OK, I know what you're thinking, "He's doing it again and who needs it?" I promise, it will not be that bad. I recently learned the true meaning of "Curmudgeon". I have been doing my best to live up to it.
Wanda and I are early risers almost always before 5AM. Work day or week ends we are up with the sun. We are usually done with the "running around" by 9 or 10 in the morning. It's nice to have the whole day in front of us, especially in the heat of summer. The ever present companion of early rising is, early sleeping.
We were both startled when the phone began to ring last night. It was 8:30PM, early by most standards. We were in bed listening to a radio show just about to discover, "who done it." I jumped up, ran into the family room, picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"What are you talking about?" A loud demanding voice projected out of the phone. "What do you mean, bike?" This was my friend Harriet's greeting. I wondered, would we be friends had we met last year? "Do you still have that motorcycle?" she asked. I replied, "I was talking about a bicycle and I am hanging up now." (the motorcycle in question I sold forty two years ago)
Harriet read a post on Face book about taking my bike in for a tune up. Bay Area Bikes recently opened a store in OldTown Pittsburg. We are trying to help our local business when we can. Harriet said she was calling because she was concerned I would get hurt on my "motorcycle." I assured her it was a peddle bike and I would "look both ways before crossing the street."
I have to be honest, the phone call really bothered me. I always try to begin a phone conversation with, are you busy or do you have a few minutes? Now, I missed the end of the show and was wide awake. It was warm in the house and worse outside. I turned the AC down a couple of degrees thinking Monday would be a hot one.
Early Monday morning and I need to make an executive decision. To air condition or not to air condition, that is the question. I decide to close the house but wait a while on the power sucker. Beside, I need to get gas and drop off a prescription at Safeway.
The rental house next door is slowly making me nuts. There is no question about what I feel for Wanda. We have been together for 23 years. I love her with all my heart and soul. But, every so often I wish she would get upset, like me. After all, misery loves company. When I am bitching about the dog, or the music, or the cars, or the kids, and beating my head against the wall, she takes it in stride.
This morning the area around the house resembled the parking lot at a NASCAR event. Trucks, cars, a van, and a flat bed tow truck total seven vehicles. One in the street, three in the driveway, two on the dirt right of the driveway and one on the "lawn." There are a couple of Skidoos and a boat in the backyard. The place next door now looks like a used car lot.
I exercise my brain counting to seven and take off. There are two places for gas on the way to Safeway. I passed station number one gas at $3.79 and stopped at number two, also $3.79. I pulled up to the island, got out of the car and realized I was on the wrong side of the pump. I get gas so seldom I can't remember which side the gas door is on. I got back in the car pulled around to another island and did the same damn thing. I got it right on my third try.
I use our debit card when getting gas. I always forget if it makes a difference using it as a "debit" or a "credit." I was so frazzled this morning I used our real credit card. I put the card in, followed the prompts, and "SEE OPERATOR INSIDE" displayed on my screen.
I am at a gas station that sells Chinese Food. Candy and beer, coffee and cigarettes I understand, but Chinese Food?.....and Lotto and Scratcher Tickets, a lot of Scratcher Tickets. I'm in line behind a woman with one kid in a stroller and one in her arms. She is trying to manage the kids while buying and scratching a dozen different tickets. The lady is scratching like she has a bad case of crabs, and so, I wait.
The second "OPERATOR" at register number two was dealing with "water women." She had a bag of ice, a bottle of water, and a candy bar. She was talking about the importance of sugar and hydration on hot days. I was thinking I should have stopped at station number one when crab lady finally realized she just pissed away twenty bucks and left.
My turn. "The thing said I should come in," I told the guy. He looked down, looked up, and said, "Your card was declined." "OK, fine, use this one," I said as I handed him a card. I asked for twenty bucks and he said, "Which pump?" Do I actually need to tell you I had no idea, "Which pump?" I ran back out got the pump number, ran back in, told him the pump number, and ran back out. At least I was on the proper side of the island now.
Those number sure spin around fast, until $19.50. The last fifty cents took basketball time to squeeze out of the pump and into my gas tank. I finally finished at the "Chinese Gas Food Station From Hell" and drove up to Safeway.
I went to the pharmacy "drop off" window and the clerk said, "Hello Mr. Shulak I'll be right back," and left the pharmacy. There was one customer at the pick up window, one pharmacist on the phone, and me. Five minutes pass, six minutes, seven minutes, my life begins to flash before my eyes. The clerk is not back but the pharmacist finished her phone call looked up and said, "Who's Next?"
I'm now home. I am sipping my second cup of coffee. I am feeling much better. I have slightly over five gallons of gas in my car. The Safeway pharmacy is going to call me when they "talk to my claims people." I called the credit card people who told me the card was OK. I think I pushed the wrong button on something. I am going to turn on the AC and take a nap.
I am giving odds the telephone will not disturb me today.
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