the cutest thing i'd seen in awhile

This past winter, I'd take the bus rather than walk even relatively short distances in the city. This was simply because it was bone-cracking cold outside, and precipitation was often a factor. Now, if you are an able bodied Milwaukee citizen, you are supposed to take a seat farther back in the bus, to make room for the disabled persons and seniors. Even though, on the night I write of, there were vacant seats behind the reserved seating at the front of the bus, I would have had to sit beside a stranger. With plenty of leg room, I took up a seat marked with a wheelchair symbol and soaked in some of the warmth of the heated bus interior.

It had taken me a bit of time to become savvy with taking the bus from destination to destination in the city. I had to learn landmarks, street names, and intersections, as well as what routes the bus numbers referred to. There was a girl sitting even closer to the driver, looking a bit nervous. She had on a small amount of blush, or perhaps it was the cold of February, but probably not. She was short, her light, skin-tight blue jean clad legs dangling from the seat. She wore a white polymer winter jacket, white shoes (swaying above the floor), and thin-rimmed glasses. She was cute--I guess cute in a metropolitan-newbie college student sort-of way, probably not much older than eighteen.

It turned out she was fairly lost. I find it probable some friends directed her to take this bus from the deep east side to her street in north downtown. She knew if she found a certain landmark, the Kern Center, she could find her way home, she told the bus driver.

I know how it can be when asking for directions or help in general. I often take the response and dismiss the party from helping me, even if I am still unclear on the instructions. In the case of the girl and the bus driver, she might not have wanted to distract him too much, and just remained lost, even after he gave his advice. She went back to nervously fidgeting, and glancing at the bus driver as if she wasn't sure if she should bother him more.

I happened to know that the bus went right by the Kern Center, so I told her to stay on the bus. She beamed at me, and showed the large amount of correction her glasses gave--her eyes were huge behind the lenses. Affirmation that one is not as lost as first thought can be very relieving, and I was glad to help. She thanked me, and fiddled with her IPod a little.

The only thing I didn't think of is that if she didn't see the Kern Center from the far side of the bus, where she sat, she might miss her stop. Oh well, what better way to learn the bus system of Milwaukee than to find oneself in the Calico ghetto, where I suspect the bus was headed.

peel cotter

I am prescribed several medications, and the dosages are always subject to change as my doctor sees fit. When I am to take less of a medication, in order to conserve what I have, I will often cut pills in half using what is known as a pill cutter. A pill cutter is a small, hinged, mostly plastic device housing a typical razor blade. When used properly, one places a non-capsulated medication in the cutter, and squeezes until the pill is broken in two by the razor. The little guillotine works well for this purpose.

I'm sure many pharmacies are stocked with pill cutters, but most recently, I did some light research at a Walgreens. Whisking by aisles of mixed nuts, roasted so many ways, and cases of diet soft drinks masquerading as bottled waters, and a variety of flavors of condom, one finds himself near the pharmacy window and a display automatic-massage chair. The pill cutter is grouped with pill boxes, none too decorative, as they can even be ornate. Hard plastic full-month, weekly, or daily schedulers for medication ingestion are on display with the cutter. It only costs a couple of dollars, and it can mean a lot to be in ownership of a cutter when your prescriptions require a compartmented box to keep your days and weeks straight.

I am in ownership of a cutter, and I have examined it thoroughly. It seems like it would be fairly easy to disassemble the contraption, or that it could break apart from misuse. And, it appears the razor blade component could easily be separated from the device. In the case of paint chippers, or Exacto-knives, sure, blades need to be replaced and should easily come loose. Not much more than a pair of decent pliers, or a heavy glass drink tumbler could be used to pry the blade free, or smash the cutter apart, respectively.

So what? Well, with the number of patients prescribed for depression medication climbing in this nation, many of these depressed patients might find themselves in possession of an easily attainable razor-sharp razorblade. I remember turning the cutter over in my hands at a particularly low time, realizing every other free cutting edge in the house was serrated or dulled. What's more, the device is called a "pill cutter." To point out the mild irony, disassembly and self infliction of a fatal wound could definitely "cut" out the need for "pills" in one's life. This is all I mean to say on the subject of the pill cutter. A useful device, yes. Aptly named in more ways than are immediately obvious, perhaps.

sultry

"So, this girl I know. No, you don't know her. Anyway, she chased after this guy on the street after he dropped his wallet. The guy seemed really nice, she said. He gave her five bucks. If you knew her, you'd know she tried refusing it. They took off in separate directions after that. Anyway, it turns out that her stalker got on the news later for getting massively ganked for all of his money at gunpoint by a bunch of dudes. Talk about Kharma, right? Wait, so she sees the guy's picture, right, and it was the fucking guy whose wallet she saved. Fucked up right?"