Alright, very weird night. After hemming and hawing for most of the early evening, I finally forced myself to go for a run. It started out like any other run. I had my ipod rockin’ - a little Dire Straits, a little Eric Clapton, some Peter Frampton. I passed the usual - young couples out pushing their strollers, or walking their dogs, people walking, running, getting off of the bus from work - very typical Friday night. It was when Peter Frampton finished up and was followed by Earth, Wind and Fire, that I looked up and noticed an older man walking across the street. Right, so I see a lot of older men out walking at night. They’re usually walking with a dog, or a woman, or another man, maybe a nurse, whatever. This one was walking by himself. He stood out because he was wearing a wide brimmed hat (not a fedora, not Indiana Jones-like) but a REALLY WIDE BRIMMED HAT (not a sombrero either). The only other time I’ve seen a hat like this was when James Morris wore one in Das Rheingold (the Wanderer or Wotan). I always thought it looked silly on him because it didn’t seem to go with the time, setting or costumes of the opera. It looked silly tonight, not to mention just out of place. In addition to the hat, he was sporting a satchel strapped across his chest and hanging at his hip (European Mens carry-all?). Ok, a little unusual, but when paired with the hat, we’re talking a real head turner! And finally finishing the ensemble - a staff, not a walking stick, but a 6 ft high staff. This guy was like Gandalf. (It would have been really funny if he had looked at me and said “Run you fool!”) So, I ran passed him and smiled and sort of slobbered “hey” as I am barely capable of while running. He nodded and continued on his way - I turned my head around a few times to make sure he wasn’t following me (either on foot, or on a broom) weird.
Ok, so while I’m still trying to process Gandalf in my neighborhood, I run straight through a trio of boy scouts. Yes, boy scouts - sorry but wtf??? Where are your mothers? One was on roller blades, again, wtf? So bizarre. So, Earth, Wind and Fire segues into Brian Ferry, and low and behold who do I see approaching, but a woman with a hook for a hand. I smiled at her, and then my eyes trailed down to her hook and I thought Oh God, she thinks I smiling at her hook. How very awkward. I know what you’re thinking - good thing I was running.
No wait, i’m not done yet. As I made my way around the southern loop of my neighborhood, my ipod spilling out “Layla”, I actually had to blink several times. Heading right toward me was a Buddhist monk. Wrapped in a really pretty vermillion … what … robe, wrap, gown, not certain of the correct term, but God what a beautiful color!!! And he was chanting to himself, while holding … Rosary Beads. Really, Rosary Beads? Once again I am reduced to profanity - WTF? He smiled and nodded at me, and I smiled and nodded back at him. I wonder if he was distracted by Layla, as it is a catchy tune, and I do play the ipod rather loudly. God, I just don’t know.
So, I finished my run without any further strange sightings. Walked in the door, got myself a glass of club soda and turned on the tv. And BAM! There it was starting all over again. The Redskins were beating the Jets. Honestly I don’t take any recreational drugs, I don’t even drink alcohol. To my knowledge I’ve never hallucinated (not even in high school, when I did on those rare ocassions, partake of an illegal substance). I did get a little loopy when I had my wisdom teeth taken out a few years ago, but I never saw anything like what I saw this evening.
I think I’m going to just climb into my bed, turn out the lights, say a rosary of my own, and pray that everything returns to normal in the morning.
Anyone else experience anything odd this evening?
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