Not long ago I was in the 7-Eleven in Geneva. There was maybe three other people waiting to pay. One of the guys was five-ish years younger than me and barely-stand-up drunk. He was having a party of one, talking to himself, and talking to the other people even if they were doing their best to: not encourage him. To ignore him. And wait out his staggering around non-sense. Like when you tough out a deep cleaning at the dentist.
7-Eleven had their ambient classic rock playing over the ceiling speakers and the drunk dude turned around and asked the guy in front of me, “Who sings this song? Damn, this is good. I can’t remember what they’re called.” The second guy is like, “I don’t know who sings it” in all out pretty much disgust with drunk dude.
Guys, don’t go south on Randall Road anywhere near Route 64 in St. Charles. It’s been raining, there’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, and your life will be put on hold.
There’s also a weird cat sitting on the east sidewalk looking at me. I think he might be from Singapore. Or Elburn.
Worst still, the 7-Eleven hung up a handmade “NO LOITERING” sign. It’s in bubble letters, too. I hate bubble lettering. 😢
It was a white cat with black patches and the patches look like dents in his hide from a rough, battle scarred life. I assume he ate all the Bigfoots in his 20s, after he got out of the Cat Marines or wherever they serve.
I guess him to be in his 60s now but I still wouldn’t tangle with him. There was an open can of Hormel Chili beside him and since I didn’t see a can opener around, he must’ve opened it with his teeth. Maybe his claws, too. For leverage.
Oh. I’m sorry. In my haste I forgot to mention the 7-Eleven with the sign is on 64 and 17th, a few blocks east. But the one on 64 and Randall probably has a similar policy. Loiter at your own risk!
Traffic makes me sadder and also angrier than anything else. Well, I can get pretty angry at the Target/Starbucks people who don’t know how to grind beans for a French Press. I get home and open the bag expecting to see coarsely ground beans and instead see a floury brown powder.
So what’s really funny is that I was banned a while back from the “What’s Happening in Geneva” Facebook group for posting similar anecdotes. I was also banned from WH in St. Charles, WH in Batavia, etc. etc.
I’m glad I have a blog because you all deserve to know the real stories.
Peeps, I had to run to the office to get a project folder and stopped in at a 7-Eleven. Outside there were skateboards and inside there were kids trolling the candy aisle.
I want that… I want to be 12, on Spring Break, eating candy, wheeling around town with my peeps on a sunny Monday afternoon. Being a grownup is overrated.
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