This is one of those, “Golly, things are different here!” posts.

In Covid-time in Wirtz, it’s pretty easy to socially distance yourself. Fewer people = easier to spread out. But once in a while, you need to get out of the house to get groceries or, like today, get an oil change. (That light has been on in my car for a more time than I’d like to admit.)

Our local oil change place is not a Jiffy Lube franchise like you might see in Northern Virginia, but is called Liquid Lube.

Not gonna lie, when we first moved here I thought it was a restaurant and I got excited.

But it’s where you get your oil changed. This morning as I wrote this, I was little prickly because I had made the effort to get there before they opened and at 8:40 my car was still sitting there waiting.

And despite the nice reading area outside, I am in a busy time at work and was feeling my Northern VA roots kick in and getting a little impatient.

When it’s not a socially- distanced time, you can hang out in the waiting area during an oil change and have amazing chats with the folks in there. I have met a retired coal miner who loves his pontoon boat because he enjoys taking his in-laws out for boat rides. I’ve met a woman who occupies herself on long drives by holding a hardback book up on the steering wheel. I’ve met the athletic director for the local Christian school (he told me to have a blessed day, of course).

But today we are all spread out.

It’s kind of funny to think of your oil change place as a place you miss hanging out. Just like everywhere else, I guess.