DJ's Detritus

A Creative Writing Class Dropout's Last Refuge

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Impatient Bastard

I’m generally not considered such but waiting in the Safeway checkout line turns me into one.  I try to scope things out before I decide on which line to commit to, but I invariably screw up as I see people that choose a different line after me leave the store before me, with a haughty look on their face I might add.

I chose wrong again yesterday.  I usually do the self-checkout, but you cannot use it with alcohol.  As I’ve mentioned previously, our sage political leaders in Sacramento changed the law so you can no longer self-check your 1.5-liter plastic bottle of Popov vodka or any other booze.  In an aside, I’d like to highly recommend you try the 2016 Artezin Zinfandel from Mendocino.  If you buy six or more, and I always do, you can get it at the bargain price of $12.15 per.

So, now on to my adventure in the checkout line. The woman in front of me didn’t seem to have anything too complicated and the person in front of her was almost done.  Of course, one of that person’s final items engendered an extended conversation about the validity of one of his coupons.  However, they did come to an agreement after a couple minutes and he headed off into the parking lot.  Then Ma Barker decided she was going to pay with a check.  I was born in the 50s and I never do that.  She couldn’t quite get it right the first pass, so she had to pull out a new booklet of checks.  She apologized to me, but I didn’t want her to see the prick inside, so I gently told her it was no problem.  By that time Gampy came up behind me, and he was gabbing from the get-go.  To my chagrin, I briefly engaged him, telling him he’d covered all the major food groups when he put his pastries and gummy bears on the conveyer.  He thought that was a laugh riot and shared it with the guy behind him.  His stream of consciousness bullshit continued as I exited the first world hell that is Safeway.

Sunday, June 03, 2018

I’m A Content Provider

I put a link to my blog on FB last night and I am simply stunned by the results, including one FB comment and blog hits from two separate sources.  This is the power of social media.

I’m going to a pot luck dinner tonight, but I don’t have to bring anything except a bottle of wine.  That’s my favorite kind of pot luck.  But I’ve spent the morning slaving over a hot stove nonetheless, making a fine chicken chili for a few meals this week.  I may even share some with our new roomie, a relative of #1. He’s a grad student with an internship in Santa Clara.  I have to determine how to break it to him that the #1s moved to Singapore so they didn’t have to live with him.  I really don’t understand it because he seems like a good kid.

My wife was out of town a few weekends ago.  I padded around the house a lot, occasionally peering out the window.  I then came to the realization I was one of those old men lurking around his house all day.  Pretty soon I’ll be yelling at school kids to stay off my lawn.

As I mentioned a few posts back, I do make notes for future blog use.  I had one about telling a waiter in a Spanish restaurant to heat up my gazpacho, but then realized I had used that crack years ago.  I’m sure you guys are used to me repeating myself anyway.  I’m 61 for God’s sake!

The wife is currently out doing her Zumba thing followed by a trip to Trader Joe’s.  Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to broach the topic of us having a long-distance relationship.