"It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who genuinely have a medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." ~ Dave Barry

Hello out there. It's Tuesday, November 13, 2018, and it's also Ladies Bible Study day in our home. I will likely wait until just before they start and then I will hightail it out to the mall where I can do some walking, run a few errands, and while away the hours. I have an audio Bible APP (New King James Version) on my phone, therefore, I listen to it as I walk. It's interesting. I would have thought I could have listened to the entire Book of Genesis in one session, however, when my legs told me 'enough is enough' I was only 15 chapters in. Hello? I am up to three laps now including the corners because that is how 'the wife' likes to walk it. Don't leave any spaces out. The photo was made last Friday. I had finished my walk and I was sitting outside in an area called the patio. The temperature was in the mid-50's and there was a moderate breeze. Wonderful! I do have a major dilemma. Coffee. No one at the mall sells Louisiana Community Coffee Altura 100% Columbian. The lady at the Sonic in the food court is so sweet. She said that perhaps I would just have to live with the Green Mountain they brew. Bless her heart. They do have a bold, dark roast at that other coffee place. You know the one I am talking about. It's where all the 'in the know' millennials go. It has that funky looking logo of an ancient Norse lady with a crown on her head. Going in there is an ordeal for me, but, the bold and dark brew is akin to a downpayment on real coffee, and, it tasted reasonably passable as I sipped it out on that patio in the cool breeze. That may have been one of the times when I thought to myself, this retirement thing may not be all bad. When I go into that so-called 'coffee' place it's kind of scary. I see and hear them squishing, squirming, and sloshing all manner of concoctions into cups they sell as coffee. Pretty frightening. I am always glad when they hand me mine so I can get back on the road. Amen and Amen.

When I go to that place it reminds me that I am not up to date technologically. These younger folks pay for their stuff with all kinds of gadgets. I saw one hold up something that looked like one of those Bic cigarette lighters. Me? I used cash. I had purchased that brew before so I had the $2.65 ready. (I can make 5 cups at home for this same price.) The loose change included some nickels, dimes, and pennies. The young fellow looked down at the change I gave him, looked up at me, and then he began to sort them out to count them. He finally threw it all into the register and said, 'Close enough.' Close enough? I expected him to confirm that I had paid the right amount. Anyone can make a mistake. See what I mean? It's not like I had been playing a game of Horseshoes. Close enough? Folks from my generation are emphatic about our honesty. I suppose next time I will use my debit card and make it easy for the kids that work there. I am not throwing off on these kids. They are our children too. With all the technology surrounding them, they no longer have any use for things like counting out change. What happens when the electronic gadget doesn't work? They perfect the blank stare. Just observing. Not judging.

Book I read to the children.

We did some outdoor photos last Saturday afternoon. It was in the mid to high 40's. Perfect for me. We also did some inside studio work at the same venue. They had that area warmed up with heaters. Oh my! It was warm. When we were outside many of the littles had their noses all pink from the cool. One of the dad's said that I sure looked cozy sitting in my chair. He didn't know the half of it. Let me just say it like this, I wasn't the least bit too cool. In fact, we debated whether I should wear the ice cubes vest or not. My conclusion, when in doubt, wear it! I would rather worry about being too cold than to feel the meltdown inside The Suit. The lady taking the photos had five children of her own. Working with them was wonderful. They live off the beaten path. The kids were dressed in outfits for the photos. That didn't keep them from doing what all children do when they can. Playing. Skidding on the grass. Turning over on their bicycle. We had one family with two children that had never liked Santa. We took photos anyway. The bottom line, they still do not like Santa. Those kicking and screaming photos, just so you know, will take it out of you if you are the one trying to wrestle and hold on to the kicking and screaming kid. We did have a successful outing. The lady said she would be better prepared next year now that she has some ideas about how to work with us. Because of all of the above, I left feeling once again like I had been beaten with a tire tool. I think my eldest son told me once that most people do not know what a tire tool looks like. Believe me. If you ever get beaten by one, you will not forget it. Take care. Enjoy the rest of your day. And, may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.