Daily Routine 8

On my way out of town, I decided to get Taco Bell for lunch. I don't know why I chose that because it is probably the worst thing to eat in the car (messy and smelly), but I figured a quesadilla would not be too difficult. So I ordered that, but when I got to the window, the young worker said they had "thrown in" a crunch wrap for free. Of course I ate part of that and could then only eat half of the quesadilla before I was full. I was kind of pleased to get the bonus, but I also thought it was wasteful.

I had a very pleasant drive to Ellensburg. It was nice and I sort of lapsed into thoughts, so I was surprised at how quickly the drive seemed to have gone.

I had just enough time to get some business done, buying tickets for the Jazz in the Valley concert that we will attend as part of the teacher workshop in a couple weeks. The Saturday evening tickets cost $15, but it should be a nice experience for all of our participants.

Then I went to get a haircut from my favorite barber, the Clipper. While I waited, I read the Ellensburg Daily Record. It is a pretty quick read; I am surprised they can still manage to have a daily paper. He said he was super busy this week because he is leaving for a two-week vacation. While I was in the chair, he made two haircut appointments for tomorrow, filling up his book completely. He and his wife are driving to Branson, Mo., and then back via the Southwest so they can see the Grand Canyon. We talked about the highways through Arizona since I had taken a road trip through there a year ago. He gave me a fantastic haircut, so it should hold for a while -- I am glad I remembered to get in before he left or I would have been pretty shaggy by the time he returned.

Before I left Ellensburg, I stopped for some ice cream at a local shop, Winegar's, which used to be a local dairy. I had a small scoop of my favorite flavor, Kori Mint (named for a guy I went to school with). It is a buttercream ice cream with little bits of mint candy. Delicious. I had it all eaten before I was back on the highway.

I took my time coming home using a longer route. I wanted to check out the new wind farm being built on a ridge between Ellensburg and Vantage. Gov. Chris Gregoire was in Ellensburg yesterday to dedicate the farm and praise it as a way to harness the future. I think it is unsightly, and it is only 20 percent complete.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.