a walk in the hood

I just called my suburban enclave with the big front yards and four bedroom houses a "hood". I'm so funny.

Just got back from a walk. I hit the treadmill at lunch today, but I've been eating so much Halloween candy lately I need to do something. That, and when I left work today I was so struck by the weather that I wanted to get out in it. I'm a climate-control fan, so normally it's either too chilly or two hot. But this evening is just perfect. And it smelled good, just the right mix of mowed lawns and burning dead leaves. Pumpkins on front steps, ghosts and witches hanging from trees. Well, the witches hanging from trees is a bit too close to history, but they were there. Stuffed clothing bodies with jack-o-lantern heads sitting in front lawns. You get the picture. It's Halloween time, baby!

Not only that, but there were just enough clouds in the sky to keep me from having to wear sunglasses, but not so dark that it felt like premature sunset. And the temps--my skin stayed cool, but not chilly. I didn't sweat much but I was walking my usual pace. One of those days that if you could only bottle it ...

And even in Carmel, there's an oddity or two. It's election season, so you have your candidate signs out all over the place. It's slightly different from four years ago, though. Last presidential election season, the 'hood was clogged with Bush paraphernalia. This year it's pretty evenly split between Obama and McCain, which makes me pretty happy. If I'm not mistaken, there could even be more Os than McCs. That's pretty freakin' amazing. But I could be wearing rose-colored glasses instead of the sunglasses I didn't need today.

Then there's the house a few blocks down. Indiana's also having our gubernatorial race this year, and although Jill Long Thompson is putting up a fight, I'm pretty certain Mitch Daniels will win another term. It's a typical party-line thing. If you lean Republican, you tend to think Mitch is your man. If you're Democrat or farther left than that, you're willing to let the Republicans have him. If you have a McCain sign in your yard, or a sticker on your vehicle, there's a good chance that My Man Mitch is along for the ride.

Except for the conundrum down the street. They have planted, beside their Obama/Biden lawn sign, one for none other than Daniels. Obama and Daniels. And they're not only in the same yard, but they are lashed together, end to end, as if making the signs touch will override the oxymoronic reality they exhibit. Is the family Republican but wanting change in the White House? Democrat but one of the rare variety that think Daniels is doing a good job? Someone who wants Obama to win, but although he has a good shot, they want to root for a sure thing in at least one race? An independent who chooses each candidate based on individual issues and not party lines?

I don't think that last one would ever happen in Carmel.

So anyway, you go out for a walk, and you see the darnedest things. Now Family Guy is on and the guys are rollerskating. Family Guy and roller skates. I'm happy.