Charlie’s Night Out Against Crime

So after much to-do in the Neighborhood Association,the national Night Out Against Crime was Tuesday. It was decided to have it in this rather rough park we’re trying to get cleaned up. There was a faction for having it in an already ‘gentrified’ area of the ‘hood, but…uh…duh! Night out against CRIME, right?

So we had tons and tons of kids who came out for the free hot dogs and such like. We had a pretty good turnout all around, but it was Charlie who amazed me. He was in charge of the grill (naturally, male instinct) and the whole night he had these little neighborhood kids all around him, while he orchastrated them. This one got the tongs for this long, that one handled the buns, etc.

I’d have been a disaster at that- “EVERYBODY OUT! somebody’s gonna burn their hands, or sneeze all over everything or get into an argument…just let me do it!”

And even then I’d need a sedative.

So here’s Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected at work. Click for full size.

Quite frankly, I didn’t take very many pictures, not even for the precious newsletter. I was in deep mourning. An accident that evening with a broken camera strap killed my regular Cannon D-SLR lens with a horrifying crunch.
In fact, everyone within 30 yards, turned and looked at it on the pavement, then at me. All I could think was “I will not freak out in front of all these people…I will NOT freak in front of all these people…” lol
In the end I was reduced to standing half a block away with the long lens to get shots of anything, happy at least that the camera body was okay, and realizing that if I were ever desperate enough for tabloid cash that I’d hide in the bushes and sneak photos of Brad & Angie, I’ve got just the lens to do it.

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