Random thots while driving.

I understand that there is a fair bit of discussion that goes on about people talking on their cell phones while driving and the discussion is not so much about what is going on but rather what is "not" going on.
In my own case, my thoughts seem to go in at least, one hundred different directions all the while I sit behind the wheel of my car.
And believe me, there is a lot going on.
For instance, as I drive down the street I see up ahead a couple of cherry blossom trees and their faint pink buds straining to open but seemingly hesitant as if they also feel the remnants of Winter. And what I say to myself is, "how pretty."
Just a few more yards down the same street I drive past a business whose windows are papered with that nondescript brown paper indicating "closed for business." And inside my head I murmur, "not so nice."
My mind drifts further into my memory thinking about a city I have recently explored, New Orleans.
Here, entire neighborhoods are void of life.
One evening, while driving through one such neighborhood, you can't help but notice the boarded up, vacant buildings that once belonged to a family. And every once in awhile you would see a house whose outside, Christmas coloured lights stood out almost oddly against the black backdrop that represented a once thriving neighborhood.
Again, thinking about the contrast I say, "not so pretty."

Back in my town, as I drive along it is not so uncommon to cruise past a line of construction vehicles and the orange vested construction workers who are directing traffic. There seems to be a good deal more of them these days as Vancouver strives to be visitor ready for the 2010 Olympics. Often the parking is tight if you can find it at all and so you circle the block, keeping your fingers crossed as you search for that elusive parking spot. Then I remember that I am once again, back in the land of parking meters. Back n Florida, I don't remember that being a real problem, now that I am back here in Vancouver I am back to throwing my spare change into a jar, collecting it for all future parking endeavours.
Sometimes I will opt for that parking spot just a little further away in order to walk.
Some people I know will pray for a close parking spot.

A couple of turns and I come apon a family walking up the street. I see three generations, a group of five walking up the hill smiling, laughing.
The area I am now driving through has some nice homes to look at.
One thing I like to do is to look for the front door to see what wild and wonderful color they have painted it perhaps to give their own particular home a unique look. Well, I am at least guessing that was the decision behind it, what motivated them to paint the front door of their home a deep purple.
I wonder which home this family is walking to. Maybe they are walking to catch a bus but I doubt it.
Normally when I drive past the numerous shops and businesses my mind grapples with the fact that there seems to be so much excess but since I have only recently moved back to this fair city, I am eager to see what has changed. What is new and which business has that brown paper in their windows. I am delighted when I see a sign for a new restaurant.

My mind goes back momentarily to the cherry blossom trees and I think to myself that I must take another drive only this time to Kerrisdale where we once lived as the cherry trees were particularily beautiful. Hey, I could drop into London Drugs when I am there. As I write all this down I am suddenly struck with the thought that maybe my thinking is not so random and there really is some kind of pattern developing.
In the time it has taken me to drive home I have actually been coming up with an idea, something to write down, something to say...blog.
Back to the cell phones.
We do have a "hands free" gizmo that we use in our vehicle while driving thus allowing us to talk and drive at the same time although...you still need to concentrate, no argument there.
I am only slightly worried that one day my thoughts might lead me to the coffee shop and not back home. Darn, now I will have to find some change for the meter.