Today started early. I had to get up at 04:00 to be able to take my thyroid medication and feed the chickens an hour before I made cappuccinos for myself and HA at 05:00. Then we were off to the 1½ hour drive to the airport, where HA got on a plane to go and visit her parents and sons for a month. For the month, I’ll have to take on full responsibility for caring for and feeding the livestock, feeding and grooming Luna, collecting eggs, and walking Luna.
My first extra task was going to Costco, which is near the airport and one mustn’t waste a trip. It was only 07:45 when I dropped HA off at the airport, so I had a bit of a wait before Costco opened at 09:00. Fortunately, the gas station was already open so I was able to get diesel fuel for Timmy the Titan for the low, low price of $6.999 per gallon: it’s $8.229 at the nearest station to our house. Hoping for lots of sun so we can limit our use of diesel. I also got five gallons of ethanol-free gasoline for our backup generator, again hoping for sun so we won’t need it.
Even after I got the petroleum products, there was still a wait before the warehouse opened. I’d also taken big-time antibiotics for my faceache and they were giving my empty stomach a challenge. Oh, and I needed a bathroom. All three problems were solved by a trip to the Pink Mocha Cafe nearby. It’s a really cool little coffee shop in an industrial building near Costco. They have good food, excellent coffee, and awesome staff.
I’m agoraphobic. Not badly so, but shopping at Costco is generally challenging. Particularly since I’m still recovering from the mother of all earaches, I was concerned about my ability to manage the whole Costco thing. It’s one of the things that HA usually does so I don’t have to. I was saved largely by the fact that we’re “Executive” members which means we can get in an hour early. It was relatively uncrowded and I was able to get almost all the shopping done before the place got busy. I did leave with a handful of things still on my list, but I got the bulk of the stuff done that can really save us money. And Luna got her three rotisserie chickens. Shhhh. Don’t tell our layers.
It’s only a month, but of course she’s always gone too long anytime she goes away.
—2p