If you say so

I hate it when I need only a few things, but have to go to different stores to get them. Yesterday was a perfect example: I needed something that I could get at Shopper’s or Wal-mart, and I needed a lemon and three types of fresh herbs. Safeway has the latter, but doesn’t carry what I needed from Wal-mart. And Wal-mart, not surprisingly doesn't have fresh fruit and veg. So I end up going to both places with not a lot of extra time if I wanted to get home and have the game hens ready to eat some time before, say, midnight. Which meant, of course, that the line to check out at in Wal-mart was super long. And slow. REALLY slow. Agonizingly slow. When it was finally my turn, ms. Cashier and I had the following exchange:

Cashier: Sorry about it taking so long, and having to wait.
Me: That’s ok, we all have to be new to a job at some point.
Cashier: Oh, I’m not new, I’m just slow.
Me: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because I wanted to say “good for you, special needs person, getting a job and making your own way in the world. Unless you’re not special needs slow, but lazy-ass slow. Because that would be a bad thing”. Seemed best to not say anything.

NOT actually

I actually like to use the word actually. I honestly actually do. So you would think that I'd be ok with other people overusing it, or mis-using it. And I am. Mainly. What I can't decide is whether I'm bothered by its use earlier, or if it was the fact that it was crazy lady that said it (yes, she is still here).

It happened at lunch. As today has been peppered with people chatting at me without end I went upstairs to heat up my lunch and bring it back here to eat. Because I just wanted a moment's peace and quiet, and a bit of a read. Sadly, even the two minutes it took to heat up left overs was two minutes too long.

The discussion when I arrived was about the inauguration (no surprise there). I made a comment (one single solitary harmless comment) that it was nice to be a part of history that was a good thing, not some terrible thing. At which point C.L. jumped in and said "well, I actually remember 9-11". Does she really? At sixty something (or a poorly aged fifty something) remember something that happened so very very long ago? Good for her. Since I was going to say that I know fish that remember 9-11, I decided to leave and eat a partially warmed up lunch.

A perceptive man

I was going to make the title "good husbandry" until I remembered that that term refers to farming. What I want to say is that my sister's husband is brilliant. And kind. And he PAYS ATTENTION.

He is using air miles to fly me out for a visit (I've had Christmas presents, I've given Christmas presents, but I've never been a Christmas present). Originally we were going to make it so that I just appeared at supper. Total surprise! Bunny out of the magic hat! That is what he likes to do, and also as it happens what I like. However...

Surprises are emphatically NOT what my sister likes. She likes to know what's going on. She likes to plan things (so does he, actually. They're an excellent match in the that department) and a third of the enjoyment of going on a trip or having someone visit is the looking forward to it part. Which one can't do if the thing is just sprung on you.

Good man that he is, he recognized this need in my sister and swallowed his desire to make it a total surprise at the last minute and instead made it part of a Christmas present. And because the trip is in February, I get to enjoy west coast warmth instead of bald prairie cold. Yippee! And the girl - who wasn't told because she can't keep a secret for love nor money - can be told about it and be all excited for me. Yes, my children are that awesome: instead of being jealous, they are both honestly happy for me to be getting a break.