The Big H.E.B.

In the parking lot outside the twenty-four hour grocery some kids were playing hackeysack in the handicap space.

Next to them was a van with a window unit.

Purse Lips Sink Ships

Her purse was gaping open. Even though the clasp that held it together was magnetised.

Amongst the rubble were two prescription pill bottles, a Coach wallet and a deck of cards, bound together by an elastic hair band. There was hair on the hair band.



What's in your purse?

Pit Stop

On a road trip I needed gas so I pulled over at Buckees. I got in the kolache queue after I had filled up.

Uneventful was the waiting until in walked a couple of teens. He was wearing cargo shorts and tan. She was wearing tennies and a homecoming tee. Her sleeves were rolled up and held in place by her bra straps, which she had pulled outside and over on purpose.

I saw some heads turn, but I was at the front now so I concentrated on my pastries: one apricot, one cream cheese and two pigs-in-a-blanket. Only when the wax bag was in hand did I turn to the registers and notice what everyone else already had.

On the flank of the girl’s bicep, no wait, on the flanks of both biceps, someone had drawn a swastika. In sharpie, swatstikas.

And it was like the whole store was dumbfounded. Staring at how unaware she was. At how she got some turkey jerky and a Big Red and stood in line with her boyfriend. Twisted her hair up with a jaw clip. Left a penny in the Leave-a-Penny.

kolache, originally uploaded by jovid52.

sausage, jalapeno, & cheese kolache, originally uploaded by ashbloem.

What's your bodega/gas station snack?

I'd Rather Be Driving a Golf Ball

My neighbor drives a hearse and I don't think professionally.

Swatches

I needed an accent green for the wainscoting in the bathroom. I had picked Morning Jade and was reading in the outdoor furniture area while it mixed. I didn’t realize an hour had passed until the book’s chapter finished.

Back at the counter the taking so long made sense. A customer was crying. Becca the paint-girl was handing her tissues. A page of House & Garden was between them, its edge jagged from being torn out too quickly.

Becca caught me up. “We started with Delicate Bud and a squirt of orange 8 but that came out coral. Kashmir is a bluer pink but in the end we went with Puff in satin.”

“Which I think,” now holding the paint streak up to the picture, “is a match.” The lady had stopped crying and nodded back. I also nodded.

With that go-ahead Becca mixed two galloons. She thumbprinted the lids, knocked them down and placed the cans in the shopping cart. The lady thanked her and disappeared down the fan blade aisle.

“Her son called her old,” Becca said. “I’d get some of the wider blue tape if you’re gonna use a roller."

westie painting leftovers, originally uploaded by Candylei.

What color is your room?

Weighting for the Man

There is a public scale in the bank downtown.