police and thieves

growing pains © Laura Kicey

In my town, though I don't like to admit it, I've become 'that girl'... 'the one that walks around with a camera'. People I later meet properly tell me they have seen me around and 'always wondered'. I've never been good at being inconspicuous, so I ride on the ostentatious side. I don't look like I am sneaking. Ever, because I'm not. I lumber and wear loud colors. So far this has served me well and I have mostly stayed out of trouble.

Tonight I decided on the late side to go for a walk because otherwise I might have paced so furiously I might have worn a hole in the floor. Which would have brough me face to face with my Loud Neighbors, who tonight have reached a fever pitch. Ahem. I made a bee-line down to the SEPTA parking lot, which has a great but fenced off view of the one side of the power plant. Since it was an overcast day, I thought we might have a decent sunset (this was not to be though) and I had been wanting to recreate this shot with new zoom:


parted © Laura Kicey

The sun was already wimping out by the time I made it down, so I took a few shots and popped round to a couple other nearby buildings I had wanted to reshoot.


applies © Laura Kicey

I decided to check out the opposite side of the building. It is an ordinary public road to a point and then there is this strange area at the end that is sort of a cul-de-sac surrounded by commercial buildings that tapers into gravel and the open side of the power plant. Often I have gone down this street and seen cop cars patrolling, but always while I was well away from the mysterious gravel zone.

So tonight, of course, I am standing dead in the gravel zone. Staring longingly at the wall, thinking and composing while the light fades. And I see the cop car coming towards me. I feel everything deflate in me. Granted I know a number of Big People in Ambler (the scale of that Big is proportional). And I am a fairly upstanding citizen and actually have permission to be in the building. But it doesn't matter in that moment, because I can't think of those things right then. I can think of nothing but, am I trespassing right now?

I started moving towards the cop car and he pulls up next to me and I feel like I am about to crumble. I am abso-fuckin-lutely sure I am making giant google eyes.

"So, you takin pictures?"

Had not actually taken a photo at this juncture...

{whatistheanswerwhatistheanswer????}

"uuuuhhhhhesss?"

"So you a student... or....?"

"uuuuuhmatuer?"

(Big cop grin)

"Ok. Carry on."

"Jolly good. Have a good night sir."

huffpuffhuffpuff

I say the most retarded things when on the verge of soiling myself. I was mostly just frozen there for a few moments waiting for something bad to happen. For him to drive back and give me hell.

So I carried on.

I saw Mr. Mark, the local framing guy who is going to show my work in a SOLO SHOW IN AMBLER!!!

In Janury 2008.

Some drunken jerkface on the steps of the bar who sees me with camera in hand and yells "No pictures! No pictures!" and I mock paparrazi-attack him with the camera to his red-faced pleasure.


deep sea © Laura Kicey

Enough with the excitement already. On with the long weekend, I need to get my sulk on. Damn thunderstorms.