10 Cents A Dance.....

I tried doing what Doyle had talked about but it really didn't work. He'd said that just because an Event is supposed to be random doesn't mean that it can't be planned. I took that to mean that I could pick someone - at random - and then identify a routine that they had, and wait for them at a particular point along their route.

I had noticed this old man who ran/jogged along Chain of Hills Road, going from St. George Avenue to Green Street, every morning at around 8:45 or 9:00. It was easy to park along the road, because though it was heavily traveled very few people actually stopped on it. Also, it has the advantage, as Coleridge said of being like Alph "5 miles meandering in a mazy motion". It was full of curves and there were plenty of blind spots where I couldn't be seen. I tried this for a few days, but gave up. Although I probably couldn't be seen, I was the only one parked there. I stood out l like a sore thumb to anyone passing by, and I didn't want to take the chance that I'd be remembered. However....

I believe I mentioned before that I make a library run every week or so, there being several branches in Woodbridge and the surrounding townships that sell books very cheaply. One of these is on Green Street, just to the left as you come out of Chain of Hills Road. I was there yesterday, at around 10:30 in the morning, as part of my routine. My daughter had mentioned a book she was interested in, and since I have the time I told her that I'd look for it. Anyway, by this time of the morning, I'd been to 4 branches already without any luck.

Going in, I noticed that an older woman had parked on the opposite side of the lot, and was making her way slowly towards the entrance. This is a small branch, with a very small parking lot so there wasn't that much distance between the sides. I went in and checked, but they didn't have anything I was looking for, or interested in. As I left, I noticed the older woman at the checkout counter.

Back in my car, I looked around. No one was in sight. It was actually pretty quiet, and this particular branch was sort of out-of-the-way. I started my car, rolled down the passenger window, and waited. It was cold, but it didn't take long.

The old woman came out and made her way to her car, carrying a couple of books. As she got there, I backed out, and took the Flasher from my back pocket. I pulled out in such a way as to block her car from being seen from inside the library - which was not a very likely situation since there were very few people there. I looked around, verifying that there was no one and no car around. I put the car in drive, leaning over. The woman had just opened her car, and was leaning over to put the books in. Point, press, Flash, and I drove out, putting the Flasher on the seat next to me as she slumped part-way into her car. I turned left onto Green, then right onto Chain of Hills. Before I'd turned onto St. George I got the confirmation. 2 left and 2 weeks to do them.