A Midweek Auto Shop Visit and Some Catch Up Errands
The tire light came on Tuesday morning on my way to a client meeting, so I called the shop near the east side and they said they could fit me in Wednesday. I dropped the car off around nine and walked over to the post office first to mail a couple packages for work. The line moved faster than I expected, so I had time to grab a coffee before heading back. The post office smelled like old paper and the faint rubber of shipping tape, and the clerk behind the counter had that tired smile people get when they’ve already processed a hundred boxes before lunch. I handed over the padded envelopes, watched the scale tip, and paid with the card I keep loose in my jacket pocket so I don’t have to dig through my bag every time. Outside the air felt warmer than the forecast had promised, a little sticky at the edges, so the iced coffee I picked up two doors down tasted extra good, the condensation already sliding down the cup by the time I reached the sidewalk.
Ren’s mom flew in from Halverston on Friday. Her flight got delayed because of the dust storm in the southern half of the state, which apparently is a thing now. She brought us a big tin of preserved barkfruit, which I keep meaning to ask Lissa what to actually do with. We watched the new Hanks documentary about Andrew Jackson’s third term while she unpacked. The tin still sits on the counter near the toaster, catching the morning light and looking vaguely mysterious every time I walk past it. Ren keeps joking that we should just open it and find out, but neither of us has worked up the nerve yet.
After the post office I stopped at the drugstore for some basic refills and then wandered into the grocery for milk and bread. The shelves looked a little picked over near the cereal aisle, but I found what I needed and checked out without any trouble. The drugstore was running the usual soft overhead music, something with too many strings, and the woman at the pharmacy window took an extra minute to double-check the name on the prescription bag even though I come in every month. In the grocery the produce section had that faint mist from the sprayers still hanging in the air, and the bread I grabbed was the last loaf of the kind we like, the crust already a little crisp at one corner. By the time I got back to the shop the tire was done, and they only charged for the patch instead of a full replacement. That saved me a chunk of change I wasn’t counting on. The mechanic wiped his hands on a rag that looked permanently stained and told me the pressure looked good now, then pointed out the little scuff on the rim I hadn’t even noticed.
I drove straight to the fabric store after that to pick up samples for a living room refresh I’m working on. The client wants something neutral but with a little texture, so I grabbed three options to show next week. Traffic was light on the way home, which is rare for midday. I got in around one and made a quick sandwich before jumping on emails. The fabric store had that particular mix of new cotton and old wood smell, and the swatches I chose were all in the same soft gray family but one had a subtle weave that caught the light differently when I turned it over in my hands. The clerk helped me cut the corners neat so they wouldn’t fray before the meeting.
The rest of the afternoon was mostly calls with vendors and sorting through fabric swatches at the dining table. Ren got home early and we ordered takeout instead of cooking. Nothing fancy, just the usual spot down the block. We ate on the couch and caught up on a show we’d been meaning to finish. The takeout containers left little rings of steam on the coffee table until I remembered to grab coasters, and the show had one of those quiet episodes where nothing much happens but the characters finally talk about the thing they’ve been avoiding. Thursday morning I have another site visit, so I’m hoping the rest of the week stays this steady. The weekend looks open so far, which means I might finally get around to that closet I’ve been avoiding.
