Observations on a few hours out, on a Sunday afternoon

I had run out of dry cat food on Saturday, but was sick all day so the cats just got their canned food. I started feeling well enough to go out today, Sunday afternoon. As I was waiting to turn back onto the main north-south drag from the little strip mall shopping area where my favorite little pet store, Sraps, is located I noticed a little old red VW bug. It's paint was in poor shape and the small yellow light of it's left turn indicator was blinking weakly. The driver was a man, maybe in his 30's, and in the passenger seat, trying to sit up high to peer out the window, was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7, wearing a tiara. As I turned south on Archibald I looked over to see the VW pull into a parking spot by the House of Pancakes. I made up a story for them. The little girls' parents are divorced and this is daddy's day with his little girl. He's showing her a good time and brought her a tiara to wear as they spent the day together. They're ending it with a meal out.

Scraps wasn't open, I guess it was later on Sunday than I thought, so I headed over to Petco. I would buy a small bag of the best that I could find there, to hold me over till I could get to Scraps. As I pulled into a parking spot near the store I noticed a man in the handicapped parking just across from me. Probably in his 60's, he was doing some final polishing on a piece of chrome near the front of his very large, shiny blue truck. He threw the paper napkin that he had used for polishing on the ground. As I walked by him I said, "You have a very clean truck." He said, "Oh, no, it's dirty right now." It was clear this truck was his pride and joy. I don't know how much cleaner it could get. "Well," I said, "we need to keep the Earth clean, too," as I picked up the tossed napkin and kept walking. As I got closer to the store and the trash can out front I heard him say something but it was unintelligible to me. Turning form the trash can and walking towards Petco's door I looked to see that he had begun polishing something on the other side of his truck. Maybe he'll throw that piece of trash down too, just to get back at that mouthy woman, me.

About being sick. I have what I call a gum tower at school. When I catch a student with gum I have them put it on top of the tower. After a little while I squish the tower down with the heel of my hand. The students notice its new configuration and ask me how I do that. And I tell them. Eww, is the common reaction. Germs, is what they think. I point out to them that I don't lick the heel of my hand and I don't rub my nose or eyes and I wash my hands before I eat. "When have I been sick this year?" I ask them. Never. So, good thing I got sick on Saturday. Not only good so that I don't ruin my perfect record at school but good because it's absolutely awful getting ready for a substitute and there is no way I could have taught the way I was feeling yesterday. I have recovered quickly though. Thank goodness. I was thinking if I had someone living with me they could go out and get me some Sprite or 7-Up. Not the only reason to live with someone of course, but one of the advantages. I'm still a little light headed and weak, but tomorrow I think I should be back to normal.