7:14 p.m. | 2003-01-11 Dunning Sticks & Old Friends. Today, I went to the history museum. I�ve been there before, but since I�m so passionate about history, I just had to go again. It�s been awhile. The history museum contains historical stuff about MyTown. And, let me just say, MyTown has quite a past. Lots of interesting artifacts, exhibits, information, etc. It also has dunning sticks. These sticks are about 12 inches long and are a little thicker than pencils. What, pray tell, does one do with dunning sticks? Well, you throw them at people to remind them that they owe you money. Now, that is just too fucking funny. You go up to someone who owes you money and yell at them while pelting them with little sticks. I would love to know how effective dunning sticks were in the collection process. You know, they could take an eye out. The annoying part? Some kid was having a birthday party at the history museum so sugar-high kids were running, jumping and screaming all over the place. It might seem like an odd place to have a kid party but there are many interactive exhibits designed specifically for the little ones. Plus they have activities and such for them. My consolation prize? I get free admission to the science museum if I go within 90 days. Now, I haven�t been to the science museum yet so I�m kinda excited about that. That�s a two-for-one deal there. I can save my little ass $5.00. Anyway, the history museum is in the original part of MyTown. This part of town (OldTown) was restored 20-30 years ago and is now full of quaint little stores, restaurants and markets. It�s also a tourist attraction, but fortunately, there aren�t a lot of tourists here in the winter. It rivals and maybe tops my workplace area for its spectacular people watching attributes. Street musicians and everything. I happen to love OldTown, and while I go there for lunch occasionally (like yesterday), I haven�t really kicked around there for quite a long time. Most of my favorite stores are there so I had planned to visit all my usual haunts after touring the museum. However, I was overcome by a sudden impulse to visit my favorite shopkeeper (Spin) who I haven�t seen in ages. He has this wacky little antique store that GuyFriend and I used to always visit which is how we came to know the shopkeeper. Actually, it was GuyFriend who discovered his shop. It�s a little bitty thing that�s kinda tucked away within another store. When we were in law school, GuyFriend would go down to the shop and covet his favorite antiques. Then, when it was time for me to buy him a present (birthday, Christmas, etc.), I would just go to the shop and ask Spin which antique GuyFriend was currently coveting. Spin would tell me, I�d buy it (at cost) and GuyFriend would be totally amazed that I knew exactly what he wanted. He never did figure out the system I used. Anyway, I made a beeline for the shop and found Spin and a friend hanging out in front. We were both really happy to see each other. We wandered into the shop and got all caught up on news and such. Spin�s in his 50�s although you�d never guess that by looking at him. He�s a handsome man and looks quite a bit younger. One of the coolest things is that he grew up in MyTown so I always grill him for town history. Today, I learned that he used to rip and run in my workplace building back in his boyhood days when it was a department store. He said he used to come downtown (from the southside) with $1.00. It cost him 30 cents for the roundtrip bus ride and 65 cents for a burger, fries and soda at the old burger joint. Him and his buddy would rip and run through all the stores and streets, and then he�d go home with 5 cents leftover. Those days are certainly over. So, while we were talking, Spin was repairing and cleaning a record player from the 50�s or 60�s that had been used in schools. When he was done, he hooked up the speaker, grabbed a Janis Joplin record (from the bevy of records he sells), and turned that little puppy on. It sounded great! No, it sounded fanFUCKINGtabulous! That record player could beat out quite a few stereos, I tell you. Man, it�s been a long time since I�ve seen a record or a record player. I told him that I noticed that youngsters are now starting to buy albums and he told me that they�re always thumbing through them in his store. In fact, while we were doing all this, some youngster came in and bought a Rocky Horror Picture Show record. Eventually, I said my goodbyes and promised to stop back in soon. God, it was good to see him. I never did visit my favorite stores, but I was so glad that I went with my impulse. I�d forgotten how much I love chatting history and shooting the breeze with him, and checking out the stuff in his shop. Wackiest encounter in OldTown? Two young men (one playing guitar, the other singing) asked if I could spare some change for them because they�re homeless but wanted to score some PCP. I didn�t have any change. Best deal in OldTown? I was downtown all day and only spent $1.25 on parking because I know the secret parking trick. It beat the two-for-one museum deal only because it�s a sneaky trick. Oddest fashion statement in OldTown? Punky-goth or gothy-punk. I�m not sure which out-weighed the other. Quite interesting though. Number of times the word �museum� appears in this entry: 9 your thoughts? seed flower