two snaps i didn’t make

leaving from the dukedom somewhat early, i race toward the train station thinking that i’ll - for once this week - get home before dark.

heading to the platform i hear an announcement that all trains on the north line starting with the 17:35 will be delayed due to a fatality on the line - someone jumped in front of a train at rogers park. think about getting on the winnetka train as it seems that it will leave but realising it will do me no good head back into the station after i find out that the trains that did leave are parked along the tracks until the police come and look at the scene.

i have my laptop. it is a good time to work and this years version of clarke’s beach. head over to the caribou as i have a free drink coming. they discontinued the açaí smoothie but have passion fruit. sit down boot up and start to work.

the manager comes over to chat. it seems that caribou is run about as well as the dukedom. ask why açaí was dropped thinking it was due to lack of interest but no they sold out all the time it seems there was a woman who bought it more than i did. the manager then goes into the fact that the popular baked goods are being discontinued also. we chat about contemporary marketing in the states, the manager mentions that the big wigs don’t look at sales receipts to see what to sell they wait until costumers complain.

looks at the people on the computer from last summer’s navegatio.

the manger has to go back to work but takes my cup and comes back with it half filled with more of the smoothy.

left to see if the trains were moving without making her snap even with the nice soft lighting coming in through the window. don’t think it was the botch exposure with the taxi driver.

getting to the platform i see all the trains are delayed still chat with someone who usually is on the 18:31 as it is time for that train to depart. the 17:35 is still at the platform.

he heads out to a bar and i hear that the next train out to kenosha will be making all stops. race to find him.

don’t.

race to the train get. sit pull out the laptop and think that we are off.

the ninety minute ride takes three hours.

the corpse is still on the side of the tracks as we pass rogers park.

the person sitting beside me asks what i am.

i teach.

what?

photography

where?

i mention the dukedom

where’s that?

behind the museum. surprising for such a “famous” school how unknown it is.

he asks about its financial health what with who can afford to go to art school now.

tell him that due to the mismanagement of past and present presidents there was nothing to loose when stocks plummeted and thus we are in pretty good shape. but only if students come. as an example of the brilliance of our leader, i mention that he is perplexed that more alumni don’t donate to the dukedom. i guess they simply haven’t figured out what part of their wages from starbucks should go to the school after the rent and paying off the loans. he seems to forget that most money donated to universities come from the people who made this mess we are in and not from minimum wage struggling b.f.a’s.

we talk of the rampant fear of parents looking for something tangible when their children leave school so colleges and universities are turned into trade schools the powers that be not realising that learning a trade means that they will have to learn another trade in five years.

he agreed he was an art history major - he is now a lawyer. college taught him how to think and research has a longer life span than learning a trade. we chat more, he tells of a friend of his starting his second life down at columbia college, of his kids, that the fastest growing demographic on facebook are 55 year old single women.

i mention the snaps.
he gets down and again even though it is waning, there is enough light i forget to make his snap.