Life on the road

Time To Confess: 55 Days Since The Last Big Shopping Trip

Way back on February 27 was the last time we made a big grocery shopping trip. I had made a personal goal to post a recipe for what we ate for dinner every night until the next time we shopped, but as you know, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. I am not so good at sticking with the program on things like that, but I DO enjoy this budget thing. It helps me stay somewhat on a grocery budget when I have to publicly report how well or how bad I did with a goal.

So, here are the results of this last venture:

Wal-Mart and Frye’s 2-27: $416.33
in-between trips thru 4-20: 222.35
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total grocery bill 55 days $ 638.68

That comes out to $11.61 per day, or $81.62 per week. Not as good as I wanted, but not as bad as it could have been. We bought a ham for $10.00 the week before Easter; I bought some chard, artichokes, asparagus, and avocados at various times when we were out. This also includes shopping at some small stores that had high prices.

I also have to say, that we had about 1/4 of the ham left, as well as the ham bone; some tilapia; and a couple of other things that could have made about 6 more days of meals. I would have stretched it out that far if we hadn’t been getting ready to go to our job at the Grand Canyon. So, what do you think? Good or bad?

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Flagstaff, Arizona

Karen · 7 Comments

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a drive, and that is just what we did. It was 143 miles from Cactus Ranch to J & H RV Park in Flagstaff. The trip was pretty much uneventful. The sky was so blue, with puffy white clouds. This is the first view of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff from I-17.

We pulled into J & H RV Park around 1:30 p.m. and set up the trailer. We had forgotten about the higher elevation of the area–it’s around 7,000 feet. By the time we got done, we were worn out, huffing and puffing. This is the same park we stayed in last year when we were on our way up to the canyon. We like it because the sites are very level pull-throughs, and it is pretty. However, is is $40 a night. That’s us, in the trailer between two motor homes.

The sunset yesterday was beautiful, again. This is looking out toward the San Franciso Peaks:

Today was a busy day. It started out with breakfast at our favorite Flagstaff restaurant, Miz Zips. They serve breakfast all day for a pretty good price, and their coffee is good. I like places that will serve me eggs any time I want them. It’s just not right not to. It always seems like a penalty to me for sleeping late when a restaurant closed up the egg carton at 10 a.m. Anyway, Miz Zips is on Route 66, that famous highway. I just like the idea of eating my eggs on Route 66.

After breakfast, I got a haircut, a manicure, and a pedicure. The girl did a good job on my hair. she only took off about a half inch, and cut some bangs. I had wanted to just let it grow all one length, but the front was growing funny, with just a little bit that was too long to be bangs, but too short to stay back with a hair band. So, I went ahead and cut the bangs, “fringe” to my English daughter-in-law. It looks ok. Keep in mind it was a windy day and I let it air dry instead of using a blow dryer on it, and I didn’t have a brush in the truck:

After all that was done, we went to the game store for Fabgrandpa, and to Joann Fabrics for me. You know I had to get my fabric fix. I got five coordinating prints in chocolate browns, teal blues and creams, for a project I want to work on. Can’t wait to get started on it.

Next, we went to Wal-Mart for a stock up of toiletris, paper goods, and part of the grocery list. It took quite a while, but we did get about half of the planned shopping done today. Then we went home and unloaded the truck and put everything away, ate some lunch, and took a nap. A looonnng nap.

When I woke up, I offered to take FabGrandpa out to dinner, so he suggested the Swadhe Thai Restaurant in the old town part of Flagstaff. Yum! I am ready for thai food anytime. I ordered Woon Sen Soup and Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice. The soup had those clear bean thread noodles, chicken, and bok choy, and was delish. And what can I say about the fried rice except, if you have never had it, you do need to try it.

He ordered Won Ton Soup and Spicy Seafood Fried Rice. The waiter asked him “How spicy do you want your rice?” They have from 1 to 5 on the spicy side, so he ordered “3”. It was so hot it made his whole head turn red, and it had squid-y, octopi looking things in it, along with the shrimp and scallops. I told him to never order “seafood” in a Asian or Italian place, you just never know what you are going to get. He ate it though, and said it was good.

Here is the sunset we saw when we walked outside to go home:

Tomorrow, there’s more shopping to do. The last time we did a big shopping trip for groceries was on February 27, so it is about time.

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Oh, Mah Holy Hell!, Y’all!!! or Telephone Troubles, The Resolution..

Karen · 11 Comments

When I hung up the phone from talking to Verizon’s customer no service department on Saturday, I was less than happy with the experience. The person I spoke with had offered to credit 50% of the $188.75 roaming charges that were on my bill from my trip to California. That’s roaming in MEXICO. When I told her that would be unacceptable, and asked to speak to a supervisor, she said someone would call me on Monday. And I thought, “yeah, sure” but I told her, “Yes, that is what I want.”

So, yesterday when was at the laundromat, my cellphone rang, and do you believe it was Verizon? The very same person I spoke with on Saturday told me she had discussed my bill with her supervisor and they had agreed to take off 100% of those pesky roaming charges. Just like that. No further discussion, begging, pleading, or letter writing required. I thanked her very much.

But then, it made me wonder why put those charges on there to start with. I think maybe there are a certain percentage of people who just pay the bill, no questions asked. And there are probably another certain percentage of people who make the call to ask for a credit, and the first line person offers 50% credit, and they are happy with that, and pay it. And Verizon laughs all the way to the bank.

I am not normally so cynical about things like this, but dang it, 50% of that bill would have been almost $95.00. That is a lot of money out of the customer’s pocket and into Verizon’s, just for using your cellphone service in an unfortunate location. And their TV ads, the “Can you hear me now” ones, as well as the newer ones that tout their “network”, what a crock. Those adds make you think you can get service anywhere you go. I was sitting in a deck chair, at the beach, in a well populated town, and couldn’t make or receive a call.

And to be honest, I didn’t even try to use my cellphone because IT actually told me I was roaming, and I was afraid those charges would accrue. But when I tried to use my internet wireless card, no such message was received. That wireless card was picking up three bars, but when I tried to connect, it was very, very slow–it took me OVER AN HOUR to get to my g-mail account to try to read my email. That was the only time I tried to use it, the rest of the time I went to the coffee shop. So, for ONE HOUR of internet usage, that was incredibly slow, I was charged $188.75.

So, now that my rant is over, the point I would like to make here, is that if you are traveling near the border, either with Mexico or with Canada, and you use your cellphone, pay attention to your next bill. You could be roaming in devious territory.

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Scenic Sunday

Karen · 18 Comments

This is the entrance station at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The photo was taken on May 9, 2008. The park opens on May 15th each year. I was there because this is where I work. I am a seasonal park ranger there. I just love my cubicle!

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.

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Oh, Mah Holy Hell!, Y’all!!! or Telephone Troubles, Again…

Karen · 14 Comments

(Sorry, Hotfessional!, but this situation calls for the use of that bit.)

My vacation to California is coming back to haunt me! Remember how I told you that I couldn’t get a signal in our motel room, and I had to go to the coffee shop to get online? I got my Verizon bill today and DANG! they are charging me $188.75 for roaming in Mexico. Even though I never once used my phone in Tijuana, and I certainly didn’t take my computer over there and get online. And I just used the wireless card in the room the first night to try to get online but it took just about an hour to get to my g-mail account. Just look at this:

Global Roam – Mexico kilobytes — 37,750 37,750 188.75
Total Roaming $188.75
Total Usage Charges $188.75

Their customer no service department actually told me that since they could not determine where the usage originated, they could only offer me a 50% credit. And of course I said “That is unacceptable.” The supervisor was not in today and will be calling me back on Monday. Then she jabbered on about how I could have set my account to have alerted me to there being roaming charges being accrued. Which I had no idea I could do, since I was not going to a foreign country, I was only going to California. Like she was trying to make it MY fault that I was being charged ridiculous charges for roaming in Calfornia.

Just as information, I walked into the Verizon store in National City, California while we were at Best Buy, which was right next door, and talked to one of their people. He told me not to worry, that if I got roaming charges on my bill they would take them off. But, he didn’t note my account that I asked the question. So, I guess Verizon thinks I am lying about not using my service in Mexico–at least that is what they implied. There WILL be follow-up.

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Just Stuff

Karen · 5 Comments

This was the view from the gas station the other day. It’s funny to me because it looks like the cowboy is trying to capture the elephant.

We’ve been busy cleaning out every bin and cubby hole in the place. I tossed out clothes I haven’t worn in a year, old socks, old medicines. Donated some books and magazines to the rec room here at the campground. Shredded old papers and filed some stuff that needed keeping. Paid the tax bill. Found a can of soup in the pantry with an expiration date of May 2003!!! That got tossed, along with a jar of pickled beets that I have no idea where they came from . Just a little bit more to do, and we’ll be ready to go.

On Monday, we’ll go to the Wash Tub one more time to do laundry, stop by the bank, and fill the truck with fuel. We’ll be so ready to go! We’ll be heading out on Tuesday morning, headed for Flagstaff. And just in the nick of time, too:

The weather forecast for next week here in Wickenburg:

Sunday: 93 degrees (F) 34 degrees (C)

Monday: 98 degrees (F) 37 degrees (C)

Tuesday: 100 degrees (F) 38 degrees (C)

HOT! HOT! HOT!

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One Week To Get Ready To Go

Karen · 4 Comments

We talked to the boss man at the job yesterday, and finalized a return to work date, so we will be rolling down the road in just one week from today.

The plan right now is to leave here on Tuesday morning, and go as far as Flagstaff. We’ll spend two nights there so we can stock up the pantry and get some needed supplies, then we’re off to the North Rim again. We should get there on Friday afternoon. I can hardly wait!

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To My Waitress

Karen · 14 Comments

Darling, I know being a waitress is a hard job, that it is both physically and mentally exhausting. I know that when your co-workers don’t show up on a busy Saturday morning, and you are the only one working, that it can be hectic. But you know what? I really don’t want to hear how stressed you are. When you are taking my order, I am the ONLY customer you need to worry about at that exact moment.

Sweetheart,when you have customers who ask you questions about how the foods are prepared, you should pay attention. If you hear us ask if there is any wheat in a particular dish, it is NOT because we are testing you, or trying to make your life miserable. We ask those questions because we NEED to know. We shouldn’t have to tell you that if we eat even a few crumbs of wheat that we’ll have explosive diarrhea for three days, that all of our joints will ache and hurt for a week, that we’ll have a headache worse than your last hangover. All you need to know is that we asked that question, all the rest of it is TMI.

Honey, when you take my order, I would appreciate it very much if you would actually write down that I requested NO BUN on my hamburger. When you bring said hamburger to me, and it is sitting there all nice and pretty on that delicious looking bun, don’t give me any flack about asking you to bring me another one BECAUSE I CAN’T EAT WHEAT. Oh, and that thing you said to me about it being a POTATO roll? Read the ingredients label, sweetie. It still has WHEAT in it. And don’t look at ME like I’m stupid when I say that, because I HAVE BEEN READING LABELS FOR MORE YEARS THAN YOU HAVE EXISTED ON THIS PLANET!!!

And, Cutie, most of all, don’t be surprised when your tip is the bare minimum. Part of what I determine to be good service includes whether or not you actually listen to what I ask for. And part of it has to do with whether or not I can actually eat the food you set before me. I’m not talking about how the cook did his job, either. I get just as tired of telling you what I can’t eat as you are of hearing me say it.

Babydoll, I know you think that it is not your job to keep me from getting gluten on my plate, and I agree, it is not. That is MY responsibility. But since I have done the studying, and have educated myself, and know what I can and can not eat, when I relay that information to you by ordering my meal with no bread, you could at least give me the courtesy of paying attention. While my gluten intolerance is not life threatening, some food allergies can be. So, next time you get a customer who is asking lots of questions about food ingredients, pay attention. Please.

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