Tis The Season To Be Busy

On Thursday the temperature is supposed to drop (with a prediction of close to zero degrees Fahrenheit) and snow will fall (depending on which source you check with, somewhere between one and five inches.) That's gotten everyone in a frenzy. Add that to the almost-Christmas furor and things were crazy out there today.

My first commitment was a chiropractor appointment. I left wearing my heavy winter coat, and was glad I did. The person ahead of me was having some issues. I heard the doctor diagnosing and giving advice, and his appointment ended up taking twice as long as a normal adjustment would. I always appreciate when the doctor does the same thing for me, but today the added waiting was an annoyance.

When I got home Hubby Tony and I went out to run some errands, one of which was to pick up some extra Christmas presents. This morning there was a gift bag hung on our condo door, which held a miniature loaf of banana bread and a small container of cookies from a downstairs neighbor. It seems like when one neighbor starts gifting others reciprocate, so we wanted to make sure we were ready.

We walked through several stores, debating between cookies decorated by special needs workers, chocolates, and specialty popcorn. In the end the four-pack of chocolate truffles won, and that task crossed off the list. We also popped into the office supply store and post office before starting a circuitous route back home.

Our next to last stop was at Sam's Club, where I realized I was feeling hungry and grumpy. We grabbed our items and headed toward the checkout, where the lines were long. I left Tony to pay and headed to the cafe area, where I ordered a piece of pizza for us to share. While waiting, I  chatted with the lady standing in line behind me. She was upbeat and energetic, and I felt her energy rubbing off on me.

On the way home traffic was so bad that Tony passed on his last stop, the bank. When we arrived back at the condo Jackson the Cat was waiting for his lunch, which he pointed out was being served late. I finished my own lunch and had a cup of coffee, then decided to walk up to the bank.

In preparation I moved items from my large purse to a wallet-sized one. By this time it had warmed up enough that the lightweight winter coat was all I needed. The walk was lovely. When I passed the mall exit, there were long lines of cars waiting to enter and leave. The closer I got to the major arterial road the worse the traffic got. And that road itself was gridlocked from the time I turned onto it until I reached the bank.

Inside the bank I opened up my purse and saw my drivers license and charge card. No ATM card. Fortunately, the teller was a joy to work with. She looked up my account information with a smile and at the end of the transaction sincerely told me to have a great day.

Five years ago today: Grateful