October 30, 2014

Where is Autumn?

October 30, 2014

This evening I texted my sister and asked how it could almost be November when at 8:00 this evening it was 80 degrees.  She said the prediction for her house in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is for 36 degrees tomorrow night.  Texas is a big state and weather can be totally different from one end of it to the other end.  Amazing.  If they have 36 tomorrow night they may be skipping autumn, also.  When I was there about 10 days ago, there was little or no sign or fall on the trees.

New growth in trees makes it seem like spring, not fall.

The mosquitoes continue to love snacking on me and I hurry from the car to the office and the car to the stores, etc.  Before the big rain last week, the city spraying had greatly deminished the mosquitoes but now they are worse than ever.

Today, I did some laundry before going to the office so I did not get there until almost 11:00.  Ron left shortly after that on a job and was gone almost the entire remaining part of the work day.  I was busy with customers early in that time, but it was slower this afternoon.  I was trying to get some photos sent to Stephen on line and it took a while to locate them.  Then I started my list of things I need to take when we go to the wedding.  I think it will be a long list.

After work I had several errands to run.  I went by Mom's house and then by an office supply store.  They had sent me a rewards card and it would expire tomorrow so I went to use it.  I got some things for the children at the rehearsal dinner to enjoy.  Then I went to Michael's Arts and Crafts and got a few more things for the same project with the children.  Following that I went to a couple more stores.  All the stores were very busy but very short handed.  I think most stores are trying to get by with as little staff as possible and as a business owner, I understand that, but I sure hate the long lines.

Finally I decided since it was 8:00 and I had not eaten lunch today at work, I would stop and get some supper.  If your hearing is great you may not notice how many questions you are asked at a fast food restaurant when you place an order.  At Chick-fil-A, I about have the questions memorized so that I can give the clerk the answers before I am asked since I usually don't hear the questions the first time.  I got the same clerk I have had several times recently and he talks very rapidly.

This is how the conversation usually goes:
Him: Could I help you?
Me: Could I have a Number one, please?
Him: Would you like to Super Size that?
Me: Yes, please, and I would like the special offer of the 3 free chicken strips.  (I usually give Ron half of the order when I get home, plus they usually give you 3 free chicken strips if you super size it - oops, they call it Value size.  I take the strips to work for my lunch the next day.)
Him: What would you like to drink?
Me: Dr. Pepper
Him: Do you want ice in that?
Me: Yes, lots of ice.
Him: Do you want anything else?
Me: Yes, I would like a hand wipe, and Bar-B-Que sauce, please.
Him: How many of the sauce?
Me: 3 would be fine.
Him: What is your name (so they can call me when it is ready)?
Me: Linda, but I won't hear you call me so you better know what I look like.
Him: Here is the drink.  I will get the hand wipes.
Me: Thank you.

At least that is the way it went tonight with me guessing those were the questions he was asking since the place was very noisy and very busy.  When the order was ready, they had it on a tray, not "to go".  I told him I was sorry that I had not heard that question and he just laughed and bagged it for me.  When Stephen was growing up his favorite place was Whataburger and often when I picked him up from school I would stop and get his supper.  He would tell me he wanted a #3, no tomatoes, no pickles.  Nothing else.  I would relay that.  Then they would ask would you like jalapenos with that? I would tell them , "No, that is all."  Would you like a fried pie with that?  No, that is all thank you.  Sometimes I would place the order and say a #3, no jalapenos, no fried pie, no whatasize, and they wouldn't know what to say next.

Anyway, I avoid the drive up.  I can't understand the person 95% of the time.  It is quicker for me to go inside.  By the time I got home, it had been a very long day and I relaxed and chatted with my sister via text messages for a bit.  Mom is getting better and took a long walk today with two helpers.  One helping and one bringing the wheel chair in case she needed it and to let her take a break 1/2 way through.

One funny thing happened on my round of errands.  I have mentioned that first I stopped at Mom's.  As I got out of the car I heard a man's voice like he was standing beside me.  I looked around and there was no one close - only two men at the end of the street unloading supplies from a pick-up truck.  I went in the house and took care of some things and when I returned to the front yard, it happened again - clear and loud, a man's voice saying something about, " We will do it at 4:00".  The men down the street were gone and I saw no one out on the street.  Finally it dawned on me, Mom lives about a mile from the football stadium and there was a lot of activity there as I left the office.  The loud speaker carries very well - too well.  And I could hear everything being said.  When the weather is just right - still and quiet, you can sit on her front deck and listen to the football game or the animals at the zoo about 2 miles away.  Early in the mornings you may hear the lions roaring or the chimps chattering.  When you can only hear in one ear, you have no sense of what direction sound comes from.  I could not tell if those sounds came from the direction of the stadium or from Mom's backyard.  Glad I figured it out.  It was a little disconcerting.