mmerriam | The Intrepid Adventurer Returns (Reply)

Undaunted by the foul weather outside, I ventured forth and ran errands in downtown Hopkins this morning. The Reverend Selena was distressed to see me going out in the pouring rain (I had the patio door shades open and she was watching the rain come down). She meowed at me in concern and fright as I slung my trusty messenger bag over my shoulder and headed for the door.

Reverend Selena: "What are you doing? You can't go out there!"

mmerriam: "It's just a little rain."

Reverend Selena: "Stupid Monkey! Death is falling from the sky!"

mmerriam: "It's water."

Reverend Selena: "Why are you going out there? What part of Death From The Sky do you not understand?"

mmerriam: "I'll bring you back some snacks."

Reverend Selena: "How will you bring me snacks when you're dead? What is wrong with you? Is your brain broken? Death is falling from the sky! Monkey, are you stupid? Who will feed me when the falling death melts the flesh from your body and dissolves your bones? Why would you go out there? Monkey, are you listening to me? Monkey, are you a zombie? Is that why you're not afraid of the Death from the Sky?"

mmerriam: "Good grief."

My University of Oklahoma umbrella kept the rain off my body and the University of Minnesota sweatshirt kept me warm, but my battered old shoes (which I chose because I knew whatever shoes I wore would get soaked) leaked like a leaky thing and my feet got wet.

Once off the bus I made a quick stop at the bank for some cash and then off to the post office. At the post office I was treated to the sight of no less than five Hopkins police cars in the parking lot, a group of officers in rain slickers and those old time looking police hats standing around. They don’t seem to be stopping people from coming and going, so I cautiously approached.

An officer near the door greeted me with a cheerful, "How are you today?"

"Wet," I replied and he laughed. Inside there were a couple more officers and what I suspected was a plain-clothes detective talking to Post Office staff. I took care of my business at the self-service station and left.

I really wonder what that was all about.

Through the blustery weather to the grocery store. I thought a couple of times my poor umbrella was going to snap under the strain of the wind, but I should have known better. That thing survived years of nasty Oklahoma weather and is far tougher than it looks.

I made my purchases and walked back to the bus stop. There, I ended up sharing umbrella space with a person whose own umbrella had snapped backwards and broken. Not a problem: my umbrella is large and this person is about as big around as my thigh. A short bus ride spent chatting with my new umbrella-less friend, them home.

I put away the groceries, changed into warm pajama pants and t-shirt (fresh from the dryer!). I made strong coffee and chatted with

inagoddesseye for a few minutes on Google-chat while I ate lunch.

I have a cup of strong coffee and a stack of CD's. I'm wearing warm comfy clothes. I have my "Not a Milk Maid of Destiny" novel open and my cat sleeping near me.

Here we go!