This, That, and t'Other

When I was a kid, my parents would take us with them when they were running errands. If we asked where we were going, my mother would inevitably and maddeningly respond, "hither, thither, and yon." Trust me on this: hither, thither, and yon was normally the most boring combination of destinations in the world. It was the grocery store, the liquor store, the bank, the post office, and other assorted places where we kids were forced to sit in the car and wait while the adults were inside doing all sorts of fun things. They were eating, drinking, and partying while we just sat there and waited. We knew they were doing fun stuff, even though when they returned to the car and we asked what they'd done, my mother said, "this, that, and the other."

I have a headache, and it's lunchtime, so I'm going to go to hither, thither and yon to do this, that, and t'other. But I don't have kids, so I can't force them to sit in the car while I do it.

You know, being a grownup isn't nearly as fun as my childhood self thought it would be. Well, sometimes it is, but not often. At least when I was a kid and my parents took us through the drive-through at the bank, the tellers sent candy back for us. Now the teller tells me that she appreciates my business and wishes me a pleasant day, but she doesn't send me candy.