Sunday, Jay and I went out, did lunch, two movies, and a quick dinner. On the way to lunch, we got pulled over in Danville for doing 45 in a 30. There's really no reason for that stretch of road to be 30 mph. When you do the speed limit on that road, it feels like you're just idling. But, also, the sticker on Jay's license plate was expired. He had the new one and when the cop asked for the registration, Jay started looking for it. He leaned into the back seat, ruffled through the items back there: a pair of blue snakeskin high heeled shoes, a cowboy hat, a pink boa, a pair of underwear, I believe, but no registration. Eventually, the cop came back and just issued a warning ... possibly terrified by the mixture of things in the back seat.

We continued to the restaurant for lunch. El Rodeo, Mexican. Mmmm. In the restroom, I saw some clever vandalism. Someone had scratched the "C" off of the "Baby Changing Station" That got a good chuckle out of me. And then it was off to see "The Fourth Kind", which was really good. Keeping with the theme of documentary-style horror, we also had "Paranormal Activity" on the agenda, but it didn't start for another hour and a half after the first movie ended, and we had some other stuff to get done. Jay needed some supplies for a craft he's making for a photo shoot, so we needed to go get that stuff. On the way from the theater to the store, we pulled up behind a truck at a stoplight and we found ourselves face to face with a dead deer. Jay took that picture of it that I linked, and as his phone was trying to auto focus, the driver and passenger both gave the thumbs up. The light took forever to change. The deer stared us down, eyes glazed over, tongue dried up and hanging out of the side of its mouth. It lay there in its forever sleep, eyes open and glazed over, engaged in a staring contest it couldn't lose. Finally the light changed and we followed it into the strip mall parking lot. There was really only one place they could have been going. I know they weren't going to Barnes and Noble. Call me prejudiced, but I don't imagine guys who drive around with dead deer in the backs of their trucks with the tailgate down do much reading. I don't think they were going to Marshalls, or to Jo-Ann Fabrics like we were. They HAD to be going to Dick's Sporting Goods. Had to. But I don't know for sure, because Jo-Ann Fabrics is at the opposite end of the strip mall from Dick's, and that's the way we turned. All I know is that the truck went in the direction of Dick's.

Jay got the supplies he needed ... well, maybe, there seems to be some design confusion. But anyway, then we went to Marshalls. I did not realize how cool that store is. They have some awesome clothes in there. And we saw this box, just the right size for writing instruments. The lid of the box had an array of miscellaneous writing tools represented, stacked haphazardly, all part of the lid, and all the same color as the rest of the box, a dull silver color. On the side of the box, a quote: "The writer must write what he has to say, not speak it. - Ernest Hemingway" It is totally awesome, and totally me. And Jay ... well, he said, "You absolutely have to have this," and he picked it up. And he bought it for me. He is completely wonderful, and sweet. And as much as I liked that box when it was on the store shelf, I like it even more now.

After that we stopped at Target for some snacks to sneak into the movie with us. No, we didn't sneak ourselves into the movie, just the snacks. "Paranormal Activity" was a dud, and after the movie we went to Wendy's. There was a woman in front of us in line demanding to speak with the manager, with whom she was already speaking, complaining that they wouldn't take her coupon for a free Frosty. The manager was trying to explain to her that they are independently owned and are not one of the "participating locations" but the woman wouldn't take no for an answer. She told the manager he would have to tell her child that he couldn't have the ice cream even though the coupon said, "Free Frosty" on it. She neglected to mention that the child should also be aware that the coupon said, "Valid only at participating locations" at which she was not. The manager just looked at her, said nothing, so she looked at her own child and explained to him that he couldn't have the ice cream because they wouldn't take the coupon. As I was staring at this scene, flabbergasted, I missed what was going on behind me, but the other guy behind the counter set a frosty down for the child, who was about five, and explained to the manager and the lady that someone else in the restaurant had offered to pay for the frosty for the boy. The woman took the frosty and her coupon and left the restaurant without thanking the man who paid for her son's ice cream with her head held high and threatening to call Channel Six News about the incident. I certainly hope she did not get the impression that any of us were impressed with her shenanigans. I feel for that poor child, who will endure much embarrassment at the hands of his mother for the rest of his life. She did not thank the man. She did not say, "no, no, I'll pay for my son's frosty." She did not give the man her free frosty coupon, or even offer it. She did not leave without the frosty and announce that on principal, she no longer wanted and and would go purchase a Dairy Queen Blizzard for her son. No. She was a tool, over ninety-seven cents, which is what the man paid for her frosty.

But, crazy lady aside, I enjoyed my dinner, and Jay and I spent the bulk of it talking about the strange scene that had unfolded in front of us. And then we topped the day off with two more episodes of Buffy, season 2. It was a very good day, and the first outing that Jay and I can actually call a proper date. I had a really good time.

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