I looked at a map two nights ago, wondering how I would get on to Interstate 80 from where I was in Champaign, IL. When I typed my location and my destination into the computer, I got two different routes – one using I-80, and one using a southern route. The southern route would take me through St. Joseph. My dad told me a Stetson hat outlet store was in St. Joseph. Excellent! I would take the southern route.
If only I had had an airplane…
The outlet place was really cool. The front area had lots of Stetson hats at regular prices. Many of them were too cowboy-looking. A couple had promise, but weren’t quite right.
Gus waited in the car.
In the back of the store was the clearance area. There were wool dress hats back there for $25. Amazing! I saw two hats I liked, but one was too small and the other was too big. Dang.
The black one was too small. The gray one was too big.
The second day of driving was a lot harder. I was tired, especially at the end. I drank a LOT of tea and ate a LOT of sugary candy. At one point, I stopped at a McDonald’s. As I left the bathroom, I noticed a weird thing on the door.
Is it a door stop?
I looked up, and noticed a sign on the door:
What a great idea!
It’s a thing to open the door with your foot instead of your hand so you don’t get nasty germs all over your hands right after you’ve washed them.
Amazing!
If I had more time or energy, I could have stopped along the southern route for site-seeing. I passed the Mark Twain Cave, and the birth sites of Walter Cronkite and JC Penny. Instead, I just kept going.
It was so nice to finally arrive in Seward. I had a delightful evening with my parents. Gus is staying with them, so I stayed late at their house while he settled in. He was looking more like his normal self by the time I left. He’s going to love it there!
‘Hooray’ for your parents who are keeping Gus safe from my idiot cats! He will be very happy there. 🙂
Those foot things are hard for me to use. Last time I whacked my knee against the edge of the door. (Definitely operator error.) That reminds me of a personal rant about public bathroom practices that make me crazy. For example: If you are a person who flushes the toilet with your foot because you are afraid of germs, that’s all fine and good, except that now you’ve just added crud from the floor to the handle. I’ll stop now.
Every woman for herself in a public restroom, Lauren.
You drove past where I grew up by Hannibal. I’ve been on highway 36 many times. Welcome to Seward!
Gus’ diary, Day 3:
So what is the big deal with this human? He drives forever in this box-on-wheels just to stop at a store that sells head coverings?! Can’t he just cover his nose with his paw like I do?? Anyway, he finally dropped me with these really nice, quiet people who are not in a moving box-on-wheels and I think I like them/it here. He eventually went away so I could get more comfy and settled in. I’m still hoping they will eventually peel grapes for me (no…wait…I don’t eat those, do I? well, you get the idea). Until later…
You funny.
Did you find any Christian tracts in the restroom? The last few times we stopped at McDonald’s (in many different places around the US) there were tracts in strategic locations in the restroom. I was not familiar with this this evangelism method.
Cool door opener. And are you saying your hat size is 7 3/16?
I didn’t see any tracts. Bathroom evangelism. Heh.
My hat size is between 7 3/8 and 7 1/2. Exactly between, it seems. It’s kind of frustrating.
I am all for not touching the bathroom door when leaving! I’ve not seen the door pedal anywhere yet, good idea. I use my paper towel to touch the handle and open the door, then play trash can hoops if close enough….if not throw in the corner, the establishment will get the idea after a few towel balls on the floor….oprah said it would be ok to start this trend. Ha I use my foot to flush and have been known to wear my purse around my neck through the process if there is no where to hang it in the stall. I no touchy anything in public bathrooms! Don’t get me started on the toilet paper dispenser placement! Sometimes you need ape arms and to stand on your head to get to the TP? That’s a whole nother thing! Ha