No, not the repellent, loathsome, weak, traitorous, failed Thomas so-called "Massie," but the drivers side front wheel of my truck. There I was, fresh outta the Peoples Collective Store (PCS), popularly known as Walmart, and cheerfully heading across the car park to the rig with provisions when disaster struck.
The truck visibly lurched to the right because its supposedly rugged all terrain tire was flat, almost like some kind of parable. Epic fail. But do you give up and surrender in the face of adversity? You do not, on the contrary, you march over to the next door Ford House and ask for help, "This may sound kinda stupid but my F150's got a flat in the Walmart car park and I don't have a jack and all of that to swap it out for my spare..."
Embarrassing and yet another parable in the offing, but the Ford service guy wasn't fazed, "Hey man, I'll meet you outside with a golf cart and we'll swap out that wheel." About 10 minutes later that's exactly what happened and the guys did it for free. Great result, "Gentlemen, your reward will be great in heaven." There are benefits, you see, to living in a small Texan town, would've been a very different experience in the Metrosprawl.
Next stop, drop the malfeasant tire off at Tom's Tire and drive 'round the corner to The Butchers of Hill County. This is a new store and something I've been banging on about for years, why doesn't our country town have a butcher? Well, now it does, and it's run by good people selling the real thing. Here's some of their marketing:
Hey there, meat lovers! Dive into our world of juicy steaks, tender roasts, and seafood delights. We're your friendly, local butcher shop in Hillsboro, Texas, serving up top-quality, hand-cut meats with a side of fun and flavor. Let's get butchering!
You bet, and I bought a couple of pounds of well affordable 80/20 to turn into burgers. May these friendly, good natured, quality, honest butchers prosper and flourish in the marketplace. Now, are they at the level of English country butchers, where you'll find freshly shot game? Maybe not yet, but they've only just opened and more power to 'em. If you're in town, swing by these people and buy some meat.
More on this exciting new development in rural revitalization anon, in the meanwhile, what can I say? It's all going on in the country.
Rusticus,
LSP
