Errands

I have a lot of work to do in my office today, but it all had to wait while I did some errands.

First came a stop at the post office. There's none in our town--we lost our ZIP code, and the post office along with it, some years back. So it's a five-mile drive southward to a town I'll call Halfway.

Next was a trip to the mower dealership (about eight miles further down the road to the county seat), to purchase a service kit for our riding lawnmower. Ever since the s.o. stopped traveling for his job, he has taken on more and more responsibilities at home. As a money-saving measure, he now changes the oil and does all the other servicing on our vehicles...including the mower, which (objectively speaking) is nicer than my car.

Next in line, on the way home again, was a stop at Ingles for groceries. The most important item on the list was puppy food, which comes in small bags that look kind of silly when you consider Cairo's gigantic appetite. I wonder what owners of Great Dane puppies do?

Back in Halfway, I had to stop at the gas station to fill up the 5-gallon can for the aforementioned mower. I wanted to save this task for the ride home, since carrying gas cans in the trunk of my car on hot days makes me nervous.

And finally, back in our little town again, I pulled off along the side of the road in front of our local meat-and-three*. Since our town has a population of only 415, and since Johnnie Mae (the proprietor of the restaurant) happens to be on the city council, this is where we pay the water bill. I handed Johnnie Mae a check and wished her a nice afternoon.

Home again, and I'd better get to work.

*In the southern U.S., country-style restaurants are called meat-and-threes, because you get a meat and three sides (e.g., fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, green beans, and cornbread; or perhaps a smothered pork chop with blackeyed peas, collards, and a biscuit) for a fixed price.