excerpt from "Things that Happen When I am Waiting for the Bus."

But talk talk talk he did, and say say say over again "But its a good business." He was around for Brando and Eastwood and Robert Mitchum, and he was at the Academy awards ("back in the day") and acidentally stepped on Ms. Elizabeth Taylor's dress before she walked up to recieve her Oscar. He was an editing man, but back then it was just enough to make a living, "But its a good business", he says. I told him I was a student at the University. I told him I was originally from Texas and he said that back in the day he was in Texas for a day. "Amarillo," he says. I told him I liked Arizona. He goes, "Well thats good."

We sat next to each other on the bus and talked more, more about the famous stars. He even listed all the stars he never met. Not to fond of this Marilyn Monroe, he says, "She couldn't act a lick." I laughed. He carried an old canvas bag full of black and white glossies of famous stars, "Marilyn, Betty, Katherine..." He flipped through them very quickly. "The kids love'em. So I walk around to tatoo parlors and sell my old pictures for 3 bucks a pop....Its a hobby." I told him that I might want to buy one, he said, "Naw," and pointed a sign on the bus which read, "No soliciting." Oh well, I said, maybe some other day. He said, "I always take the No. 1." To which I replied, "Me too."

Hannah, January 2003