by Larry EderThere are many benefits of living in small towns. One of them is that plumbers and locksmiths can actually show up on the day you want and need. Another is that your friends, many times, are still there upon your return.
My walk on the Rock River, 31 March 2014, photo by Larry Eder
The weather went from warm and breezy to cold and windy in four hours. By Tuesday morning, it was 29 degrees when I went to Scotties for breakfast. Scotty is an old Navy cook, and his partner, Randall and his sister, Jackie, run the place.
An old diner from the 1920s on, this place has orange formica tops and is my favorite place in the world for breakfast. A cheese omelet, sausage links, great $1 coffee and potatoes. My one serving this week of potatoes.
Breakfast takes about forty minutes, as Scotty and Randall take their time. That gives you time to catch up with Jackie and the other folks who frequent the place.
In the space of an hour, I paid off my florist bill from December, got a haircut and a shave and grabbed a coffee at the Granola Girls shop.
Heading back to my house, full of boxes, I called for Mark the Plumber, as my kitchen sink had issues and found a locksmith as my lock was falling out of the door and I had lost my keys. So much for security. My thoughts have always been, if you want my stuff, just ask for it. I would give people anything, and have shared my house when a neighbor lost his. Stealing stuff is just not in my vocabulary and when my former neighbor stole booze and money from me, I was hurt. Just did not understand it.
So, I am learning to lock things and such. New development at fifty-five.
While Fort Atkinson was cold today, the familiarity allows me to work through some of the concerns I have had about selling my house or renting it out. I am not there yet. I will probably come back in June and make the decisions. But, not now.
Now, I have to pack up, sleep, and head to Paris on Wednesday.
