Lunch with Rita

As many may know already, this area of North Florida has a great deal of traffic, not always flowing along smoothly. We are getting to the time of year where we experience daily rain showers, more often than not during the evening rush periods. I won't say rush hour because it's much longer than only an hour. My sympathy goes out to those who have to make their way home under such conditions. I've heard more than once that people are in far more of a hurry to get home after work than they are going to work, which might account for more accidents during those hours. 

We hear about overturned semis losing their loads, including log trucks, beer trucks, salsa trucks, and, yesterday, it was a load of sharks. Yes, sharks, the real thing. South of here on a rain-slicked section of highway, a truck hauling five live sharks from FL to an aquarium in the northeast turned over. One shark was seriously damaged in the accident and later died. The driver of the truck was okay as were the remaining sharks. Imagine what it was like for the police and fire department personal responding to such a scene!

I was thinking of a truckfull of sharks as I drove over to Victory this a.m. for Bible study. I so look forward to this class and am glad there were no accidents for me or anyone else on my ride to the Southside. Our class was a bit sparsely attended, one couple missing due to illness, and some others are traveling for the summer. Due to this, plus the fact that three others will be absent for the entire month of July, it was decided to take a recess until August when we'll all be back. This makes me sad, but I will live. 

I was lamenting the fact that I would have only about 45 minutes of Bible study classes each week. At least the organized type anyway, on Sunday morning. Pastor H. gave me an assignment and requested a book report when we come back---he gave me a set of books titled "The Story". I had not wished to get into this at all for a couple of reasons, but I accepted the books, perhaps not the challenge. We shall see....

Rita asked me to join her for lunch at Maggiano's and I readily accepted. We were able to dine on the outdoor patio, at first alone, then joined by some others. Her son was at the Town Center, hanging out with some friends from grade school, and he spotted us seated out there. He came in to say "hello", which is pretty cool for a kid his age, and asked his mom for help with his credit card. Apparently it was unsigned and he had no ID to prove it was his, or something. She got him up and running so he was good to go. He is getting quite handsome and will be hit with the girls in high school!

Rita had never had the onion strings from Maggiano's which I ordered for an appetizer. Oh, my, they are wonderful and she loved them with me. We each took a portion of our meals home, and I look forward to enjoying the leftovers another time. That is, if I get to them before Justin does!