Genuflecting and jonesing for a cigarette.

On Friday night, my Aunt Nancy stopped by Madison on her way to LaCrosse with my Grandma. They came to our house and we talked for a while; we showed them the impressive scrapbook Aunt Pat put together; and then we all went out to Monty’s Blue Plate Diner for dinner.

We had a booth right by the front window, allowing me a view of Atwood Avenue and the Barrymore Theater just across the street. Nancy was in the middle of telling us a story when I looked out the window and saw a red-haired, bearded guy wearing a fishing hat bend over on the sidewalk and pick something up. He then started crossing himself and turned and came straight toward the restaurant window. Just outside the window, he stopped again and bent over the cigarette receptacle outside. It was one of those that looks like an upside-down top, like this

The guy opened it up, took out about 5 butts, and put each one in his shirt pocket, and then walked away crossing himself again. Thank God for butts.