11/13/01
TPU
WDC
Carla,
Talk about Little Things...
Ever since the horror of 9/11 and the anthrax business, there have been some changes at the Georgetown Reservoir:
they (city officials) put a big cement barrier at the center gate where I feed my pals, the Birds. I suppose it's to
keep a vehicle from crashing through the gate, but I like to sit on it and gaze awhile.
Well, the other change is a Cop Car (a policeperson in a cruiser) being stationed at one end or the other
(sometimes one at each) during morning rush hour, M-F. And I've been stopped and questioned twice by Cops who don't
know me or what I'm up to. It's a bit unsettling (the 2nd guy ID'd me and told me not to feed the birds)
so I've decided to introduce myself to each and every Cop that gets stationed there (it seems to be a different person every
day) via presenting them with a gift of my latest CD which will have a business card with my workplace & phone # on the
back = I'm on the up-and-up--all I want to do is clear my head before work by feeding The Birds (something I've been
doing regularly for seven years) = I'm harmless.
Well, all right, so I have a couple of these loaded CDs in my satchel this morning and I don't see a Cop at
the first end, so I go to the center gate and do my feeding thing = no problem. Then I move on and find a Cop at the far end
and I pull up:
"Hi, I'm Ted. I just wanted to introduce myself blah, blah, blah"
I give him the CD and he goes:
"Benny Waters! You mean The Benny Waters, the one who passed away @ five years ago?"
"You know about Benny Waters?!"
"Oh yes! All I listen to is Jazz. I've got a big collection at home and used to be a DJ on WPFW in the 80s."
He gives me his card. We talk about a dude named Rick Henderson, who lives here in DC, who played Alto Sax
with Duke Ellington--yes, he's still alive/yes he still plays/yes I should check him out for my 2003 Concerts stuff.
And yes, I should feel free to feed those Birds and if any other Cop gives me trouble have them get in touch
with Officer Freddie Cotton, Badge # 2486, he'll straighten them out...
Ain't Life Sometimes Beautiful?
Ted
