Never A Relaxing Day Off

Today was a day off from school, a regular 7-hour day that was earned by staying late for 9 hours this week for conferences. The calendar committee must not be so good at math.

First cat out of the bag this morning, just as I had turned to TBS to watch an early episode of ER, the #1 son dragged himself out of bed and asked me to take him to the town library. That's one of the signs that your kid is a nerd, I guess. That, and the incident at the Science Fair on Wednesday night when the other science teacher told him to his face, "Yeah, but you're a nerd." I think it was because he was in hog heaven stapling category labels on kids' projects. I told the boy I would drop him off at the library while I deposited my check, gassed up T-Hoe, and took The Pony and myself for a haircut.

The bank was not the place to be today, what with all those out-of-work people finding reasons to pop in at 1:30 on a Friday and open accounts or fiddle with their money. As I was getting out of the car, a young whippersnapper barreled into the spot next to me, jumped out of her car, and cut in front of me right at the door. It could have been a Roller Derby moment. She had her elbows a-flappin', but I think I could have taken her. We got inside the double doors, and there were three tellers, all busy. A cowboy-like older dude in a western shirt was milling around. Usually, people at this bank step inside the door, and wait for the next available teller. That's fair. None of this being forced to pick a line that might not move. A young guy came up behind me, and acted like he wanted past, but I couldn't move forward because of that Roller Derby Queen. It's a small bank.

Finally, a long-winded guy got done, and Cowboy stepped up to the bar to open a checking account. Somebody must be driving cattle to Montana. Another teller walked up behind a 'closed' window, and asked if anybody just had a plain deposit that needed a receipt. I told her I had a deposit and a cup of change. That's no big deal. They walk it back to the counter and dump it in and bring out a receipt and pay me. It takes about 60 seconds. But no. The young guy behind me said, "I just have a deposit." So she nodded to him. The middle window lagger got done and Roller Derby Queen stepped up. She didn't take long, as she got $400 in cash and left. I took over her teller. My deposit was in, and my $26.83 in change was paid out before that young guy was done with his 'just a deposit'. Something was fishy about that guy.

I gassed up T-Hoe at the 7-11 because I prefer that he drinks only the finest gas. A cashier on a smoke break stood right on the front porch watching me the whole time, which was kind of creepy, and kind of bad for business. Perhaps the Southland Corporation, or whoever owns them now, should institute a policy about smoking right in front of the door in your uniform. By the time I went in to pay, and got behind a lady with a daughter and $9.00 worth of Slurpees and burritos and whatnot, the dude had finished his smoke and offered to ring me up at the second register. Who am I to turn down a cashier all hopped-up on nicotine? T-Hoe cost me $25.64, which just goes to show that I am pretty near Even Steven status again, what with my change money from the bank.

We went for haircuts, and The Pony spotted a truck parked out front with a cage full of chickens in the back. Yeah. This is the country. We had to wait for two men to get haircuts, then a woman came in, then a man with twin boys around 3-years-old opened up the door and said he'd come back (thank the Gummi Mary!) and another lady stuck her head in and said, "This is too busy. I'll be back." Too bad, so sad. Less people to avoid gazes with in the waiting area. The Pony and I were shorn in short order, and headed back to town to gather up the #1 son.

By then, the day was shot, what it being 3:30 when we got home. At least my cough has somewhat abated, and the shooting pain in my right ear is now intermittent instead of constant. And that's all the excitement I have for you tonight.