I may not have mentioned this before but, at times, I can be a creature of habit. I find a certain comfort in routines and I do have a few of those. Don't get me wrong, I can adapt quickly to change - seen or unseen - but I prefer routine.
Today is the first sunny day we've had in a while and it's a Saturday. I have a routine I like to follow on Saturdays and, since I was unable to follow it for the last couple of weeks, I was looking forward to it this morning.
I do almost all of my shopping during the week so I don't have to deal with crowds on the weekend. (This works especially well during the holiday season.) I picked up the paper and headed for Dunkin' Donuts. I go there a lot, but I really like to eat breakfast there on Saturdays. It's usually pretty empty and I can sit be a window and read a book while I eat.
That didn't work out.
There was only one table available and that was between a group of local High School cheerleaders and a group of adults. They were all happily gabbing away about some sports event that was going to take place later. I took my breakfast to go.
I drove up Avenel Street towards Route 1. Along the way I came up on this guy.
Point, press, Flash.
I got to Route 1 and made a right turn. I headed towards the Menlo Park Mall.
This is the part of Saturday's routine that I really like. I take my coffee and the paper into the Mall and pass a quiet hour or so catching up on the news and doing the crossword puzzle. The seating location I like has been converted into Santa's Workshop so I headed for the fountain area and picked out a nice, comfortable chair.
I'd just opened the paper when a young man took the nearby chair. He seemed antsy and was talking softly to himself. I admit that I was tempted to move but I didn't. I'd already lost my Dunkin' Donuts routine, I wasn't about to lose this one.
The young man didn't bother me and left after a few minutes. I noticed that he stepped on and off the rug a few times before he went on his way - some type of obsessive-compulsive thing, maybe. I finished my coffee and the crossword about 45 minutes later.
My Saturday routine now calls for a stop at the Metuchen Library. I was enjoying the sunshine and the car was warm. I slid open the sunroof.
I picked up an historical novel about the Lincoln assassination at the Library and, since it was still early, decided to check out some of the local supermarkets in search of an idea for lunch and supper. While this isn't really a part of my Saturday routine, it did give my a reason to continue driving around.
I drove up to the local A&P.
When I got there, I found this truck in the lot. It took up 2 spaces and was left running, noisily.
There was nothing in the store that appealed to me and, when I came out, the truck was still there. I got in my car.
Point, press, Flash.
As I drove away, I smiled to myself. I would have liked to stay and see the driver's face when he found his truck inoperable, but that's not something I routinely do.
I drove to the FoodTown in Colonia. This was a nice ride down New Dover, up Grove, and down Inman. Along the way, I saw this guy, up ahead, where they were redoing a gas station.
Point, press, Flash.
I picked up some fried chicken at FoodTown. That would be for supper but I still needed lunch.
I drove back to Woods Avenue and turned left. I took this all the way to Thornall then took that to Gill Lane. I turned right and headed up to Wegman's. This is a quiet, winding stretch of road and, as I made one of the turns, I saw this guy coming towards me.
Point, press, Flash.
I picked up some knishes to go with the fried chicken and several can of Progresso French Onion Soup (4 for $5.00). I now had lunch and I headed home.
Like I said, I can be a creature of habit and one of those habits is ....
my Saturday routine.
