Now that the yearbook is finished, my next professional job is getting graduation pictures delivered. I make the pictures I take at kindergarten and senior graduation available to parents. To make a long story short the photo labs I normally use both had equipment failures. I wound up driving across town today and waiting three hours for a new lab to print a sample of their work.

The day was hot, it was lunch time, and I hadn't packed either food or water in the car. There was a shopping mall nearby. I thought I'd run errands while I waited and get a bite to eat. Strike one - I couldn't find anything I wanted at the mall, and there was nothing to eat that wasn't loaded with avoids. (Pretzels, fried chicken, ham sandwiches, and pizza, were plentiful. But there wasn't even a plain hamburger much less anything fresh.) I had heard of a Farmer's Market in the area. I thought I'd see what fresh vegetables were for sale and buy a cool fruit juice. Strike two- The day was so hot that all the vendors had closed up early.

I was close to a shopping center with a health food market. There I hit a home run. My bread machine had burned out last week. I found a sturdy one on sale for 1/3 off. Now I needed spelt and rice flour. Walnuts were on sale, and I bought two bags. Best of all the deli had roast beef with no avoids. I bought 1/3 pound of roast beef and a bottle of water. That quelled my frantic hunger and thirst.

What I learned today: First, when I leave home, even if I plan to be back soon, I need to take food and water. I leave myself vulnerable to snatching an easy avoid when I am frantically hungry. Second, it was better to deal with hunger pangs than compromise. A pretzel at the mall would have tasted good in my mouth, but gone sour in my stomach. Third, a deli is a good place for a Type O to find relief. I could buy beef by the pound with no tempting bread or chips. Definitely, the roast beef was worth waiting for - and so was the photo lab.