Dumped

Last night Bob wanted to go to the grocery store for something for his dinner, so I went along for the ride (and to get more yogurt!). As we were walking out to the car, I said, "Oh, I should be walking, it's not bad out!"

We'd gotten a tiny bit of rain early in the evening, and it had cooled off maybe ten degrees which, when it's been over 100, makes a big difference. He said, "Well, you can just walk back from the grocery store," and I said, "Okay, I will." He said he'd just been joking, that he didn't really mean it, but I had worn my walking shoes to work, so after we'd gotten our groceries and he got into the van, I just tossed my purse in and said I'd see him at home.

He wasn't really crazy about leaving me there, and he convinced me to at least drive me across the street and leave me in the Wendy's parking lot, which is slightly over a mile away from home. He really wanted to take me closer; really, he wanted to take me home, I think. He said, "I'm not just dumping you!" It did feel sort of funny, like I was mad at him and was stomping home, particularly when he had turned the corner and waved at me as he drove by.

It was pretty nice, really. The way back home is downhill all the way, both physically and mentally. When I'm doing the whole walk, the first half is the hardest. It's always nice to make the turn and be heading for home. It was still hot last night, but there was a breeze, and it wasn't bad at all.

I got home about twenty minutes later, and Bob said that he'd thought about just driving along beside me, shouting encouragement a la Rocky or, I don't know, Chariots of Fire. And then he also said he'd thought about just parking somewhere farther down my route, but he had yogurt in the car that he had to get into the refrigerator . . . He's said that he sometimes comes out and parks somewhere and watches me, but I don't know whether to believe him or not. I've never seen him, but as he points out, I'm usually engrossed in a book on tape, and not really paying attention.

When he left me last night, he said, "Do you think you'll be okay? You don't have your tape player or your water or your towel or anything." I said I had my phone, and then about halfway home I realized that what I really needed had been my bug spray, but oh well.