A Trip to the Auto Shop and Some Quick Stops
I took the car in on Tuesday morning because the check engine light had been on for a couple weeks. The shop is over near Crestview Park, which usually means I can swing by a few other places without too much backtracking. They said it would be done by lunch, so I walked down the block to kill time and grab a coffee. The air outside already felt warm even though it was still early, and the sidewalk had that faint dusty smell from the dry spell we’d had all month. Inside the coffee place the grinder was going nonstop, filling everything with this rich roasted scent that made me order a second shot in my usual latte. I took a seat by the window and watched a guy across the street trying to parallel park a big pickup between two compact cars; he gave up after three tries and drove off again.
The wait ended up being about an hour and a half instead of the quick oil change I had in mind. Nothing major, just a sensor that needed replacing. I used the time to answer a few work emails on my phone and make a grocery list for later. Ren had asked if I could pick up some things for dinner, so I added eggs and bread to the list while I was sitting there, plus a note to myself about checking if we still had any of that olive oil we both like. The waiting area had those stiff plastic chairs that creaked every time someone shifted, and the radio was tuned to a station playing oldies I half-recognized but couldn’t name. At one point a mechanic came out to ask whose silver sedan was blocking the side bay, and three of us stood up at the same time before realizing it wasn’t any of our cars.
Once the car was ready I headed to the store. I ended up getting more than I planned because the produce looked decent. They had those ridgebean spreads on sale again, the kind Ren likes on toast. I grabbed a jar along with some tomatoes and a bag of spinach. The line moved fast, which was nice because I still wanted to stop for gas on the way home. While I waited at checkout the woman in front of me was telling the cashier about her new grandbaby, and the bagger kept double-bagging everything even though I said one was fine. Outside the automatic doors the automatic misting system over the flowers clicked on right as I passed, giving me a quick cool spray across one arm that actually felt nice in the heat.
On the drive back I noticed the new construction near the old bridge. Someone mentioned it was started back in 1997, but I don’t remember it looking that far along last summer. Traffic was light for a weekday, so I got home earlier than expected. I put the groceries away and then spent a bit of time watering the plants on the back steps. One of the ferns is finally starting to look better after I moved it out of the direct sun. The soil in the big ceramic pot was still damp from yesterday, so I skipped that one and just gave the smaller pots a slow pour until the water started to bead at the edges of the saucers.
Later in the afternoon I called Lissa to see if she wanted to meet for coffee on Thursday. She mentioned she had a dentist appointment in the morning but could do afternoon. We settled on the usual spot near her office. I think we might try that new sandwich place a couple blocks down if it’s not too crowded. She also told me about the new barista there who apparently draws little ferns in the foam on every cappuccino, which sounded like something we’d both end up taking pictures of even though we always say we won’t.
The rest of the day was mostly catching up on laundry and folding sheets. Nothing exciting, but it felt good to get a few things checked off before the weekend. Ren got home around six and we made pasta with the spinach I bought. It turned out pretty well, though I added too much garlic again. We watched an episode of that show we’ve been meaning to finish and then I went to bed early.