random thoughts – Day 1,626 – (Friday) – finding food and fun

Wayfinding!

Today at work was a delight. The real kind, not the sarcastic kind. Sure, first thing in the morning we were told the water had been shut off for the building due to a sudden incident, and then not informed it was back on, but we figured it out and it was all okay.

The drive in was the last of the summer easy ride. By next Friday, school will be in session full time and the ride will be less easy and pleasant, but only for most of the next 10 months or so. New wayfinding signs have popped up all over downtown with directional info to attractions like Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Tsongas Center and the time needed to walk there. 

A couple buildings on Merrimack Street seem to be in the midst of conversions and renovations and I always wonder who owns the buildings and how a unit can be rented. And also where people living downtown grocery shop and if they walk or drive there. 

The phones were quiet, but at my desk, at least, it might have been because I forgot to log in to it for several hours. Or maybe because almost everyone I emailed was off for the day. The result was a rare luxury – an interruption-free day. There was time to think about the work in a calm manner. Tasks were completed or at least moved along to be someone else’s task to deal with for a while.

Dessert!

After work, a couple colleagues and I went to The Old Court. Aperol Spritzes for all of us, two orders of fish tacos, a fried haddock sandwich, and a Guinness chocolate ice cream pie with three spoons. Yummy.

It was nice night, cooler than it has been, so we skipped the outside seating and ate inside. The table was near an open window which turned out to be as chilly as if we were outside, but it was fun. The Old Court filled up around 6:00 and we were glad to have our precious real estate in the corner away from the crowd.

Downtown crackled with activity and energy. Every restaurant looked full, at the inside and outside seating. Maybe the shiny new wayfinding signs helped people find their way to food and fun.