Birmingham, Alabama is absurd. I realized this in a span of about 10 minutes today. I was walking down an empty back street while beautiful Cedar Waxwings chirped overhead. I passed by the New Woman All Women abortion clinic, not 20 feet from where Eric Rudolph planted his bomb. I was faced with a decision. Should I eat at the Middle-Eastern restaurant to the left of the clinic, or at the one to the right of the clinic? I went into the one on the left.

As I ate I read the free Birmingham Weekly. There was an article about the 30th anniversary of George Wallace getting shot. I noticed both of the Middle-Eastern restaurants had taken down the several dozen self-conscious American flags they had put up after 9/11.

Like I said, absurd.

For the benefit of zikzak, and possibly shoeboy, I made the following tally of footwear:

At school, 5 people were wearing shoes, 8 people were wearing sandals, and one lady was barefoot.

At church, 31 people were wearing shoes, and 22 were wearing sandals.

Among the general population on the street and in the restaurant, 27 people were wearing shoes, and 12 were wearing sandals.

General trends: ALL student-age females were wearing sandals or were barefoot. About half of student-age males were wearing sandals. Most middle-aged women wore sandals (all races). About 5 middle-aged men were wearing sandals, 3 white, 2 black. Of about a dozen student-age black males, none were wearing sandals.

Today was a beautiful day and I couldn't imagine wearing socks on such a day.