Flounder is on sale this week

" Miriam, have you adjusted the mirrors?" " Yes, Francis, I have, Do you have your seat belt on, Dear?" " Of course, and I have the grocery list in my coat pocket." "I've brought $88.00 in my purse. We can do the week's shopping for that. And a bottle of that nice California white wine. We should stop by the post office while we are out, we need a few stamps. " " I have my beer money, and a dollar for the lottery, too." " Good that you remembered, Francis." " Yes, Miriam, and good that we are ready in time. There won't be any traffic." " Well, you can go ahead and start up the car, dear. I'm ready." " Are you sure? Are the windshields clean enough?" " Now, Francis! They are sparkling clean, you worry every week. But you know I shine them up, real good, stop worrying." " You are right, as usual, Miriam. We'll be just fine, still..." " Now turn on the ignition, Francis." " There she goes." " Alright, Francis darling, now the coast is clear. You can pull out now, nice and straight. " " There, have I got it? Am I clear?" " Yes, we're clear, and now start to turn, slowly a little more to the right. Now, straighten out, forward, forward, now a bit to the left, now forward, a little further, now we are coming to the stop sign, dear. Good. Good, stop. We are just a bit out from the curb, but fine. Now only 8 more blocks! You are doing really well today." " Thank you, your navigation is excellent today." OH! Be careful! There's a youngster coming around the corner. He's speeding, be careful, Francis!" " HEY! STUPID OLD MAN! What's your problem? You blind?"

" Yes, indeed I am, young man." " Oh Francis, he doesn't hear you, dear, he is far away already. Young people today, just have no respect. Anyway, nothing happened." " Still it is a pity you never learned to drive." " Now, Francis, you've been driving me around for more than 58 years and we've always been just fine. And we're just fine now. We're very careful. And we've been through a lot harder things together." " Guess you're right again, old girl, but I still think it's a pity. I should have taught you." " The only pity is your tired sweet blue eyes, dear. You can go now, just swing wide and turn left. " " Shall we buy a nice flounder? It's on sale you know?" " Why, yes, Francis, that will be fine, a little to the right, dear."

(Legally blind, but determined to remain independent as long as they could, my grandfather continued driving to the grocery store for another two years.)