In which Cliff and Donna go shopping

Because we aren't babysitting this week, and because the new Menard's store in Independence had just opened, I pronounced Tuesday a shopping day.  Cliff was less than overjoyed, but he had some interest in looking around Menard's.  I'm the early bird who hopes to get the worm, so I like to leave pretty early in the day.  Cliff, not so much, and this is one area in which I've lately tried to conform to his style.  "Go ahead and check Craigslist again," I tell him.  "We're retired, so we don't have to run on a schedule."

So we started when the day was well under way.  We use cash for most of our shopping, so our first stop was at Odessa at what used to be B&L Bank to get some cash.  I hate it when banks change hands.  Our bank has a branch at Lexington and one at Odessa, and we use whichever one seems to fit into our route for the day.  First stop, I told Cliff, would be the bank at Odessa.  
We were almost there when I said, "Hey, can we turn right at the next light?  I think I want to subscribe to the Odessan again."

See, some time back I was irritated by the rising price of the local paper, plus the fact that they had divided into two separate papers (one for Odessa, one for Oak Grove) while keeping the same subscription price for each one of them ($40 per year).  So I was getting half as much news, but paying the same price as before.  So I cancelled.  Now I'm done pouting.  I've missed the local items you only get in a small-town newspaper.  I forked over my forty bucks and we went on to the bank, where I was asked for my ID.

"This is why I prefer the Lexington location," I grumbled.  "They know me over there."

Truth is, most familiar faces at either location are gone, replaced by aliens.  The lady entering my ID in their system said, "Well, some of us... I worked here before the change."  A brief pause, and then, "Well, I had quit before the change, but I'm back now."    

I see.  Traitor!  As I was getting in the car with Cliff, I gave him my thoughts on banks that change all the time, because ever since Larry Wims left (back in the late 70's) things have gone downhill from where I sit.  Yes folks, this is how our shopping day began.  Still in Odessa, I happened to see the new Dollar Tree store and asked Cliff to stop just for a minute so I could check it out.  I debated whether to take my purse in ("I don't plan on buying anything"), but grabbed my billfold at the last minute.  It's a good thing, because I somehow spent $7 plus tax in there.  Cliff spent the idle time scanning last week's Odessan that I picked up while subscribing.  

On to Menard's!  This is where the chaff was separated from the wheat, because we were in there so long, each of us doing our own thing, that my knees decided they'd had enough and began jolting me with intense pain.  I hobbled around until I found Cliff, thinking he'd be ready to go; but he appeared to be having a great time; he was carrying several genuine bargains and was on the lookout for more.  I didn't say anything about my knees, but forced myself to walk around the store for awhile longer.  I eventually found a seat on one of those rolling step thingies that are everywhere in big box stores, and sat there until Cliff called my cell phone to say he was ready to go.

From there we went to Costco, and then, because we were hungry, I made a huge mistake:  After considering other spots to eat, we landed at Smokehouse Barbecue.  I've never liked the place... if I were rating barbecue spots, it would be way down on my list... but there we were and there it was and I said let's eat here.  Never again.

Why am I wasting my readers' time talking about a day spent shopping, you ask?  Because I'm uneasy about the turmoil going on since the election, and I need to focus on trivial things.  I've never claimed to know much about politics; I pretty much just vote my feelings about the people and issues involved.  I don't care who anybody else votes for.  So it amazes me to see so much hatred on the part of adults.

I keep telling myself how interesting the next months and years will be as we watch how these events play out.  I tell myself, "Just wait until the dust settles.  It'll be all right."

But will it?