Gray day in Vermont

Today I am in Burlington, VT. It's getting to be that time of year when it stops being such a favorite place. Or maybe I would love it more if I had brought a jacket. It's windy and cold. I walked the mile and a half down to Church Street. The sky and air are gray, but some of the trees are still bright colors. Everyone is hurrying, holding their scarves around their necks. Girls have on boots and hats.

I wasn't sure where I was going. I just had to get out of my room. I'm always drawn to shops with cards, stationery, and blank books for writing. I should probably spend more time writing than looking for books to write in. I can't help it though. I love them. I went to a consignment store where I almost tried on two pairs of jeans until I remembered I already had enough jeans and not enough money. The sales girls were chatting about wallets and belts one of them was pricing. An older man came in asking for an appointment to consign things. A young couple was digging through marked down sale boxes in the back. He liked the vest but she wasn't sure about it.

I went to the end of the street and started my way back. I was surprised by how young the kids on the street were. I always think of Burlington as a college town, but I guess regular people live here too. There were a lot of skateboards, hoodies, and piercings. Girls in short skirts reminded me of cold days in my youth when appearance was more important than comfort. They were cold for different reasons than I was, but it's cold all the same.

I stopped in a chocolate store. They had truffles. Lots and lots of truffles. And hot chocolate. The girls recommended the New World hot chocolate, which was 74% chocolate, as opposed to the Old World one which was only 53%. I got a champagne truffle and an organic Aztec one. The Aztec one had cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lime. I sat at the bar along the wall, drank my hot chocolate, ate my truffles one crumb at a time, read my book, and listened to people come and go. The little girl told her father quite certainly that she wanted the apricot one. The guy who held the door for me was hoping to get hired. It sounded good for him since he was always available and could work over the holidays.

I waited 30 minutes for the van to pick me up. I was waiting on the corner of Main and Church. The wind was blowing from both directions so I stood inside a little glass alcove and watched for the van. I think people thought I was spying on them. I was just really cold.

A group of three boys walked by. One had a caramel colored afro. One had long, wavy black hair. One hair shoulder length hair with bangs that fell across his forehead. The wavy haired one had dimples and at first I thought he was a girl. Honestly, they could've all passed for girls.

A lady sat at the corner with a sign asking for change. She had clean jeans and a jacket and cleanest edge on the back of her hair. After she left another girl came to the same spot. She went to the trash can, picked up the previous ladies sign, read it, then rooted through for another piece of cardboard. She had clean hair and clothes, a backpack, and according to the guys standing next to me, a cell phone.

A girl walked past me dressed completely in black with a downward hook shaped scar at the corner of her mouth that made me curious.

I ate tuna salad and celery for supper just now. My life is so glamourous. I'm not particularly hungry though. Tomorrow I go to Atlanta and then to White Plains for the night.