Saturday, August 19, 2017

Tales of Country Life in Texas



It was a day much like any other day, triple digit heat bouncing off Walmart's car park and you could feel the nuttiness as soon as you got inside the store. 

There it was, no sooner through the automatic doors and people were acting weird, off-hand and unbalanced, as though things could spin out of control. Maybe it was the heat.


Random SMLE

I took a cart and pushed on to stock up, milk, bread, wine, cheese and for some reason, root beer. It seemed good to me, I don't know why and it wasn't easy to get, there was too much random motion.

As I pulled the 4 pack of IBC into the cart, a weather-beaten woman slid across the aisle in front of me in dirty socks. No shoes, just socks; I guess it's easier to skate over Walmart's vinyl floor in socks, shoes have too much traction. I dodged out of the way but didn't get far.


Furries

A grinning, white haired giant loomed out of the freezer aisle into my path. "Say," he growled, "What's the only room in the hospital where they'll notice you?" I wasn't feeling quick and told him I didn't know. That satisfied him, after all, this was his joke. "I'll tell you, Emergency. They have a sign, says I... C... U..." 

We locked eyes and a grin creased his already lined, tan face. I told him that was pretty funny and he nodded. A moment of understanding. In the meanwhile, sock-skater had disappeared into the depths of the store and I checked out, passing the old men sitting on the bench outside the hair salon, looking brown as nuts under their veterans hats and not doing much at all except regarding the spectacle of the place unfold. This was their afternoon; I noticed one had been in Korea, but don't stare, it's rude.


Note The 12

I loaded my groceries into the rig and there, across the melting asphalt, were two young guys playing show-and-tell with a pump action twelve gauge outside their truck. Hey, why not, it's Walmart in August, there's no rule. 

Back home, Eduardo and Maria were slaughtering chickens in the back yard and getting it on to some Mexican music. They're good people and I like them; sometimes they bring me fresh eggs, which taste better than the things you buy in stores.




And that's country life.

In Texas,

LSP


14 comments:

drjim said...

You sound content and blessed, Parson!

LL said...

Country life is good. It's colder and there is more rain in the U.K.

Infidel de Manahatta said...

Now that sounds like a good life. Here in NYC the typical day for me is avoiding the hippie-wanna-be protesters at Trump tower and then everyone at work frothing about impeachment or "getting him out any way we can" including a coup or an assassination.

Adrienne said...

I could do without the chicken killing (you know how sensitive I am) and our Walmart is not near as much fun as your Walmart, although it's slowly becoming that way.

Old NFO said...

And there isn't a thing in the world wrong with that! :-)

Well Seasoned Fool said...

With all the personal hygiene products Walmart stocks one wishes some customers would find their way to those aisles.

LindaG said...

Nothing like farm fresh eggs, for sure.
We often carry when we go to Walmart now, especially that since there have been more reports of mugging.

Blue shows us just how hot and humid it is!
Hope you all have a blessed week!

LSP said...

drjim, it's mostly just that, but of course we're geared for perfection. Walmart has a little ways to go...

LSP said...

Be careful on those mean streets, LL. Wish I could be there too and escape the heat wave, we're obviously having a setback in the War on Weather.

LSP said...

Infidel, you have my total sympathy.

LSP said...

Our Walmart's not getting any less crazy, Adrienne. I'm not sure what to say about it except to lay the blame roundly on the remaining STATUES.

LSP said...

Old NFO, right on!

LSP said...

That, WSF, is a very good point.

LSP said...

Linda, I think you're right to carry in Walmart, I really do.

Blue was knocked out by the heat!