I just got a call from a call center (I could hear call-center activity in the background.
A woman with a slightly Mexican accent asked, "Guillermo?" I said, "Pardon?" and she said, "Is Guillermo Escobar there?" I said, "No, ma'am; no Guillermo here. You'll have to look elsewhere."
She didn't reply, so I hung up.
We chatted; I mentioned something and then said that was before his time. He said he was born in 2002, and I said I was born 50 years earlier. We both laughed, then wished each other Merry Christmas.
I asked to get my meal in a bag, since I can't carry a tray with my two canes. A woman came up and told me to find a seat and they'd bring out my lunch.
I did, and she did. She told me to leave my mess there and they'd get it.
"We'll take care of you," she said. And they did.
"79," he said.
That made me feel bad; I'm a good bit younger than he is.
People at Food Lion have helped me before, and it happened again today. I was walking into the store using my two canes when a young woman drove an electric cart out of the store.
She's helped me before, so I assumed the cart was for me. I asked if this was "valet parking," and she said it was.
It made my shopping a whole lot easier. Thanks again.
I decided to get some errands done today, but the weather shut me off. I got the car inspected (and oil changed) first, then bought gas, did some recycling of bottles and cans, and went to the bank. Then the rain started.
I knew I wasn't going to Dollar Tree, so I headed home.
I can hear a mouse digging around in the boxes behind me (March 11, 2018). Last night, I was working on this computer, a laptop, in my room, and I noticed the hind end and tail of a mouse under my door.
I parked at the store in a handicapped spot today; when I returned, someone had parked right beside beside me in a no-parking zone. Fortunately, I was backed in, and the driver's side door was opposite for the illegally parked car.
I was tempted to tell the driver that he/she was illegally parked, but I left it alone. I could see a huge argument ensuing.
I took Lady to Covington Park today but I wasn't able to walk her. The park was full of people, and every spot in the parking lot, including the handicap spots, was taken. In fact, someone parked in a non-parking spot.
So Lady and I left and went to the dog park instead; not what I wanted, but it had to do.
I saw something odd in the Food Lion parking lot the other day. Someone had parked a moped in a handicap spot, and I don't even know if he or she had the proper sticker; I didn't see one.
I mentioned it to a cashier, and he thought it odd as well. Why would someone with a handicap drive a moped? I wouldn't (and I have a handicap sticker).
My wife Holly and I went to the local library recently to do a session of sitting-down exercise. The only person there younger than us was the young woman who led the thing.
A woman with a slightly Mexican accent asked, "Guillermo?" I said, "Pardon?" and she said, "Is Guillermo Escobar there?" I said, "No, ma'am; no Guillermo here. You'll have to look elsewhere."
She didn't reply, so I hung up.
***
I was just listening to a video of Don McLean's American Pie, and the sound was correct. The problem was that the accompanying photo was not Don McLean; it was Bob Dylan.
***
I went to Frank's Restaurant, and a really young man was working behind the counter. He asked if he could carry out my order, and I said that would be great.We chatted; I mentioned something and then said that was before his time. He said he was born in 2002, and I said I was born 50 years earlier. We both laughed, then wished each other Merry Christmas.
***
I have no complaints about the Stanleyville Dairi-O restaurant today. I went in to eat and use their internet, and they went out of their way for me.I asked to get my meal in a bag, since I can't carry a tray with my two canes. A woman came up and told me to find a seat and they'd bring out my lunch.
I did, and she did. She told me to leave my mess there and they'd get it.
"We'll take care of you," she said. And they did.
***
I was walking into the library the other day and an old man with a cane helped me by opening both doors. We chatted a bit, and I asked politely how old he is."79," he said.
That made me feel bad; I'm a good bit younger than he is.
***
People at Food Lion have helped me before, and it happened again today. I was walking into the store using my two canes when a young woman drove an electric cart out of the store.
She's helped me before, so I assumed the cart was for me. I asked if this was "valet parking," and she said it was.
It made my shopping a whole lot easier. Thanks again.
***
I decided to get some errands done today, but the weather shut me off. I got the car inspected (and oil changed) first, then bought gas, did some recycling of bottles and cans, and went to the bank. Then the rain started.
I knew I wasn't going to Dollar Tree, so I headed home.
***
I can hear a mouse digging around in the boxes behind me (March 11, 2018). Last night, I was working on this computer, a laptop, in my room, and I noticed the hind end and tail of a mouse under my door.
It MIGHT be one mouse, but I suspect there are more.
Not related, I believe today is the 14th anniversary of my dad's death. He would have turned 101 this year.
***
I parked at the store in a handicapped spot today; when I returned, someone had parked right beside beside me in a no-parking zone. Fortunately, I was backed in, and the driver's side door was opposite for the illegally parked car.
I was tempted to tell the driver that he/she was illegally parked, but I left it alone. I could see a huge argument ensuing.
***
I took Lady to Covington Park today but I wasn't able to walk her. The park was full of people, and every spot in the parking lot, including the handicap spots, was taken. In fact, someone parked in a non-parking spot.
So Lady and I left and went to the dog park instead; not what I wanted, but it had to do.
***
I saw something odd in the Food Lion parking lot the other day. Someone had parked a moped in a handicap spot, and I don't even know if he or she had the proper sticker; I didn't see one.
I mentioned it to a cashier, and he thought it odd as well. Why would someone with a handicap drive a moped? I wouldn't (and I have a handicap sticker).
***
My wife Holly and I went to the local library recently to do a session of sitting-down exercise. The only person there younger than us was the young woman who led the thing.
I'm still pretty strong in my upper body, and I had little trouble with that. Still, the light weights seemed heavier by the time we finished the upper-body workout.
I had more trouble with my legs, but I've already decided I'll keep this up. If nothing else, it'll help my flexibility. The only negative is that there will be no leader on Friday; they'll use a video. (It was harder with the video; she did more exercises, and she worked faster.)
We have a similar video and workout strap at home, so I'll probably use them on days when I don't go to the library. That's my aim. (I've used the videos twice this week, and I like them. They do work too fast for me, though, and I've had to cut back on leg workouts.)
***
So I have to wonder why they chose me for those calls. But it was nice of them to call.
***
Some guy stopped to help me yesterday in front of Food Lion. He put down his bundles and handled my groceries to me so I could put them in the car. I felt bad when he asked for change; I didn't have any to give him.
He just shrugged, picked up his bags and walked off.
Strangely, that's the first time that's happened to me.
***
I can thank my friend Nancy for this: Even though I use two canes at once for balance, I take my shopping cart back to the Food Lion (or other store). I don't leave it near where I was parked, and I don't leave it in the allotted space in the parking lot. I return it to the store.
More than 30 years ago, she got me started, and I continue to do it. It just seems the right thing to do. And I rarely, if ever, see anyone else do that.
I also pick up trash when I encounter it (but that's another story).
***
When I went to the store today, it was scalding hot. When I got out of our car in the parking lot, I literally thought the engine was on fire. It didn't appear to be burning, though, so I went inside. But I worried in the back of my head.
When I went back outside, I realized that other cars felt and smelled like they were burning. I don't remember encountering that before, even in Florida.
***
Happy birthday to my mother, Agnes Virginia Hodge Gillispie, born May 8, 1915. She died March 28, 1978 at age 62. The strange thing to me is that, now, I'm older than she was at the time of her death.
***
***
I've enjoyed writing Sports Xtra stories again for the Winston-Salem Journal. I did that for two school years, then was shut out for the next two years. Then someone quit, and it resumed for me in August of 2015.
I've been writing three stories a week since last August, and that should continue through the end of May.
My stories have been mostly about Reagan, Mount Tabor and North Forsyth high schools, but Parkland, Winston-Salem Prep, Salem Baptist, the Forsyth Home Educators, Salem Academy and Calvary Baptist have gotten in the mix as well.
(NOTE: The school year ends for me on May 27; I sent my three stories last week. I'll have a respite from it until August; then it (thankfully) will start again.
***
Today is a sad day for me; March 28, 2015 was the 37th anniversary of my mother's death. I don't commemorate it in any way; I normally don't even remember it. But, for some reason, I remembered this year.
March stands out for me. My dad was born in March of 1917 and died in March of 2003. And my mother died March 28, 1978.
***
I realized yesterday that we're having Friday the 13th for the second straight month. I understand that it's a likelihood that it WOULD happen at some point, but I wonder how often it happens.
***
I'm not writing Hickory Motor Speedway stories for the Hickory Daily Record this year, and yesterday was Hickory's first race program of the season.I'd been doing this for three and a half years — two stories a week from March to November — and I'm obviously going to miss it. It wasn't my choice in discontinuing the stories. I just hope they miss me, too.
***
Today is the 12th anniversary of my dad's death in 2003. It's amazing how time has flown, and, yes, I still miss him.
***
I didn't think of it yesterday, but March 3 would have been my dad's 98th birthday. He was born March 3, 1917, and he died March 11, 2003 at 86.
Happy birthday, Dad.
***
I went to a local convenience store tonight and had a scare.As I walked in, some guy tried to talk to me, and I went on in the store. As I browsed for something, he went to the lady at the counter and said something to her. She told me loudly that he'd told her to tell me to give him a ride.
She said she wouldn't do it. When he asked me, I said no. Finally, he left. When I was ready to go, she went out to see if he was still there.
Thankfully, he wasn't.
***
I recently went to a supermarket and realized there were no shopping carts in the store. So I went back out to my car and found a cart.All of the carts were either being used inside the store, or they were in the place where people return the carts in the parking lot.
(NOTE: That store went out of business a few months later. I drove by there one day, hoping to shop, and the building was empty.)
***
Tonight we went to Food Lion, and I sat there as my wife went into another store. Some guy pulled up in front of my car, and he left his lights on ... probably for 10 minutes.I pulled my hat down over my eyes awhile, and I held up my hand for a minute or two, but he didn't get the hint. Finally, his wife or girlfriend came back, and he drove off.
I was SO happy.
***
Don't you have a life? Or is it a computer program?
EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com TWITTER: EDITORatWORK
MORE BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE
ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE
EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES
ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)
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