gorgeous sunshine to Central Falls. we waved to the Seven Stars Bakery, Not Just Spices, Maximillian's, Blackstone Park, Rick's house, the Apex Building, Modern Diner and Progresso Latino on the way. we pulled into a parking lot full of glass shards outside a mill building with a sign that read only "Hasbro Molding". through the side entrance and a security guard hands us two trash bags each. i hand one back saying "i don't think i'll need them both." the store room is crammed with pallets full of games and toys. they're all marked down to $5, $3, $2, $1!! i grab some play-doh for fifty cents and kelly sees the parcheesi. for twenty minutes we're mad women. 1000 piece puzzle for $1.99? Yes! the Lord of the Rings edition of Risk for $7? too expensive. what about Lord of the Rings Monopoly? Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit? once our bags are full we get in a line of about 70 people. while we wait, we try to figure out if we've got enough cash to pay for booty. it works out just right until we spot the Beatles collector's edition puzzles for $1.50. we can't pass them up. luckily, i find about $10 in my wallet. we make out like bandits. after throwing the loot in the trunk, kelly and i decide we deserve some fast food so we pull into the wendy's. not enough cash to get through the drive through. settling in with our frosties and fries we notice the large man sitting besides us is somewhat off. almost done with our meals be starts hissing at the male half of the couple behind. "i'm gonna fuck you up" four or five times. now, that's uncalled for. this dude's been slurpling his frosty with his girlfriend, not bothering anyone. the dude ignores him. couple gets up to leave and meatface follows them to the door. he tries to start something with the guy. they get outside and meatface starts to yell. dude tries to pacify him with some words. meatface is not pacified. meatface starts to chase dude. dude starts to run. meatface picks up the pace, but just like in a thriller doesn't break a walk. girlfriend trots behind meatface a couple paces looking frantic and dials her cell phone. meatface chases dude around the corner and the show's over. meatface left his tray un-bussed and with a uneaten burger sitting, lonely in it's foil wrapper. me and kelly finish and decide to cross the street to the union fruit market in the hopes of finding avocados better and cheaper than shaw's. we're slowed crossing the street by two cops cars zooming by. the turn in right next to the union fruit market. cautiously we walk up to the market and peek around the corner. three police cars. at least dude and meatface aren't tearing up the market. i picked out my avocado and pass up some choice pig's feet. at the cash register an ambulance whizzes by. kelly and i look at each other. the cahsier perks up. "there is a fight in the alley" we say. she nods. "we were there when it started" we add, excitedly. "okay" she says. we pay and leave. back at the car in the wendy's lot a policeman is taking girlfriend's statement. we ask her how she is. she's fine. as we pull out, a muscle guy in a silver SUV pulls into the parking lot with dude in the passenger seat.
thanks for a great evening Hasbro and Pawtucket Amatuer Dinner Theater!
the ride back is gorgeous and sunset and smooth.