One of the better first Polaroid SX-70 Alpha1 pics.

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Today was a great day. The sun was shining, it was cold but not brutal, I could walk around with my hands in my pockets without gloves... I felt really good. While out and about I decided to walk on the opposite side of the street in an area that is still marginally unexplored. I nearly walked by a convenience store that had lots of old stuff in the window. As I processed the potential in my head, I stopped, turned around and went inside. The place was filled with old crap alongside the usual corner shop stuff. The man behind the counter said he'd been there 35 years. That's 35 years of old stock. Only the perishables were from this era.

My eyes darted around frantically passing over old holiday novelties, a box of bad 70s era stickers (lots of 'hang loose' and silly sexual innuendos such as "Take me to your teepee"), key chains, rainbow pins that said "mom", "dad", "grandpa", a stack of personal name bags and another stack of glitter name stickers, breck shampoo, cards, Toronto postcard booklets, sun bleached board games, a display case of costume rings, peanut necklaces, mugs and 126 instamatics... it was endless. It was so stuffed I had to constantly adjust my bag to keep from knocking stuff over. The proprieter seemed happy that someone gave a shit. He gave me a giant plastic tooth for free and said he hoped it inspired me. Places like this are like special hidden museums. Finding a place like this is like walking into my best dreams.

Good things always happen when I'm feeling good. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been if I had been listening to Nina Simone sing "Feeling Good" on the walkman.

"Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Yeah freedom is mine and I know how I feel"