Another One Of Those Not-Having-A-Very-Good Days

I guess it's a good thing to get all the bad stuff out of the way on one day. Rather than spreading it out a little each day. Ruining a single day instead of semi-ruining multiple days. Not that I have any say in the matter. Even Steven does not negotiate.

Last Wednesday started off well enough. All I had to do was run to Walmart for a few items, then pick up my 44 oz Diet Coke and scratchers. Easy peasy. No rush.

I figured I'd stop by the cemetery on the way. It's been pretty busy, what with Memorial Day, and some new residents being moved in. As I started down the hill to Mom and Dad's plot, I saw the digger truck on the road I'd need to make my exit. Two worker dudes were walking around. Perhaps looking for markers. I don't like to stop by when there's a funeral being set up, or digging going on. That's disrespectful. So I maneuvered T-Hoe into a T-turn and left the way I'd come in. I can visit another time. I know where to find them!

Walmart was just a half-mile down the road. I wasn't doing a full week's shopping. Mainly soda and water and slaw and toilet paper and deli fried chicken and bananas and limes. On the way in, I saw a former student on the parking lot. He works there, wrangling carts. He's been there over a year. He spoke to me and went about his business. As soon as I stepped inside the store, I sensed that something was amiss.

On the citrus aisle for a bag of limes, I overheard two guys pushing a metal cart laden with produce. "It's only happened once in all the years I've been here. And let me tell you, that's not something I'd wish on anybody. At least it came back on." Aha! There'd been a power outage, I guess. Right before I came in. It was further evident when I got to the checkout, where all lines had at least 6 customers ahead of me. Seems there had been a power surge, and the registers had to reset. Oh, well. It's only time. I leaned heavily upon my cart/walker during the wait.

Back outside, I saw that student again. He was headed toward the store. I nodded. I got to T-Hoe, and had set one of the 5 six-packs of soda inside, when I turned to the cart and saw STUDENT picking up my groceries! "I'll help you," he said. Not something I would have wished upon myself. That might be a story all on its own. As soon as I climbed into the driver's seat, Hick called, to say that he was bringing people to the house to show them the camper. Not something I want to deal with when trying to get in the garage and carry groceries. The camper saga might also be a story on its own.

Since Walmart was near a Casey's that I don't go to often, I decided to get some scratchers there. Road construction continues along that stretch, in about month 8 of a year-long project installing curbs and moving utilities to alleys. In my opinion, they’re putting in the awkward and illogical curbing, and fancy lampposts, to impress locals who drive through there all the time and don't give a rip. But I guess federal money is something that isn't going to spend itself! That town has always thought they were a little better than the other towns.

I usually take a side street, with lots of stop signs. I came up the side of Casey's, and saw that the three places I usually park were taken up by a Doritos truck. I went around to the front of the store, where half the parking spaces were full, and the other half were blocked by a Coca Cola truck. So much for that idea. I drove on through the lot, and came out on the main street, which appeared to be passable. Until I got almost to the end, and had to detour back to the side street.

Oh, well. I'd just get my tickets at The Gas Station Chicken Store as usual. But first I had to steal some of their FREE AIR for T-Hoe's left rear tire, which loses 3 pounds of air a day.

Then I had to drive around again to park, because stealing FREE AIR is a popular pastime in Backroads, and if you leave your car in that parking space, two or three disgruntled denizens are waiting when you come out, hopefully not with flaming torches and pitchforks.

The end of this series of unfortunate events was in sight. All I needed was my magical elixir and my scratchers. I bellied up to the soda fountain and pulled a cup. What in the NOT-HEAVEN? Looks like Man Owner had been derelict in his ordering duties again. There were no regular 44 oz cups, only the barrel-shaped ones. I despise a barrel-shaped 44 oz cup!

It holds the same amount, but in different proportions. It won't fit in T-Hoe's cup holders! It's hard for my old-lady hands to grasp while holding scratchers between my fingers. As I moved stuff around on T-Hoe's passenger seat, to make a platform to hold the barrel before wedging it in with my purse... I picked up a package of Honey Lemon Halls Mentho-Lyptus Cough Drops, and THEY ALL SPILLED OUT. Dang it.

I only had five miles to make it home with my 44 oz Diet Coke. Which I traveled without incident. The camper people had just left. All was right with Val's world once again.