Kudos to Greensboro NC for Center City Park Wireless WiFi Access

Hello to all after a few days away when even RSN2.com took a day or two off! I'm sitting in Greensboro's Center City Park using the Wifi connection, and I must say this is nice. At about 8pm, the light is fading and the temperature is cooling a bit from a nice warm day. I decided against skating for several reasons, one being the orange level air quality warning, a very late schedule of sleeping and waking, and some work that needed to be done.

After my trip by the post office to send off some Ejector CD/DVD cases (shameless plug) to a customer, and to pay some tax bill using my new Forever stamps purchased at the APC at the PO, I drove by Center City Park as I so often do. This time, I noticed Davie Street was blocked and some sort of small event was going on, leaving the park mostly empty at the time.

I decided to try the Wifi access and picked a spot near a power generator for one of the food vendors serving hypohealthy foods. The music was what we call "beach music," which I can handle in small doses when wafting through the breeze and bouncing off buildings. Still the power generator was obnoxious and I am sad that they could find no silent source of alternating current. As the Wifi signal was 2/5 on the Davie Street side, I decided to go up to the Elm Street at Friendly Ave corner and sure enough, it was a bit stronger signal there. This is still not as fast or strong a signal as at the skate hovel, but it has done well.

Aside from that, I've enjoyed the echoes of the train passing though several blocks south of here, mixing and wavering in the air with sounds of fountains, kids squealing therein but far enough away to be deemed joyful noises, and the occasional motorbikelist sad for attention and seeking it the only way he knows.

Over the life of my battery, the park has filled more as it has become cooler and more shaded, and lots of overfed folk like me are taking advantage of the lower light to be seen less well. College kids seem to be drifting over to find the free entertainment, some on their bikes, others in their best I'm trying to wear the right stuff to be considered knowledgeable and tasteful even if it is by trying to look like someone who is in jail just now.

Among the Black-Eyed Susan's may be found one or two skateboarders finding their way through tricks, and I think some of the guys who daily hang out at the public library are using this space as part of their make it through this day routine.

I recall the first part of David Lynch's incredible Blue Velvet, as two fire trucks pass by quietly in front of me...what once were considered "Fire Trucks" are now aptly named "Heavy Rescue," perhaps as a joke toward the overfed among us.

A group of three speaking German pass by and I wonder how they chose this to be the spot for them to travel or to live.

A red late-50s pickup that's been totally tricked up drifts by emulating the motorcyclists in his rumble for attention.

The music has shifted to R&B at times and perhaps some early days disco, and my battery is at 24%, so I think I'll just say I hope Tim and Jack had fun skating over at Northeast Park, and I hated to miss it, but this worked very well.

Nice job, Greensboro. I hope that ring of road you're building around our town doesn't suck the money right out of the heart of town, 'cause it's getting to be nice downtown.