The Great Summer Road Trip of 2013......Day Eight

Day Eight of the Great Summer Road Trip of 2013 dawned early.

I guess we rose so early because we were so hungry, not having eaten a "proper" dinner the night before.
We performed our morning ablutions and decided to by-pass the meager dining options available in the lobby at this motel, and just check-out and head into the day.  We had a lot we wanted to get done today, which started with this.....

We could see that sign way up yonder from the motel so we got our keesters down the road for breakfast, were I ordered up this.....

A lovely salty country ham slice....almost as good as having Bacon but more filling!

It came with 2 eggs, a biscuit and a big pile of grits.  We don't see grits much around where I live in Yankeeland so I got them and fixed them so any Southerner worth their "salt" could eat them.......

"Proper Grits"....mashed up with fried eggs and pieces of salty ham.
Mmmmmmmm! 8-)

After that plate of YUM, we headed north to the first stop of the day.......

The Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum in Bastian, VA.
This place hasn't been around long and is well off the beaten path to ANYWHERE!
In 1970, the archaeological remains of a long gone Native American village were uncovered and by 1996 the recreated village was opened to the public, with the Museum following in 1998.  Revitalization began in 2009 on the village structures to what you see today.

Experts have yet to identify which tribe this band of 1st Peoples were part of, other than to say that they were Eastern Woodlands Indians and the village is approx. 500 years old, so early 1500's/late 1400's, and predating any European contact.

You can visit their website HERE.

I didn't get any shots inside the museum, as they don't allow cameras but I did shoot our guided Village Tour.
All 9 episodes of it.
You might want to bookmark these videos and come back to them later at your leisure to watch them all at one time if you are interested in history and the ways of ancient peoples.

The first video was on the ride down to the Village.  It's right by the Wolf Creek so quite the hike down a ridge where the museum and parking lot were, to the village.  Since I could have walked down there but probably not have been able to walk back UP, we took the golf cart ride down and back.  Mr. John was our driver and he handed us off to Mr. Glen who conducted the tour for us.
John was a real character and I would have LOVED to have spent more time with him.  I didn't get one story on film he told us, about his days in the army during Vietnam and how he got the best of all those city slicker recruits which was hysterical.  I just got this little bit of him on that first video.  I am sure he would be Awesome to hang out with!

Mr. Glen did a good job with his tour and we enjoyed it.
I hope you do too.








Mr. John makes a cameo appearance in this video.....


And this last part is a view down by the creek before we headed back up to the parking lot.


After spending quite some time on the village tour and in the museum, we hit the road south.

Next stop, the Big Walker Mountain Lookout.
You will notice in this short clip how my accent has rather thickened after spending a few hours with Mr. John and Mr. Glen. lol
 

 

 Big Walker Lookout Pass is the starting point for the Civil War Heritage Trail concerning the Battle of "Wytheville".  The federal troops under John Toland came to this area to destroy the railroad tracks around Wytheville, plus tear down telegraph lines and capture nearby lead and salt mines.  A local named Molly Tynes used the views from this mountain pass to warn the town of the advance of the Yankee troops.

 

You will notice on the close-up of the map that Wytheville is not too far from Saltville, VA....about 44 miles.  If you've been reading my blog for a few years, you may recall that my 3 x Great Uncle was captured at the Battle of Saltville in Oct. of 1864 and later died of gangrene as a POW at Camp Chase in Columbus, OH.
I talk about him HERE in 2012.

 Here are a couple of shots I took from the ground into the valley below......

And then I gave the camera to Hubs and he climbed the tower and took these beautiful shots of God's Country.......

And then Hubs took a shot of yours truly from high above......

We went into the store and I bought of few of the "what nots" Mr. John talked about and yes, the place was full of touristy "what nots". lol

I got to talking with the elderly lady manning the store(this place has been run continuously since 1947, at least the tower has, by the Kime family)and I mentioned an ancestor had been captured at the Battle of Saltville, which led us into chatting about our respective Southern ancestors. 
Seem she had done some digging into her genealogy/family roots at one point and had found out that her ancestor had been labeled a Confederate deserter during the Civil War.  She was quite upset by that blackmark on the family honor, even now.  But then she got some additional information from a WBTS's buff that often when Southern soldiers were wounded, there was no field medic to treat them and/or no hospital to send them to for recovery and rehabilitation, so usually the wounded, who could get home, would go home to recover and return when they were fit for service again.  And many records show soldiers as deserting when in fact, they were just going home to recover from their injuries and be nursed to health by their families.  I can guess there were some who didn't return but she believed her ancestor had done the gentlemanly thing.

We bid adieu to the Big Walker Lookout and headed South down into Wytheville.

Our next stop was right in downtown Wytheville, Virginia......

 

...for a visit to the Edith Bolling Wilson Museum.
After all, she is family.
Yes, here I go again with the genealogy stuff.  8-))

My 7 x Great Grandmother, Mary Hunt married Field Jefferson(2nd marriage for both), which made her the Aunt of Thomas Jefferson(yes, THAT one!)and his sister, Mary Martha Jefferson.

Mary J. married a fellow named John Blair Bolling and their great grandson was named William Holcombe Bolling.  William Bolling was a lawyer and eventually a Judge.  He married Sarah "Sallie" Spiers White in 1860.  They had eleven children, nine of whom lived to adulthood.  Their 7th child born was Edith White Bolling, making her my 7th Great Grandmother's 3rd Niece.
Edith went on to marry a successful Washington D.C. jewelry store owner named Norman Galt, and after being widowed in 1908, she continued to run the store and made it an even more successful enterprise.  In 1915, she caught the eye of the recently widowed Woodrow Wilson, the then current President of the USA and wed him.
And the rest, as they say, is history.

This 7th Great Grandmother of mine also links me by marriage to another pair of famous Bolling Family members.  Edith's 8 x Great Grandparents are John and Rebecca Rolfe....or as she is better known, Pocahontas. (Though much oral history among the 1st Peoples of Virginia says that their son, Thomas, was NOT in fact John Rolfe's issue.....Thomas' actual father may have been  in reality another European in the VA colony or Pocahontas' native husband.  Native histories and stores have long been ignored by those in positions of power. But that's fodder for another time.)

 

Which makes the Rolfes the 3 x Great Grandparents of the husband of the niece of my 7th Great Grandmother(through marriage).
Got that? lolz

Anyway since we share a tenuous familial bond, it would have been rude not to stop in Wytheville and say "hey y'all" to Edith's home.
I even paid the extra to tour the upstairs of the building which was the family's living quarters from 1866-1899, when the family moved away after the death of Judge Bolling. Judge Bolling has lost the family plantation after the war and his father, Dr. Archibald Bolling had bought this building for the family to move to.  Edith was born in this home and lived there with her parents, her 8 siblings, her grandmother(who considered Edith her favorite), along with 26 canaries(her grandmother's passion)and other assorted pets.

Here's a photo of some of the Bolling children, probably taken about 1874 or so....

My guess from birth order l to r....Annie, Edith, Gertrude. In back....Rolfe.  In front....William.

The upstairs has NOT been renovated and it was interesting to tour the home in it's "raw" state.  Some details remain from the Bolling family's time there but much work needs to be done to keep this treasure from the ravages of time and decay.
Of course, we made a donation to the cause and became a sponsor of the Foundation.
I also bought my daughter a t-shirt.....

The museum did not allow any pictures to be taken or film to be shot but I did get a photo of myself
with Edith's sign.....

I found this video last week.  Some filmmaker from South Africa had his own Summer Road Trip last Summer and we went to some of the same places.
He put some videos on YouTube and while he was in Wytheville he got the person who founded the Foundation/Museum, Farin Smith to let him film inside.
The segment concerned starts at 2:48......




After bidding goodbye to Edith and Mrs. Smith, we went down the street to the end of the building for lunch......

 

To  the E. N. Umberger Store......otherwise known to the world as Skeeter's!

I don't think the décor has changed much in here since the 1960's.  It's been in operation since 1925, selling hot dogs and such.  I think items have been added to the décor since that time but nobody has ever thrown anything away. lolz

Here is Hubs digging into his dog.....

 And here's another short film.....



Sometimes a cold drink and a lowly tube steak just hits the spot, does it not?

Here's the lovely lady who waited on us.  She even let me take her picture but I can't for the life of me remember her name now..........Catherine I think?.....

 So after slaking off our hunger and thirst, we went next door.....

Actually Hubs had been cooling his heels in there while I was doing the tour upstairs at Edith's place.
So Hubs took me into Carter's Beverage Company to check out some interesting brews he had found.

I found that South African guy has also done a short film with Carter, the owner......




Hubs and I talked for a bit with Mr. Pennington.  He had just opened this business earlier last year.  I told him about that hard Root Beer stuff I had become addicted to from Sonya Ann's liquor store and brought him in a bottle so he could check it out and see about trying to get it to carry there since he is all about the unusual but good brews.
Carter is good people and I wish him the best of luck with his shop!

It was getting on to about 4 o clock by now and we needed to head out to our next motel stop.
But before we left Wytheville, I had Hubs stop HERE.
Tucked into this tiny town in the backroads of western Virginia is quite the fabric store.....especially if you quilt or like batiks.
They have a large internet business selling all over the world.
Fabric stores, really GOOD fabric stores intoxicate me.
A hit of fabric is better than booze in my book.

I'll just say, Hubs was tapping his foot impatiently so I showed remarkable restraint by only staying an hour and only buying 3 lengths of rayon batik fabric......rayon batiks are Very expensive in this country......

You do NOT want to know how much this stuff cost.....trust me! lolz
Let's just say I blew my souvenir budget in that store. ;-)

By 5pm, when they roll the sidewalks up in Wytheville by the way, we hit the interstate heading to Alta Vista, VA, our next stop.
Rolled into that town around dusk(8ish), trudged out things into the room and then back out to find something for dinner.  We found a Chinese buffet nearby in a shopping mall so we gorged on Quasi-Asian foods and went back to the motel to pop open some wine and relax for the evening.

Day 8 was quite the adventure but we were worn down to a nub and ready for some down time.

Sluggy

This Week on The Dining Table

The "Boo Hoo, my Birthday is Over" Edition.....

Here are the flowers Hubs gave me last week, along with 3 cards I received--

 

The card in the center, except for this photo and when I initially opened it has been living with it's BACK facing me.....

This was Hubs idea of a "great" birthday card for someone turning my age.
Here's the inside......

 

Oh, he knows me TOO TOO WELL! lolz
 

On to the Meal Planning.

Here is what was planned last week--

Sunday--Meatloaf(leftover), Collards and/or Kraut(leftover)
Monday--Roasted Turkey(have), Stuffing(have), Roasted Sweet Potatoes(have), Cranberry glop(have)
Tuesday--Clam/Corn Chowder, Roasted Cauliflower(have), Potato crusted Fish(have)
Wednesday--Meal out-free birthday meal for me, Hubs meal comes out of Entertaining Budget
Thursday--Leftover turkey slices, assorted Leftover veggies(or frozen veggies if not enough)
Friday--Quiche(in freezer), Asparagus
Saturday--Turkey Casserole(leftover turkey), Green Beans(have in freezer)

 And here is what actually happened--

 

Sunday--Meatloaf(leftover), Collards and/or Kraut(leftover)
Monday--Roasted Turkey(have), Stuffing(have), Roasted Sweet Potatoes(have), Cranberry glop(have)
Tuesday--Assorted Leftovers
Wednesday--Meal out-free birthday appetizer, meal comes out of Entertainment Budget **
Thursday--Hubs had leftovers, I had a Turkey Sandwich and Collards
Friday--Clam/Corn Chowder, Roasted Coleslaw, Fried Oysters
Saturday--Turkey leftovers

Some meals moved around and the quiche got bumped to next week. The fish didn't happen with the clam chowder because I hit on a 50% sale on fresh oysters on Wednesday so we had fried oysters.
We spent a lot of nights eating up the leftovers.

**On Wednesday we ended up NOT spending a dime out of the Entertainment Budget after all, except for a tip.
We went to Lone Star for a steak dinner and the evening was a disaster!  More on that another time but they comped our entire meal.  Woot!
  

As for the food spending last week....
There were 2 trips to the grocery store and I spent a grand total of $99.69 on $180.59 worth of groceries at 2 stores. 
I am trying to achieve another $300 or less grocery month for January and I have $2.63 left in the food budget for the rest of this month. 

Leftovers going into this week--1 helping each of sweet potatoes and reg. potatoes and onions, Kraut(2 helpings), turkey casserole(2 helpings), coleslaw(4 helpings), clam chowder(2 helpings) cornbread(1/2 a pan).  I have a head of cauliflower and bunch of asparagus that need using.

Here is this week's meal plan---

Sunday--Breaded fish fillets(have), Roasted Cauliflower(have), Coleslaw(have)
Monday--Free Birthday Burger at Red Robin, #2 Son's burger out of Entertaining Budget, Hubs has leftovers
Tuesday--Chicken and Mushroom Parm(have), Pasta, Green Salad(have) with Feta Cheese(have)
Wednesday--Roasted Chicken(have), Assorted leftover side dishes(have)
Thursday--Leftovers
Friday--Quiche(in freezer), Asparagus(have)
Saturday--Leftovers

That makes 3 new meals, 3 leftover or planned over meals and 1 meal out.

What I need to purchase for this menu?.......not a blessed thing! 8-)
Cross your fingers we can get through the month now without any more food budget spending!

Other items on sale that I want to pick up this week?......chicken roasters on sale .99¢ lb., boned/skinned chicken breasts at $1.88 lb. and mayo at $1.49 jar that I'll pick up on Saturday when the new month's budget kicks in.

 What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Sluggy

The Yearly PITA

I've spent the last 2 days in the grips of the Yearly Paperwork Monster........

The W-2s came in late last week so I sat down on Friday and I did the PA state taxes.
Compared to the Federal taxes, PA's are easy-peasy.
Here's basically how it goes....

1. Write down all your income.
2. Write down the total of all your taxable interest and dividends from investments.
3. Add those 2 numbers.
4.  Multiply the number in #3 by 3.07%.
5.  If your employer didn't take out 3.07% and give it to us already, do some subtraction and write down what you still owe us for doing NOTHING for you.
6.  Write us a check for the number in #5 and mail it.
7.  Consider yourself lucky we don't take more.

See?!  Easy peasy.....

PA has no exemptions and deductions(except for a very few rare ones that we don't qualify for).
There are no tax brackets and graduated scales either.
Tell us what you made, send us 3.07%.
Done.

And you don't even have to snail mail or electronically file in most cases.
You simply call them on the phone and file that way.....of course, you DO have to mail them a check or give them your credit card number eventually.

So PA is ready to be filed and we owe them another $51 besides what they took out already during the year.

Saturday I sat down and  did all the calculations to figure the charitable contributions, local/state/real estate taxes paid for 2013.  If it's more than the Standard Deduction of $12,200 for our married/filing jointly status, we itemize, but if it's less than $12,200, you are better off just taking the SD and saving yourself some aggravation and wear and tear on your sanity.
Unfortunately(or should that be fortunately?), I get to challenge my sanity this year.

So this week I get to write up all the final paperwork for the Schedule A & B.   Fun! lol

I also sat down on Friday and figured out my final Net income from my gross Blog Revenue, eBay, Etsy and Amazon sales in 2013.
You are now reading a blog written by a "hundredaire".....you know, like a millionaire but a lot poorer.  ;-)

I started filling in the 1040 and am now on page 2(home stretch!) and awaiting the 1098-T forms from 3 colleges(Daughter attended 2 different ones in 2013)so I can see if we get the 2 educational credits and/or offsets from Form 8863 the year and how much they will be.

I went ahead and figured the rest of the numbers without the Tuition/Educational credits/offsets and we will be getting a refund hovering in the $1K neighborhood at least.  Could rise to almost $2K depending on how the 1098-Ts affect the calculations.
Rah......

So until those 1098-Ts come in I'll keep myself busy by doing the.....yes, I am going to say it!......the FAFSA.

I don't have to do one for #1 Son this year since he graduated in 2013(hoorah!)but instead, I get to do one for #2 Son(boo hiss!)who will be starting college in 2014.

It's all just a big game of chicken for us really, since we are so RICH(have retirement $), the FAFSA always tells us we are required to pay the entire college bill the child might have....and usually it tells us we are required to pay even MORE than their anticipated bill!  How is that possible?LOLOL

So we fill it out and wait for them to tell us our kids qualify for nothing.....except loans, EVERYONE qualifies for those evidently.  8-(
So I dutifully fill it out even though it's pointless.

The Daughter has dropped out of college(temporarily)this semester and has no clue whether she will return for the 2014-2015 year so I guess I need to fill one out for her this year, just in case she does drop back in, in the Fall.
But where they want to know what school to send the information to, what the hell do I put? lolz

Possibly 3 more years of this FAFSA crap and then I am done forever.
Whatever.....it really doesn't matter.

Maybe today I'll do something FUN like......figuring out a menu for this coming week and scrubbing a few toilets........or having a couple of drinks.

Guess which one will win out?  ;-)

Sluggy

Ramblings About My Grocery Purchases This Week

I hit 2 grocery stores on Wednesday of this past week.
I spent a total of $99.69.
I am still under $300 for January, but just barely.

At the local independent market I did well, spending $31.38.
$19.42 of that was "planned" purchases for tomato paste stockup, clams, lettuce and OJ.
The other $11.96 I spent was "unplanned" good deals like 6 of my brand of yogurt for .48¢ cup, a cantaloupe for $1.99, 2 bottles of a brand of diet cola I can drink for .99¢ each and a 6" tall bottle of All Spice for $4.99(which I was out of).

And then I stepped into the snake pit called Weis(PMITA)Markets.
I spent $68.31 in there without batting an eye.
Ugh.

I spent for my "planned" purchases of 4 x spaghetti sauce and 2 x Kielbasa which cost me $10.37.

Then I spent another $33.15 on "unplanned" but good buys.....$14.35 of this was fresh produce and $18.07 of it was other buys like fresh seafood, a pack of lunchmeat for $1.19(after instant $2 Off Q), 2 x Bakery Dept. 50% off buys and 3 4-packs of sugar-free pudding for .88¢ each(so I don't go binge on sugared up snacks).

What did me in there was an "88¢ Sale" on certain products when you buy in multiples of 8.
Because of this and #2 Son's wants, I let another $25.52 fly outta my pocket.
Many MANY cans of chili and Mtn. Dew, plus boxes of ramen noodles and peanut butter Pop-Tarts later for stuff he will eat/drink,  I am $25.52 poorer.  If I hadn't gotten this stuff on sale I would have shelled out $40.02 instead so the damage to the budget wasn't as bad as it could have been.
But then again, if some of this hadn't been on sale, I might have NOT bought it......but then again again, I might have bought other items he wanted, which in the end might have cost even more. 8-))

I have $2.63 left of my $300 food budget for January at this moment.
And I have 7 more days to get through before the month is over.

So the plan, once the menu for this week is finished today is to shop in the freezer, fridge and stockpile/pantry for the rest of the month's meals.  I still have a free birthday meal from Red Robin I haven't used so that leaves us 5 days of eating dinners(Saturday's is planned and here, then take 1 day from the next 6 for the eating out).  We have plenty of food so this shouldn't be a problem, besides making the family stay out of the grocery stores! lol

And if there are any irresistible deals this coming sales week, I can go on next Saturday before the ads end as it is February 1st and I'll have a new food budget available.  Yay! ;-)

I need to rethink going to Weis as much as I do each month.
I just can't seem to get out of there without spending on some unplanned stuff!
Albeit, it's usually unplanned GOOD STUFF but still.....

Maybe I'll limit my trips there to once every other week instead of weekly, which is my usual routine.
That chain is very good at drawing you in, ya know?

Can you resist the deals and the crap grocery stores tempt you with?

Sluggy


 

The Circle of Life Sluggy-Style

Here's a little nugget of genealogy I turned up this week.

While digging through old land transaction records in Campbell County, Virginia, I found this one concerning my 5th Great Grandfather, John Mason III(that's the designation we use to keep all the John Mason's straight in this line of mine, he's not necessarily the III but so far he is)and his 3rd wife(or 4th-the jury is still out on which number of wife she is) Frances McDearman Mason.  Frances(3rd or 4th wife)by the way is NOT my ancestor,  details are sketchy but it's probably(2nd or 3rd wife)Jane Parham Mason but definitely not the always given 1st(or 2nd)wife Elizabeth Gee Mason. ;-)

Just so you know Charlotte and Campbell Counties in Virginia are right next to one another and the parties and land concerned are located close to said counties' lines.
Anyway, here's the meat of it....

John Mason and wife Frances sold to Dorothea Henry executrix of Patrick

Henry, late of Charlotte County, 400 acres adjoining John Marshall, Henry

Ray, Mary Ward, Matthews, William Mason (the land conveyed by deed

from Wm Singleton); dated 1 Jul 1799 and recorded 8 Jul 1799 (John

Mason agreed in writing 11 May 1798 to sell to Patrick Henry a tract of land

on Falling River in Campbell County for 80 pounds, paid by Patrick Henry in

his lifetime) [Campbell County, Virginia, Deed Book 4, 1796-1799, page 599;
Microfilm Reel 2, Library of Virginia]



Yes, My 5th GG and wife sold Patrick Henry's widow......

Yes, THAT Patrick Henry.......

.....his widow Dorothea 400 acres of land.  The land sale was arranged in 1798 between John and Patrick but not legally completed until about a month after Patrick Henry died in June of 1799.

And Dorothea Dandridge Henry you might remember from THIS POST HERE (Day 6 of the Summer Road Trip)is my friend's DH's 4th Great Grand Aunt.

Trippy is it not?

Though neither the friend's DH or I have ever lived anywhere near Campbell Co., Virginia, and never traveled in the same social or familial circles, our respective families' DNA still reaches out and seems to attract each to the other.

Sluggy
 

Visiting DA BURGH.....PART 3

Well, Monday morning didn't start out very well.
As some of you may have seen on the post I put up, at the time, Hubs had the minivan up to the Firestone at the crack of dawn, before I was up.
I looked out the window and it was snowing at a fairly good clip.....

Love the hole in the window screen....good thing it wasn't Summer. 

Hubs had said that he was going to stay at Firestone until they got it fixed or call me if they couldn't do the work it needed done that day.
So I was possibly in for sitting in the motel all day long as I had no transportation now.
Luckily the motel had a sort of restaurant so I could eat if I was indeed stranded for the day.

But about 10pm, Hubs showed up at the room with #1 Son in tow.
The guys at Firestone said they could do the work that day, so Hubs called our son and had him pick Hubs up and bring him back to the motel.
So #1 Son was going to be our driver for the day in his own car.
Since the weather was so shitty we couldn't do the Duquesne Incline like I had wanted to so we were at a loss for cheap sightseeing activities(as some of the indoor ones were closed because it was Monday).  But we made do.
#1 Son took us firstly, to his favorite Giant Eagle grocery that sold beer.  It was quite the long ride from his apartment.  I bought a bottle of Sam Adams Gingerbread and Southern Tier Choklat Stouts, as well as a large bottle of Cherry Lambic.....

 

After that we went to have lunch here......

 

Unfortunately, everyone on this side of Pittsburgh ALSO decided to have lunch here that day, so not wanting to wait an hour for a table, we ended up eating next door at Sam's Sandwich Shoppe......

Then we went shopping since we were in a shopping center.  I hit 5 Below and Bath and Body Works but bought nothing. 
Eh, nothing I wanted/needed.
Hubs and son hit the liquor store.  I don't recall if they actually bought anything there or not.

Afterwards we tried Burgatory again, since #1 Son really wanted me to try one of their milkshakes.
What the heck, why not?

Here's Hubs trying #1 Son's shake.  It has bourbon in it.
Mine is in the foreground.  It's a Choco Taco Shake(crushed waffle cone, peanuts and chocolate)and has vodka in it.

Ok, so I drink folks, if you didn't know that already.
But I am NOT a vodka drinker.

I swear, every time I took a sip, another one magically appeared in my glass!

About 5 minutes into drinking this thing, the vodka slammed into my brain.  I think the photo above illustrates that event.....

Then I just got real silly and everything anyone said was hysterical to me.....

I didn't even finish that shake.
And they had to pour me back into the car to go back to #1 Son's apartment.

I was able to snap this shot before I staggered back to the car......

 

And here are some bad photos I snapped from the back of the car as I sloshed from side to side, while #1 Son drove through downtown.....

Yes, anonymous buildings. 
I tried to get a shot of the giant Heinz ketchup bottle all lit up, but I was too lit up evidently.....

Hubs called Firestone and they had completed the work on the car, so Son dropped us off to pick up and pay for the car.
Ouch.
$900 later we drove the minivan back to the motel.

That evening, we went back to the #1 Son's apartment and he made dinner for us and I got acquainted with Lilly, my newest grandbaby while Hubs and Son drank and talked beer.

Gratuitous cute cat photos......

About midnight we headed back out to the motel.
Here is an unexpected Christmas decoration in this part of the world......

The next day, we hit up the Breakfast buffet for the last time and headed over to #1 Son's place.
We sat around and talked until Lunch time.
Hubs & #1 Son went out to Yinz BBQ to pick up lunch.
It was pretty good.....for a Yankee joint.  8-))

Then after saying our goodbyes and a photo of Hubs & #1 son, we left 'Da Burgh.

The ride home was quite the adventure, but not the kind anyone enjoys.
You see, the skies opened up on Tuesday and snowed like a MoFo along the stretch of road west of Pittsburgh we had to take to get home.  Between Monroeville and Altoona it was some awful white knuckled driving!....at least for me.
And I wasn't even driving. lol
We saw a guy somewhere in that stretch pass us, then try to make a right turn onto a road and end up sliding into a culvert.

Good times......and unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the ride home.
I think Hubs would have pushed me from the car if I had....

When we hit Altoona we got off the interstate to get gas and then go into a Kmart store to use the bathroom.
As we were leaving the Kmart a woman standing next to me, a total stranger, at the store asked us for a ride somewhere.....we had no clue where it was.

Do perfect strangers come up to you and start conversations or ask you for favors like they seem to do to me?
What about me attracts weirdoes?
I just can't figure this one out!  8-)

So after bidding my new best friend goodbye and good luck, and no, we didn't give her a ride, we got back onto the interstate.
The skies were threatening the rest of the way but the snow held off until we got home.

We DID get to drive through a prison on the way home(we had also driven through it in the opposite direction to get to Pittsburgh).  This is near State College PA. 
You aren't allowed to stop along this part of the interstate unless you have an emergency....you know, so you don't pick up escaped prisoners or drop off firearms for them.

That's about it for excitement on our trip home.
Heck, I needed a stiff drink or four by the time we arrived due to all the tensing up I did on the drive home.

And thus ends another Sluggy adventure.  8-))

Sluggy

 

Hijinx on A Holiday Weekend....How Boring Can I Be?!

Oh such a thrilling holiday weekend we had here!

First off,
Happy "Not Really Your Birthday Yesterday" ML King!
Why can't we celebrate them on the actual dates?
Oh right.....people want it as an excuse for a 3 day weekend.
Happy Birthday anyway Dr. King.  You helped move mountains.....

Since snow is in the forecast for this week here, Hubs and I went out to Walmart on Sunday.
Now I haven't been in a Walmart in a couple of years if I recall correctly.
Though it's a fine place to people watch, it's also very crowded at ours no matter the day and time and not such a great place for bargains anymore(at least in regards to what I buy, which besides food isn't much of anything anymore).  Plus it's all the way down the mountain in the big city, so I just don't find myself going there anymore.

But.....
I had bought a $100 Walmart gift certificate the December before last(you got a free $10 bonus gift certificate for buying it at that time)and I still hadn't used the larger of the 2 gift certificates, so I thought it was about time I go spend it.  I figured that Hubs would have used it by now(it's been over a year at this point)but he didn't, so we ventured in.

I picked up a t-shirt I had been wanting and 3 packages of underwear for myself.  That took care of $39 of the $100.
We picked up 3 multi-packs of light bulbs in a wattage we were out of.

The rest of the certificate, about $52 was spent on foodstuffs--quick meal and snack items #2 Son wanted(which used a big chunk of it), coffee filters and liverwurst for Hubs, fresh fruit and veggies, frozen salmon fillets, and 2 packages of cheese filled wonton appetizers I wanted to try(which I had a coupon to use).
Man, that $50+ went fast! 8-(

I stocked up on 4 containers of their brand of olive hummus which is cheaper than the name brands at my 2 grocers, and I can extend by mixing in the garbanzo beans and tahini I have at the house.

We ended up having to pay $3.35 OOP, including the $.51 tax on the light bulbs(no tax on clothing or food here) so I am pulling that $3.35 out of the misc. spending budget.

While I was in Walmart, every corner I turned, I was reminded of JUDY .........

     Stacks of Judys!

A couple of "blocks" later.....

Judy roaster hybrids....on clearance even!  These might be a good idea for using in the summer months out in your garage or on a patio to cook a bird or roast.  You wouldn't heat up your house(make your A/C work harder than it has to=use more electricity)and it would be more energy efficient than running your big old oven.  I'd try to find one used at Sallie's or GW first though for cheaper....

And then on the main aisle toward the women's clothing......Fancy "Judys".....

These "hook up" things are such a waste of money!  $49 for one little crockpot(or a unit with 2 even smaller in one unit ones).  I guess if you were more interested in how these look out on a buffet or table for a party than in how much crock you got for the money, these would fill that need.
I certainly wouldn't buy these E.V.E.R. though.

Then I stopped over by the Valentine's crap aisles for this shot......

You know, NOTHING says LOVE like Skulls and Guitars......or half nekkid men trying to inflict pain on other half nekkid men by wrestling them into submission.
Ok.....depending on who you are and your fantasies, perhaps the last half of that statement does have some merit..... 8-)))

And as we packed up the car and left I snapped this photo of one of our local asshats.....

First off, this idiot has parked his car in the stripe marked part of the lot next to the handicapped space so someone with a handicap ramp in their van can get their wheelchair out.  This is NOT a parking space folks!  Not only that, but there was no handicapped parking sticker or tag on the vehicle.  They also left the car running and you can see there is a child in the backseat, left alone in the car.  She looked to be about 4 or 5 years old and was making the window go up and down, over and over again.  We sat there for about 1 minute watching, and didn't see any adults go over to the car.
And if someone were to get into that running car(accessed through the opened window that the kid was playing with)and drive off with that child, I would totally hold that kid's parent or whoever was suppose to be supervising her at that time responsible.
What a maroon!

I cooked a gotten on sale for .99¢ lb. Turkey Breast dinner on Monday, complete with stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes, au jus gravy and cranberry "glop" Monday afternoon.  Now we have leftovers for my lunch sandwiches and another "planned over" casserole meal this week.

Earlier on Monday, I helped Hubs start a batch of beer......

This took way longer than I anticipated, since it was his first try, so the process was sloooooow.
The next one(IF there is a next one)will be much quicker I hope, and maybe he won't need me there to hold his hand and talk him down off the ledge a few times. lolz

I now have a big tub of wort percolating Co2 away in the corner of my powder room and every time I go in there it's like walking into a brewery.
Fun!  8-)

Here's what's up for the rest of the week.......

* Going in to the lab for blood work.  After last week's extensive phone call with the insurance people, the lab people and the hospital billing people, I am curious to see what this is going to cost....ok, not exactly curious, possibly more like seething with anger over it. lol

* Filling my minivan's gas tank at Weis PITA Markets gas station.  I have run my tank down to just below 1/4 and have 90 gas points to use by January 25th(Saturday).  I'll probably go tomorrow since it's right across the parking lot from the lab I need to go to IF the snow isn't too bad.

* I'll be going up to the PO this week to stock up on 1st class stamps as the rate goes up .3¢ on Jan. 26th.  This is suppose to be a "temporary" increase for 2 years only, but we all know how sometimes things like this goes.  The government and big business have very short memories when it comes to promises. lolz
I still do use snail mail so I am taking some spare cash and "investing" it into some Forever stamps, at least enough to get me through 2 years.

* I'll be working on some Etsy listing drafts and photos and getting them ready to launch next Monday, after the rates go up.

* Going through old papers, shredding unneeded sensitive ones and getting my table ready to spread out the dreaded TAX PAPERS so I can start the 1040 and FAFSA.
Ugh.

* Later in the week I'll be going to Walmart(again!)to start the transferring of all the scripts I can.  Hubs can pick them up for me on his way home as it's right on his way, so I don't need to sit around and wait for hours.  After that, I'll just refill them via their website.

So what exciting things have you got planned for this week?

And be sure and leave me some birthday love on this post if you don't mind.
My family has decided to ignore me this year(not even expecting a cake from Hubs and he's working late most, if not all this week)and I ain't too proud to beg.  ;-)

I turn the dreaded Double Nickels today.
Upside is I can order off the Bob Evans Senior Menu now......yay me! lolz

If you could pick the perfect birthday meal and cake, what would it be??

Sluggy


 

This Week on the Dining Table

The "It's Sluggy's Birthday" Edition.....

 

 

Tomorrow actually.
But I give Hubs all week to celebrate me.  ;-)

 

 

On to the Meal Planning.

Here is what was planned last week--

Sunday--Pork Chops(have), Red Apple Kraut(have, Stuffing(have)
Monday--Meatloaf(have), Garlic Mashed Taters(have), Collard Greens(have)
Tuesday--Leftover Pork, Enchiladas, Beef Stew(diner's choice)
Wednesday--local Italian food meal out *
Thursday--Clam/Corn Chowder(have), Cod(have), Roasted Cauliflower(have)
Friday--Leftovers Night
Saturday--?  More Leftovers if we have them

 And here is what actually happened--

 

Sunday--Pork Chops(have), Red Apple Kraut(have, Stuffing(have)
Monday--Meatloaf(have), Garlic Mashed Taters(have), Collard Greens(have)
Tuesday--Leftover Pork, Enchiladas, Beef Stew(diner's choice)
Wednesday--Leftovers again
Thursday--local Italian food meal out-Free Birthday meal
Friday--Leftovers Night
Saturday--Cod(have), Roasted Potatoes & Onions(have), Apple Kraut(have)

Some meals moved around and the chowder got bumped to next week, when I went out into the stockpile and found I had NO cans of clams left....I thought I had 4 left. sigh.  But luckily, they are on sale here this week. 8-)
We spent a lot of nights eating up the leftovers.
  

As for the food spending last week....
There was 1 trip to the grocery store and I spent a grand total of $25.57 on $53.70 worth of groceries at 1 store.  I'll take a 50% savings rate anyday! lol 
I am trying to achieve another $300 or less grocery month for January and I have $102.32 left in the food budget for this month.  Things look promising.....

Leftovers going into this week--Collards(2 helpings), Kraut(4 helpings), Meatloaf(3 helpings).  I have a head of cauliflower and 2 sweet potatoes that need using.

Here is this week's meal plan---

Sunday--Meatloaf(leftover), Collards and/or Kraut(leftover)
Monday--Roasted Turkey(have), Stuffing(have), Roasted Sweet Potatoes(have), Cranberry glop(have)
Tuesday--Clam/Corn Chowder, Roasted Cauliflower(have), Potato crusted Fish(have)
Wednesday--Meal out-free birthday meal for me, Hubs meal comes out of Entertaining Budget
Thursday--Leftover turkey slices, assorted Leftover veggies(or frozen veggies if not enough)
Friday--Quiche(in freezer), Asparagus
Saturday--Turkey Casserole(leftover turkey), Green Beans(have in freezer)

That makes 2 new meals, 4 leftover or planned over meals and 1 meal out.

What I need to purchase for this menu?.......Asparagus, Clams.  I have the cornbread stuffing cubes and soups to make the Turkey Casserole dish and quiche in the freezer, as well as many bags of frozen veggies.

Other items on sale that I want to pick up this week?......tomato paste(almost out), cantaloupe, yogurt, white grape juice(for #2 Son), canned chili, milk, green leaf lettuce(for my sandwiches) and BOGO Kielbasa.
Since I have no room in the 2 tiny "over the fridge" freezers for extra buys this week, I think I can come in at around $40 on my food spending.  If I can keep it this low, I might be able to squeak out a $250 spending on food for the month of January!
Now THAT would be amazing to me..... 8-))

 What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Sluggy