Great Road Trip of 2017....Part Nine/Day Seven & Eight

Part One of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Two of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Three of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Four of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Five of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Six of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Seven of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE
Part Eight of the Great Western Road Trip is HERE

So last time we were driving South in Wyoming toward Colorado.  I saw what appeared from the highway to be a bison on top of a hill but as we got closer you could see that it was not an actual bison but a cut-out of the shape of one. lol

We drove some more and passed some cattle grazing.  Hey there Mr. or Mrs. Cow!

We passed through a small town by a bank with an interesting name....

As we pulled onto the Interstate we noticed this sign....

A sign with flashing lights(they weren't flashing then)about the Interstate being closed ahead?  I suppose out here on the Prairie when they get a BIG snowstorm even Interstate's have to shut down.  So what do you do if you are on the Interstate and it's closed down ahead??

Pretty soon the terrain of the surrounding land changed....

We passed by "The Home of CHUGWATER CHILI.  Stop in for a FREE taste".  This was off a rest stop on the Interstate in where else but Chugwater, Wyoming.  We didn't stop as we had dallied long enough at other sites that day.

The we hit Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

We passed right by the State Fairgrounds the week as they were setting up for "Frontiers Days".  Seems this is a big deal in Cheyenne.  It runs for about 10 days and in 2017 the headliners for entertainment were Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Jason DeRulo and Flo Rida.  Not my cup of tea and we weren't hanging around Cheyenne for another week to see this as we had tracks to make to get to Idaho.

And just like that, we hit Colorado.....

                                       

"Welcome to Wonderful Colorado" the sign says.

Then we saw a sign for our destination for the evening, Fort Collins.
We found our hotel fairly quickly once we got to town.  Towns and nightly accommodations can be few and far between given the vastness of the Western states so we "had" to stop in Ft. Collins.  The Cambria Suites was the least expensive place to park our bodies for the night and it was still over $200 for the night AND that didn't include any sort of breakfast in the morning!  I used some hotel points I had so we didn't have to pay for the entire bill with cash/card.

Even though  we saw this thrift store sign driving into town Fort Collins gave off a "hipster" vibe.  And as we drove around a bit more it seemed everything was upscale(the shops)and and everywhere the "nature" was landscaped.  This town was too "bougie" for my liking.

I knew it was a college town(Colorado State U.)and they had over 21 Craft Breweries there.  We drove right past the one for New Belgium Brewing but Hubs didn't even want to stop in for a cold one like I thought he would.  So we made a quick detour to someplace I wanted to go before backtracking to the hotel.......

A Marijuana Dispensary in town.

Where I picked up this......

A small container of edibles.  I only ate two and brought the rest home with me. 8-)

Back at the hotel I saw these in front in the parking lot.

Electric car charging stations for guests of the Hotel.  Now remember this was SIX Years ago so electric charging stations for electric cars was so not "a thing" where we lived.  Again, just too "bougie".

So we lugged our belongings into the hotel, checked in amidst a swanky lobby with a fake flame fireplace and seating area.  We made our way up to our room(after peeking in on the indoor pool which was just as glammed up as everything else).  We navigated the elevators and the labyrinth of hallways on the floor our room was on and found it.

It was a two room affair with a desk and a living/sitting room with sofa, a chair, a bar area and a large TV plus two Queen sized beds in the bedroom with another large TV.

Such extravagance after staying in a teepee the night before and a ramshackle motor inn the evening before that!

Being as we were famished as we hadn't eaten yet since breakfast back at the B&B we headed out for an early dinner.  Not knowing the lay of the land if you will, and not wanting to spend a fortune on a "nice" meal as we suspected that given all we had seen there, a fortune indeed it would cost, we settled on this place.....

"Taco John's".  Somewhere we'd never eaten and they don't have out on the Eastern part of the country.

Just like everything else in this town, this "fast food" place was more upscale than say a Taco Bell.  I can't eat fresh Cilantro so I had to ask what was in certain dishes first so to avoid having my dinner taste like soap. lol

I'll say that for a Mexican fast food place it was quite good and more of a casual Mexican restaurant quality of food but the food was placed in paper containers and wrappers and served in a sterile, tiled fast food dining room. ;-)

After eating we went back to the hotel, watched tv and went to bed early as we were worn to a nub.

The next morning after checking out we hit the highway and made our way out of Dodge, er, Fort Collins.

On the way to the Interstate ramp I saw my very first Tesla.  Whoopee, right?

Of course their Walmart was all fancy and Western themed too.

These are just some photos of the landscape as we drove North out of Colorado..........

And so just like that, we were BACK in Wyoming!

A gas station stop with a Wendy's hawking Bacon Queso Burgers.

Back on the interstate......

Uh oh!  A tractor trailer rollover.......

We passed a combination Saloon and Laundromat.  Interesting.

Some low hanging ominous clouds.  This looks like a funnel cloud is forming.....

Luckily no tornado formed.  We passed a billboard for the Outlaw Inn in Rock Spring, WY.

We ended up getting off the Interstate in Rock Spring, WY as we wanted to go to COWBOY DONUTS.

Found out they closed at 2pm and we rode into town just before 2 so we were SOL.  Good thing Kim wasn't with us or she'd have had a FIT! lolz

Instead we stopped in a liquor store across the street to browse.

Look at this.....Pennsylvania Dutch brand of cream liquors.  Not my thing though....

As we headed back out of town we passed this statue.......

A group of children.  We wondered what was this all about?

Found out later there were lots of public art/statues in this town.  Here's a better photo from online.  This was called Children Saluting the Flag.

Back on I-80 and more land formations.

Later on during this stretch there was a tunnel through a mountain......

Sign for the turn off South for Lyman or NorthWest toward Fort Bridger.

We pass a massive Wind Farm.

Getting close to the Utah state line.

Lots of interesting(at least to me)and varied landscape formations.....

Besides the flashing warning signs about exits or the whole danged Interstate being closed ahead, you know you're in serious "Snow Country" when you see this type of "fencing" along the road.....

Those are to keep snow drifts from covering and piling up on the  roadway.

Then the landscape around us really started to change.....

A crossroads on the Interstate....Salt Lake City or Ogden?

A small farm or homestead in a valley......

And then ginormouos mountain slopes with snow still in the nooks and crannies......

36 miles to our destination for the night, Brigham City UT.

And a peek at the Great Salt Lake as we drove past.......

We were staying the night in a dingy little motel(use to be part of one of the big chains before this particular motel got too rundown and was sold off to an independent owner).

We dropped our bags in the room and went down the road to find dinner and happened on this unassuming restaurant.

Hey!  They've got a Conestoga Wagon on top of their sign.  How bad could it be?

This menu was so bizarre.  And NO they weren't cooking and selling Chihuahuas for $5.59.  I guess this was an owners pet and they were proud of him/her so stuck their photo in the menu. lolz

I ordered a light meal-soup and salad, then my salad showed up.....

IN WHAT KIND OF UNIVERSE DO THEY PUT BEETS AND PEAS! IN A SALAD??!

If you don't know, I can not STAND green peas! so that was a big fail.

Note to self-when in Utah, ASK what they put in the salad before ordering it. ick.

The soup was rather delightful though I can't recall what kind it was but it was obviously made there and not poured out of a can.  Some sort of chowder....corn, potato, who knows?

After polishing off that scrumptious meal(eh-hem)we wandered over to Shopko or something like that.  It was a Western chain of department stores, like a K-Mart but I heard they have all gone out of business now.

I got this shirt for my daughter, who loves her adult beverages.......

And this will be the ONLY shirt I'd buy with Lincoln's face on it! lol

Hubs found a deal on "Earp's Sarsaparilla".  What a find. *snort*

Wandered around in there and then headed back to the motel before dusk.

Uh oh, we are in Room 113......

This such a classy joint so they also wrote with a red crayon the room number on the wall by the door. 8-)

And this whole motel was built into the side of a mountain.  Notice the slant of the parking lot.

And notice the bags under my eyes at this point in the trek across the country.  I was wearing out......

The bathroom was such a joy.  Notice how the lever for the faucet is turned "slightly" to the left.  That is with the water off.  If you tried to turn in level water continued to pour forth.

And the shower also had an odd configuration. Very narrow and the shower head couldn't be moved so you had to stand with body parts touching the wall to wash. lolz

The next morning we skipped the "free" breakfast(I think they had Sunny D, coffee, some boxed cereal(but no milk)and prepackaged sweet buns.  bleh.

So we headed out after making a stop at Mickey D's in town for egg McMuffins, coffee(for Hubs)and iced tea for me.

Wagons Ho!!  Onward to Idaho.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Something Unexpected" Edition.....     

                                       

This is a photo of something I ate on the Alaskan cruise in 2021.  It was an unexpected find in the observation lounge at the front of the ship.  They had food things and drinks(plus a full bar).  I wandered up there alone at some point on that cruise(Hubs was in the Beer Room and Kim and her hubby were probably on the jogging track getting steps in).  8-)

This is a Scotch Egg.  It was yummy.  Unfortunately this sort of food is not on my food plan now. 8-(  

This is day 71 of the "diet".  Yay!  

My PCP is on board with this way of eating to reach a short term goal so no unsolicited advice on this eating plan please.  While I appreciate the concerns I am fine and I am losing weight.  I haven't had any sugar(other than a bit of honey in some hot tea)nor any white food.....bread, potatoes, rice, pasta since returning from the cruise on June 4th.  But I am holding fast to my plan anyway.....so far.

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week.......

1. Sunday--6 Strawberries, Ear of Corn

2. Monday--Beef Stroganoff, Spinach Soufflè

3. Tuesday--a cup of Yogurt, 6 Strawberries

4  Wednesday--Chicken Fajita(mine on corn tortilla), 6 Strawberries or Cherries

5. Thursday--Fruit of some kind, Protein Drink

6.  Friday--a cup of Yogurt, Veggie Stir-Fry

7. Saturday--Fasting?

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--7 Strawberries, Ear of Corn

2. Monday--half of a Tuna Sub, Protein Drink

3. Tuesday--a cup of Yogurt, other half of a Tuna Sub, 7 Strawberries

4  Wednesday--Beef Stroganoff(not over something), an Apple and a spoon of Peanut Butter

5. Thursday--an open faced BLT(I had a tomato to use up), 1/2 Spinach Soufflè

6.  Friday--a cup of Yogurt w/Ground Flaxseed, sm. Caesar Salad, Veggie Stir-Fry w/Cashews

7. Saturday--Pork BBQ w/Slaw on a Roll, an Ear of Corn

Most of the plan happened but not necessarily when planned.  I know I did have some evil white food(the Sub roll, a slice of bread and a roll w/the BBQ).  I had cookie dough in the fridge also and Daughter came over for smoked BBQ on Saturday so I baked those cookies off and sent them home with her and Hubs kept 6 cookies. None for me.

No going back to old habits and eating patterns for me!

I also drink, water, iced tea(unsweetened), and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.  I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

This one mini-meal per day where I change between vegetable matter and a lean protein and a yogurt cup when these other meals won't suffice and fresh fruit.  There also is a regime of supplements I am currently on, either to maintain my body's condition or were already taking them for various conditions.

I guess you'd call this an extreme intermittent fasting deal with many supplements to keep all my innards working and healthy.  I consulted my PCP and my food plan was given the green light and my blood work came back aok. 8-)

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  1 Hunk of Beef Chuck Roast

*  1 Pork Shoulder

*  1 bag Stir-Fry Veggies

*  1 Spinach Soufflè

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  1 package of Chorizo Sausage

*  2 packs of Smoked Sausage

*  2 packs of uncured Nathan's hot dogs

*  1 pack of Bacon

*  2 bags of smoked pork not sauced

Kroger had a meat deal(spend $20 on Smithfield brands and get an Instant $5 off at the register-in addition to these meat products being on sale).  And I found a clearance hunk of chorizo too.  That explains all the meat bought this week.  And we smoked a pork shoulder that was in the freezer from earlier this Summer.

Last week we spent $87.48 on grocery shopping.

Total shopping comes to $209.29 for August.   

There are 17 shopping days left in August.

I've earned $37.15 on Ibotta in August.

I've earned $8.00 on Shopmium in August.

I've earned $0 on Coupons dotcom in August.

I've earned $0 on Kroger Cash Back in August.

I've earned $0 on Checkout 51 in August.

I've earned 360 points from food shopping on Fetch in August.

I've earned 106 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in August.

I've earned 15 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in August.

That is $45.15 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $209.29 of grocery spending so in reality it's $164.14 in food spending after the 5 rebate apps I count. 

My savings percentage for the last week was 41.76% and the monthly savings total for August comes in at 38.48% so far spent.

Leftovers going into this week....Stroganoff, BBQ Pork, 1/2 bag Stir-Fry Veggies.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--cup of Yogurt w/Flaxseed, Asian Chopped Salad

2. Monday--leftover BBQ and Slaw(no roll), Cantaloupe or a Banana(there is one left and it's turning)

3. Tuesday--cup of Yogurt w/Flaxseed, 3 Meatballs in Marinara Sauce(no pasta), an Apple

4  Wednesday--Chicken Fajitas, a Nectarine

5. Thursday--late Lunch out-Big Salad w/Chicken(maybe)

6.  Friday--cup of Yogurt w/Flaxseed,  Leftovers or ?

7. Saturday--Hamburger Patty w/Cheddar Cheese(no bun), Cantaloupe or other fruit here

I need to have something on my stomach on PT days(besides meds)so I usually have a yogurt cup those days in the morning.  Hubs will eat the Fajitas, leftover BBQ Pork, Spaghetti and Meatballs and do his own thing on other days. ;-)

I also drink, water(usually with lemon), iced tea(unsweetened), hot tea with lemon and honey and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.   I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

This one mini-meal per day where I change between vegetable matter and a lean protein and a yogurt cup when these other meals won't suffice is not hard to do once you get past the first 3 or 4 days.  There also is a regime of supplements I am currently on, either to maintain my body's condition or were already taking them for various conditions.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Just a Cantaloupe.  I've been craving it. 8-)

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 last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  I confess that I don't need to buy anything right now nor have I had any desire to read the ads.

Sluggy  

Well, I'll Be!

After PT and hitting Kroger on Friday, Hubs needed to pick up some lumber at the Home Despot.  I waited in the car, despite the heat, while he went into HD.  I spied something I thought I'd never see out in "the wild".........

Does this logo ring a bell with any folks who watched the A&E channel back in the day?

A skull and crossbones and the title "Vexcon".

I remember watching Billy the Exterminator on one of those reality shows.....

I never realized we moved to the area where this company is actually located.  

This is a more current episode from their web series on YouTube.

VEXCON is still in business with Billy's brother, Ricky, running the company.  The guy I saw get out of the truck didn't look familiar but I suppose the flunkies with the company make HD runs for supplies. 

While Billy the Exterminator was no Dog The Bounty Hunter, he was a character. 8-)

Sluggy

Frugal Friday 2023...the August 11th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

When will this living hell of a Summer end???  And the photo doesn't even mention the "Heat Index temp" here.  This photo is just from a random day last week.

There are very few Frugal wins this past week but here goes......

*  Got a few things at Kroger last Friday....pounds of blueberries and strawberries for .99¢ each, reduced fresh produce like .54¢ lb. mushrooms, slaw mix for .75¢, a salad kit for $1, a lb. of local Kielbasi for under $4, a lb. of salmon for $7.49, non-green peppers for .99¢ each and BOGO olive oil.

*  Staying inside mostly, needless to say, due to this extremely warm Summer still.  Who else thinks that Mr. Willis Carrier should be canonized a saint?!?  Right up there with him is Mr. Frederick Jones who invented the first portable a/c unit. 8-))

*  Two PT appointments this past week which costs Zero OOP.

*  After PT last Friday we went to Kroger(see ABOVE)..  I had points worth .30 discount per gallon of gas at Kroger so Hubs got gas there and used my discount.

*  My new clothes arrived last Saturday...

I needed a black dress as I had none.  When we went to pack up and move our wardrobes in PA the black dress I had from 16 years ago when Hubs mom died was nowhere to be found.  Roaman's was running a 60% off your first item and 40% off your 2nd item deal(really, if you got items that were the same price it just meant they were both 50% off).  So I got another of the same dress in a different color as more of my clothing is just hanging off me so these are a size smaller.  I also had a $10 Reward Certificate that was expiring this month and a Free Shipping code I could use.

And it's a good thing I had that free ship code.  They charged $19.99 for shipping just these 2 lightweight dresses(but I didn't pay that w/the code).  And in that package were all these various catalogs from them and their affiliated companies.  I think this all weighed MORE than the dresses!!  And I am certainly not paying shipping on all this cr*p I didn't ask for or want!

*  The doggies got groomed!

They were way overdue too.......

Some shaggy dogs.

And the after......

Nice and clean and short cuts.

We found a local person who does dog grooming instead of paying out the nose for PetSmart workers to do it.

She charges less than PS, did a better job and they are looking mighty spiffy(and smell much better)!

*  I found money! 

A penny on the floor at Kroger last Friday near the registers.  This may be the wrong penny photo but whatever.  It's a penny and if this isn't the "one", the actual one looks just like this(but maybe with more wear on it). lol

Total Found in last Week.... .01¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.03

That's all for this past week.  Just sitting home is frugal, right?

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy  

July To-Do List 2023.......Outcome

 Here's is what we wanted to get done in July and how it all turned out, the good and the bad.....

July To-Do List

*  Pay Bills  DONE  Everything was paid on time or early.

*  Go to 2 Dr. Appointments  DONE  Gosh I don't even remember which docs I saw other than the Neurologist(who is turning out to be totally unresponsive to my concerns and requests for Rx refills, and after the MRI next week I'll be going to their competition for care).

*  Submit all Paperwork to Surgeons  DONE  Finally!  I am pursuing two avenues open to me with my health insurance to get a knee replacement until these orthopedists give me a date/price.  The doctor here wanted to see the results of a medical test I had when I was undergoing the Wound Care for my unfortunate run in with that hard plastic stool on Xmas eve.  Before they could do multi-layered compression on my leg they had me undergo blood flow to my lower extremities testing at a local hospital.  We've been trying to get the hospital to send the blasted testing results for TWO months!  I was just about at the point of going to the hospital's records department myself and picking up a copy of the test result and hand carry it to the orthopedic doctor.  When we initially contacted the hospital records department they said the turnaround for forwarding records was 24-48 hours.  Big time fail on their part!

*  Clean and Organize Stuff in House  IN PROGRESS  Slow going this, in my current state.

*  Buy Stuff for the House  IN PROGRESS  We are in a "process" of replacing the crappy fiberglass "Farmhouse style" kitchen sink.  As soon as we moved and started using the finish started flaking off exposing the fiberglass.  Well, needless to say, this has been a "journey" trying to find a new sink that will fit into the countertops opening for it as, of course!, it's not a standard sink size.  So now we have to replace the countertop and the sink.  So now, both big box stores in this area have lost their only laminate countertop supplier(they closed down)so we can't get a countertop long enough to fit this area. sigh.  And the plumber we had to put the sink in doesn't "do" carpentry so he can't cut the 10 ft. countertop we did find off the shelf somewhere so the sink can be installed.  Now we have a handyman type "guy" who is going to replace both the counter top and the sink(which Hubs is picking up today).  Hopefully this saga is near it's conclusion.....but this is just ONE item that needs fixing/replacing.

*  Purchase Home Generator  FAIL  The problem here is that first we need to find out where the plug to the ginormous fridge/freezer is and how to get to it because having a generator for power outages is mainly to keep the fridge/freezer and an a/c unit in one bedroom on.  Hubs has to get the son in-law to come over so they can pull this behemoth out(it is not a wheels)and find where the danged power cord is because if we can't connect this sucker into the generator then it's pointless to buy one.

*  Clean out Inserts/Coupon Envie  DONE  Nothing else to say here.  The Insert/Coupon Envelope is basically dormant at this juncture.  I haven't printed or clipped a Q in a very long time.

*  Edit More Photos  IN PROGRESS  I finished all the Alaska trip  photos(just have to upload the few videos from that trip to YouTube)....oh yeah, and get around to writing those posts up. lol  August we are editing other trip photos, like New England and Canada, Phoenix/Vegas and 3 more cruises.  So far behind.....

*  Post about Old Trips  DONE  I am slowly getting those put out there on the blog.  Started with the Road Trip out West after Hubs retired in 2017.  Can it be SIX  YEARS since that happened?!?

*  Work on Genealogy  DONE  Didn't do much genealogy in July but there was a bit I added to my family tree(aka "the family macramè").

*  Hang Ceiling Fans  DONE

Here's the new light/fan in my sewing room.  Just something simple.  The single bulb  doesn't throw off enough light to work at night so if I ever can sew again I'll need additional lighting in there.

And here is the larger light/fan we put in the Master Bedroom.  Not crazy about the dark faux wood fan blades but we weren't about to spend crazy amounts of money on one fan/lighting fixture.  I can live with this one. 8-)

*  Purchase a/c Unit for Bedroom  FAIL  See Generator above.

*  Send Letter to DRCHC CEO, cc to Various Medical Overseeing Organization   DONE

I sent four letters, one to the CEO of to the Health Clinic and cc'd and sent additional letters to 3 state entities that oversee it's operation.  I have stirred up a hornet's nest worth of trouble for them according to my old NP there(we are still in contact)but it's all in the name of getting the folks who can't leave and go elsewhere for "competent" care, better treatment that doesn't ultimate cause more harm than good.  That's all I'm going to say about this whole ugly chapter except that I am considering a malpractice lawsuit against the clinic and the people running it over one particular incident in which I was given a vaccination that was suppose to be given to another patient that day.  But I don't want to run them out of business because for some indigent people, this is all they have so I am weighing whether or not to pursue this avenue.

*  Move Files to New Computer  DONE  I got the "old" new computer set up and "my life" transferred over to it.

*  Return Smoker  DONE  Yes, after we assembled it we saw it wasn't what we thought it was.  Hubs disassembled and threw it back in the box and returned it.

*  Buy Replacement Smoker  DONE  We ordered this subtly different model online through Camping World made by the same maker as the first smoker we bought at the big box store.  The first one was a redesign that supposedly "improved" the design and functionality.  Umm, NO, it didn't.  The redesign made it harder to use properly and restoking the coals was impossible.  The only thing the redesign did was bring the cost down about $20.  I'll gladly pay that extra $20 for a better design(the old design)that WORKS!

*  Wash Dogs  DONE  I was too wet and drenched in sweat to think to take a photo of the puppies getting a bath out on the big back deck in their little plastic kiddy pool. lolz  Trust me, after they dried off they spelled MUCH better. lolz

Are there any things you accomplished in July?  Tell us about your progress.

Sluggy