Home Again Riggety Jig

I have a sense of obligation to my grandson Rudy to go out to the park and McDonald's every Friday.  With the exception of the week or so his family went to Oregon this summer I have kept up my weekly visits.  There were warnings that the weather would be foul this evening.  Not only that, but my gas tank on my car was getting low and I needed to purchase some additional items from Smith's to reach the goal of getting 55 cents off per gallon of gas.  I decided that after I finished framing some prints for Marge's other helpers and wrapping some presents I would leave a couple of hours earlier than usual and shop at the Smith's Marketplace near Tricia's home.  I vaguely considered some items I might need or want, among them a magenta or pale blue top or sweater and some windshield fluid.  I also felt a need to replenish my supply of packing and packaging tape.  My drive to Salt Lake went relatively smoothly although I left the highway when it started to slow and there was a warning of an accident before the 215 exit.  I quickly made my way to an entrance to the freeway near Union Park,  watching my gas gauge as it crept lower than I had ever let it go.  At Smith's I found a lovely magenta sweater, some toys that I could give for birthdays in the spring, tape, needle nosed pliers, and a few sundries.  I realized later that I bought no food.  However I purchased enough to get the discount on gas I had been wanting.  Not only that, the gas price at the Smith's station was as low as I had seen, at least ten cents less than what I had hoped to purchase in Provo.  With the 10 cent discount I got for having at least 100 gas points, the 55 cents off from using my credit card discount, and ten cents less per gallon I saved effectively 75 cents per gallon on a full tank of gas.  Tricia came along with Rudy and me when we briefly went to the park than on to McDonalds.  I bought a six piece pack of chicken nuggets for her in addition to the nuggets, fries and Sprite I got for Rudy.  The drive home was in a light drizzle and slow but the traffic kept flowing.  I took an earlier exit off 800 North in Orem because I wanted to check to see if the $2.99 per pound for steaks was still available at Day's Market.  I quickly established that the price was no longer in effect but I have plenty of meat on hand and today, after a debacle yesterday, I ate a steak and extra fried fat at around 9 AM and have had nothing but my electrolyte mix and water since then.  I paid for my indulgence yesterday with a puffy tummy and some vague aches.  I felt no real temptation to repeat the experience.