Diet Coke

I've got this store down the street from me. When I first bought my house, I was convinced it was going to be a problem. I imagined bikers and gangsters and stick ups, rabid dogs wandering it's porches... and hookers. I can see the "Market" (aka Liquor Store) from the front lawn of my house.

I had just moved from South Pasadena, where I think we had one Liquor store, and the Easter Bunny or my Grandma ran it. I was in a whole new neck of the woods now- in fact this woods didn't even have a neck, just went from shoulders to chinless.

So, I sidled in there shortly after I moved in, parched from unpacking self help books. To my amazement, it was a wonderland! It was bright and cheery. There were bananas and limes on the counter and there was cat food and toilet paper and charcoal briquettes and soup and ice cream. Right there a half a block away!

The owner, Mike, said "Hello" and I said "Hi" back. This was fantastic! Man I had a lot to learn about this town.

I thanked Mike and stepped out into the fragrant May sunshine with my Diet Coke, smack into a hooker, an old biker and his rabid dog. They were sticking up a gangster.