Lice

It's a little early in the season to be discussing lice, but it was a hot day like this when I saw it...

In the old place, there was a thrift store. It was run down but had bargains. I found $40 v-slicer there for $3, for example. And an optigan. And vintage ashtrays from Trader Vics. Still have them all.

It was the kind of place where you could catch local color, like the exasperated mother shouting "TRAVIS!! Put that down or I'll slap a TURD outta ya!!"

Even that was classy compared to the decline that occurred over time. Store changed hands and the new owner let her grandparents sleep on the furniture with the T.V. on. I kept shopping there, but it felt creepy. One day before the store closed for good I saw a greasy pizza box nailed to the wall over the basket of hats and wigs. On the interior was scrawled in ballpoint ink:

Due to lice infestation, do not try on hats.

Such was the old place.