A Peep Through the Blinds

I am totally like the creepy old lady who watches people from her window.  But I can’t help it!  Watching Listowel from the comfort of my second-floor living room window is one of my favorite past times.  I have a wonderfully wide windowsill which allows me to turn it into a desk once I pull a stool up.  I sit on my laptop and watch as Listowel bustles beneath me.

 My favorite pub, Kevin Broderick’s is situated across the street from me and is the source of much of my entertainment.  During the weekdays the pub is filled with an older crowd—the same old men and women frequent this bar on a daily basis.  One man in particular always seems to catch my eye.  He always wears a full suit and tie.  But why? I wonder.  Surely he is retired.  I suppose he does not see this as a reason to look anything less than his best.  The nights typically bring a younger crowd around the pub, and I giggle myself as the twenty-something men and women do their best to gain each other’s interest.  I have heard some impressive renditions of Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” at three in the morning.  The pub lends the free space above to anyone in town who needs to practice for upcoming plays.  As I am writing this, I am watching a rehearsal occur.  From my view, it looks as though the characters are having a disagreement at the breakfast table.  I suppose I’ll have to head down to St. John’s Theatre this weekend to see if I’m correct.

A line of honking cars will alert you to any win that Ireland may have in a sporting match.  Men hang outside the windows cheering and waving their team’s flag.  My favorite part is watching the elderly women come outside the pubs to clap as the cars pass—quite a sweet scene, really.  And occasionally you will hear the clomping of horse hooves on the pavement.  The sound always sends me running to the window so that I can watch the beautiful beast pull its owner in a sporty carriage from behind.  I resist the urge to run downstairs and request a ride.

Looks like the actors just pulled the curtain to the window across the street.  Did they spot me?  Oh well…

The view from my window.