It's really nice living on the outskirts of Corvallis, because, even during rush hour, the traffic isn't too bad. After work, I got a hair trim, walked back to the apartment to dump my stuff, drove down to the store, and began the business of filling my cart. I spent quite a bit on groceries this week, as I was stocking up on non-perishable items: canned soups, tuna, green beans, refried beans, and... yes... a 101 oz bottle of olive oil. It was expensive ($26), but economical compared with those smaller bottles. Besides, I do love my olive oil.
Check-out took awhile, but I got my shiny new Rewards Card, and was out of there.
I loaded up the car and slammed the trunk. It was then that I realized (in a mild panic) one very important detail. I had slammed the trunk after putting my car keys in the trunk. Don't ask me why, call it fate, call it Divine Will, call it what you like, the fact was, I'd locked pounds of frozen and refrigerated foodstuffs in a hot black car, on a hot black asphalt parking lot, on a beautiful, 75-degree day (the first such day of the year, lucky me). Yep, my goose was fried, or in the process of being fried, rather. Well, there was only one thing for it. I started sprinting for home, replete in jeans and a polo shirt (oh, did I mention it was warm out?). As I was running, several interesting thoughts crossed my mind. Thoughts such as, "you know, it's really quite astonishing how fast one runs when all of one's food is locked in one's trunk"--and--"I don't think the purpose of exercise is really to get fit. No, I think getting fit is a mere side-effect of exercise. The real reason for exercise is so you can take advantage of random opportunities for fresh air". Ah yes, I was definitely trying to look on the bright side of things at that point.
Well, I finally made it back to my apartment, grabbed the spare keys, and, in an attempt to salvage whatever was left of my pride, donned some shorts and a t-shirt, so it would look like I was out for a leisurely run. Okay, so maybe "leisurely" is the wrong word. Anyway, I bolted out the door with keys in hand and a vengeful stride under me. Thoughts of screaming vegetables and cringing cans of frozen juice were echoing through my crazed mind. The time read 6:15, so I knew I'd been gone for fifteen minutes, with another fifteen to go. After hurtling around corners and startling the occasional passersby, I finally regained the Fred Meyer parking lot. Yes, my car was still there, groceries and all (I tried not to think too much about the latter). The ride home was blissfully short. Upon arrival, I threw open the trunk, grabbed the bags, tossed them in the fridge, and cranked the temperature down as low as I could. I then returned to the car, and looked in the trunk for my keys... No keys.
Not to ruin the suspense, but I'd already carried them inside, as they'd fallen into one of the grocery bags. Still, I was mildly alarmed, and considered briefly a visit to a doctor for psychiatric evaluation. I may still visit that doctor, but for now, I'm planning on a wonderful protein-filled meal and making it an early night. That was enough excitement for one day, and possibly for the entire weekend.
And no, I didn't conjure this up as some sort of deranged publicity stunt or an attempt to break my writer's block. In fact, I'll have you know that I already had another post all planned and ready for execution. All things considered, I figured this one would serve as a better bookend to a rather dull work week.
No comments:
Post a Comment