The Squar Egg

This is a quicky today ... I'm heading out early this morning on another adventure.

I spent yesterday at a Trash to Treasure friend's house in town.  He and his wife collect all manner of things at yard sales and antique fairs, then sell them around the country.  They specialize more in signs like Mobile Oil, Burma Shave, those kinds of things.  Since he was out and about, I asked him to keep an eye out for dutch ovens.  Unfortunately, I didn't exactly explain the difference between a dutch oven and a frying pan.

This week he called to say he had several for me to check out.  It happens that these were in very good condition .... even ready to hit the stove, both pans having baby smooth non-stick bottoms.  Now it's up to me to do the homework and see what they are worth.  The best thing about this friend is he tells me to just pay him whatever.  Whatever can be either pretty expensive or pretty cheap!!

I have more work to do in checking the dates, but this Wagner pan was made around 1922 in Sidney Ohio.  It has thinner walls than what you see today, but is heavier in weight.  It's definitely a keeper.  I think the one above is newer, but that will require more research. 

This Griswold Squar Egg pan is actually from the 1940's ... not really old by my standards.  In MY book, old is the early 1900's.  On the other hand, I'M an antique to most!!  I guess 77 years counts as old.  It's an original and worth around $50.  There is another just like this made in the 60's without the value.  There's one more to show you but it will have to wait.

I'm off this morning for lunch at this magnificent hotel in Yosemite ... The Ahwahnee.  Yeah, I know they've changed the name, which is just ridiculous!!  It IS and always WILL be the Ahwahnee.  I worked in the park for a couple of years when I was a kid.  Boy can I tell you stories about THAT place!!  Yosemite is a haven for misfits ... me included.  I'll tell you about it over the next few days.

For now however, I have to get ready to go with three other gals for our Mother's Day/Birthday foray into the land of gorgeous scenery to photograph and what I call the Mucky Mucks ... the upper class ... the posh crowd ... because you see, I lived in a tent cabin on the far side of the Valley.  I told Diane to wear her very best flip flops!!

The Magic Kingdom Of Bingo

It was that time again yesterday .... HOWDY DOODIE TIME!  Just kidding.  #not #itfeltlikeit

Sometimes I think I'm on an out-of-control kids show when I volunteer at the Magic Kingdom.  Everyone is running around screaming and pulling their hair out, including me.  You just have to laugh about it ... like when I won the Biffo Ball at Cartoon Town with Claribel the Clown.

I always had to go to Modesto with my mother when I was younger, since there were no babysitters back in the day.  She had one of the original television cooking shows, teaching people how to cook BEEF for dinner ... part of the Cattlemen's Association/Cowbells organization.

Immediately after her show was Claribel (not the original one) who made the kids laugh and gave out prizes.  They needed a couple of extra kids, so I got to stay.  Claribel never made anyone laugh and we never got to see ANY cartoons.  We just sat on these hard wooden benches until they said GO, whereupon we would clap and yell.  Claribel would pick one of us to tell a dumb joke ... we were maybe six years old ... and we would then get a prize.

I actually got picked, which was probably a setup.  I don't remember the joke I told other than it was pretty lame, but I definitely remember the prize.  I walked to the big barrel and picked out a Biffo Ball ... the big beach ball on a string.  That was a LOT more fun than Bingo ... but I digress .........

The night started out nice enough ... I even had a glass of wine to relax before the confrontation with the Moneychanger.  Amazingly, he came over and gave me a hug.  I guess he thought I needed it ... probably saw the Evil Witch of the Castle in my eyes.  I guess I need to tell him off more often.  With that out of the way, it was time to mingle with the peasants.

Everyone was surprisingly nice.  Okay that's not quite true.  One other volunteer who shall remain nameless came and made a big point of taking a dobber and saying he would return with the money ... he wasn't LYING ... and he wanted to be sure we knew he would be back ... with the MONEY.  Really?  Turns out he's friends with the $2 lady.  C'est la vie .... he brought the dollar back and we thanked him profusely.  There's one in every crowd.

The night breezed along while I counted cards and explained the entire process to many brand new players.  It's always good to have an influx of new peasants.  It means there's more money in the pots resulting in even louder BINGO'S.  A noisy house is a happy house, except when it's at our table and we can't hear.

The Castle Lawyer and I, professing to be on a low carb diet, sent the kitchen into an uproar last week when we ordered our hamburger with no bun, but extra lettuce.  Don't deviate from the norm, that's the rule.  They didn't know what to charge us.  THIS time we just ordered a regular hamburger, then threw the bun away.  You would be proud of me ... I actually DID that.  It's a waste, but better than disrupting the kitchen.  You don't want to upset the provider of vitals.

At long last it was time to close up.  The infernal machine balanced to within two dollars ... good enough for this group because no one really cares whether we balance or not.  Only the Castle Lawyer and I seem to think the cash box SHOULD match the tape.  I'm glad I'm not a fly on the wall when we both are gone, which will happen this summer.  I'd probably die from a heart attack.

In other good news, my income tax refunds were deposited in my bank account!!  THAT made me extremely happy since now I won't have to sleep on the floor at the Arizona house.   My first purchases will be a bed and a television.  I can't wait.  I'm packing every single nook and cranny in the rig and the jeep with things for the house.  I have plenty of stuff ... years ago I had an apartment in Monterey, and luckily kept everything when I moved out.

Tomorrow I'm driving three gals to the Ahwahnee Hotel (now known as the Majestic Hotel) in Yosemite for a Mothers day lunch and birthday celebration.  I'm having another birthday this year ... my second one.  No one said I can't have TWO in one year.  Hopefully I'll get some beautiful photos along the way to share with you.

Smoggy With A Chance Of Green Beans

Another reason to leave California.  SMOG CERTIFICATION.  I absolutely hate seeing this on my diesel truck registration.  If you have it done once, why do you have to continue every other year?   Are there really that many people who run out to the garage and disconnect or change whatever the equipment is?  Does it get them 20mpg more in their fuel usage?  And who in the world would know how to do that anyway?  Can you teach me????  Just kidding.  

I think the lawmakers have smoggy brains.  Course I know the REAL reason.  Having worked as an accountant in the County coffers, lots of this money SHOULD be returned to the locals, along with the State's share of welfare money.  The State didn't want to cut their budget, so they upped the registration fees, then transferred THAT money to the Counties for their welfare contribution.  I'm sure it's all much more convoluted now ... I've been retired for some time and the laws change constantly.

So I took my truck in yesterday to a local repair guy ... NOT a dealer ... and in ten minutes it was done.  Honestly, I didn't even see him check anything.  For $67.00 they signed the certificate and I put it in the mail.  I actually think Arizona fees are comparable to California, there just won't be any SMOG stuff there.  Were the timing right, I would just wait to register it until I get the house, but it won't happen this year.

I forgot to mention the car I saw while returning from Morgan Hill.  Isn't she a beauty?  A 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton, restored to her original state.   This was Tom Mix's car, the one he died in many years ago.   Unfortunately, I couldn't catch up for a picture, so I found this one on the internet.

This guy had a pretty fascinating life.  Born in Pennsylvania, his father was the stable master for a wealthy lumberman.  He learned to rope and ride early on, but his penchant for the circus got him in trouble.  After a stint in the Spanish American War in 1898, he went through several marriages before joining Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show.

His acting career began in 1909, becoming a big star, along with his horse Tony, making 120 films.  In 1913, he bought a ranch in Prescott Arizona, which became Yavapai Hills, a planned community.   I guess that idea has been around for awhile.  In 1929, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Wyatt Earp.

In the 30's, he went to work for Universal Pictures trying to pay for all those ex-wives (five in all), when he bought the Sam Hill Circus.  When he went to do promotional tours for the studios, he left the circus to his daughter Ruth, who promptly ran it into the ground.  For that, he disowned her.

In October of 1940, he was traveling towards Phoenix after visiting the Sheriff in Tucson, when he came upon a construction site and could not stop in time.  The car overturned and he was hit in the back of his head with a large aluminum suitcase that was not tied down.  It was full of money, jewels and travelers checks.  It broke his neck.  He was a young 60 years old.  

He was my hero in the old western shows I watched on television as a kid ... that is when we finally GOT a television in the mid 50's.  He was a handsome devil and always got the bad guys, as did I.  I deposited them in the saddle house jail at the back of our ranch, riding off into the sunset on my horse Pico!

I spent the afternoon working on my canvas in the afternoon.  I wish you could see how sparkly and shiny the threads are.  It looks just like scales!!  

Still trying to keep to something of a no carb diet, or at least LESS carbs, I picked up lots of veggies at the grocery store.  I've never really liked green beans because I could never cook them satisfactorily.  They were tough, half raw, stringy and tasteless.  The instant pot has changed all that!! I whipped up another batch with bacon and onions for dinner.  Boy were they delicious!!  If you come to my house for dinner, there's a good chance of green beans.

It's Magic Kingdom night again ... it came WAY too soon.  I imagine I should apologize to the Moneychanger, which I don't relish one bit.  I've had that conversation in my head 25 times already.  Yup ... I worry about stuff like that.  In fact, it can ruin my entire day, just like the Giants losing yet another game.  They are becoming the Giants of 2002 all over again.  Everyone hurt, terrible pitching and lots of losses.  It's okay though, I'll always be a fan.   Now to figure out how to pry those apologetic words from my mouth.

This Is NOT Your Grandmother's Needlepoint

Over the hill and through the woods ... to Madonna's House we go!!  Amazingly, I survived the trip into the Valley of Evil Drivers.  Even though the speed limit was 65, I cruised along at 60, determined not to go crazy along with the pack.  Sometimes you just can't help yourself, right?  You just start driving the same speed as them!!  When I hit the freeway, they went 75-80, I went the speed limit, 65.

This is the reason for the trip .... this fabulous mermaid (although I was informed she is a SIREN) needlepoint project.  Sure, I could just do the up and down method and make her flat and uninteresting, but I wanted the canvas to be as fabulous as she was.  Especially since it cost me a small fortune.  These are from Leigh Company and they are all hand painted.  They are so expensive, they don't even give you a price.  Just fork over that credit card!!

I've had her for about eight years.  The problem was I did not purchase the yarns and threads required to complete her.  Ever since, I've been looking for a store that sold the required stuff, but they kept going out of business.  FINALLY ... I got the name Madonna Needlework from a lady who gives lessons.

The minute I walked in the store, I knew I was in good company.  The door was open fifteen minutes before the official time and three ladies were already working on projects.  I met Teri, the wonderful owner who had already picked out some threads and planned the stitches.  No more straight up and down for me!!

Things have changed since the OLD days of your grandmother sitting by the fire with thick yarn and a flower picture.  The canvases available are amazing, as are the stitches you can use to make them come to life.  Teri is an artistic wonder of epic proportions.  She set me up on her frame holder with a magnifying glass light and showed me how to make her tail look like scales.  There will be pearls and beads in between each tiny square.  All of this written out on graph paper with each thread noted.

I was so happy to begin work on this masterpiece, I gave her a big hug.  I also gave JACK a big hug because he's just the most handsome guy!!  Jack is her Shih Tzu puppy ... the cutest thing EVER.  Well not as cute as Cooper, but he's a runner up for sure.  He loves toys and balls just like Cooper, but he doesn't chew them up.  He also did some great tricks ... like rolling over and dancing.  His toys are spread throughout the shop.  Definitely my kind of people!!

Finally ready to head home, I was STILL craving that Taco Bell taco I talked about awhile back.  AHA!!  There is a Taco Bell in Santa Nella about 40 miles from home.  I'll stop there.  As soon as I saw "shredded chicken burrito" on the menu, I caved.  I figured to eat half for lunch, saving the rest for dinner.  

Gee ... the bag felt kind of light for a big burrito.  I knew better, but I drove to the front instead of checking it first.  What to my wondering eyes should appear but a bag full of napkins and sauce.  I looked again.  Surely, way in the bottom, is my lunch.  Nope ... it was not to be.  Well you can just imagine how happy THAT made me!!

I went inside where it was a chilly 39 degrees (I'm not kidding, it was THAT cold in there ... must have frozen those kids brains) ... and headed to the counter.  "Can I help you?"  Why yes, yes you can. I just ordered a burrito and this is what I got ... I poured it all out on the counter.  There were maybe twelve napkins and fifteen packets of sauce, along with not one, but TWO receipts.  

Since I said NO sauce, I'm guessing she gave my burrito to the guy ahead of me and I got all his sauce.  She quickly made another burrito, adding extra cheese for the inconvenience she said.  A taco would have suited me better.

Just a tip here ... never EVER order the shredded chicken burrito.  When I finally got it out of the bag, it was about the size of my wristwatch.  NOTHING like the big burritos of old.  After taking a bite, I almost put it back in the bag.  That's not saying it tasted bad ... the taste was okay ... it was the LOOK of the thing that got me.  I don't want you to lose your lunch, but seriously, it looked like it had already been eaten by someone, and I'm not THAT picky!  I'll eat almost anything!!  That killed my craving for Taco Bell pretty quickly.

Finally back home, I spent the rest of the day working on the needlepoint.  I'm going back Friday for another lesson.  Mostly, I just want to play with Jack!!

Bright and early this morning I'm off to Jacks R Better to smog my truck.  Yes, in California you have to smog your diesel truck every two years.  It will cost be around $100 and make me crazy mad, but it has to be done.  I can't WAIT to get Arizona plates!!

Always Dreaming WINS!!!

I'm not much of a Race Horse person, especially when it comes to betting on one to win.   It's just too  difficult to let go of that hard earned money.  I actually went to the Belmont Stakes, the last race of the Triple Crown some years ago in New York.  Big Brown was running.  I may have mentioned this story.  I placed a bet on him because he had already won two of the three big races and was expected to be included among the greatest race horses ever to win all three.  My bank account was ready.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early, to the boos of the crowd and passersby, when I discovered the train that takes you there, doesn't leave until the race is over.  Thanks to a nice policeman, I was able to find a really scary cab driver to take me to the next train station for an hour's wait in a seedy neighborhood.  I listened to the race on my phone, hoping I didn't die that night.

Big Brown lost .... badly.  That pretty much ended my race horse betting career.

Meet Always Dreaming, a beautiful little three year old colt that outran everyone yesterday on a wet muddy track in the first of the 2017 Triple Crown races.  This is a training picture.

THIS is a picture of him on the far right, winning said race.  Why does it matter you might ask?  Because Madonna Needleworks in Morgan Hill, where I'm going today for some help on one of my biggest needlepoint creations, told everyone to name the winner on Facebook.  If your pick won, you got a discount on your next order.  Can you believe it?  I picked Always Dreaming, because I'm always dreaming about the canvases in their store that I cannot afford.  I WON!!!!  Yay for me!!!

With that morning excitement over, I ate lunch while the puppies snuggled on the couch.  The temps dropped to 54 this morning.  Thanks to Mister Ed, I found the "fan only" button on my A.C. control and turned it on with the back door open.  In just 15 minutes it was nice and cool inside, whereupon I turned it off.  Gotta love those tips and tricks!!

When I mentioned gearing up for my trip on Sunday, I did realize it was Saturday.  It takes me that long to get everything organized and all my ducks in a row so I can leave for the day, not to mention gathering up all my needles and miscellaneous chatchkees to use in the class.  That also included my weekly vacuuming.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my puppies with a capital L, but the dust and dirt they bring in the house is beyond comprehension.  Most of this is actually Jessie hair.  She should be bald ... but no, she grows more overnight, just to shed it all over my floor.  This after only ONE week!!

With that chore done, I went outside to sit in the sun and read, which lasted all of five minutes.  Cooper thinks OUTSIDE means play time.  Yes, his good collar is hanging in the closet so it will stay clean.  I threw the ball until my arm gave out.  He never seems to get tired.   What I wouldn't give for his energy!!

I spent the rest of the day making the next critter panel ... a cute little panda chewing on bamboo.  I've only got three to go before the final reveal.  Then I have to figure out how to sew them together straight.  If it turns out well, this just might be an entry in next year's fair.

So I'm off to drive over the Path Of Evil, over the hill to the land of a million vehicles, bad roads, cranky drivers and my needlepoint store where I have a discount waiting.  It's a great day at Kissack Castle.

A Fabulous Morning

When you wake up to puppy kisses, roll out of bed and see the reflection of THIS in your windows ...   it's PRICELESS.   What a magnificent way to start the day!  I grabbed my coffee and ran outside to sit on the patio and admire God's work.

It never lasts long enough.  In a mere five minutes it was gone with the wind.  How lucky was I to witness this amazing sunrise.  

That's when I turned and stepped on one of these critters.  OHHHHH GROSSSSSSSSS!!!  That's not exactly what I said, there were lots of expletives thrown in for good measure.  I hopped over to the wet lawn to try and remove most of the goo.  Yuck ... it was almost enough to make me throw up.  So much for the fabulous morning!!

I walked on my heal to the back room sink where I sat on the counter and scrubbed for what felt like an hour with the stiff bristle brush I clean the dog bowl with.  It's all I had.  Half a cup of laundry detergent later (it was the only thing I could reach), I determined it was safe to walk again.  It gives me the willies just thinking about it.

Back outside, I saw there were LOTS of them wandering around the damp concrete.  I would get out my salt shaker, but that just makes an even bigger mess to clean up.  I did that once when I lived in town. I salted every snail in site.   The next day my lawn looked like it had chicken pox because everywhere I put salt, the grass died.  I learned my lesson.  Hopefully they go away soon, since there's nothing in my yard they like to eat, except maybe grass.

My traumatic experience behind me, I went back to my embroidery.  I was having trouble with the thread picking up the bobbin thread.  Every third time, I had to rethread the machine.  With the correct bobbin holder and new thread from the Fresno store, it's working MUCH better.  Here's the latest little zoo quilt animal.

In the afternoon, the gardeners finally showed up.  I played my cards well.  Tell them what a great job they do edging the lawn, then blast them for not adjusting the sprinklers.  I mean really, it's so obvious with the huge brown spots on the lawn.  I felt a little better since I noticed my neighbor has the same problem.  At least we match!!  I'll run them this morning just to double check.

In spite of my dedication not to eat carbs, I had all the ingredients for another round of paella look-alike.  I cut the rice part in half and added two big chicken breasts to the shrimp and turkey sausage.  Once done, I measured out small servings into containers for the freezer.  If I can just control the portions,  I should be in good shape.

By the way, did I give you the Cheesy Potato recipe?  Want to have your best friend eat lots of potatoes and weigh more than you?  Here's how to do it and it's SO easy.  

Melt one cube of butter ... off to a good start, right?

Lower heat and blend in slowly 2 cups of sour cream, stirring continuously

Raise heat slightly and blend in 3/4 pound of sharp cheddar cheese until melted.

Place a 30 oz package of frozen hash browns in a large bowl.  

I defrosted them a bit first, making it easier to mix.  

Pour the sauce over and stir quickly.  Place in 13 x 9 pan

Bake in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes, broil for 5 minutes to brown top

Forget about the part where I only had one cup of sour cream and had to beg for more from the group.  I made this for the rally and they were gone in a flash.  The men especially loved it and they don't care about the pounds it adds.   

I'm happy to say the bump on my head is much better but still tender to the touch.  I'm still able to remember to turn the alarm off in the morning before opening the doors, so I guess there's no permanent damage, except to my ego.

Today I gear up for another trip over the hill to Morgan Hill for a Sunday needlepoint lesson.  Seems if you want to attend any classes around here, it's a 90 minute drive, which means more diesel.  This time I'll check Gas Buddy.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Does anyone know what the 5th of May is all about?  Well I figured I'd just look it up and give you a little history since there's not much else exciting going on around here.

After the Mexican American War and the Reform War (Liberals against Conservatives who wanted to keep the church and the government as one), Benito Juarez issued a moratorium on debt payments since the treasury was empty.  Don't you wish you could do that??  France, Britain and Spain said no way Benito, and landed forces in Veracruz demanding payment.  Britain and Spain agreed on a payment schedule, but France's Napoleon III decided to make Mexico HIS.

The 6,000 strong French Army attacked the poor Mexican Army of 2,000 and guess who won.  The Mexican Army crushed the French, the premier army in the world at that time, on May 5th near Puebla, Mexico.   Thus came about the Cinco De Mayo celebration.

Unfortunately, it was short lived, as a year later, the French returned to take control, but that didn't keep the people from celebrating their victory every May 5th.  So get your margueritas and your tacos on and lets have some fun!!  That means another run to the grocery store for me, but this time I'll skip Walmart.  At least it comforting to know I'm not alone in the Walmart boat.

My trip to Fresno yesterday was uneventful, thank goodness, as I found the place right off the bat.  It's a huge building full of fabric and more machines than you can count.  I would expect to see this store in Phoenix or maybe San Francisco.   This picture is from the book they gave me that lists all the events for the next three months.  

I was quickly hooked up with Barbie ... yup a blond lookalike ... but this girl had brains!!  She knew absolutely everything about my machine.  I sat there for an hour while she showed me all the cool adjustments and how to find them.  This thing is like a computer!!  I wish I could have signed up for some classes, but I'm not sure what my schedule will be.  It makes it a little more difficult when you  have to drive 1-1/2 hours to class each day.  Guess I'm just getting lazy!!

With the correct bobbins, needles and more thread, I headed off back home .... starving!!  This diet thing isn't working so well for me.  It's hard to know what to eat and what NOT to eat.  I've cut out bread and potatoes almost entirely and am trying for meat and veggies.  Actually I had ONE Taco Bell taco in mind, but couldn't find one.  Since I needed fuel, both diesel and food, I hit Jack In The Box next door.

This is a Bacon Swiss burger.  Good heavens it was yummy!!  I peeled off the bottom bun and decided I wouldn't eat the whole thing.  That was pretty difficult, but I did throw about a quarter of it away.  I didn't try their fries since I'm off potatoes.  Not that it's working, after all this time I still have only lost three pounds.

On the fuel front in California, look out folks.  They are out to rip you off.  If I see a station I might stop at in my rig, I check it out first when in my truck.  I stopped at the Pilot Station near Madera to find fuel at $2.99 a gallon.  Not bad, so I put 30 gallons in my truck.  It was then I discovered the 76 Station one block away that had diesel for $2.45.  I thought Pilot Stations were cheaper!!  

They certainly sell more fuel to the big trucks!!  Even with their discount credit card, it's still MUCH more expensive.  To make it worse, I can smell that crappy diesel every time I drive the truck, which I have to smog on Monday.  It will be interesting to see if it passes with a tank full of crappy fuel.

Back home, I was out in the yard making further sprinkler adjustments.  The gardeners finally got the message when I stuck a big pipe in the ground with a large note taped to it ... PLEASE FIX SPRINKLER.  They did.  It works great, watering the neighbor's entire driveway with maybe three drops on my lawn.  Are these guys dumb or just incompetent??  Wouldn't you try it and see if it worked??

It's been in the mid 90's the last week, up to 94 yesterday.  With my last couple of crazy PG&E bills due to watering the entire neighborhood with the broken sprinkler, I turned both my AC units off.  This is my new air conditioning system.  It does double duty ... it keeps the door open for the puppies in the morning and it brings in cold morning air (68 degrees) to my 77 degree house, cooling it down nicely, which lasts the entire day.   About 9:30 am when the temperatures equalize, I turn it off and shut the door.

With another storm predicted by late today, the daytime high will be around 63.  That's a pretty far jump in one day!!  I'll be able to turn my mini AC off for awhile.  In the meantime, I'm gunning for the lawn crew, after which I'll hit the grocery store for taco material.   It's time to CELEBRATE!!

In The Line Of Fire

Grocery shopping should be an enjoyable experience, right?  Seems this week I've been in the line of fire on several fronts.  Yesterday I escaped by the skin of my teeth!!  Here's the sight of the first encounter ... the Magic Kingdom of Bingo.

The second encounter took place at one of two places to purchase groceries in this area ... well three actually, but as you go down the totem pole, the names on the cans become unrecognizable and the vegetables look like rejects from the harvesting wagons.

Since I needed pillows and dog food, an odd combination, I first stopped in at Petco.  Food for my dogs has officially become more expensive than what I eat.  Nutro, which used to sell for $30 (22 pound bag) has "reformulated" their product to be all natural, grass fed non GMO (whatever that is) lamb with no-pesticide rice.  That same 22 pound bag now runs $50 ... but WAIT ... you get $5 off for being a Petco customer.

The bag I ended up with was 30 pounds and cost me $59.  The canned food I add (just a couple of tablespoons) used to be 99 cents each, lasting about 4 days.  The price just jumped up to $1.99 per can.  

I could buy cheaper dog food, but in case you never noticed, what goes in, comes out.  The better food you buy, the less there is to pick up, not to mention the "bad food that can kill your dog" factor.  Maybe I should start feeding them primo hamburger ... I think it would be cheaper.

Next stop ... the big W.  There are two in this area, one of which you never step foot in the door for several reasons.  There seems to be an inordinate number of stabbings and shootings, not to mention lots of stealing.  You will find dozens of empty makeup packages hidden all over the store while the products went home in someone's purse.  

If you buy anything at all that comes in a box, if it isn't sealed (which it never is) parts will be missing guaranteed!!  I can't tell you how many things I returned things to that store.  The new Supercentre built not far from my house is a tad bit better, and even though I KNOW better, I went to get groceries there yesterday.

With half a basketful, I went looking for a checkout counter.  Should be easy to find, they have 25 of them.  Trouble is, only two are open.  As I wandered down the aisle past the first one, I spotted FIVE management type employees standing there looking at the two open lines, each with seven people waiting to be checked out, carts full to the brim.  Maybe they could call someone?

It's okay though, I'm not in a hurry, so I wait patiently.  HA!!!!  Fifteen minutes later NOT so patiently, I watched as the checkout girl ran eighteen WIC tickets through her machine.  I took out my phone and took pictures of the lines and the management types just standing there (which I won't post due to privacy and all that stuff).  When they saw me pointing my phone at them, they jumped into action.  I should have done it earlier.

Suddenly there was a new checker heading to the cash register, followed by three baskets full racing to see who could get there first.  I got caught in the line of fire.  They crashed into my cart and shoved me aside as they fought to be first in line.  Good grief!!  You take your life in your hands when you shop here!!

By the time I got home, it was 90 degrees outside and most of my groceries' pull dates had already expired.  The good news is I was safe and sound in one piece, and the puppies liked the new food, which is probably just the same as the old but with a new fancy bag to hold it.

While in Petco I did find something for Cooper.  I'm definitely NOT into dog clothes, nor are the dogs, but this little bow tie collar was just too cute to pass up.   

With a totally uninteresting rest of the day, the puppies and I watched the Giants take the series from the Dodgers in their own stadium last night.  It was a fitting end since the Dodgers beat the Giants 13-5 on Tuesday.  It's also pretty amazing, since most of our guys are hurt and several are Rookies to the field.

Although I'd like to stay home today, OUT of the line of fire, I really need to head off to the big town of Fresno to gather the paperwork on my embroidery machine.  With a high of 93 forecast for today, I think summer has arrived!!

Head Bashing!!!

I know we've ALL felt the pain and headache of head bashing.  Try as we might, it's inevitable when you have an RV.  I've trained myself to be extra careful around the rig, especially when the slides are out.  I consciously pay attention when getting stuff in and out of the bays.

On the other hand, when the slides are NOT out, there's still that off chance you will whack your head on SOMETHING.  On Monday when I returned home, that SOMETHING was the fifth wheel attachment to my horse trailer that lives about four feet off the ground.  My rig parks next to it and my electrical cord stretches out underneath.  Despite my carefulness (I walked bent over for several feet) I still came up right under this unmovable steel object hard enough to knock myself silly.

MAN that hurts!!  Try as I might not to touch it, because that only makes it worse, I rubbed it to be sure it wasn't bleeding, which of course made it worse.  Head bashing is NOT on my list of fun things.  I went inside and laid down on the couch, sending a text message to a friend to call in an hour and make sure I was still alive.  They obliged.  I lived.  I now have one more big bump on my head to add to the already existing SIX!!

Last night was Magic Kingdom Bingo time.  I think that bump on my head caused me to go bonkers on the Moneychanger.  Another bang on the head would have been better than the exchange that occurred.  Here's the deal ... first card $5.00.  Additional cards $2.00.  Bring your receipt so we know how much to charge you for the additional ones you want.  

"You didn't give me a receipt" are the famous words spouted off, as well as you didn't give me a red ticket for the drawing.  Believe me, it happens so many times, we are extra EXTRA careful to give everyone their change, their cards, their receipt and their red ticket.  This is serious business for them.

During the "you didn't give me a receipt" excuse, the Moneychanger came up and inserted his nose, in an extremely rude fashion, where it didn't belong.  I've seen it (and been the recipient of it) many times, but have always chosen to ignore it.   I finally charged $2 since the lady said she had already purchased THREE.  Now the rude Moneychanger gets in my face about what difference does it make.

He's right ... the $3 difference makes no matter to me or the Elks.  It DOES matter to the other 102 people in the building who paid $5 for that same card.  If she goes back to the table and tells everyone, which she most definitely will do, we'll have ten more people trying to cheat their way into paying less than everyone else.  The Castle Lawyer and I have been running this for seven years.  It has taken us six years to get the crowd where they don't try to cheat us at every turn.  You can't imagine the shenanigans they try to pull!!

The Moneychanger just kept at it ... I was bashing my head against a brick wall and it hurt.  I finally told him I wasn't discussing this with him.  He said a lot of bad words and walked off in a huff, mad that someone talked to him the way he talks to everyone.  He went straight to the King.  Thirty minutes later, the lady came back and apologized, paying the additional $3 because she lied about having already purchased three.  I didn't take her money.  I explained to her it's not about the money ..... it's about being fair to everyone else.  She agreed and so did the King.

So you KNOW that ruined my night's sleep, not to mention the actual bump on the head I have!!  I'm hoping the Moneychanger will quit using that four letter word six times in one sentence and will treat people, especially women, with a little more respect.  That's like spitting in a river, but maybe next time he'll at least think about it.  I'll just count cards for the next few weeks while the head bashing bumps heal up.

My plan for the day is to do absolutely nothing!!  Impossible, I know, since I need groceries and a few things for the Arizona house.  Escrow will close in 15 days assuming everything is good with the inspections I had done yesterday.  For now, I'll just sit on the couch and relive that conversation 25,000 times ..... what I SHOULD have said!!!  Let it go Nancy, in the long run, it just doesn't matter.

Experience The History

After a hair raising drive East on Highway 50 out of Sacramento, I arrived at Old Town Folsom.  I say hair raising because I was going 70 mph .. the speed limit is 65 .. and literally everyone was passing me like I was standing still.  I now know where the "California Drivers" reputation comes from.  Eeeeeeek!!

I went a little early looking to gather some photos and was surprised to see most of the parking already taken.  Having Sunday morning breakfast on the streets of Folsom is apparently a must.  If you go for the shopping, it doesn't open until 11:00.

Although we were supposed to ride another train, the tracks washed out and our tour was cancelled.  Instead I walked around the depot area getting a feel for the Gold Rush town.  I was particularly interested in the Pioneer Village with it's working craftsmen, but of course it was Sunday and they were closed.

As a group, they will ride any train ... and I mean ANY train.  The Golden Spikes gathered over at the City Zoo and made all the little kids wait while they took a ride on THIS little train.  

In the meantime, I wandered around town loving all the old buildings that still remain on Sutter Street.  There's something for everyone, including housewares, olive oil, antiques, and of course my favorite, FOOD!!

This is Hop Sing Palace Chinese food, complete with original doors and brightly colored PINK napkins on the tables.  I rather imagine it was like this in the old days ... anything to attract attention and customers.

This is gold country and this town was originally named Granite City.  Joseph Libbey Folsom purchased this property from the heirs of San Francisco merchant William Leidesdorff, providing a place for gold miners heading to the Sierra Nevada foothills to purchase supplies.  He lobbied to build a railroad line to Sacramento, bringing even more people to the area.  

It's definitely a colorful little town, keeping many of the sights and sounds of yesteryear.  

The Sutter Street Theatre resides in this building.  Don't let your change jingle as you walk along ... I was hit up a couple of times for food money .. although very respectfully I must say.

They have a very small Folsom Historical Museum that on this date had quite a display of old quilts, made in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Some of these were just amazing, having been all hand sewn and quilted.  They even had some you could purchase for very reasonable prices.  I've never seen THAT before.  Alongside the quilts were some vintage clothing, like this wedding dress that would fit a 15 year old.  It was the tiniest thing I've ever seen.  It shouldn't surprise me however, since my grandmother was married at 16.

Here's a closer look.  She must have come from a wealthy family.  The entire front is encrusted with beads.  

This quilt was found in a plastic bag in a garage sale.  After hand washing, it's a beautiful example of what a needle and thread can do in the right hands.  This one is dated back to the 1800's.

There are some hands on things in the little museum, mostly gold related.  This butter churn sure brought back memories.  I used to sit on the kitchen table and turn the handle until it got too hard to move.  The cow was milked and the milk strained through cheesecloth to remove little things like hair and bugs, before putting it in the ice box to chill.  The cream would rise to the top of the pan, where we used a round piece of tin to remove just the top layer.  That went into the churn, where the wooden paddles inside would agitate it as we turned the handle until it got thick .. voila ...BUTTER.

Just for information purposes, this does NOT come apart.  It was simply rinsed and left to dry.  The butter was then left out on the kitchen table.  Putting it back in the ice box meant it would get hard as a rock, making it unspreadable.  I used to sit on the kitchen table and eat it by the handful.  YUCK!!  For years after, I couldn't eat butter at all ..... margarine became my staple.

There were all kinds of people who were adventuresome and willing to do anything to make a living, unlike today where people expect a free handout.  The husband of this lovely couple became disabled and couldn't work.  His resourceful wife did what she had to, trading her favors for cash.  Eventually, she transformed their little chicken ranch into a brothel which she ran up until the early 1900's.  

This is one of her advertisement pictures.  Pretty racy for a time when you weren't even allowed to show your ankles!!

Outside, still hoping the Pioneer Museum craftsmen would show up, I took pictures of the turntable used in the old days.  Today it's just for the sake of history, as it doesn't turn engines around any more.

Also a small museum, this passenger car didn't get the memo.  10:00 am is the new time according to the townspeople.

If you're interested in anything Christmas, they have it in this little store.  As you walk through, it just goes on and on and on!!    I'm not sure this peacock turquoise tree is my style, but it was very pretty.

You know I can't pass up an ice cream store, so when I came to Snooks candy and ice cream, I had to stop.  More rocky road, although I think they left out the rocky part.  It was a delicious breakfast anyway.

Here's the best part .... the candy.  I'm not really much of a candy person, but when I saw this rocky road fudge, I just had to try some.  Good heavens this stuff is amazing!!!  It's so good I may even have to try making it myself!!

By then I was getting rather hungry for lunch, so I braved the breakneck speed highway and returned to the RV park.  There is one more attraction here that is definitely worth a look see, and that is Folsom Prison.  That's right, the one Johnny Cash sings about is here for your enjoyment.  It will have to wait for the next trip however.

It was a rather boring trip back home, ending in some head bashing, just in time for the Magic Kingdom of Bingo.   Woohoo!!!