Helpful Hint #821 Efficient Errand Performance

Guest Writer: Ruth Morse

Errand Efficiency

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Many years ago, when our grandson Slater (pictured to the right) was a very little boy, I took him with me one day to run some errands. I was mulling over the best plan to head for the various locations when Slater piped up, in his little boy voice: "Go to the farthest stop and work your way back!"
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Wow! Out of the mouths of babes! Yes, according to the efficiency experts, that is the most frugal way to run errands. I really can't get my brain around why that uses less gas, but they claim it does.
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My Helpful Hint for today:
Sometimes, it does not pay to be frugal.

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Case in point: the day when I had two errands to run. My errands?

1. A dental appointment
2. Renew my driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

This DMV visit would include having my picture taken for my license and because of a HAIR-DO DISASTER***, I'd procrastinated until the very last day I could to renew my license.
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Unfortunately, I used the "work your way back" routine when planning the order of my errands. This was not the smartest thing to do! I headed for the dentist, planning to stop at the DMV on the way home. I forgot that I was having some minor dental work done that would include NOVOCAIN. Yup, you got the picture. By the time I got our of the dentist's office, one side of my face was normal -- the other side was farther south. The Novocain had done its work clear up to my eyeball! I looked like I had a minor stroke.
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But I had no choice. If I let my license lapse, I'd have to pay a fine. For the sake of cheapness, I bravely drove to the DMV, slapping my face the whole time, trying to hurry the Novocain out of my system. Did that work? Not on your life.
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For once, the DMV had short lines and I got immediate service. Stood on the designated spot and this very young clerk clicked the photo of my mug. Forget smiling. Only half of my face was up to that task! The best I could hope for was that my mouth would be in one straight line, with no drool rolling down my chin[s].
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I liked the good old days when you had your DMV photo taken and didn't see it for several weeks. When you finally got your copy in the mail, you could look at it in horror, gasp, and murmur, "At least I don't look that bad TODAY!" Thanks to digital photography and computers, you can see your DMV mug shot immediately! I braced myself. The kid clerk whipped the screen around 180 degrees so I had a really up close and personal view.
"That OK?" he mumbled.
Are you kidding me? I'd gotten so stressed about this picture that I was having a MAJOR HOT FLASH*** at the time of the click. Never mind the crazed look in my eye and the Gumby look on one side of my face!
"That OK?"
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Where do they get these guys??
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***Women will know immediately what I mean; men won't have a clue.

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...and one more thing......
uh, I'll get back to you when I remember it.
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The Cheap Senior Citizen is a Guest Writer who occasionally shares helpful hints she has learned through her experience.
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