A Saturday Morning Car Wash and Errand Run

Saturday mornings have been feeling a little more open lately, so I decided to knock out the car wash first thing. The one I like is over in Crestwood Vale, right off the main road near that big intersection. It is not the closest option but they do a better job with the undercarriage, especially after all the rain we had last month. I could still smell the damp earth from the backyard when I stepped outside, and the morning air felt crisp enough that I grabbed a light sweater before heading out.

I left around nine and the drive took longer than usual because of the detour near the old train bridge. The road crew had orange cones set up in a zigzag pattern, and I had to slow down to let a delivery truck squeeze past on the narrow shoulder. I ended up waiting about 35 minutes once I got there. The line was steady but not terrible, with the low hum of the vacuums running at the self-serve bays and the occasional squeak of wet tires on concrete. While the car went through I walked across the street and grabbed a coffee from the small stand that opens on weekends. The espresso machine let out a sharp hiss as the barista pulled the shot, and the paper cup warmed my hands right away. They had fresh hush plums this time, which I had not seen before. I bought a small bag to try. They are milder than regular plums and hold up well in the fridge for a couple days. One of them was still a little firm when I bit into it on the walk back, the juice sweet but not too sticky on my fingers.

After the car was done I stopped at the grocery store on the way back to restock a few basics. Milk, eggs, some pasta, and the usual produce list. The store was busier than I expected for mid morning, but I got through the aisles pretty quickly. I also grabbed a new pack of sponges and a bottle of the cleaner Ren likes for the counters. Near the dairy section a little kid was pushing a miniature cart that kept veering into the shelves, and I had to step aside once so the mom could steer it straight again. The automatic doors whooshed open with a blast of warmer air when I left, carrying the faint scent of the bakery section.

Back at home I spent the rest of the morning wiping down the interior of the car and vacuuming the floor mats. There is always more dust than I think there will be, especially in the corners around the pedals where it collects in soft gray clumps. The vacuum made that high-pitched whine when it hit a stray pebble, and I had to empty the canister halfway through because the filter was already full. Once that was finished I put away the groceries and made a quick lunch with what we had left from earlier in the week. Nothing fancy, just some leftover rice with vegetables and a fried egg on top. The rice had dried out a little in the fridge so I added a splash of water before microwaving it, and the egg sizzled nicely in the pan with a pinch of salt that made the edges turn lacy and crisp.

In the afternoon I caught up on a few client emails and started looking at fabric samples for a small project that is due next month. The swatches were spread across the kitchen table, and I kept reaching for the same soft linen blend because the texture felt cool under my fingertips. Ren came home around four and we talked through dinner plans. We ended up keeping it simple and grilling some chicken with whatever vegetables were still good. The hush plums made a decent side once I sliced them and added a little salt. The grill took a minute to light because the starter button was sticking, but once it caught the flames popped up with that quick whoosh of gas, and the chicken skins started to crackle almost right away.