Vermonter.com

I waited at the dump in Essex Junction the other day (or is it called landfill now in these overly political correct times?) for about 15 minutes in a long line. Nothing wrong with that, just throw in a CD and wait your turn. What amazes me is that every time I make the dump excursion there are always a handful of people who, I swear, are there for the entertainment.

There’s the young family who brings the kids along to watch the garbage bags role down the chute. “Wave bye-bye to your little brother’s Huggies!!!”. I feel sorry for these folks as they probably can’t afford to bring the kids to Playland at McDonalds. Hmm, must be payments on the Lexus they drove in with are a killer. Then there’s Uncle Joe who tosses his week’s worth of newspapers and recyclables into the recycle bin. He patiently stands and watches as last week’s TV Guide slides down the chute, trailing the sales flyers from the Sunday paper. After all, why should the kids have all the fun?

Then there’s the “rat pack”. Those intrepid souls who seek out one another at the dump and stage a spontaneous reunion of sorts while leaning on green, plastic garbage containers. Sort of reminds me of the breakfast clubs that gather at McDonalds on any given morning. That is except for the smell. I guess all of the above scenarios are a bit surprising considering the unmistakable odor in the air.

As I wait patiently for my turn at the bins, it’s fun to watch all this activity. The problem is that when it’s finally my turn to toss the garbage into the chute, it’s over in seconds. As quickly as possible and I never look back. Happy to get back in my car and ride off into the sunset. Party pooper!

It’s that most wonderful time of year in Vermont…mud season. Not much anything that anyone can do about it except to wait for the ground to dry up enough for the towns to grade the road. So until then, hold onto your hubcaps!

In other news, lots of strange and nefarious things going on in Vermont these days:

A Morrisville teenager Monday pleaded guilty to grave-robbing and stealing the head of a corpse. Police say Nickolas Buckalew,17, broke into a tomb at the Morrisville Cemetery in April 2005, removed the head of the entombed corpse, and brought the skull to his home. Buckalew reportedly told friends he wanted to the use the skull as a marijuana bong.

A Burlington man has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage man in a parking lot less than one block off Church Street early Saturday morning. Police say the 135-pound teen told them he was trying to find his way back to a friend’s home in the city after visiting with a UVM female student most of the night on campus. He reportedly asked the 300-pound Campbell, whom he claims to have never met before, for directions. In response Campbell allegedly asked him if he wanted to have sex. When the teen refused, Campbell allegedly pushed the teen into the parking lot, forced him to the ground, lay on top of him, pulled off the teen’s shirt and pants during the struggle, sexually assaulted the teen, and fled, according to the victim’s account to the police.

All this after the controversial Judge Cashman ruling and last year’s Northeast Kingdom incident of a young man brutally raping and torturing a dog. Plus, a recent news item that Vermont has run out of room in the prisons and has to ship offenders out of state. Time to break out the tar and feathers!

Pink Floyd has always been my favorite band and David Gilmour would have been a natural Vermonter. Headlining a sold-out Pink Floyd world tour of epic proportions wearing jeans and a t-shirt onstage in 1994, with the same down-to-earth attire during last year’s Live 8 concert…yeah he’d fit in well here! Pink Floyd and David Gilmour have never been known for their prolific album releases. But, when something does come out it’s good, damn good! Just today (Tuesday, March 7th) the new CD, “On An Island” was released in the USA. Sirius satellite radio has dedicated one entire channel to 24-hour Pink Floyd music for a week. I’m damn glad I bought Sirius (thanks to Howard Stern) and not XM.

So is David Gilmour’s “On An Island” any good? Yes, it is and refreshingly so. Don’t expect it to be on par with the edgier, more inventive ground of such Pink Floyd classics as “Dark Side of the Moon”. Let’s face it we’re all getting old and the Floyds are heading into their 60’s. With that in mind, this is a kinder, gentler recording with unmistaken Pink Floyd flourishes spread throughout. Listen for yourself. There are some free audio and video clips available here.

Christmas is coming in April this year. I’m going to the David Gilmour concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York. I’ll be in the second row (hopefully around the center) with the big grin on my face, aging gracefully with the rest of that 70’s generation!