This past weekend I cashed my check from school and made a shopping trip down to the Strip District. There were the usual street vendors. I cannot help buying stuff from the vendors who give free samples. Because I have been there and I know how it feels. The first vendor we came upon was selling homemade salsa. I tried a sample and bought a large container for $5.00. The seller had a Spanish accent so I laid a little Spanish on him. Then he replied in Spanish. Hey homemade salsa with fresh garlic and a Spanish lesson, I was in heaven. Laura bought her mandatory homemade soap. Then we headed for the cheese shop. They had free samples on the counter. I tried the blueberry cheese. Did not like it – was too sweet. I bought a pound of Mozzarella sliced, the mild flavored cheese. Then I went hunting for the fudge people. But they were not out on the street. So we headed over to the fish monger store. And I was eyeing up the smelts. And they had mountains of gulf shrimp. We decided to pass on waiting in their huge lines. So we crossed the street to the farmer’s market. But before I got there I had to buy a fresh glass of orange juice and a chicken meat stick from a Thai vendor. At the farmer’s market I bought a fair sized pumpkin off of a Mexican guy who had the back of his truck filled with them. I was quite a sight walking across the street, trying to eat the meat off the stick without dropping the pumpkin. There was a family in a swell car that looked like they were from the suburbs, staring at me at the traffic light. They must have thought that I was one of the dirt bag vagrants that live Downtown. Fresh squeezed orange juice and meat right off of the grille. Where can you get that in the suburbs? Anyhow we finished the morning shopping spree off at a coffee shop sipping java and looking over the things we bought. Since I have been pretty much off the caffeine, the decaf still tastes good. And since Laura ordered regular coffee I drank enough of hers to start my philosophizing about the world. After which she was threatening to ditch me. Real coffee is like speed when your not accustomed to it.