Asymptomatic

A couple of weeks ago, I headed out of the house for a lunch meeting. It was 12:30 on a Friday, and both kids were at school. Being that it was a just a lunch, I didn't think much of how it would affect the rest of my day.

The lunch ran a bit long. I didn't leave until somewhere around 3:45, and I figured I would pick up a couple of things on the way home, including the weekend fish feeders that we needed for during our upcoming trip. Being that it was just lunch, it never even occurred to me that it was so late in the afternoon that Abby would be done school and waiting for me at home.

While driving home, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. Our neighbor across the street and a few doors down had heard Abby sobbing on our front porch. She took her up the street to stay with another of our neighbors, and that is who called me. How thoroughly mortifying.

It took me until 4:20 to get home, cursing traffic the whole way. I drove straight to my neighbor's house, where I found Abby playing cheerfully. I was very glad that we have great neighbors that would help out like this, but thoroughly shamed that this escaped me. more

After yesterday's unusual work session in an actual office, I came home pretty beat. Not from the work, exactly, but from the traffic. I don't know how people do that commute every day.

But on my way home, I stopped at the Super Fresh grocery store to pick up a couple of items. Being out of soda at home is not a state that I like to have persist.

Armed with a case of diet soda and a box of Nutty Bars, I headed for the checkout. I wasn't really in the mood to interact with people - the traffic had put me in a bitter mood - so instead of choosing one of the two open lanes, I elected for the self-checkout....