Happy Sunny Day

This week has been a roller coaster of emotion. One day it's happy and sunny and the next is sad and gloomy. Such is life.

Here's a happy sunny one for the books. A fun story, too.

It's a family tradition to make chicken tortilla soup around Halloween. Mom started it when we were kids and my sister and I have both carried it on since leaving home. Mine has been transforming over the years, receiving more and more veggies and less chicken. This year, Mr. Chicken (along with his friend Betsy's bath water) were not invited to dinner. The only trace of the animal world that made it into my pot was anchovies. Yeah! Did you know that worcestershire sauce has anchovies!? Well, I figured I was making so many changes that if I changed the seasoning too, it wouldn't taste anything like the original. So I used it and the steak sauce it called for.

Sunday was the day to make... Cabbage Tortilla Soup (working title). All I needed was the steak sauce. I road over to the neighborhood grocery store. Eek, it was twice what I wanted to pay for it. Road over to another neighborhood grocery store. Same story. It was a beautiful fall day and I was in no big hurry. Hmmm. Save a buck? Save an hour? Save a buck!

I headed to the closest dollar store by way of the river. Ah. The river path in fall.




I usually take the streets half way, but not today. It was so nice out. The river drew me further and I let it. I let myself get lost. As I passed under bridges, I wondered what street they were. Feeling carefree, I didn't bother to find out. I just kept riding.




Seeing others enjoying the day. Walking hand in hand. Playing with their dogs. A girl riding an almost identical bike. I road until I realized how far I had gone and decided it was time to resurface. To the streets.




Back tracking a bit to reach my previously desired destination. I was riding in the streets not long before I spotted a dollar bill on the side walk. Making a quick change to the sidewalk, I snatched it up. Woohoo! I road a few more blocks and actually saw a quarter in the street, but there was too much traffic to stop and pick it up. I made it to the dollar store. Purchased the steak sauce with my new found dollar and only 7 cents from my own pocket. I road home happy and content with the final ingredient to my highly anticipated soup.