Praising the Lord At Circle K

Through most of my working life, if I showed up at the office with a big giant fountain drink on a Friday morning, it was a safe bet that I was coming to work with a hangover.

Today, I was at Circle K at 7:45 to get a fountain drink not hung over at all. I had just been up a long time, finished my coffee, and wanted something cold to drink so I could sit outside to start my work day. I like sometimes to sit on the plaza outside of the main library. There is shade, power outlets, a steady trickle of people to watch, and a fountain for background white noise.

At the library this morning.

But it's still so hot outside, even at 8:00 AM. So I need a drink.

While adding ice to the cup, there was a woman next to me filling her. She sounded very much like Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son when she exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus!"

I was briefly possessed by Larry David. "I've got to ask... What is it with the coke machine here that's bringing you so much joy?"

I was expecting something like "there's been no syrup in the Dr Pepper dispenser for three days and now there is" or something like that.

But I got, "I'm just happy that God thought I should wake up this morning."

I guess, yeah, being alive hits for me too.

She started walking to the registers talking to herself about being alive, and that's what really answered my question: crazy.

If you have to be crazy, crazy and happy to be alive beats the shit out of crazy with demons. Last time I worked on the library's patio, I didn't stay long, because a guy behind me was ranting at an imaginary enemy. He repeated, "You're just a broke motherfucker. You about about to be a dead motherfucker." If he wasn't behind my back, he wouldn't have been scary, but then again, I didn't want to look up and make eye contact with him either. Color me as a guy who wants to stay on the "broke motherfucker" side of his ledger.

Getting back to Circle-K, the new robot check out things are the best new invention of 2023. Just stick your things under the hood, swipe the phone over the keypad, and you're out. No scanning, no nothing. I was out of the store while thankful-to-be-alive lady was still trying to pay.

The new Circle K scanner.