Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

My new glasses were in at my eye doctor's, so I took a trip to Central Pennsylvania to pick them up. I've retained my former eye doctor instead of getting one in Philly because I trust that office. Besides, I only need to go in for an appointment once a year, so it's not too inconvenient.

Because they weren't open on Saturdays, I drove up on Friday morning and arrived at my Dad's place in time to do my regular afternoon assignment.

Afterwards, I drove to the community hospital, where the eye doctor's office is, and entered the optical shop portion of the office. One of the employees got my glasses and fitted them for me. He made them a little tight, which hurt my ears by the end of the day. After a couple days of minor adjustments, they're finally feeling good.

I had some time to kill before meeting my Dad back at his place for dinner, so I did a little shopping. First I went to Wal-Mart, where I picked up some items I'd forgotten to pack, such as toothpaste and hand lotion. I also got myself some thermal leggings to wear under my pants, since a cold spell had hit. And I picked up a sewing kit to repair the button that had fallen off my coat as soon as I'd walked in the door at Dad's.

Which reminds me: I had a rough start to the day, waking up to discover my left front tire was flat. Sometimes that happens when there's a sudden drop in temperature, so I did what I usually do, and drove to a nearby gas station to use the air pump. There was still some air left in the tire, so I didn't think it would be a problem.

When I tried to fill it, though, no air would go in. Three elderly men tried to assist me and also had the same problem, until one of them noticed that air was hissing out where the tire met the rim. He said it must have come unseated and I'd have to get it repaired.

I asked the clerk inside if they had a mechanic on the premises. The Sunoco station had only recently reopened under new management and was primarily selling gas, but he directed me to an auto repair business owned by the same man, located just a couple blocks away.

Turns out my timing was good, because the owner was just unlocking his shop. I told him about my dilemma, and he told me they'd fix it right away. He had me pull the car into the garage, and I took my dog, Una, for a walk around the block.

Since it was so early and no other cars were waiting, all four mechanics worked on the job. They examined the tire and discovered it had come unseated at the rim, so they put it back on properly, reinflated it and sprayed some sealant where the tire meets the rim.

I backed out and put Una back in the car before settling up. The owner only charged me $15, which I thought was really reasonable. I told him I was really appreciative, since I had a long journey ahead of them. He said, "It's solid now," and kicked it to demonstrate, a gesture that reminded me of my grandfather, if he'd had an Indian accent.

Sure enough, he was good to his word. I had no further troubles with the tire on my trip.

After Wal-Mart, I checked out one of my favorite shops, a consignment clothing store where I've shopped since I was in high school. The owner is choosy about what she selects, so the items there tend to be nicer. Can't beat the prices, either!

I tried on a number of pants but had no luck since they weren't cut properly for me. They all fit around the waist but were either too short or too tight in the thigh. I did find a charcoal gray sweater with a faux silk shirt. Usually I hate that sort of item, but in this case, it looks nice. I also found a casual jacket that I think could be good for layering. It's a stretch denim with aqua stitching.

I also picked up some dangly gold earrings with multiple colored glass beads.

The shop owner told me I looked familiar. I told her I look different from when I last lived in the area. "I think I know your mom," she said. I told her my mom's name, and there was an immediate flash of recognition. "Tell her hi."

I got back to Dad's place with enough time to catch a nap before he was done with his office hour.

The first thing he said when he saw my new glasses was, "Ah, tortoise shell. Trendy." I'm always a bit surprised when Dad is aware of current trends, since his taste in clothes has stayed pretty standard throughout the years: dress slacks, button down shirts and a tie. On the weekends, he doesn't wear the tie and sometimes wears a sweater over the shirt.

When I was a kid, I wanted him to wear jeans and T-shirts like other dads, but now I realize that he was dressing for his position. Maybe if we'd suggested khakis instead of jeans, he might have been more comfortable in them.

For dinner, we ate at the Bonanza steakhouse, because Dad had won some free entrees in a raffle to benefit a children's health charity. I ordered the salmon, which was surprisingly good. Sometimes when you order anything other than steaks in a steakhouse, you're disappointed, but the salmon was cooked to perfection. It was, however, too much, so I had half of it boxed up to take home.

We had a little time, so I called my mom to make plans for the next day, then hung out with Dad for a while before going downstairs to do my evening assignments on his computer.

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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