Subj : Go West [1]
To : Dave Drum
From : Ruth Haffly
Date : Sat May 04 2024 12:04:52
Hi Dave,
DD> I never used the AAA service. But my parents did a time or three. They
DD> got back a three-inch tall by seven or eight inch wild book of strip
DD> maps with the AAA suggested routes highlighted. Also regukar 8 1/2" X
DD> 11 pages with recommended restaurants, motels and roadside
DD> attractions.
RH> I don't know what my dad used, probably studied road maps. We did have
RH> the Rand McNally campgrounds atlas that my parents used extensivly. It
RH> listed campgrounds (by city, town, etc) and the amenities they offered;
RH> one thing my dad always insisted on was that it have flush toilets. (G)
DD> Definitely not a "country boy", then. Bv)= On the farm we had six
He rough camped enough with the local boy scout troop that he wanted to
be more comfortable on the family camping trips. As long as I can
remember, he always used an air mattress under the sleeping bag, both
with the scouts and family outings.
DD> rooms and a path. Baths were taken in a large washtub near the kitchen
DD> stove so we could have hot water. It was a matter of great mement when
DD> we gor an oval galvanised "horse trough to replace the round wash tub.
Dad was a city boy, raised in North Tonawanda, NY. He was active with
the boy scouts there, military (WWII) service was in the Navy. Mom was
also city raised but camped with the girl scouts--they figured with 5
kids, camping was the cheapest way to go (true) for vacations, tho we
didn't start travelling until the youngest was around 7.
RH> Even when camping, Mom fixed 99.99% of our meals so restarant
listings RH> would have been as useless as motels. The few times we ate
out, we just RH> went to some place near the campground....I remember
going for lobster RH> (We kids had to get other seafood, but each got a
bite of lobster from RH> what mom & dad ordered.) up in Maine but that
was a rare exception.
DD> 8<----- CUT ----->8
RH> We generally try to use the "go arounds". Even tho I don't drive, I
RH> keep looking for indicators of what we need to be aware of coming up,
RH> especially when we're towing, to help Steve.
DD> You're probably worked out a system that suits you. Ordinarily I
DD> mislike "back seat drivers". My grandmother was thw absolute worst
DD> it's ever been my misfortune to have as a passenger. I told her once
DD> "I don't tell you how to run your kitchen .... let me drive the way I
DD> know how." And if I was forced to ride with her in her car???? She
DD> drove like porcupines making love - slowly and painfully.
RH> Don't forget, she was raised when there were fewer cars, trucks, etc on
RH> the road.
DD> I don't believe that she ever drove a car over 40 MPH in her life.
DD> Even on Route 66 which put her in danger of getting rear-ended. Thank
DD> goodness it was a 4 lane road. I remember being honked at many times
DD> on 2 land highways.
But, she got to where she was going safely. Did she drive tractors on
the farm?
DD> 8<----- CUT ----->8
RH> The grocery store is pretty nice, I'd rate it a few steps above Food
RH> Lion. The one we used to shop at regularly has a small clearance
RH> were buying. Good reccommendation. (G)
DD> Hy-Vee is our Midwest Wegman's equivalent. I only get staple items
DD> from their "snatch & grabbit" service. Fresh produce, meat and deli
DD> still reuire me to go iside and select personally what I'm buying.
DD> The other major stupormarkups here offer similar deals - but I have
DD> yet to try them out.
RH> Maybe one of these days, but not yet for us.
DD> It's a time-saver. And since staple items are in bags/cans/boxes and
DD> the same all of the time I have no problem putting in an on-line order
DD> and scheduling pick-up at a convenient time. If one (or more) of my
DD> selected items is out of stock I get texts on my phone from the as we
DD> try to select a work-around. And if none exists ... on to the next
DD> item.
RH> We still prefer to do all the shopping. If I don't go out with Steve,
RH> I'll send a fairly detailed list of what to get.
DD> It's sort of like ordering from Amazon - except you don't have to wait
DD> 2 days for delivery. Hy-Vee will also deliver your groceries (just
DD> like the old days). Since I'm a Perks Plus member there's a U$25
DD> minimum order - I have only used that service once - when I was
DD> housebound on doctor's say so. If one is not a Perks Plus member the
DD> minimum for free delivery is
DD> U$100.
It's something to consider, thought about it during the covid shut downs
but Steve went out (with a detailed list) about once a week. He still
shops solo from time to time when I either don't want to go or he's out
otherwise and swings into (usually Wegman's) to pick something up.
RH> names. We'd met a few folks in the first 13 years or so we were on
the RH> echo but got to meet a lot more "in real life" at the event the
Shipps RH> hosted in 2007.
DD> I remember you were coming through my town on Route 66/I-55 and we met
DD> at the local Cracker Barrel. There was a Commode Door 64 cofuser
DD> involved.
Yes, we met you on our way from AZ to NY one year, met Henry Kastan in
AZ (his wife had family in Sierra Vista) and Michael in HI when he and
Carol Bryant came out one year. She went shopping with friends one day
while we met him for lunch at Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab, one
of our favorite places.
DD> IIRC you were also at the last picnic they held. That was before
Nancy DD> fell off of her twig.
RH> Yes, we were there. Visited some friends in the Baltimore area
RH> afterward; we'd been stationed in Frankfurt am/Main together. We hosted
RH> the last picnic, in 2019--doubt there will be any more but would be
RH> nice........
DD> I had to give that one a miss. And I fear you're right on the echo
DD> picnics. Not enough participants left on this early-times social media
DD> platform to make up a viable picnic.
RH> Last few we went to had maybe 6-9 people; ours had the Shipps, Michael,
RH> Nancy and Mark Lewis for a grand total of 7.
DD> Never met Mark in person but I use his BBS daily.
Mark Lewis from NC? We point off of Marc Lewis, IIRC now in Huntsville,
AL.
DD> My house mate gave me a "Great Value" (as-if) single serve beef
DD> stroganoff yesterday which he had tried and didn't care for. He asked
DD> me "What's
DD> wrong with this stuff?" Besides being fro Wally World, they used
DD> mystery meat, very little spice/flavouring agents, rotini pasta in
DD> plsce of wide
Sounds very forgettable. (G)
>> CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE <<
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Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28
... ... Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans-J. Lennon
--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
