What’s the Attitude (feat. Hymnal)
Last night I went with Mr. And Mrs. Cardona to see Robin’s art piece at a little gallery in downtown Hillsboro. I ended up waiting in Borders and realized two things. 1) If you are a 30 year old hipster hanging out with a 16 year old on the window ledge near the bathroom, you are not cool. 2) The Spice Girls have officially been turned into easy listening bookstore jazz. I’m sitting there watching the creepy man kiss the teenage girl and my brain starts singing “I’m giving you everything, all that joy can bring, this I swear…” And yes, I own three Spice Girls CD’s so I know that song.
The Cardona’s arrived, sccoped me up and drove me to Hillsboro. Now I’ve stopped in Hillsboro to use the bathroom either going home to Austin or coming back. The side of the highway has an enticing sign that says “CLEAN RESTROOMS!” Who can resist that? But it turns out, people actually live in Hillsboro AND there is a hospital. So if you get shot at the Dairy Queen in Itasca (I can only make it from my apartment to Itasca, before I have to pee), hang in there and gun it to Hillsboro. So we search for the art gallery and pass some gangster teenagers hanging out by the side of the gas station selling drugs (assuming this) and Mylynka pointed out the creepy ATT building with the bazillion ice cream cone-esque antennas. Hillsboro can hear your thoughts…
We made it to the Art Gallery and yay Robin! She made a beautiful glass plate! After the car ride, I really needed to pee so I asked the nice owner where the restroom was. It turns out it was far far away. First I entered the one weird room that smells like a church activity building, and then I approached a door cut into four mini doors but somehow open as one door. Outside that door was a bowl of cat dsfood, a sheet that I am pretty sure was a doorway to the outside, and a little bathroom on the left. It was covered in Angel wallpaper and some kind of gold foil. I felt a little creeped out like the angels were watching me so I’d better make it quick.
As I was leaving the bathroom, I turned the wrong way and ran into what I thought were people. After an “uff” I realized that I stumbled on this delightful cardboard cutout. And then…I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the gallery. I went back through the double doors, but then spun around looking for the entrance. You will all be happy to know that I found it.
There is something intriguing about small town bathrooms. I think a photographer could make a coffee table book of pictures of small town bathrooms. They’d range from scary and filthy to oddly ornate. If I don’t get hired after I graduate, it is something to consider.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you should make that book! “Small Town Texas Toilets” = best seller!!
There is a photo book of coffee shop waitresses. And there is that store in the Bishop Arts District that sells a gumball machine full of baby heads. I think there is a market for small town bathrooms.
Fun fact: the high school mascot for Itasca is the Wompus Cat.