Walking and Watching

It's amazing how much more you observe while walking. At first, as I would go on my daily walks with Zach, I would marvel at the houses in my neighborhood that I never even actually noticed before. Gradually I started studying landscapes, enjoying the flowers as they transitioned from buds to full plump blooms ready to fall from their tree limbs.
Walking slows everything down.
And if you're an idiot like me and forget you own an iPod (two in fact) there's nothing else for you to do but think or enjoy the scenery.
(I have since realized that not only do I own an iPod, but it works outdoors even - so now I enjoy the flowers AND Timbaland).
Among the flowers and houses, I've also been observing people more.
Yesterday I went for a walk with Zach in his carrier downtown after we had checked out our new local library. Lots of people to observe downtown. And yesterday the type of people were more interesting than I expected.
I should probably explain that downtown Alameda is very quaint and charming. Small mom n' pop shops, new burgeoning restaurants peppered amongst old popular favorites...for the most part clean, safe, and, well, just charming and quaint.
So imagine my surprise when I walked right by a kid sitting outside the bagel shop rolling a blunt.
In plain daylight.
On a busy street.
Where cops frequent.
In a neighborhood where the biggest offense is violating the 25mph speed limit. Not smoking pot in broad daylight in front of everyone. Or rolling a big fat doobie.
And then there was the Hari Krishna 5 minutes later - wondering down the street with his mat and drum.
I should iterate here that this is Alameda - not Santa Cruz. Not Berkeley.
Close in proximity maybe - but not in culture.
To top off my day of people watching, I was amused to watch a kid of maybe 10 years old wondering home from school sucking on a can of whipped cream. Nozzle shoved in his mouth like a straw. Sucking it down like it was totally normal, and not the least bit unhealthy, to be consuming an entire can of whipped cream.
He was at least 20 pounds over weight, and obviously working on doubling that number by summer.
At least he was getting some excersize I suppose.