January 21, 2010
The Newsstand at Third & Pike
Downtown Seattle, Washington

I’m hungry by the time I get downtown after my fiddle lesson, so I get off the bus at Third and Pike and visit the little newsstand on the corner. They’ve got popcorn, coffee, and pretzels now, but I only have one hand free. While he scoops up my popcorn, he asks what’s in the case.
“It’s a violin.” Some people get confused if you call it a fiddle, I’ve noticed.
“Hey, that’s cool! Have you seen that ad with the guy playing really really fast?”
We chat briefly about the difference between violins and fiddles, and how Charlie Daniels is one of the best fiddle players ever.
“Not better than Robot Devil on Futurama, though,” he says. “He’s the best fiddle player ever!”
I take the popcorn, give him my dollar, and say, “Well, there’s some say the devil’s the best fiddle player there is, but my money’s on Charlie Daniels.”

He chuckles as I walk away.