A Morning Caliber Check

I climbed out from the deep leather cuff and stretched each joint against the morning chill. On the wooden shoe cabinet lay a plastic retractable tape measure left next to a receipt. I tested the grooved rubber casing with one foot before grasping the metal end hook with both hands. Bracing my boots against the wood grain, I pulled backward. The steel ribbon emerged with a steady metallic hiss, yellow millimeter gradations sliding past under my fingers. When I eased my grip slightly, the internal spring coiled taut, tugging with precise, measured tension. A reliable instrument for mapping distance. It holds its calibration well.