Erica and I are carpooling. We have to make amends to Mother Earth for the decision to contribute to Urban Sprawl. So we share and get up early and wait on each other after work. I love it. It doesn't happen every day due to our ever-fluid schedules, but it is a real pleasure to be picked up at the front door of a hospital after a day of work, conferences, and studying.
I used to love when my mom would pick me up from school. A lot of days we would go to Claude's, which was England's local dairy bar. Imagine a low brown building, cinder-blocks up to about waist high, glass from there to the top. Lots of asphalt. We also called it Spradlin's because the whole clan worked there; Mr. Claude was the granddad. I've never in my life spent a dime there. We just charged it. Remember, I have been going to this same little place for over 20 years. My dad and aunt have been going there since they were in school. The waitress sometimes doesn't recognize me if it's been a few years. At noon, there are about 30 trucks there, some pulled under the orange and brown metal awning and some scattered about the parking lot, ditches, or adjacent side street.
If you haven't had a cheeseburger deluxe with "new" fries and a medium Dr. Pepper from Claude's, you haven't lived. I'm serious. They started calling seasoned fries "new" when I was in about the fourth grade, and they still know what you're talking about if you order them. I don't ever eat the chili dogs, but they continue to rotate in the little machine. And don't get me started about the milkshakes.
Some places are just magnetic centers for a social structure. In England, my world was either at school; across the street from there at the ball fields; at my grandparents' house; in the Methodist Church; across the street from there at my dad's office; or in the yards and trees of my neighborhood. I can't imagine a better childhood. I know this is totally sappy, but it's what I am thinking about while I wait on my ride. I wish mom would come pick me up and take me to Claude's. I guess I'll always wish for that.
Hmmm... News. Pretty average weekend, actually. We shopped and played on Saturday. I did the media presentation at church yesterday. There's a guy at church who is from Detroit originally. He is recently returned from the Peace Corps and just got a drivers' license Friday for the first time. I didn't realize how inexperienced he is but let him drive my car. He needed a ride home and to a hardware store to get a key made. I was amazingly calm, given the circumstances. I found out afterwards that he had only driven THREE times! What was I thinking - we went all over LR looking for a store that was open. I was helping him merge onto the interstate and telling him where to exit. I can't believe I agreed to it! No harm done.
Dory got to play with four other dogs at Betsy and Vic's house yesterday. We swam while they played. She slept like a rock last night, and I had to wake her up to go run this AM. She is the best dog EVER.
I've lost your attention for sure by now....
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