Friday, March 27th

                                              Looking for Smiles
                                                                 in
                                                    Trying Times
 
            I received a text last night that is one we are all dreading these days.  It informed me that someone I knew (a former student) was in the ICU with Covid-19.  Living in the New York Metropolitan area, the new worldwide epicenter of this pandemic, it is inevitable that we will all know someone who will contract this illness.  We can only hope that those who are infected come through it and do not become one more grim statistic.
            That said, I thought it might be good to finish the week up with an attempt at some humor, maybe provoking some smiles, at the very least, as we batten down for the next few weeks, fighting this virus.  As a result of rummaging through some old photos I found a dozen that I thought might elicit a smile or two, so here they are.
            Stay safe.  Wash your hands.  Socially distance.  Be well.

Interesting Appliances

These three photos are interesting, each for its own reason.  The "pay phone" was in the lobby of the Norwalk Post Road Diner --- and I somehow don't think it's operable.  The photos of the Microwave Control Panels each have their own distinct buttons --- check it out.
           

If anyone knows what "personal choice" means, please leave a comment!

Has anyone ever seen "Cook a Bit More?"  And how much, exactly, is a "bit more?"

Back to "Wilbur's Suburbo:"  What's with PARKING in the Suburbs?

For those who recall my "graphic story" from about a year and half ago ("Wilbur's Suburbo -- A Savage Journey into the Heart of New York's Suburbs") you may remember my "problem" with Connecticut drivers who insist on backing into parking spaces --- for NO CLEAR REASON!  Well, above and beyond the "backer-inners," many, many people here in Connecticut (and this may be a national problem --- I haven't done the research) simply can't, it seems, park their cars inside the lines.  ​Here are a few examples.

. Businesses
Here are a couple of photos from business establishments that are on opposite coasts.  The photo on the left is a sign greeting you as you enter the Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut and the photo on the right is a Bar and Grill in Fairfax, California (Marin County --- where only the "hip" survive --- where else would a bar​ have such a name, right?).  The contrast, of course, couldn't be more stark.

Random Shots
Here are two shots from here in Fairfield County, Connecticut.  One is from Stamford, where the man reading a book just outside the Lovely Carol Marie's window is not a real person but a street sculpture and the other is a sign right around the corner from us here in Norwalk and it begs the question: WHO is this aimed at?  WHO is the audience for this?  Are there actually people who don't know this is something you should not do​?

And Finally . . . 
​
A fitting final foto?

 . . . in one ear and out the other!