Nextel? Hah.

So here's a nail. Right in the center of my brand new tire. Just what I always wanted. Right.

After breakfast on the hotel patio, off I go to the Firestone tire people. Gonna take an hour.

Okay. I stroll over to kill time at the Target store. Up one aisle and down another until I see the printer ink cartridges. My black ink needs replacing.

And into the books section. There's a Balducci I haven't read. Got it.

Onward to checkout after more wandering around and waiting in the air conditioned store, and back to Firestone.

Tire is fixed. Decide to get car washed.

Go sit on their patio. Guy on the next bench is on his cell phone and getting more frustrated by the second. He's called Nextel. One of the 300-plus numbers he has on his phone is not working. Nextel tells him that before they'll deal with it, there have to be FOUR numbers not working. He is pissed. Says he'll give Nextel four numbers all right! Ouch! Some customer service that is.

Guy on another bench is reading and hears this conversation. He's not fond of Nextel either. I ask what he's reading. "The Historian". Says it's terrific. He can't put it down.

And, he's wearing a t-shirt with "Billabong" on it. Turns out a billabong is what the Australians call a swamp, but in this case it's a brand name for a sports outfit.

Learn all kinds of things when out among 'em.
Wrap....