Dr. NoSleep

My wife calls back from somewhere in the house.

They close in 30 minutes.

I've got time.

Drive safe.

Will do.

I get in my car, start up the engine, and reverse out of the garage, smacking the button on the remote on my sun visor.

The street is dark and quiet as I back out.

I quickly turn the wheel, then aim the car toward the highway with all of the strip malls.

Traffic is light, and I make it there in 10 minutes.

And that's without speeding, which I'm kinda proud of.

There's a chill wind blowing when I get out of the car and hurry to the shop's front door.

The door chime is a horrible electronic scale of garbled notes, and I cringe as it fills the store.

Welcome to Radio Shack.

How may I assist you?

A clerk asks from the front counter, where it looks like he's fiddling with one of those speak and spell toys.

Uh, yeah, I'm sick of burning myself and knocking everything off my workbench, I say as I approach the counter.

The clerk looks up, smiles, then casually sets the speakin' spell under the counter.

That sounds like quite the problem.

What are you looking for exactly?

I don't know, a caddy?