I have a confession to make - I love McDonalds' crispy chicken salads. I'm a philistine, I know. Substitute balsamic vinegar for the regular dressing, and even a twelve ounce can of Coke doesn't take the calorie count cover 1000. It's a little pricey at $5.65 - hey, I'm Sicilian - but there's no guilt involved. If one caves to the temptation of the two for one breakfast sandwich, there is much guilt later - and tremendous flatulence. Then again, gas is a way of life after a certain age. Walking the streets these days, I'm constantly gazing behind me, holding a bomb in check lest there be a woman, especially an attractive one, at my heels.
It was another day and another case of it looking like it was about to pour any second. Fortunately, I took a shot and was rewarded with an unusual bit of word of mouth. Every time I set up shop at Bay Parkway and 85th, a senior citizen strolls by with his wheeled walker and two dogs on long leashes. We always greet and wish each other well. My only concern is that one of the dogs will take a tinkle on some of the books. The gentleman is aware of this and takes extra care when passing, as he did today. A short time later a woman approached and introduced herself as the man's wife. Lo and behold, she loves the paranormal. I described A Hitch in Twilight, and she bit. She had been skeptical of my wares, as her husband is clueless as to her literary preferences. She was going to go to CVS and pay eight bucks a pop for their paperbacks. She did a lot better with me. I thanked her with thrillers by Dean Koontz, V.C. Andrews and Joe Hill, and suggested she check with me periodically. Thanks, ma'am. And no sooner did she leave than it began sprinkling. I covered up the wares for a while, uncovered when it looked like the rain had stopped, and left when it started again minutes later. It's not nearly as annoying when you've made a sale.
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