Thursday, July 31, 2014

Rite-Aid Trip 2


Trip 2 this week to Rite-Aid.
I went armed with my $16 in +Up Rewards I earned yesterday and came out with this stuff........

 
 
1 x Crest mouthwash on sale=$3.99
1 x Dove Deodorant on sale=$5.00
2 x Simple Cleansers/wipes on sale $5=$10.00
2 x Oral B Toothbrushes on sale $3=$6.00
2 x Gear Deodorant on sale $4=$8.00
Subtotal.....$32.99

Coupons Used

1 x $1/1 MQ Crest mouthwash=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 Load2CardQ Dove deodorant=$1.50
1 x $1/1 Video Value Q Dove deodorant=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Simple MQ Cleansers=$2.00
2 x $2/1 Video Value Q Simple cleanser=$4.00
1 x $1.50/2 IPQ Crest/Oral B toothbrushes=$1.50
2 x $2/1 IPQ Gear deodorant=$4.00
Coupon Total.....$15.00

$32.99-$15.00=$17.99-$16 in +UPs=$1.99 + .02¢ tax=$2.01 OOP

I received back $15 in +Ups($3 for Crest mouthwash, $5 WYB $15 of Unilever products-2xSimple & 1xDove, 2 x $2.50 Oral B toothbrushes, $2 wyb2Gear).

Come back tomorrow to see what I roll those $15 in +Up Rewards into.

Sluggy

Welcome Home! Really?!?


When I got home last week some mail was waiting for me.

Both were from my good friends at State Farm......


       A $1,200+ car insurance bill.  It's $1,600 but after #1 Son kicks in his part it's only $1,269.20.



   And the homeowner's insurance bill of $634.00


Then a letter arrived for #2 Son the next day.......

       His college bill for the 1st semester.

I told him, "Hey!  They addressed it to YOU....me and your dad's names aren't anywhere on this thing, so I guess YOU get to pay it.  How much do you owe them anyway??



   $10,729.00 minus the housing deposit of $125.00 I already paid.

YIKES!

The moral of the story--Sometimes it doesn't pay to go home! 8-(

Sluggy

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

She's At It Again!

Yes, I went back to Rite-Aid today.

I haven't been up there since I bought my little car so that's what?.....since May.
I have no +Up Rewards to roll so I'm starting fresh.

I was itchin' to get back to deal hunting so in I went and came out with this stuff........


2 x Oral B battery op toothbrushes on sale $6=$12.00
1 x Tide detergent on sale=$4.94
1 x Crest mouth wash on sale=$3.99
1 x Dove Deodorant on sale=$5.00
2 x Simple Cleansers/wipes on sale $5=$10.00
Subtotal.....$35.93

Coupons Used
1 x $2/1 MQ Oral B battery op toothbrush=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Load2Card Q Oral B battery op toothbrush=$2.00
1 x $2/1 MQ Tide detergent=$2.00
1 x $1/1 MQ Crest mouthwash=$1.00
1 x $1.50/1 MQ Dove deodorant=$1.50
1 x $1/1 Video Value Q Dove deodorant=$1.00
1 x BOGO Simple MQ Cleansers/wipes=$5.00
2 x $4/1 Video Value Q Simple cleanser=$8.00
Coupon Total.....$22.50

$35.93-$24.50=$13.43 + .29¢tax=$13.72 OOP

I received back $16 in +Ups(2 x $4 for Oral B toothbrushes, $3 for Crest mouthwash, $5 WYB $15 of Unilever products-2xSimple & 1xDove).

Tomorrow I'll roll those +Ups into something else.

Sluggy

 

Monday, July 28, 2014

This Week on the Dining Table

The "It's Nice to be Home Again" Edition........


This will be an oddball edition of TWOTDT since I have been away from home for 2 weeks(+ a few more days).
Hubs didn't make a plan for eating while I was away, nor did he keep track of what they did actually eat. 

All I could get out of him was--
*They finished up the leftovers(Lemon Chicken w/Zuke, a massive pan of Lasagna).
*Hubs made pasta at least 2 nights.
*They bought a pizza one night and Burger King another night.
*Hubs thought he defrosted BSCB but it turned out to be pork chops, so they ate chops one night.
 
Hubs ate what was here basically for 2 weeks.  He made 1 trip to the grocery store and spent $36.24 on $45.26 worth of groceries.
That was it.

So I stopped for groceries on the way home on Friday and spent $29.23.

Then Hubs and I hit Wegman's and the restaurant supply store on Sunday because the fridge was practically bare by then.  This trip added $165 to our grocery spending total for July.  I could have done less damage to the food budget if I hadn't bought that 15 lb. piece of brisket to make some barbecue with in my smoker later this week. 
But it was calling my name, and my name is "Sucker for a nice piece of meat". 
I'll smoke the whole thing up and then freezer 2/3rds of it for eating later on this Fall.


Going into this week, in leftovers we have.........not much of anything except for a leftover tub of pasta Hubs cooked while I was gone and 3 bananas he bought and never got around to eating.  (I see banana bread baking in my immediate future.)

On my big shopping excursion Sunday we bought--cabbage, chicken, romaine lettuce, corn on cob, carrots, green beans, brisket, shredded cheese and will be incorporating those items into the meal plan.

Here is the plan for this week......

1.  Chicken Cutlets in black pepper sauce, COC, Caesar salad
2.  Zucchini and Carrot casserole, Green bean casserole
3.  Tacos or Taco salad(had iceberg)
4.  Barbecue brisket, leftover casseroles
5.  Fish(had), Coleslaw, mixed veggies(had)(I'll have salad instead)
6.  Burgers on rolls(had), leftover COC, baked beans(had)
7.  Leftovers of some sort

And that takes us up to next Sunday.

 
What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?
Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?
 

Sluggy

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Well I made it back home yesterday around 5:30pm last night.
I had to make a stop in Berwick PA to the Grocery Outlet and get some grocery deals....since I was driving right by it practically.

I had all this room left in the car now, since dropping off 35 bottles of beers in assorted sizes for my son in Pittsburgh and I knew Hubs did little, if any, grocery shopping while I was gone the last 16 days.

Please give me a few days before expecting me to start posting regularly again.
After all, I have tons of stuff to put away, a house to clean, a mountain of laundry to do(mostly MINE!), groceries to buy, meals to plan and eventually cook, blogs to get caught up on reading and a pile of digital photos from the trip to edit.....as well as my post-trip funk to get through.

Just a few things I need to attend to, right?

I will share this photo with y'all in the meantime--


This was Sonya Ann's attempt at a group "selfie" on the night before I blew outta Illinois.
Notice that her son and DH and I are IN(well parts of us are in) the photo and she is NOT.

Yah, she REALLY doesn't like having her picture took.......

Back as soon as I am able.
Talk quietly amongst yourselves until then.

Sluggy
 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Uh Oh!

Well I am back in PA at my son's apartment.

I had some time to kill before they got home so I had to find something to do this afternoon..

I ended up at the Outlet Mall and I left with these........


And inside of those bags looks like this......


I started my road trip out with spending on fancy pants balsamic vinegars and ended it with buying fancy pants handbags.
Yep, Sluggy went a little overboard today on purses......

I blame the Vera Bradley rampage on temporary insanity, brought on by driving 3K+ miles in 15 days,

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  ;-)

Tomorrow I leave for home and my own bed......aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

Sluggy

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Wild Women of Illinois

I am back in Illinois now.
Hanging out at the swanky AmericInn.
Really, this place IS swanky compared to the other motels I've stayed at on this trip!

Real foods at breakfast again today......I could get use to this.  8-)

Anyway, I am waiting on Robin and Pam to arrive and whisk me off to adventures unknown.

You may think these 2 sisters are mild mannered Midwestern Illinoians, Illinoisians, Illinoits, Illinoians......oh heck, whatever the proper term is.......

               Last August in Mendota, IL

I just hope I have enough bail money on me.
'Cuz something tells me I may need it......


Sluggy

Monday, July 21, 2014

Frugal on the Road


I stayed at a motel last night here in Missouri.

They had a really nice breakfast too.
Not just carb loaded pastries and waffles, etc. which is the norm for these inexpensive motels I prefer to stay at when traveling.
They served fruit(2 kinds!), yogurt, hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs and link sausages.

Of course they had all those bread products(8 varieties)too, as well as hot and cold cereals, and sausage gravy for your biscuit.

So after eating my eggs, sausage and yogurt, and drinking my Earl Grey tea, I fixed a plate to take with me on the road later today......



What you are looking at is my dinner for tonight.
Yep, this is about the first thing I've done on this road trip that is frugal. '-)

I have a cooler with me so I took 2 yogurts(which I can keep cold), 2 slices of wheat  bread, 2 tiny tubs of jam and peanut butter and a banana.

Dinner will be yogurt, fruit and a pbj sammie either along the road or once I get to the next motel tonight.
This meal will help me save the $15 or so I would have had to spend on dinner out.

That means I have $15 more to spend on "adult beverages".......

What are your frugal travel tips?

Sluggy

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Midwest Road Trip Update

Do you wanna guess what this thing is that I ate on Saturday?


I have finished up DAY ELEVEN of my trip and here is what I have crossed off my "To Do" List.......

Go see something historic in Pittsburgh
Go to a Trader Joe's(never been in one)
*  Go have alcoholic milk shakes(again).
Go to World Market
Go have Afternoon Tea
*  Go swimming
Eat Cheese Curds
Visit at least 1 Brewery...ok, maybe 2 or 5
*  Go see some movies....Tammy.....America....Chef.....Begin Again.......or ?
*  Eat some local foods.....like cheese, brats, deep fried candy bars, fried pork tenderloin sammiches, strange Scandinavian concoctions, etc.
Tour a historic house
Go to liquor stores and buy beverages we can't get here
Go to a parade
*  Learn to play the bagpipes
Go to a county fair
*  Go to Chicago for the day by train
*  Eat at Fabio's restaurant
*  Visit the World's Largest Truck Stop
Go see the Largest Walleye Fish in the World

I have also added these things to my list.......

Eat at Primanti Bros.
Eat local ice cream
Buy "Naughty" Novelties
Go Thrifting
Go to Church and don't spontaneously combust
Spend way too much money


The list is getting longer by the day.

Only 5 more Days to go before I get home.
Home is sounding real good about now but I am still having fun!

More later......

Sluggy

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Midwest Road Trip Continues.....



Sorry I've been offline for a couple of days mostly.  I've got internet back now.

I'm in Wisconsin at the moment and will be for a couple of days.  Of course the day I arrived, this part of Wisconsin experienced a record low for a high on July 15th that dated back into the 1800's.
Figures, right?

I bid farewell to Sonya Ann and Illinois yesterday morning.

Here's a photo I found on my camera that sort of sums up my time spent in Sonya Ann's company.......



No comments needed.
Make of it what you will.  ;-)


And here is a photo summing up where I am presently......


I am on a dry spell until I get back to Illinois.......if I survive a week without adult beverages.

My liver is relieved but my sanity?.....it's doubtful.  8-)

I have finished up DAY FOUR of my trip and here is what I have crossed off my "To Do" List.......

Go see something historic in Pittsburgh
Go to a Trader Joe's(never been in one)
*  Go have alcoholic milk shakes(again).
Go to World Market
Go have Afternoon Tea
*  Go swimming
*  Eat Cheese Curds
Visit at least 1 Brewery...ok, maybe 2 or 5
*  Go see some movies....Tammy.....Chef.....Begin Again.......or ?
*  Eat some local foods.....like cheese, brats, fried pork tenderloin sammiches, strange Scandinavian concoctions, etc.
Go to liquor stores and buy beverages we can't get here
*  Go to a parade
*  Learn to play the bagpipes
*  Go to a county fair
*  Go to Chicago for the day by train
*  Eat at Fabio's restaurant
*  Visit the World's Largest Truck Stop
*  Go see the Largest Lutefisk in the World
Eat at Primanti Bros.
Eat local ice cream
Buy "Naughty" Novelties
Go Thrifting
Spend way too much money



We'll see what today brings my way.......

What is everyone else up to this week?

Sluggy

Monday, July 14, 2014

Midwest Trip Bucket List *UPDATE*

Do y'all like my new necklace??



I have finished up DAY FOUR of my trip and here is what I have crossed off my "To Do" List.......

Go see something historic in Pittsburgh
Go to a Trader Joe's(never been in one)
*  Go have alcoholic milk shakes(again).
Go to World Market
Go have Afternoon Tea
*  Go swimming
*  Eat Cheese Curds
*  Visit at least 1 Brewery...ok, maybe 2 or 5
*  Go see some movies....Tammy.....Chef.....Begin Again.......or ?
*  Eat some local foods.....like cheese, brats, fried pork tenderloin sammiches, strange Scandinavian concoctions, etc.
Go to liquor stores and buy beverages we can't get here
*  Go to a parade
*  Learn to play the bagpipes
*  Go to a county fair
*  Go to Chicago for the day by train
*  Eat at Fabio's restaurant
*  Visit the World's Largest Truck Stop
*  Go see the Largest Lutefisk in the World

I have also added these things to my list.......

Eat at Primanti Bros.
Eat local ice cream
Buy "Naughty" Novelties
Go Thrifting
Spend way too much money



Who knows what today will bring?
Certainly not I!

Sluggy

Sunday, July 13, 2014

I'm Here!

Just a quickie to let everyone know I am not dead yet(but alas, still pining for the fjords).
I made it to Illinois yesterday despite the monsoon I drove through in Indiana.

As proof I am in the Midwest now, I offer up this photo as evidence......



Yep, that's my little car making like a large lawn ornament in Sonya Ann's front yard.

I am feeling rough this morning....oh heck! it's almost NOON here......feeling rough this afternoon then.

We are heading out for some shenanigans adventures shortly.
I'll report in later when we return if I am still sober.

Sluggy

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Kid Comes Home

My oldest son came home for a few days the week before the July 4th Holiday.

We hadn't seen him since just after Christmas of last year, when we went out to Pittsburgh to visit him and his girlfriend.

They arrived Tuesday early in the evening.

Our old beagle, Cherry, remembered our son even though he hasn't been home in over a year......



We had a couple of drinks and sat and talked well into the evening.
The next morning I took #1 Son and GF out to run errands.

The GF wanted to hit Old Navy to use a coupons that expired that day.
Unfortunately she realized she forgot to bring it on the trip.

I think these mannequins placed at the entrance are very creepy......


#1 Son gives his opinion on the shirts GF picked out for him to choose from.
Hey!  Our mannequin buddy in turquoise seems to like that one......


Both GF and I thought this hat looked rather dashing on him.
Kind of goes well with that Bob Marley shirt he is wearing, don't it?


Then we were off to 5 Below on the other end of the strip mall.
They had a wall of games.
Gee, you can play a classic board game that they ripped-off/turned into an online game and now they made that online version a RL/board game again.

HUH!?
What's old is new again, is old again......


#1 Son and I try out our super powers.......
I have to say, I hope the reason this Spidey mask is in here at a deep discount is because whoever designed it forgot to put an indented area where a person's nose is suppose to go.....ouch.



The GF was suppose to be Iron Man but she declined to don her mask.

So just to embarrass the kids more, I put on this mask/disguise......


I look rather fetching as a mustached elderly gentleman, no?

Then it was off to a beer store where #1 Son picked up some brewskis he can't get out in Pittsburgh.
I picked up Hubs 3 bottles of stuff......2 he likes and something new for him to try......

I also got a box of these for myself......


Verdict......this is my new BFF.

After that we hit Wegman's where #1 Son wanted to check out their brewskis(do you see a theme developing here?!?)and I did some grocery shopping for the week.

Then on the way home we hit the Georgetown Deli/Beer Store so #1 Son could, you guessed it, check out the brewskis.
I waited in the car this time.




That night we took the family out to the Hibachi Restaurant to celebrate #1 Son's birthday.
 
 

The GF trying to get out of camera range.....hahaha......too late!
 

Our chef.
Much to the disappointment to my kids, he did NOT have a rubber chicken in his toque so I didn't make a spectacle of myself laughing hysterically the rest of the evening.


That's ok.
I have other ways to embarrass my kids....

 

I shot a little video of the show......



I didn't get the sake shots footage since I was too busy opening my mouth and getting sake shot into it.....
 

#1 Son open wide waiting for his sake stream from the squeeze bottle.


 
#1 Son's GF took away his fork before the meal was served so he had to use chopsticks.
He finally got smart about it, after all his meat and veggies were gone, and picked up his plate to shovel the rice into his mouth.
 



And then the waitress brought out a little tiny cake with a candle in it.......and a gong.
Listen to me be unPC at the end of this clip with my singing fake Chinese.
Yes, I was feely fiiiiiine by then.....lolz




We got a treat while driving home too.
As we drove down the main street in our teeny tiny town toward home that evening, a black bear crossed the road about 50 yards ahead of us
Too bad I didn't have my camera ready to capture the moment.
We've lived here almost 14 years and have never seen a bear in town.
In our backyard, yes, but in town, no.


On Thursday Hubs, #1 Son, GF and I took a drive to Berwick.
I wanted to stop by the Surplus Outlet and see what deals they had and yes, I brought home some foodstuffs.

Then we went to the The Berwick Brewing Company in downtown Berwick.

It's housed in an old factory building of some sort but they have a "Bier Garden" out back, behind the building too.
It was a pleasant weather day so we sat out there and had the place to ourselves.
Here's the view over the fence.....




Close up of the confluence of a stream into the Susquehanna River.


Hubs and #1Son both got a flight of samples.
I got a Vanilla Bean Porter.  When that was finished I switched to Root Beer since I was driving.


Cheers!


Later #1Son and GF got some large glasses of Dunkel Weizen.
Everybody else got sloshed.
Oh, and there was pizza and pretzels too.


And the reason the Bier Garden was empty on a gloriously nice day?
Because the World Cup was on and the USA was playing.....


I've heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but this guy wore his patriotism on his back.


Of course the week after we went here they tapped a keg of Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout.....sniff, sniff......


We finished off the day with a fire.......and smores.....mmmmmm!

Saturday morning #1 Son helped Hubs make a batch of beer. 


This batch was Pale Ale.
The measuring, cooking and straining took most of the morning.


We hit the local Chinese buffet Restaurant for lunch and I actually got everyone in the photo.....well, except for me.....



We bopped downtown after that to show #1 Son where the local Hookah bar was since he promised to take #2 Son there as a graduation gift.

After that since we just happened to be near Rita's, we got an ice.....


The evening was just snacks and drinks and another fire and some people had smores again.

The next morning #1 Son and the GF headed out for home.
It was a short visit but a good one with a lot of laughs.



And I get to hang out with them again later today too when I hit Pittsburgh.
Yay me!

Sluggy
 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Sluggy's Midwest Trip Bucket List




Here's a list I started of things I want to do on this Midwest Trip.  Some of these are my own ideas and some of them are things folks I am visiting have come up with.

*  Go see something historic in Pittsburgh
*  Go to a Trader Joe's(never been in one)
*  Go have alcoholic milk shakes(again).
*  Go to World Market.
*  Go have Afternoon Tea
*  Go swimming
*  Eat Fried Cheese Curds
*  Visit at least 1 Brewery...ok, maybe 2 or 5
*  Go see some movies....Tammy.....Chef.....Begin Again.......or ?
*  Eat some local foods.....like cheese, brats, fried pork tenderloin sammiches, strange Scandinavian concoctions, etc.
*  Go to liquor stores and find beverages we can't get here
*  Go to a parade
*  Learn to play the bagpipes
*  Go to a county fair
*  Go to Chicago for the day by train
*  Eat at Fabio's restaurant
*  Visit the World's Largest Truck Stop
*  Go see the Largest Lutefisk in the World

Unfortunately I'll be leaving Iowa the day R.A.G.B.R.A.I. starts so I won't get to see that.
It's Iowa's answer to the Tour de France and it runs right through my friend Anne's town but I will have left already when it goes through.


Oh so much to do and see!

Check back over the next few weeks and see which ones I have ticked off my list.....

Sluggy
 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Well THAT was Fun!


Let me just preface this by saying I love/hate technology!

The old camera has been doing it's best to convince me that it is possessed......or a menopausal woman
Take your pick.

One moment it's fine and taking good pictures again.
The next moment, it's doing the camera equivalent of projectile vomiting and spinning it's head around.....
 


So I trotted down to Best Buy this morning to get a new camera.

And the "learning new technology" fun began.

Picked out a new machine with the help of the BB guy, spent a bit more than I wanted to but still kept it under $200 including a new SD card, because of course, the old one I have in the old camera isn't the right size for this new camera.
Figures, right?

I get it home and start going through the manual and setting it up.
And there is no mention in the manual, either the paper one or the downloadable PDF you can download online about how to download your photos to your computer via a USB and cord.

There is only the mention of wireless downloading shots via the WIFI capability to the Cloud and/or your smartphone....neither of which I "do".

That's fine and dandy and I am sure I'll get that set up but 2 days before I plan to use this thing on a trip is NOT the time to have to use higher functioning places in my brain to figure this all out.

So I inspect the cameras nooks and crannies to see if I can find somewhere to plug a cord in.
Finally locate it and the 2 different USB cords I have don't fit.

Lovely......

So not wanting to go back out and find the right USB cord to buy, I set about to set up the WIFI connectivity function.

First I need to download the software from Canon's website.
Locate the website, find the software and commence downloading.
Finishes downloading.
I got to open it up and it's a ZIP file.

My computer can't open ZIP files because it didn't come with that ability/software so this means I now have to PAY Microsoft for something or other so I can unzip files. (I have been able to avoid paying for this so far in my computer adventures.)

Lovely......

So at that moment, I have a $200 camera that makes a lovely door stop.....except that it doesn't weigh enough to knock out a hummingbird, should one hover nearby and I were to get an itch to throw this blasted camera at him/her.

Luckily, before I took both cameras out to the fire pit, doused them with lighter fluid and set them afire, Hubs came home and, after hearing my tales of woe, brought down from his lair a spare USB cable that he had laying around up there.

And it fit the camera!!!
Yay......

I took some shots and a movie and tried downloading them.

The still pictures came out fine but you can't actually SEE the video, you can just hear me on it.

Hubs went online and this seems to be a problem with this camera when using Microsoft's viewer thingy.  So if I actually want to see any movies I make I have to upload them to YouTube or download some other movie player thingy(which may or may not cost more money).

Lovely.....

Anyway, here is a shot of the new camera, taken with the old camera....


Here is the old camera, shot taken by the new camera......


And here is some puppy porn, 1st one taken with new camera.....


And this shot take with the old camera when it was behaving.......


The new camera takes a slightly sharper image and seems to have truer colors.

I know I'll live through this mostly unscathed but darn it!, I am a creature of habit and I don't like my technology routines disrupted by a learning curve thang.

Sluggy