I finally got out of the house yesterday. I went to Topeka and Manhattan to go to the bank–Bank of America’s closest locations are now in Topeka and Wichita for me–and do shopping, mostly groceries at the Hy-Vee stores in both locations. I don’t like Dillon’s. I find their prices are too high and their selection is lacking, at least in western Kansas. And I am not the biggest fan of Wal-Mart, although the location in Hays has had self-checkout lanes since late 2012, which is a big improvement over the past. I used to avoid Wal-Mart in Hays whenever I could prior to the addition of the self-checkout lanes. I am not a huge fan of human cashiers.

Bank of America’s Hays branch was taken over by a local bank from Hoisington in July. Since then, I’ve done my banking on trips to Kansas City, since there are locations on both sides of the state line. However, with the snow coming in Saturday, I had to get it done yesterday. I didn’t change banks because it would have been inconvenient for online bill payment.

Despite getting away from Russell for a few hours yesterday, it’s mostly been misery.

I found out Wednesday I was banned for a year by a local school district. Apparently, they were very upset with what I was writing about their school’s teams.

That made me feel like a turd. Actually, worse than a turd. More like a protozoan. I must really be a shithead. I don’t know why I still have a job. I should have been fired a long, long time ago. I have wanted to quit at least 750 times but I don’t have the guts to follow through.

I guess since I haven’t quit, and I haven’t been fired, I’m going to Oakley tonight for the Plainsmen’s football playoff game with Phillipsburg. It’s going to be the coldest football game I’ve covered. Two of the coldest games I’ve previously covered were also in locales west of US Highway 283, Victoria at Sharon Springs in 2006 and Ellis at Meade in 2008. The 8-man Division I state championship game between Osborne and Hodgeman County game at Newton last year was also frigid.

I usually wear three layers under my parka for cold football games, but I think I’m going with four tonight. Plus thermal underwear.

Hopefully I can get back to Russell before the snow hits. The heaviest November snow since I moved to Kansas came in my first year here, the last Sunday of the month in 2005. I had to go out and take a few pictures for the paper the next day on US 281. It wasn’t fun.