Sunday Morning

By Michael J. Legeros

Date
  January 7, 2001

Location
  Raleigh, North Carolina

Climatic conditions
  Sunny, light breeze, increasingly warm

Measuring devices used
  Two pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears, one AM radio, one scanner

Format for reporting
  Things heard on radio or seen through windshield while ridin' a-
  around on a Sunday morning

Total number of observations
  100


==


10:54 a.m. - Discussion with someone who sounds like Bill Clinton.
             Includes advice "don't be afraid of your pastor" (780
             AM)

10:55 a.m. - "We have promise at the promise of the promise!" (830
             AM)

10:58 a.m. - Bojangles on Atlantic Avenue.  Three cars in drive-
             thru

10:57 a.m. - "Stay tuned for Christ-honoring music and a timely
             message from God" (1240 AM)

10:57 a.m. - "Without Jee-sus Christ, there is no hope" (scratchy,
             unspecified AM station)

10:58 a.m. - Fire department dispatched to odor of gas inside busi-
             ness.  Spa Health Club, North Ridge.  Unknown if of
             human origin

10:59 a.m. - Choir singing static-y hymn (1300 AM)

11:01 a.m. - Chuck Berry, "Sweet Little Sixteen" (1360 AM)

11:01 a.m. - Longbranch Saloon on Industrial Drive.  Two people in
             car dropping off third, picking up truck.  Eight oth-
             er vehicles in lot.  All appear "leftovers"

11:02 a.m. - Pulpit pitch for soul food at corner of East Main and
             Fayetteville.  That's Durham (1310 AM)

==

11:04 a.m. - "Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!" (1410 AM)

11:04 a.m. - "This is the time!  This is the place!" (1410 AM)


11:05 a.m. - Borders Books at Six Forks and Wake Forest.  Forty
             cars outside

11:05 a.m. - "Don't bring those kids in here!"  Then, a dramatic
             pause (1560 AM)

11:06 a.m. - Young man with floppy, dyed, Jerry Lee Lewis hair,
             wearing thin Nike jacket and ground-dragging bell-
             bottoms, slouching across lot adjacent to Borders.
             He reeks of non-intelligence

11:06 a.m. - Hymn.  Last note, drawn out over several seconds.
             Think they're saying "Amen" (540 AM)

11:06 a.m. - Nourishment.  Kingdom.  Heavenly Father.  Cue another
             hymn (540 AM)

11:08 a.m. - American Pride on Wake Forest Road.  Self-service car
             wash.  Business is brisk

11:09 a.m. - Snoopy's on Wake Forest Road.  Hot dog stand.  Fat guy
             with Gold's Gym sweatshirt on ponders meaning of life.
             While drinking cold drink

11:09 a.m. - "God.  have mercy.  on me"  (570 AM)

==

11:10 a.m. - George W. Bush, or someone who sounds like him, reads
             list of recently deceased family members (640 AM)

11:11 a.m. - Castle Video and News on Capital Boulevard.  Erotica,
             open 24 hours.  Ten cars in parking lot.  We decline
             to conduct a head count

11:13 a.m. - Electric rock guitar.  Cheering, maybe clapping.
             Church music or blues jam?  Can't tell  (750 AM)

11:13 a.m. - Advertisement for Gold Bond Medicated Lotion (850 AM)

11:16 a.m. - Krispy Kreme on Person Street.  Busy, both walk-in and
             drive-thru.  Hot doughnuts light not lit.  Companion
             goes in anyway

11:16 a.m. - Upbeat, up-tempo pop song.  Hymn? (1000 AM)

11:17 a.m. - "I have sent my son to die for you" (1030 AM)

11:18 a.m. - "Let me live on!" (1310 AM)

11:18 a.m. - Police dispatched to overturned vehicle on Trailwoods
             Drive, in front of house.  Occurred last night; no one
             around vehicle.  Whaddya wanna bet alcohol was in-
             volved?

==

11:18 a.m. - Sunday school.  Elderly woman lecturing children on
             subjects of art, painting, and Jesus knocking at a
             door (unspecified AM station)

11:19 a.m. - Advertisement for mortgage company (1460 AM)


11:24 a.m. - Halifax Court, behind Peace College.  Most buildings
             demolished.  Rubble in ten-foot piles.  "No Trespas-
             sing: Federal Property."  Real estate values rising
             as we speak

11:25 a.m. - Discussion of deeper, inner evil (680 AM)

11:28 a.m. - Discussion of NFL playoffs (850 AM)

11:28 a.m. - Corner of Blount and Franklin.  White Ford Expedition
             driving in circles around baseball diamond.  Grooming

11:31 a.m. - Governor's Mansion.  Workers unloading trucks, presum-
             ably for inauguration.  Long row of port-a-potty's al-
             ready in place

11:31 a.m. - Police dispatched to burglar alarm at Steinmart.  Fe-
             male subject "stepping out"

11:32 a.m. - First Baptist Church, Edenton at Salisbury.  Cars ev-
             erywhere.  Many illegally parked.  No one outside

11:35 a.m. - First Presbyterian Church, Salisbury and Morgan.  Sign
             on announcement board: "Does it fit?"  More cars ev-
             erywhere.  Companion notes expensive ones out front.
             Correlation?

==

11:35 a.m. - Bank clock: 50 degrees.  Downtown Raleigh empty.  As
             always

11:35 a.m. - Organ music (1240 AM)

11:35 a.m. - Corner of Davie and Salisbury.  Clockwise: parking
             lot, public safety center and jail, Wake County Board
             of Elections, 24-hour bail bond service

11:35 a.m. - Ambulance dispatched to "code blue" and possible dead
             person in Cary

11:38 a.m. - Fire department dispatched as "first responder" to
             same call

11:40 a.m. - Corner of South and McDowell.  Unshaven male in old
             clothes, old sneakers, wearing a backpack and sling-
             ing a garbage sack.  Homeless?

11:41 a.m. - Man ranting about control.  Having control.  Wanting
             control.  *Sweating* about control (1030 AM)

11:42 a.m. - Elvis Presley, "Burning Love" (1490 AM)

11:43 a.m. - Snapshot Video and News on South Wilmington Street.
             Eleven cars.  Sign at door: "this store contains sex-
             ually explicit material.  If this offends you, please
             do not enter"

11:44 a.m. - Men milling in pairs across street on Hoke Street, a-
             round emergency employment center currently under ren-
             renovation.  Fire training facility next door.  Barbed
             wire atop facility fence

==

11:50 a.m. - "God will take care of your stuff!" (1030 AM)

11:51 a.m. - "No matter how tired I am!" (1460 AM)

11:54 a.m. - Corner of South and South Sanders.  Corner market, o-
             pen.  Large sign in window, among many: "Phone cards
             to Mexico"

11:55 a.m. - Corner of Boylan and Lenoir.  Young girl bouncing on
             trampoline behind house

11:55 a.m. - Little Richard, "Keep A-Knockin'" (1360 AM)

11:55 a.m. - Pre-game coverage (620 AM)

11:56 a.m. - Central prison on Western Boulevard.  Guard towers
             presumably manned

11:59 p.m. - Pullen Park on Western Boulevard.  Paddleboats beach-
             ed for season

==

12:02 p.m. - National news headlines (640 AM)

12:04 p.m. - Old man speaking very slowly in very deep voice (1550
             AM)

12:05 p.m. - Police informed of vehicle on Beltline, towing live-
             stock trailer and with young child in driver's seat,
             riding in lap of driver.  Courtesy concerned citizen

12:06 p.m. - North Carolina State Fairgrounds on Blue Ridge Road.
             Packed, as always.  Flea market, and other events.
             Signs outside South Gate include: "Mattress Sale - Now
             in Dome!", "Gold Unlimited - 50% Off Sale", and "Bass
             and Saltwater Fishing Expo."  Bubba.

12:07 p.m. - Fire department dispatched to "smoke investigation" at
             Sir Walter Raleigh Apartments.  Downtown

12:07 p.m. - Discussion of politics (590 AM)

12:08 p.m. - Gospel choir.  Singing.  Clapping.  Cheering (750 AM)

12:09 p.m. - Western Wake Fire Station #1 on District Drive.  Per-
             son outside washing white, "body recovery" van.  We
             decline to ask what's inside

12:10 p.m. - Police dispatched to car accident with injuries on the
             Beltline at Rock Quarry Road

12:10 p.m. - North Carolina Museum of Art on Blue Ridge Road.  Tons
             of people and cars.  Something's going on.  Probably
             has to do with art

==

12:11 p.m. - Piano music (1030 AM)

12:12 p.m. - Advertisement for "Credit Dot Com" (1360 AM)

12:12 p.m. - K&S Cafeteria on Edwards Mill Road.  Busy.  Char-
             Grill, too

12:14 p.m. - Mount Olivet Baptist Church (and Grace School) on Ed-
             wards Mill Rd.  Lot full.  Building looks like former
             hotel

12:14 p.m. - Loggins and Messina, "You're Mama Don't Dance" (1490
             AM)

12:14 p.m. - "Can you say *yes*?" (1550 AM)

12:15 p.m. - Indian and Pakistani grocery at Kidds Hill Plaza.
             Open

12:16 p.m. - Bank sign: 55 degrees.  Sears parking lot across
             street at Crabtree already full.  Same for Circuit
             City across other street

==

12:19 p.m. - Discussion of SCREAM 3, in context of entertainment
             trends and violence used as humor (1240 AM)

12:19 p.m. - Temple Beth Or on Creedmoor Rd.  Fewer than twenty
             cars.  Perhaps afternoon screening of TORAH! TORAH!
             TORAH! has been cancelled.

12:20 p.m. - Someone speaking in Spanish (540 AM)

12:20 p.m. - Geeky sounding guy reviewing computer hardware, in-
             cluding wireless mouse.  [ Insert own joke about mis-
             sing balls ]  (680 AM)

12:24 p.m. - Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church off Lead Mine Rd.
             Service looks to have let out.  Ten cars remain in
             west lot

12:25 p.m. - Spoken credits for something called the "Family News
             and Focus Hour" (570 AM)

12:26 p.m. - Advertisement for doctor-recommended "de-tox" program
             that "scrubs your intestines clean."  Buy Steps #1 and
             #2 and Steps #3 and #4 are free!  Whaddya wanna bet it
             involves sticking something up your butt? (570 AM)

12:30 p.m. - Man and woman seen riding around in blue Ford Taurus
             with pink fuzzy dice, listening to radio, and taking
             notes.  Subjects reportedly amused and dangerous

Copyright 2000 by Michael J. Legeros