Running Errands

Yesterday was the day I became an official Arkansawyer.
Yep. The driver's license was finally obtained.
The day started out with getting major groceries.... we had been whittling down our stock of staples to the point meals were becoming rather creative. Ben and Tom both questioned having beans and cornbread in the same meal as fried cabbage.

Normally, Tom and I set out together in shopping like that. But he wanted to go to Missouri for some *ahem* items. I needed to go to Siloam Springs to shop at Save A Lot. So we split up. Tom noticed that Sam's boots were held together with duct tape. So Tom took Sam with him, figuring to get him shoes at WalMart there, where the taxes are less. I took Dan... and as we set out, I checked Dan's shoes. They were also falling apart...but not quite at the duct tape stage.
Dan and I went to Save-A-Lot first. Then to Sears for laundry detergent. We stopped and grabbed a couple of Ticcy Taco's at Taco Tico. Then on to WalMart for the few items I refuse to buy at SaveA Lot.
I looked at WM for shoes for Daniel. He and Sam are hard set against wearing sneakers. As we looked at the non-existent shoe selection for pre-teen boys, he explained he doesn't like sneakers because they 'always' hurt his feet. If we bought WalMart shoes, he had a choice of character sneakers in Spiderman or Incredible Hulk, or a pair of slip on boat shoe sneakers in plaid. Being almost 12... he was not happy with any of those choices. Poor guy was going to settle unhappily for the slip ons. I said No, we will go find a real shoe store later.

We finished at Wally and as we loaded groceries into the car, Dan pointed out a brand new shoe store across the street! It had only been opened a few weeks. We scooted over, and tried on a few pairs of sneakers. Dan put on a pair of New Balance in his size. The look on his face was priceless. He strode up and down the aisle for a minute, and told me those were his shoes. His new FAVORITE shoes, the most comfortable shoes in the world!

We headed home... a mere four hours after we had left. Tom was concerned, as I had left my cell at home charging and he couldn't reach us. Sam was still wearing his duct tape. They had had the same luck in Jane as we had had in Siloam WalMart. I suggested I head back to the shoe store in Siloam... and so it wouldn't be a 'special trip', I said I ought to take the time to stop in at the Revenue office and get my license. We did that first... as it was almost three thirty by the time we got back to Siloam. Then back to the shoe store... Sam also chose a variety of New Balance sneakers.

Tom suggested I see if the WM there had jeans, as the twins are both down to one pair apiece. I bought the jeans by size... giving in to Sam's pleas for 'cowboy cut' wranglers. On trying them on at home... Cowboy cut means extra tight. They couldn't even fasten the jeans! So now we get to do the return thing.

But Not Today! I had enough running yesterday to last me a good while.

I called my Dad Thursday evening to let him know we wouldn't be coming down today. I had hoped to go to a family reunion on my Mom's side, and then staying at Dad's house overnight before heading back home. I didn't get to go- wahhh!
But I did talk to Dad for a little while. I let him know Ben and Tommy are 'graduated' now! I said we still hadn't decided on how to celebrate.

Gotta love my Dad. He says, "Take them out and let them get drunk!" Then He realized they aren't old enough to drink... (and they DON'T drink, at all, anyway. My Dad never believes stuff like that) So after he realized they aren't old enough to drink, he modified it to "Take them out and let them watch YOU get drunk".
Oh yeah, now that would be SO much fun! I may enjoy my Adult Beverage, but I don't get drunk. The times (twice) I did, I was so sick I lost all interest in drunkenness.
I did find out that Kathie finally got her mother's day gift... three weeks late! I had sent hers PRIORITY MAIL. She contacted the post office several times when it didn't arrive after a week. (Arlene's gift went parcel post and arrived in five days, after travelling twice the distance!) Turned out that the mail carrier (must have been a substitute) had left the box on the porch... of the first house on the road Dad and Kathie live on. Those folks left it there. Didn't tell the post office it was not theirs, didn't bother to let anyone know it was there. Earlier this week, Dad and Kathie were driving by and one of the kids who lived in that house flagged them down to ask if they were the %%%%% family. They had a whole COLLECTION of parcels for them, sitting on the front porch for weeks! At least they finally got them. Dad said they had strong words with the post office, UPS and DSL.

Oh! Benny reloaded my printer into the reformatted computer.... and it worked! Hooray, I am back to being able to print off the Internet and scan pictures into the computer! Whoo Hoo!