--WE'RE CATCHING BULLETS IN OUR TEETH

 …I’m surrounded by policeman.  Over a dozen of them.  Half are wearing hats.  Caps.  In their holsters they have billy clubs and canisters of mace, walkie talkies bigger than bricks, and pistols.  Of course they have those.

These cops are loud, rowdy even.  They don’t want me, though.  Thank God for that.  Most of them are laughing.  The others are pontificating, even pointing a finger while they gesture and talk.
All this is happening at my hometown Starbucks.  When I pulled up a moment ago it looked like Obama had made a campaign stop here.  In the lot are at least seven vehicles.
These cops like their coffee and camaraderie.  They don’t seem so menacing while they’re smiling. Cops are probably taught not to smile when they pull you over or arrest you.
I’m here with half of our city’s police force because my internet isn’t working and hasn’t been for a few days.  It’s the cost of country living, I get that, but it’s still annoying.
There are state troopers, sheriffs, and Snohomish police.  All we’re missing here is the FBI or Canadian Mounties.  Some of the getups are a little silly—the Mountie-styled hats with the wide flat brims in cadet blue no less; lit blue trousers with silk ribbon running down the side of each leg; those same light blue pants tucked into black boots that are nearly knee-high.
And now they’re standing.   It’s like when a flock of geese lift off of the lake, dominating the scene.  These are jolly officers, most a little on the heavy side.  Maybe they’re so happy because they belong to this fraternity or because they’ve just downed a liter of coffee each (it looked that way.)
In any case, I hope they catch some bad guys today.  Not people who speed, but people who sell speed.  I hope they make a difference.  It seems like that’s all we should ever hope for, from each other and from ourselves.

…I like these this morning:

-"I think how one lives is more important than how long one lives. So I don't feel too bad."  Lim Yoon-taek, 32 year old cancer victim

-"Disaster has a way of turning up around prophets." Erica Wright

-"Your imagination is the preview to life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein