how my day went, and where I went <== a pun that will soon be obvious

I was going to spend today in the country in Missouri, so that's where I was.

About noon, the alarm company called and said that not only one but two doors had been opened at home (in Illinois).

So I went back home. If any doors had been opened, whoever did so clearly looked inside and said "what a mess" and left. There were no doors or windows unlocked and nothing missing. I reset the alarm and headed back to Missouri to retrieve Rooty who was still there visiting with his doggy friend Ozzie.

Back in Missouri, I exited at the Pacific exit to get gas and switch to Old US 66 since super-freeway I-44 was creeping along in the rain that had started to fall. After filling the car, I decided to unfill me. It was my first visit to a public restroom since Larry Craig had skipped the light fandango and turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor in the Minneapolis airport. I decided to bypass the urinals and opted for a stall. Standing there, I consciously made sure that my feet were not visible from the adjacent stalls, and that if I dropped something I would just leave it where it fell and buy a replacement whatever.

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale