June 2, 2006
The hotel I'm at this week is undergoing some (ha!) renovations. I keep passing a sign on a doorway that reads: BEWARE WET PAINT.

Not: Caution. Wet Paint.

Or just: Wet Paint.

But: BEWARE WET PAINT.

Odd. I love to look at signs that seem weird. Like being in, say, Toronto, where instead of MERGE LEFT, it'll say, SQUEEZE LEFT.

With all due respect to the Canadians (I love you, eh?), to me squeezing involves a certain level of physical contact, which in the case of traffic merging, seems like a bad idea.

And really, BEWARE? Beware has such sinister implications. BEWARE FALLING ROCKS. That's a legitimate concern, having a boulder drop on your head. And I know, somewhere in the back of my head, there's some song from a Disney--ah-ha! It came to me, it's from Winnie the Pooh, and I think it's Ephalants and Whoosels. B'ware! B'ware!

Have a goooood day!

Best,
Mark Terry