Small Towns and Junk Food

Okay, so I finally got the trip into town that I've been promising myself for two weeks. Well, a piece of it anyway. I still have some business that can only be finished in the bigger town about 70 miles away, and I've got to sneak to do that. But I can catch a ride with a neighbor and at least get some fuel and groceries.

I spend so much time by myself in the boonies that even a trip to this little burg, population a couple of thousand, kinda gives me a case of sensory overload. There are cars on the road. They're moving. Panic! Not really, but there are a lot of things going on all around me, and my eyes don't know what to follow. It's weird.

Anyway, one of the things you have to get used to when dealing with this little town is that it's really screwed up, services-wise. If somebody wants to close up and go home for the day, he bloody well does. Even if he runs the only restaurant in town. Seriously - it's really like that. I went to the service station and asked where I might buy some kerosene. He didn't know. I bought some propane at the well-digging company - which is where you go to buy propane unless you get it at the chainsaw repair place: Don't try buying it at the propane company because they're swear at you and drive you away, I'm not making this up - and he says sure! You want kerosene, go to the airport! That's where they sell it. Ask for five gallons of jet fuel, they'll fix you right up. And sonuvagun, when he said that I was reminded that the airport was indeed where my landlord had last filled that five-gallon jug of kerosene I just emptied. Jet fuel. This is a wonderful place.

I went to the only supermarket in town to stock up on groceries, and it occurred to me as I was filling a shopping cart that my standards had really changed. I'm buying stuff like bread, margarine, canned veggies, fresh veggies - and I'm thinking of it as junk food. Luxuries - the sort of things you eat when you can eat anything you want. I've got 100 pounds of rice, sure, and a fellow can live on rice - sort of. All these groceries in this cart, which I would once have considered the most basic of staples - luxuries. Junk food. A pound of hamburger is a big treat. I'm gonna fry myself a hamburger later this evening, and then make a big pot of my favorite spaghetti sauce with meat and onions and green pepper. Luxury.

The only supermarket in town. They were out of eggs. According to the guy at the hardware store - who also didn't have any kerosene - they've been out of eggs for two days. Like he should talk - try buying a 2X4 at the local hardware store. Good luck.

I love this place.