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This is the first Executive Mansion of the state of Georgia and it filled that capacity from 1838 to 1868 until the state capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta. It is still open for public tours.
If you ever find your self in Milledgeville, a great place to eat is Buffington’s. I can personally vouch for the Cry Baby Burger (ground Angus beef, roasted jalapenos, caramelized onions with white American cheese) and the fried pickle slices as a side were almost Razzoo matching in their succulency. The few spoonfuls of Donna’s Bob Marley soup (creamy base, Caribbean chicken & rice with a “kick”) that I had was delicious and reminded me of a sort of thick gumbo. I didn’t get any of her quesadilla, but it must have been good because she made the whole thing go away and she usually gets a assist from me on that front when we are at Moe’s.
We grabbed a couple caches in Milledgeville before we hit the hotel. And I didn’t realize it until just now when I checked our statistics, but today was the three year anniversary of Geocaching. On 2/15/2009 we found Up Sand Creek in Hitchcock Woods. Our total finds stand at 993 or 0.9052 caches/day.
We went geocaching today and managed a measly four finds, of course that is all we really looked for…it started with a rare non-Florence visit with Cousin Laurie and ended with a disappointing meal at a place we used to love.
We picked up Laurie in her hometown and drove the 15 miles to Cheraw State Park to search for our first cache. It was a quick and easy find at the end of the boardwalk at one corner of a huge lake. Once over it we opted to continue walking on that side of the lake. There were some horse trails that we unsuccessfully attempted to find using the typically cryptic state park map, so we ended up walking along a long dirt road to a place called Camp Forest. If I was scouting movie locations for the next teen slasher/horror film, I had found it.
After lunch in Cheraw we drop Laurie off and headed home the long way which included a couple more stops in state parks that are part of our latest obsession, the Sandhills Challenge. First up was the H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area which is a very large equestrian area with zero human trails. The cache was a small container hidden on a set of metal viewing stands in front of a show ring. The second state park was Goodale near Camden where there was no big trail, but we took a short walk along a small steam trying to wait out a ranger parked in a truck near GZ. He never did move, but we went over and made the find anyway, because we figured he knew what we were after, so we wouldn’t technically be muggled. A picturesque feature of the park, one that is becoming quite familiar to us, is the mill pond with cypress trees:
We sandwiched in the other cache while driving between the last two state parks. It was at a Scotch Cemetery that had caught our eye on the drive up in the morning, not even realizing then that there was a cache at it. We didn’t spend long exploring the grounds once we did get there, because by this time the temperature was dropping fast and the wind was picking up.
Dinner was at a Maurice’s BBQ place in Lexington. Maybe it was just a bad day at this restaurant or maybe our tastes budshave changed, but neither one of us enjoyed the mustard based pulled pork sandwich as much as we thought we we usedto.
While sitting on the couch last night using the laptop to plan today’s geocaching adventure to Columbia, Donna was watching Diners, Drive-In and Dives. We were thinking of eating lunch at California Dreaming, but our plans were changed by the 10:30 episode of Triple D, which featured a place called Pawley’s Front Porch.
First stop though was Sesqui-Centennial State Park in northeast Columbia that has 10 geocaches. Looking at the map at home it seemed like most of them were on the shorter loop that closely circles the lake. Turns out I was wrong, they were scattered all over the place, on and off, some of the dozen or so miles of trails. We ended up spending 3 hours and walking 6.4 miles finding 8 of 8 of the caches attempted.
After driving to 5 Points in downtown Columbia, we circled the block, asked directions and still got turned around. We ended up walking the last block before finding the restaurant around 1:30. After a 30 minute wait we were seated and ordered our burgers. I had the Wadmalaw (chipotle BBQ sauce, fried pickle chips, applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese), Donna had a Rockville (sauteed Vidalia onions, wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese) and Joan opted for the Front Porch (cheddar cheese.) The fries and onion ring sides were alright, but the burgers were awesome and worth the wait. Three hours later I was still full.
We went for a 4–1/2 mile walk in Hitchcock Woods this morning. And like last weekend at the Gap, the trees are past peak color, but there are plenty of spots that still look pretty darn good.
We drove the Sonata to DD for breakfast, the Miata to Firehouse Subs for lunch and if we had thought about before now, we could have ridden the tandem somewhere for dinner, instead we will dine at home.
The Purple Whales started the day predicted to get 125 points and were a 35 point favorite. During the first 3–1/2 hours of NFL football this afternoon the 125 fell 45 points to just 80. Fortunately for me, my opponent’s 90 fell to his now predicted 60.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1092
The MMC met for our monthly dinner, with a shouted over the din meeting, at Pickles Grill & Cafe in Martinez, GA. We had like 20 people there (18 more than showed up for the last event) and they put us at one long table (which is a strange predilection for this group), so conversation was possible with only the nearest 5 people. The others got nothing more than a wave.
With a name like Pickles you knew they had fried pickles as an appetizer, so I tried some.
My first experience with fried pickles occurred at Razzoo’s and it went a little like this: pickle chip number one made me wonder who thought up this vile food item, number two didn’t taste half bad and numbers 3 through 30 were great. Those guys were crinkle cut dill chips not much bigger around than a nickle and were a perfect one bite sized, easily popped into your mouth.
The offerings from Pickles were large dill pickles french cut style so that they came out about the size of a flattened Pringle. When you bit into it there was no way for your bite to cut and separate the pickle so you ended up with half the coating and the whole pickle slice in your mouth and half the coating still in your hand. Cutting them into smaller pieces fared only marginally better because the coating would fall off in the dipping sauce…
The hazards of eating with a group of 20 are many and we caught nearly everyone. If they were trying to serve all of us at one time, it failed. We got about 3 or 4 dishes served and then it would take about five more minutes for the next wave. Diner #1 was about done eating when diner #20 got their meal. If they were just trying to get the orders out as they were ready, that failed as well, as our pork chops were luke cold and the couple across from us got a rare steak in place of the medium well they requested. Those that requested loaded baked potatoes (smallest baked spuds I’ve seen served at a restaurant) only got them semi-loaded. We got the cheese, bacon bits and scallions, but no butter and sour cream while someone else got just the opposite.
They at least split the checks for us without adding an automatic 18% tip, but at least three couples bills were off in one way or another. The menu was varied and interesting and the food did taste good, so I’m betting that if you went as a couple or maybe two couples the dining experience would have been a whole lot better. I know this, if we were to ever go back to Pickles I won’t be ordering the fried pickles.
Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1082
Last time we bought living room furniture we got a 3 piece matching set, couch, love seat and arm chair. Because it is just the two of us, the only piece that has seen appreciable use is the couch, so now we need a new one. The other two items are basically brand new, so we would like to keep them and just buy a couch. Because it has been quite a while, a matching piece is entirely out of the question. The object we seek will be something that will compliment what is staying. Not easy, the current furniture is a burgundy cloth with rolled arms accented with nail heads sitting on ball feet. Not too much out there in that style and to make it nearly impossible we have decided to get a couch with built in recliners. The second store we tried tonight had a possibility, but we still want to look at at least a couple more places.
We had dinner out with the Masters Miata Club tonight at the Boll Weevil in downtown Augusta. The food is always good and tonight was no exception. They are know for their desserts and usually Donna and I decline, but for some reason tonight we didn’t. Boy are we sorry. Here is a photo of some of there desserts, our Perfect Chocolate cake (which we “spoiled” with two scoops of vanilla ice cream) was larger than those shown, it was actually hanging off both sides of the plate!
On the way back from Augusta we filled up the Emperor’s gas tank. Regular was under 3 bucks, and because HRH takes Premium it was going to cost us $3.17 a gallon, but with our shopper’s discount it too was under three at $2.97. I had reset the trip odometer in Clayton when we filled up last Saturday morning, I didn’t reset it when we topped off on Sunday, so the mileage since that first fill up read 454.3. I took the last two gas receipts, totaled up the two tankfuls and got 15.065 gallons. That means the MPG for the past five days, which consisted of 60% windy mountain roads, 25% 2-lane back roads and 15% 4-lane divided highways was a respectful 30.16.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1072
We slept in a little this morning and then got on the tandem for a bike ride before the weather got stinking hot. We rode a long looping 15 miles before ending up at the west side DD for our usual. By the time we were done we had gone 22 miles and change. After parking the bike and closing the garage door, neither of us ventured outside again.
We watched the last 2 episodes of Season Eight of Law & Order: The Mother Ship on a DVD from Netflix with lunch. This disc was the end in two different ways, first, it marks our return to one DVD out at a time from Netflix and secondly, Season 8 is the last of L&O seasons of the 20 that is available for rental (except for inexplicably, season fourteen.) The afternoon was spent watching the FRS beat the CWS on TBS. And tonight, well, when do you think I’m writing this.
We ate for the Trifecta. Breakfast at Autens where we were too early to for the annual pancake eating contest. Lunch at Chick-fil-A where the parking lot was full, the drive-up window line was long, but inside the service was surprisingly fast. Dinner was at Zorbas Pizza and Grill where the food was spectacularly mediocre for the price they charged for it.
Dinner with the MMC at Zorbas was a prelude to the Annual Bug Splat Rally and for only the second time in its 13 year history no one went home with the Biggest Bug trophy. I skipped 2002 for some reason and this year, as I alluded to in Friday’s post, no one hit a bug, let alone a big one. In an effort to make sure he didn’t take home the trophy, one member wrote the word bug on the green Avery dot on another car and another member, a past winner, said even if he did actually win the trophy, his wife would not let him back in the house with it. So, awaiting next year’s run, the trophy sits in a place of honor at our house; on top of the water heater in the laundry room at the back of the garage.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1052
Donna and I led 4 other Miatas to breakfast at Ms. Shelby’s in Millen, GA for the May Edition of the MMC Monthly Breakfast Runs. We formed a short line of cars along 4 lane US 25 for the 40 miles south of Augusta, where we ate in the huge, but nearly empty dining room. Rudy and Patti were the first to leave the restaurant and it wasn’t until ten miles down the road back to Augusta before she realized she had forgotten them. It was as the last of us had paid our bills and I was leaving a tip, that anyone else (me) noticed the left behind item.
The four cars remaining took the slightly longer, slightly more rural, slightly more scenic two lane roads back to Augusta. As we traveled north the train of cars slowly shortened as folks fell off the route to do other things or head home. Donna and I continued on into the heart of the Martinez shopping district to return Patti’s sunglasses to her before heading home.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1015
A while back on a Wednesday evening we decided to go to Captain D’s for dinner. Turns out Wednesday is senior night where the local restaurant offers several options for meals at the $4.99 & $5.99 levels, including a drink. Needless to say we came out happy for around twelve bucks, telling ourselves that we needed to remember that on haircut night.
Tonight was haircut night, so guess what we had for dinner? And, even at 55, guess who were the youngest folks in the room?
The MMC evening dinner meeting is on again, after a several month hiatus. Tonight we dined at the Polka Dot Pig Gastropub in Augusta. Nineteen members showed up, which is almost the entire Club, at least the active part anyway. The food was good, but not great. It could have been great, but it just missed in small ways, like there was too much flour left on the bottom of the crust on my veggie pizza. Someone else’s pasta was kind of watery, like it wasn’t drained entirely. Another’s burger was rarer than the requested medium. In an order of fish ‘n’ chips, the fish was a bit soggy on the bottom. Maybe that many folks at one table overwhelmed the cook staff.
Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 996
Unlike usual, the MMC’s monthly breakfast was held on the fourth Saturday instead of the third. Like last year, the March breakfast was at the North Augusta Optimists Club Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser.
Somehow, I don’t think they will be using my this year’s picture on next year’s flyer like they did with last year’s picture this year.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 981
In a scene eerily not at all reminiscent of Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman getting their Delta Tau Chi fraternity names of Pinto and Flounder, Joan received her geocaching user name today, tag-a-long.*
What started as a simple couple hour trip, with a mile and a half walk, to grab 5 geocaches along a new, not completely finished, section of the North Augusta Greeneway, turned into six hours, 6.2 miles of traipsing hither and yon, nine finds, 2 DNFs, meeting seven geocachers, one of whom is the local “godfather”, and lunch.
On the first pass we couldn’t find one of the five, so we got in the car and drove down to a different parking area to look for a few new caches located on the original section of the Greeneway. We were signing the log when a couple of folks walked up and one had a GPS in his hand. As is tradition, when meeting a cacher who is a stranger, you introduce yourselves with name, geocaching handle and then fall into discussing common finds, hints for DNFs and an invitation to the next group gathering.
With a hint hot in hand, we walked back to the car, drove back to the original destination to look for the one we missed in our first pass. As we walked up the gravel pathway, we saw up ahead, four adults, a loose kid and one in a stroller milling about at a spot that held one of the caches we had found earlier. Again we introduced ourselves around. One of the women looked at Joan and asked what her geocaching name was. I said, “She doesn’t have one.” Joan answered, “I’m just tagging along.” The woman said, “See, you have your name, tag-a-long.”
*She’ll have to add a number on the end though to differentiate between the other user who already has that name.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 948
This model is recognizable by the Hostess logo on the back and the rearview mirrors that I didn’t have time to put on the first version. I’m thinking for Version 3.0 I might have the rear door open with hundreds of tiny Sno-Balls tumbling out of it. I did this one at home using Elmer’s Glue and I’m not that happy with the results. At work I have a glue stick that works a lot better, but more importantly I have a very well lit area that makes it easier to see the cut /fold lines. The glue stick is an easy fix, but I’m not sure what to do about the lighting.
First up today was the usual Saturday breakfast at DD while reading the Weekend Edition of the WSJ they get. We enjoy reading it so much we thought about getting it home delivered, but you can only get the weekend paper if you subscribe to the Monday through Friday editions as well. Those we probably wouldn’t read, so it would be a terrible waste of paper, plus the cost was more than we wanted to spend for a newspaper for one day a week ($119 a year.)
Then we went out in the 27° morning and did a few local and semi-local caches. We found the first two we looked for and then it went down hill from there, ending up finding just three of the next seven. We were about due a few DNFs as we hadn’t had one in three weeks and 30 caches.
We finished out the day at Olive Garden with friends. We always go out to eat early to avoid the crowds, but that plan didn’t work tonight. We arrived at 5:15 and ended up with a 50 minute wait for a table. If it was just Donna and I we would have just walked next door to Wendy’s, but we had Rudy and Patti to share stories with while we waited, so while the wait was long, it was pleasant.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 931
We went geocaching today in Crawfordville, GA and A.H. Stephens State Park. We took along a coworker and because the Miata does not seat 3 comfortably we took her car. Crawfordville is where Hollywood comes calling when it needs to film in a quintessential small southern town. There have been about a dozen films that have used this town as a bit player in them and there are 8 caches here with names that are the titles of those movies. We looked for 4 and found 2. The two we missed I don’t count as DNFs because they were in locations that made us very nervous searching which was only heightened by the fact that we were driving a car with New Jersey plates. There were 6 caches in the state park that you can get to by land and we found 5 of them.
Probably the most recognizable movie that was filmed in town was “Sweet Home Alabama” and for lunch we decided to eat at the BBQ place that was used in the bar scenes (Stella’s Roadhouse) of the movie. We were talked into getting the Plate by the almost surly woman behind the counter at Heavy’s as it included meat, brunswick stew and coleslaw. We opted for a rib plate and a chicken plate to split between the three of us. The coleslaw was too vinegary and had way too much pickle taste. The “stew” was run through a food processor for too long as it was kind of a sickly looking brown mush. The only thing remotely edible was the meat and that was overpowered by the amount of BBQ sauce it was covered in. Interesting place to visit, but you don’t want to eat there.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 911
No it didn’t snow here (it did rain some though.) Donna and I spent exactly zero hours waiting in line for and spent zero dollars on any door buster deals. We didn’t even leave the house until 5:30PM and that was only to go out and get a Firehouse sub for dinner and ice cream for dessert from the Marble Slab. Tomorrow we will also avoid any sort of areas of consumerism by taking to the back roads of rural Georgia hunting the wily tupperware with guile and the aid of multi-million dollar military satellites.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 905
Not home, home, but the Home Cafe in Washington, GA. Six Miatas with 11 persons onboard made the drive to dine at the spot the locals eat at. From the Bogardus table we can recommend the hash browns and the pancakes, but the biscuit with sausage gravy was unexciting. We didn’t order any breakfast meat because we had cheated on the way to the rendezvous point in Evans, GA, we stopped for an appetizer at the Golden Arches. Sausage McMuffin for me and a breakfast burrito for Donna.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 830
I have often spoken here of hitting the trifecta, but that is in reference to eating out all three meals in a single day. Today we hit the Geocaching Trifecta. We hid a cache, found a cache and we DNF’d a cache.
In other Tri news our neighbor the ultra-marathoner saw us dragging out the tandem for our caching adventure and mentioned that she had gone for bike ride yesterday and has given some consideration to maybe trying Triathlons.
This prompted Donna to say later in the day we had done our own triathlon today, we rode 14 miles on the bike, took a 1/2 mile walk checking on a cache and then taken a shower.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 580
 We were gone for 12 hours, basically from dawn to dusk. A couple miles out of Aiken the Emperor passed by the 103,000 mile mark. Drove 325 miles total, probably 45 with the top down, and spent $22.50 on gas. We ate breakfast at Hardee’s, lunch at Jack’s Cosmic Dogs and dinner was chicken salad sandwiches Donna had made and we took with us. Walked around 2–1/2 miles of the West Ashley Greenway. We found 12 caches (a personal best) and DNF’d 2 (pretty much average.) Crossed off Charleston County and Pages 59, 60 & 61 from our South Carolina Challenges.
So were the hot dogs worth the trip? Yes and no. They were My-T-Fine and if I’m ever in the neighborhood again I’ll definitely stop by and try another variety, but I probably wouldn’t hop in the car drive straight there, eat a dog and drive right home.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 529
…you gotta have ‘em. Or so said a contestant on Chopped this evening.
This morning we met the MMC for breakfast in Augusta and Donna and I left a bit early with plans to do a little geocaching on the way. Well it turned out we weren’t that early and didn’t stop anywhere. There was a cache that was located right behind the shopping center where breakfast was to be, so we walked around to grab it before going inside. With the title and the hint we think we found a part of the cache, but the actual container didn’t appear to be around. Dang.
The eleven of us finished eating by 8:15 and we were then stuck, the bowling alley, our post breakfast entertainment, didn’t open until 9:00. We stood around outside the door of the restaurant chatting and watching someone in a truck in the parking lot tossing bread out of his window feeding seagulls. After the novelty of that wore off, we trooped down to Kmart (the only other place that was open in the center) and shopped for blue light specials. Tiring of this Donna and I said, “We’ll meet you there.” There was geocache right down the street. Found it, yeah!
A couple of games of bowling was quite enough (my wrist was sore by frame 5 of the second game) and most of the group were busy picking out a lunch place while Donna and I and another couple walked 2/10 of a mile to behind a restaurant to try and find a cache that was hidden there. It was sprinkling slightly and GZ was between the back of the restaurant and its dumpsters, it wasn’t the tidiest place, so we gave up looking after about 3 or 4 minutes. Darn.
After our failure the 4 of us went our separate ways. Donna and I were going home, but couldn’t agree on what we wanted for lunch, so when we drove by the place the rest of the club had picked, we pulled in. It was BBQ place, not atypical as they had other meat items and seafood on the menu, called Flyin’ Cowboy. The food was slightly better than good and I could probably eat here 2 or 3 times a year, but probably won’t because it is 25 miles away. One of our group ordered a “Manhandler” which consisted of 6oz of pulled pork piled on top of a softball sized loaded baked potato. John was up to the task and finished the whole thing, along with both his side dishes, earning himself the title of “Potatohandler.”
To recap, on today’s Miata Club event, we all drove separately to a restaurant and had breakfast. Afterward we did some shopping together followed by driving to a bowling alley separately. We bowled a couple of games together and then drove separately to another restaurant and ate lunch. Well, at least some of us actually drove Miatas…
Here is the top count from yesterday, the first nice day since it seems like Thanksgiving. Today it was cold in the morning and now hasn’t stopped raining since this morning.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 521
After a pleasant afternoon geocaching we decided to eat out for dinner. Because a couple of our favorite haunts are not open on Sunday we settled for a third tier option, Chilis. They have that 2 for $20 thing going on which we had enjoyed at one in Statesboro, GA on our way back from Florida at Thanksgiving. This dining experience wasn’t as good as that one, but that is a whole ‘nother post.
While waiting for Zeke to bring our drinks, Donna spotted an application booklet on the table to join their E-mail Club. They ask for your birthday, so we figured maybe you get a free margarita or something on your special day. Trouble was we didn’t have anything to right write with, so we asked Zeke if he’d lend us a pen. We both filled one out and handed them and the pen back when Zeke brought our appetizer.
As we finished our desert Zeke asked if we wanted anything else, when we replied in the negative, he dropped off our check and disappeared. Trouble was, he didn’t leave us a pen. I eyeballed the receipt and noticed that it was that thin glossy stuff, almost almost like old time fax paper, and thought, I bet this is pressure sensitive. I grabbed the salad fork, which I hadn’t used, turned it backwards and test wrote the total on the *guest copy*, with the handle. It worked, it was a little light, kind of like I signed it in pencil, but fully legible.
Zeke returned a few seconds after I had finished filling out the charge slip and said, “Did I forget to leave you a pen?” “Yep,” I replied, “But not to worry, I signed it with the fork.” He was so stunned than he forgot to say thanks for dining with us or hurry back or whatever the corporate mandated server’s last line is.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 519
Last night we went to dinner at Outback because we had received a coupon in the mail to buy one Special Summer Adventures entrée for $9.95 and get the second one free. I added a Coke to drink (actually required for the coupon to be valid) and we split a Caesar’s Salad. Total with tip $19.
Tonight we went out to dinner at Ryan’s for the MMC’s monthly meeting. We had a coupon to buy one Mega Bar (AKA: Stupefying Buffet) and get the second free. I added a sweet tea and our total with tip came to $14.43.
With the food and overall dining experience, the Outback dinner out was worth $35, the Ryan’s meal was barely worth $10.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 380
 This morning we did get to the WNC Nature Center and it was interesting destination. I’m sure they are doing good work, but it came off as more of a minor league zoo and is mostly aimed at kids. We left Edward Scissorhands (Allen) at the town home so he could prune, trim and shape the landscaping, while Diane, Donna and I took a pleasant drive north to Asheville and then to the east side of town via the Blueridge Parkway.
There were three caches within a 1/4 mile of the nature center, so after we had our fill of wild animals in captivity, we went out looking for captive containers in the wild. The first one was spotted by Donna as it hovered right over my head in a tree I was standing near. The second one we only gave a half hearted attempt at because it was supposed to be at the edge of a small stream in a small park, but to get to it you had to fight through a large patch of plants with large thorns on them. The third was near a soccer field in the same park, but there was a broom less game of Quidditch taking place, so we didn’t even leave the car.
Lunch was back in Hendersonville at West First wood fired pizza. After eating lunch we went back to the Stricker Mountain Home and packed our bags. We were vacating the place so Allen’s sister and her husband from Charlotte could spend Saturday night in the guest room.
We are back home and while it was fun to see their new place and visit with my sister and Allen, there is no place like home.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 315
 Spent most of the day with sister Diane and husband Allen.
We started the day at Chimney Rock Park where we spent about 3 hours walking up, around and about on the trails and stairs there. Lunch was on the outside deck at a small Mexican place in the neighboring town of Lake Lure where Donna and I had eaten a couple years ago on a fall leaf peeping expedition. It was as good as we remembered it.
From there we made another run to their now revealed secret hideaway. We drove around, got a tour of a model home where the decorating budget was probably more than the cost of our home in Aiken. Allan then took a look at a different lot and spent several minutes talking to the developer’s son trying to work a deal.
After a two hour break for afternoon naps we went back into downtown Hendersonville to see the end of the big plant & flower show and get some dinner. Two words: West First. Best pizza since, well, ever.
Between yesterday and today we are 6 for 6 in geocaches. Five of which Diane & Allen have done with us (we may have converts on our hands.) Tomorrow on the trip home we may do a few, weather permitting.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 209
 1344 miles from home.
That is the hotel across the street from where we are staying taken from our 6th floor room. We did some laundry, watched some TV and relaxed a lot, but we did also get out today and do some geocaching within a 10 mile radius of the hotel. We found seven of eight caches and probably would have found all of them, but it was a cloudy, chilly day and our hearts just weren’t into it. This brought our total for the vacation to 48 found, 7 missed (although that may rise as we plan on trying a couple on the way home from the airport tomorrow.
To streamline tomorrow morning’s early flight process we turned in the rental car this afternoon. Total mileage driven in the slightly more than 14 days in our possession was 3,593 or an average of 256 miles a day. Which seems sort of poetic as the total bill for all those miles was $256.
I didn’t log the Rental Car Travel Bug into all the caches we found but try and get enough so you could get an outline of the trip. See the map for a look.
Of the sixteen nights on the road there were 6 spent in Bed & Breakfasts, the rest were various hotels. Three of those were HIE (mmm…cinnamon buns), 2 plain Holiday Inns, these two in a Courtyard and then some other random chains.
Vacations are great, but we are ready to be getting home (not necessarily to go back to work.) We had lunch before the last couple of caches today and are now so tired of eating out that we decided to go to some place really different, McDonald’s. Almost looking forward to making a meal out of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
 This photo was taken by Donna as I wound my way up the many switchbacks to the entrance to Black Rock Mountain State Park yesterday.
Not satisfied with driving over 400 miles on Saturday we decided to drive 60 miles (one way) for lunch today. We met Donna’s cousin Laurie in Columbia at California Dreaming where we caught each other up on the doings of the respective branches of the family tree. We rode to there with the top up because we took the interstate, but on the way home it was down because we traveled the two lane back roads on the another perfect autumn afternoon.
We finished watching the last 3 episodes of Mad Men tonight and now have to wait until July of ’09 for new shows…
Started down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 18
Except for an early morning bike ride & two trips out for dinner, I watched a lot of TV today.
Three hours of bicycle racing, 2 hours of orphaned sci-fi, three and a half hours of baseball, plus one and a half hours of orphaned English police comedy.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 233
We took this afternoon off and had intended to go home and eat lunch before heading out, but didn’t make it, we ended up eating at Popeyes. Longtime readers will know that Popeyes and the Bogardi have a checkered past and will wonder just what the heck we were doing there again considering our history there. The rest of you will now be able to ask that question the next time we eat there, which will probably be during a weak moment several months from now.
It was 11:45 and before the lunch crowd so I walked right up and placed an order. We decided to split a #9 meal, popcorn shrimp with 3 catfish strips, dirty rice, a biscuit and a medium drink. Donna filled the drink and found a table while I waited near the counter for our lunch. There was already someone there waiting for his lunch and soon we were joined by a number of other diners as the order takers were more efficient than the order makers. Well, really, order maker because there was only one of him.
If you ordered chicken you were in luck because that was ready, but as usual, anything else needed to be cooked. I could see our order half filled sitting there with the rice and shrimp as we waited on the catfish. Donna by this time had joined all of us near the counter to chat up the poor guy who was waiting when we walked in and still was. Turns out he was waiting on a couple of po’boys. After about 6–7 minutes more his sandwiches were done and the lady tossed an apple pie in his bag for having to wait so long.
We were next and she put a couple of pies on our tray too, but tried to hand us red beans & rice instead of dirty rice. She corrected that and we headed for a table. Once seated Donna had to go back up to get some of the promised tartar sauce and an extra spork for the rice. Wasn’t until we were done that we realized we didn’t get a biscuit either. By then we didn’t want it either. We split one of the apple pie things and gave the second one away to a fellow sitting behind us.
Dinner was also Naw’lins style but a much nicer experience. Then again we have never had a bad meal at Razzo’s in Concord, NC. Donna had a shrimp po’boy and I had my favorite Andouille/Red Beanz ‘N’ Rice. I wish this place was closer to Aiken as I’d like to eat here once a week or so. Probably get old after a while, but I’d like to find out how long that would take. Tomorrow we will drop in at Razzoo’s again to pick up an order of Rat Toes to go. There is someone back in Aiken (Hi Mark) who would be very unhappy If I didn’t bring him back some.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 225
The “Gang of Six” meet tonight at Miyabi Japanese restaurant in Augusta for dinner. We had a 5:30 reservation and it is a good thing, as Donna and I arrived first, a couple minutes after five, and there was already a wait for walk-ins of 45 minutes.
Every one is seated at tables of 8, so we six are joined by a woman and her 5-year old son. They sat on the same end of the table as Donna and I and the little boy was very well behaved. Turns out they have eaten here before and it his favorite restaurant, even more so than McDonalds. He even ate with chop sticks (although they did have training wheels.)
If you have eaten at one of these places, you know the drill, a chef comes out and cooks in front of you. There are slashing knives and flipping spatulas. There is copious amounts of food cooked in a lot of butter and soy sauce. He sautees up some vegetables and then brings out this giant bowl of white rice and inverts it on the grill. It is the size of a basketball, I bet there are 72,000 grains of rice there. After it is separated into 8 parts, each serving is 3 x 6 x 2″ thick. Finally the meat is cooked and added to your plate, the pile of food in front of you is now enough to feed a small African nation. All 3 couples left with enough stuff in a to go box for lunch for two for another day.
For dessert we had homemade raspberry yogurt at one couple’s home and discussed everything from Presidential campaigns to Japanese after market parts for Miatas to whether Gene Simmons either aced the previous evening’s Celebrity Apprentice challenge or maybe marked himself for firing next week.
On the way back to Aiken the Emperor clicked over the 72,000 mile mark.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 1o
 I’ve weeded out one post per month for inclusion in my Best of 2007 page. Pickings were slim. Pretty much the whole year was full of eating out meal recaps and Post Office Safaris travelogues. Not my best work.
I’m surprised you are still out there reading, that is if you *are* still out there.
So tomorrow, or the next day, when the link shows up on the sidebar for Best of 2007 don’t click on it, click on the one from, say, 2003, it’ll be better. Then again if you are the kind of person who slows down to rubberneck at accident scenes, read away.
I can’t promise that next year will be any better, it could get worse. I guess we’ll just have wait and see.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 505
There is a new Italian restaurant in town that took over the spot where a Chinese place was for the longest time. In between these two it was a Thai place, but for less than a year. The nice thing about this location is it is in a shopping center that is walkable for us, a little less than a mile away from home.
Now that they have been open for a little over a month and the crowds have died down, we went there for dinner tonight. We didn’t walk, but maybe next time. And the next time will be at least another month or more away though, because they still haven’t worked out all the kinks.
The hostess offered us a table, but there were several empty booths and we requested one. This stopped her in her tracks. I’m sure she was trying to steer us towards the tables to be fair about wait staff distribution, but she was literally paralyzed, couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. A waiter was there and whispered something to her and then seated us at one of the booths. After not too long our waiter arrived and took our drink order, two waters. As we usually do, we didn’t let him get away, and gave him our dinner order right then as well. Two small garden salads and a 14″ supreme pizza. He seemed in a rush. After he left us he took a pizza order from the table behind us and then there was a big gap. No waters. The guy who seated us noticed and asked if we had ordered drinks and we replied positively, he rushed off too. About a minute later our waiter arrived with the glasses of water and remarked about the sloooow ice machine.
I counted 6 waiters or waitresses and about 35 diners, not too bad a ratio, but all of the wait staff seemed to be in a big hurry when they moved and it still seemed that not a lot was getting done fast. Our salads arrived and they were the right size for a small and had a nice mixture of different lettuces and vegetables. Then there was a long wait for the pie. A few couples that came in after us and ordered spaghetti or ravioli or whatever got served well before us. Across the restaurant a pizza was served to a table, but a short time later was returned to the kitchen. From where we were, we couldn’t hear what the issue was, but the one person of the group who got a meal was served and the rest of his party had to settle for watching him eat.
More waiting. Dinners came out of the kitchen frequently, but no pizzas. Finally, because Donna could see the kitchen exit, she said here comes one. Maybe it is ours. Nope, it stops at the table behind us. Our orders went in at the same time, so it will be a non-issue as long as our pizza is not too far behind. The guy behind us says, this isn’t the pizza I ordered, so the waiter returns to the kitchen with it. Donna goes over to him and asks what the problem was. He replies, “It looked delicious, but there was too much stuff on it.” She tells him, “It was probably ours as we ordered a Supreme.”
Sure enough, the waiter returns within moments and brings us our pizza. Worth the wait. There is heaping helpings of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, ham, sausage, onions, bell peppers, olives and mushrooms on a crisp not too thin crust. The only thing lacking was it needed a little bit more sauce.
Good salad, good pie, less than a mile away, if they get their service smoothed out, Ferrando’s may have met his match.
In spite of a brief detour back into the kitchen, the pizza was served piping hot. So hot that I burned the top of my mouth in a couple places on the first few bites. After all the years of eating pizza, I still manage to burn the top of my mouth on melted mozzarella or boiling sauce 80% of the time. You would think I would learn.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 487
 It took a while this morning, but we finally got off our duffs and made it into Hitchcock Woods around 9:30. For grins we headed all the way over to an entrance on the other side from where we usually enter, so we could walk on some different trails. One new place we passed by was called Mystery Field and there were two mysteries about it that we could see, 1) it really wasn’t a field, but more of an area covered in youngish pine trees and 2) a lot of the trees were painted with blue markings.
We stayed at our company shindig long enough to eat and the door prize drawings before sneaking out the back door. We both “won” prizes, Donna got to take home one of the two large flower arrangements and I was selected to take home one of the small table flower arrangements. Not only did we really not want the big flowers, we weren’t sure they would fit in the Miata, so we gave them away to someone who was sitting at our table.
Stopped on the way home to buy gas. There was a white Miata in the adjacent lot of a restaurant, so while the tank was filling I walked over and put an MMC calling card under their windshield wiper. After filling up we went into Krogers to do our weekly shopping. Pushing the cart out the door I paused as the woman of the couple in front of us snagged some home buyers or apartment guides out of the rack. The couple who grabbed the brochures were in front of us along with two other women shoppers heading towards our section of the parking lot. There was a white Miata parked out there near us and I speculated as to if it was the same one. We both wondered which of the pairs would get in the Miata. The male/female couple made a beeline for the Miata and Donna said to me quietly, “Don’t go say hi, I don’t want to spend 20 minutes in the parking lot chatting.” We were loading the bags in our trunk and as the woman got in the white Miata she noticed us and waved. I noticed the same 1/4 raised stuck power antenna as the one from the restaurant parking lot. I wonder if they thought the card and then seeing us was a coincidence?
Tonight’s title is a word I made up. It returned zero hits on Google. How long will it take for this post to show up in a search engine? How long before someone besides myself searches for the “word” gafinkleforp?
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 471
 Only a real die-hard Miata nut would have recognized the car in last night’s picture as a Miata. And only the Uber Miata Geek subset of that group would have been able to tell you that the car could only be either a 2004 or 2005 because of the speakers built into the windblocker behind the seats.
Ah, Friday night. Donna and I drove to Augusta right after work to meet with MMC’s Fine Dining Subset for a nice evening out. This month’s pick was Calvert’s. All three of the couples like to eat diner early so we took advantage of Calvert’s Sunset Special which includes salad, entree and desert for $28.95 a couple. Donna had a seafood crepe; shrimp, scallops and crab meat served in a light French crepe and covered with a lobster champagne sauce and I opted for the pecan-encrusted pork.
Tomorrow will be a hike in the woods in the morning and the ASCO Management Club’s annual Christmas meeting in the evening. The Management Club is a subset of the company’s employees that consist of the salaried folks and we get together four times a year for a buffet dinner at a local country club or restaurant and sometimes there is a speaker. The year end one is different in that spouses (or a guest) are allowed to attend and instead of a speaker there is music and dancing. The HR department waited too long to book a place, so instead of the usual middle of December date we are having it in early November. To make up for it we are going to have our office Thanksgiving dinner at work the second week of December.
Sunday is possibly a quick drive northwest to get the Post Offices in Clifton and White Stone, they are the last ones in the Spartanburg subset.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 471
Haven’t talked much about eating out since I stopped keeping track of expenses. And I might not have said anything about tonight either because we didn’t pay. A coworker, who took me out to eat when I first got hired at ASCO, after 18 years, got around to doing it again tonight. He and his wife took Donna and I out to eat at a local B & B that serves dinner only on Friday and Saturday evenings.
When Eddie and his wife Lee moved out of town twenty years ago the 16 acres they bought was way out in the sticks. As Aiken has grown there has been a little bit of developing out that way, but not too much. Within the last five years though, out northeast of town has become a haven for polo players with large chunks of property being broken up into slightly smaller sections for polo farms. With it has come some money and road improvements, why even, Lee and Eddie no longer live on a dirt road.
A few years ago a couple bought a big house across from a polo club and opened a Bed & Breakfast. That B & B is just a stones throw from where Lee and Eddie live, so consequentially they have befriended the Innkeepers and with that have found a place to eat their Friday evening’s dinners, the General Elliott Inn.
I can see why they like to eat here every Friday night. The food was excellent, plentiful and rich, but for that very reason I know Donna and I couldn’t eat there every week. Once every couple months is about our tolerance level for that sort of decadence.
Thanks Eddie. I’ll be looking forward to 2025.
Started up, went down, back up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 424
I sold the Camcorder to a co-worker.
Finished my 11th Spenser book and didn’t find anything resembling a Crime Buster Rule.
The cut on my arm doesn’t look nearly as bad as I thought.
Added another old chestnut to the Joke Page.
Got 30 seconds of very loud belt squeal backing out of the garage this morning (and the A/C wasn’t even on.)
I have finished burning all the commercial CDs of my collection (probably have 30 homemade mix discs yet to do.)
I should be writing up the MMC Meeting Minutes, but instead I’m writing this trumpery.
Due to popular demand I will no longer be keeping track of our meals out. If we interpolate, the totals for 2008 would be $2898.07 spent on 170 meals eaten out of 1095 possible.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 321
This afternoon while cutting through a department in the back to get up to my office I got an owee. There was a stack of palettes in the “aisle” and I dodged left to go around them. I moved a little too far left and scrapped my arm on the wall. After about 10 step further along I thought to myself that hurt. When I looked down I was bleeding pretty good from a silver dollar sized scrape on my left forearm. I stopped in the next restroom I passed and ran it under a faucet. Ooooh. Wet some paper towels and pressed hard for a while. Still bleeding, I guess I better go see the nurse.
She took a look, hmmm’d, donned the rubber gloves and spent the next 5 minutes spraying on some sort of “Stop Bleeding Powder” and did manage to get it down to just weeping. Covered the crater with a big gob of antibiotic cream and wrapped it in gauze, all held in place by a magenta piece of that crinkly stretch bandage. It took about 40 minutes before the red spot on the gauze stopped expanding.
Because it happened at work there were forms to be filled out and now because I admitted that I hadn’t had a tetanus shot since sometime in the 80’s I get to have her drive me to the “company” doctor tomorrow for said shot.
We went out to Chinese buffet for lunch today.
Meal Cost: $12.31
Tip: $1.69
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $1746.78
Meals out, 102 of a possible 654.
Finished my tenth Spenser book today, Playmates, and didn’t find any Crime Buster Rules. Although in chapter 13 there is a statement that might have been called one: When in doubt do something, and hope if you keep doing it you’ll come to understand what it is. Later in the book Spenser gets called into the Boston Police station where there are an assortment of agencies represented (a couple being reoccurring characters) and is asked if he knew why he was called in. To which he replies,“I assumed you were holding a crime stoppers seminar and wanted me to lecture.”
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 317
 We hunted loads of Post Offices today while coming back from Florence. Found all 17 locations we were looking for, but it turns out one place wasn’t a PO anymore. At the intersection of US15 and SC261, AKA Paxville, SC, there was a convenience store at the correct address with a really cool mural on the side, but the only remnants of postal activity was a faded Blue Mail Box out front squeezed between an empty newspaper box and an overflowing trash can. There was no outward signs proclaiming that is was a Post Office. I went inside and looked around, there were no internal signs either, not even a “Buy Stamps Here” sticker on the cash register. Other than that, we had quite the productive day. We traveled around 250 miles to go the 130 miles between Florence and Aiken because of all the zig-zagging around.
Even though it was only 11:30 we decided to eat lunch in Santee because it was probably the last civilization we would see until we got back to Aiken. We actually pulled into the Cracker Barrel parking lot before making a hasty retreat to a Maurice’s BBQ next door. Donna kind of wanted soup, but I didn’t really want to eat at the CB at all. I guess she took pity on me. I had a Little Joe Basket and she had a Garden Salad and a side of Chicken Tenders. She had water to drink while I sipped some southern nectar, Sweet Ice Tea.
Meal Cost: $17.36
Tip: $2.00
Spent Today: $19.36
Year to Date: $1732.78
Meals out, 101 of a possible 645.
We had breakfast out to, but it was free. Donna had Biscuits & Gravy with a couple of mini blueberry muffins and I had a bowl of Raisin Bran and a Cinnamon Bun for dessert. That’s right, we Stayed Smart©.
I’ve got Saturday’s four Post Offices up in the gallery, but it will probably take me a few days to get today’s online.
When I got home I gave the Emperor a well deserved bath.
Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 312
 What the heck is this?
Another Carolina Car Trek car. This is one of two in the thriving megalopolis of Society Hill, SC.
Somewhere north of Chesterfield, SC the Emperor drove through the 64,000 mile mark. We have eaten out twice today, but I can’t talk about it because I just got through watching Feasting on Asphalt II. They spent two days around New Orleans and what they got to eat made anything I had today look and taste like soggy Ritz crackers.
Spent Today: $49.70
Year to Date: $1713.42
Meals out, 99 of a possible 642.
At Cousin Laurie’s house we meet up with some of the same cast of characters as you can see in this photo, AKA the Midlothian McGraths, who were visiting as well. I found out that I had mislabeled the oldest and middle daughters in the photo. I’m pretty sure I’ve got them correct now.
We snagged 4 Post Offices this morning on the way up to Chesterfield; Hopkins, Gadsden, Eastover and Horatio. The first three have been at the top of our Most Wanted List for a couple months now, but because of where they are located (in the middle of, and on the way to, nowhere) it took a concerted effort to get them photographed. We are planning on an even dozen for on the way home tomorrow because if we get that many our captured total would be a nice round 200.
Started down, went up, back down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 309
No, not the 30 foot long diesel powered belching black smoke kind, but the tandem bicycle. The morning wasn’t half bad, but the fog had us riding through a cloud on a couple of occasions. The ride home was very warm, but not unbearable. We made a stop downtown for lunch at the Stoplight Deli. On our Friday afternoons off we like to hit the Deli first thing to beat the crowds, but today because of the time required to change into cycling attire and pedal there instead of drive, we hit it at peak lunch crowd. The line was at least 8 deep at the counter, but the food was fairly quick in arriving and, as always, tasty enough to make us forget the wait.
Meal Cost: $13.38
Tip: None
Spent Today: $13.38
Year to Date: $1664.72
Meals out, 97 of a possible 639.
The four shocks did only take four days to get here from California. I thought I was so smart to have them delivered to work, but the joke was on me as they showed up on the day I didn’t have a car. So when we got home I jumped in the Miata and drove right back where we came from to pick up my two boxes that weighed 30lbs and were too heavy and to large to fit in our panniers.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 306
 Tonight was the August MMC meeting and we met at a Chinese place in Augusta. The Club has met there before, but Donna and I must have missed that meeting because we have never eaten there before. It was a sit down place, not a buffet, but they had a separate room we could be in so as to not disturb the other patrons or vice versa. They/we needn’t have worried, there were like two other people in the whole restaurant, 4 when we left.
We each had a bowl of Won Ton Soup and split the Ultimate Shrimp which turned out to be just like sweet & sour shrimp, but with a bite.
Meal Cost: $17.65
Tip: $3.35
Desert: $4.90 (ice cream in Aiken)
Spent Today: $25.90
Year to Date: $1651.34
Meals out, 96 of a possible 636.
Donna ordered 2 egg rolls, but we never got them. Probably paid for them too, but realized it once we were in the car out in the parking lot. I talked her out of going back in and getting our four bucks back, because I didn’t feel like waiting around.
Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 306
I added 24 pictures to the 2007 Northeast Trips Gallery on page 3 (4–1=3)., but if you are a regular reader there is not too much new for you to see.
If you never got over to the Flickr! page where I posted the photos of my godson Gnorm’s visit to the Gnorthwest this year, I added a gallery here that consisted of 24 (4x6=24) images showing what a good time he had.
We had dinner at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant tonight. It was their 1st Anniversary and to celebrate we had Carnitas which came with 3 tortillas. (1+3=4)
Meal Cost: $9.98
Tip: $2.02
Spent Today: $12.00
Year to Date: $1625.44
Meals out, 95 of a possible 627.
My 4 tickets to my next Miata arrived today. I hope 13 is my lucky number (1+3=4) because I have tickets numbered 0311 through 0314.
My 4 new Koni Sport shocks shipped from California today. If they take four days to get here I’ll have them by this weekend.
Started down, wen up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 299
We took the Miata back to the dealer on Tuesday for them to adjust the accessory belts to eliminate the squeal. They almost got it. We aren’t taking it back to Columbia for them to have another crack at it. When the service rep returned the car Donna questioned him on why it squealed and what did they do to fix it. He tried to explain that they had to adjust the belt by making it tighter so it wouldn’t slip. But that they had to be careful that they didn’t tighten it too much or they could ruin the bearing in the accessories. He said if it still does it, just bring it back (I guess he thinks we live around the corner.)
It still squeals, but only briefly when shifting while driving the car spiritedly. When you floor it with the A/C on, the A/C will cut out until you let up to shift, at which point the A/C clutch re-engages and chirps the belt. We didn’t notice it until later in the week and we for sure aren’t going to take it back to them. When I get Clunk & Thunk to help me with my shock installation we’ll try and tighten it up a bit more.
I wish I had thought of it at the time Mr. Lazywrench was explaining their belt adjustment period, because I should have asked, “So, what you are saying is that after making over 800,000 Miatas, Mazda’s service manual for car says that to adjust the accessory belt tension, You need to make the belt so tight that they don’t squeal, but not so tight that you ruin the bearings.
From a Miata Forum member red-in-la (I removed the metric stuff.)
Drive Belt Deflection Check
1. Verify the drive belt deflection when the engine is cold, or at least 30 min after the engine has stopped. Apply moderate pressure 22 ft/lb midway between the specified pulleys.
| Drive belt |
New |
Used |
Limit |
| Generator |
0.22—0.27 |
0.24—0.29 |
0.31 |
| P/S+A/C |
0.28—0.31 |
0.36—0.39 |
0.45 |
What do you think? The technician didn’t have the right tool so he just winged it? Or manual, who reads the manual?
We went to the New Moon for breakfast this morning instead of Sunday to beat the crowd. We had two muffins and a bottled water.
Meal Cost: $7.49
Tip: 51¢
Spent Today: $8.00
Year to Date: $1613.44
Meals out, 94 of a possible 624.
The above numbers reflect tomorrow’s meals as well because we two extra muffins for Sunday’s breakfast. If we eat out for lunch or supper tomorrow I’ll change the totals.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 298
 Rae’s Coastal Cafe. Him, Jerk Chicken, her, Scallops Special.
Meal Cost: $37.89
Tip: $7.11
Spent Today: $45.00
Year to Date: $1605.44
Meals out, 92 of a possible 618.
Started up, went down, back up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 296
Watched Astronaut Farmer tonight. Cute little movie that nearly lost me a few times when the unreality showed through despite my suspended beliefs. I think the only reason I didn’t turn it off, like we did for The Pursuit of Happyness the other day, is because I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up (and what kid didn’t want that if they were 8 when John Glenn orbited the planet.)
In yesterday’s episode of As the Lipids Bounce my numbers were a little better than last time, but not as good as they were the time before. The Doctor has obviously given up trying to make it any lower as his advice was, “Stay the course and I’ll see you in six months.”
| |
Chol |
HDL |
LDL |
Trig |
| Goal |
<200 |
>31 |
<100 |
30–150 |
| 07/17/07 |
185 |
36 |
117 |
162 |
| 03/05/07 |
195 |
39 |
123 |
167 |
| 09/19/06 |
167 |
37 |
103 |
135 |
| 04/06/06 |
168 |
37 |
106 |
126 |
| 12/08/05 |
182 |
35 |
120 |
137 |
| 07/28/05 |
177 |
30 |
113 |
169 |
| 06/17/05 |
164 |
31 |
85 |
238 |
| 05/06/05 |
174 |
27 |
108 |
194 |
| 01/10/05 |
176 |
33 |
110 |
167 |
| 09/21/04 |
209 |
24 |
131 |
271 |
To celebrate this “success” Donna and I went to Hardee’s for breakfast this morning and we both had Biscuits & Gravy.
Meal Cost: $3.80
Tip: None
Spent Today: $3.80
Year to Date: $1565.44
Meals out, 91 of a possible 615.
Now here’s something that doesn’t happen everyday. I got an email from Netflix letting me know that the cost of my monthly plan was being reduced by a buck. Cool, now I can afford that BMW 335i Coupe I want.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 293
Or Robert Parker’s name for my home town of Aiken, SC. At least that is what he calls it in Spenser novel number 20, “Paper Doll.” Not nearly as exciting as the movie “Who’s Your Caddy” (which opens this weekend) that was filmed in Aiken I know, but it ranks right up there in my little life.
–> Bloggus Interuptus < –
Early in Chapter 12, “Never go unarmed on a murder case.” This one was not numbered and was just called one of Spenser’s best crime-buster tips. Guess I’ll just add it to the list at the top. and see what happens.
Took the Emperor back to the doctors as much as I hated to do the traveling, but they didn’t do something right, so they ought to fix it. Besides as Donna said, “This way I don’t have to cook.” We spent almost more time doing paperwork than the technician did adjusting the belt and about a half an hour later we were gone.
I had picked a Japanese place, Tsunami, off the web as a dinner spot for something different. We were off course early (5:30ish), which is how we like it, but apparently that is not a good time for the restaurant. Walked through the door and stopped at the hostess station. After less than a minute a Paris Hilton look-alike with a white top and black skirt came our way. Good, we were thinking, this must be the hostess. She walked right behind us and shouted down to a couple of waitress types, “Can I get a server up here.” One of the waitresses shouted back something like, “I told Name to go to you.” Dona and I looked at each other and said, “Guess we won’t be eating here.”
So we went across the street to Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches. We wanted to eat at a place that we didn’t have in Aiken and this was it. Turns out it was just a sub place, good and just a little different. We split a Vito, some chips and a Sprite.
Meal Cost: $7.48
Tip: 0
Spent Today: $7.48
Year to Date: $1561.64
Meals out, 90 of a possible 609.
We we left the car I locked it up. I have been doing this ever since we went up north a month ago. I’m hoping someone will slit the top to steal something out of the interior, so that the insurance company will buy me a new top. This one is going to develop a hole soon and if I can get them to foot the bill it would be nice. Donna says, “Why don’t I just cut it myself.” I can’t do the crime, facilitate a little I’m OK with, but I can’t commit it.
Started up, went down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 290
 Donna and I went for a bike ride this morning with the intention of ending up at the New Moon for muffins and/or bagels. We missed timed our arrival so that we had twenty minutes to wait before we opened. Donna almost convinced the guy putting tables on the sidewalk to let us buy our two items to go and leave. Almost. We settled down to wait. People started to arrive. And more people. Then some more. Pretty soon there were over a dozen people waiting by the door for 9:00AM. I felt like I was waiting to buy the latest Harry Pooter Book.
I checked the time on my cyclecomputer and we still had 10 minutes to go. Impatient with the crowd, the annoying gnats circling me and the time left, I told Donna to forget it. We wanted to get home to see today’s mountain stage of the Tour, so we mounted back up on the tandem and started on our way. At the end of the first block towards home I noticed that the time was now just a couple minutes shy of nine. The siren’s call of a Cranberry Pecan Muffin was too great. We circled a couple more blocks and went back. I went inside to get our stuff while Donna waited outside. I was 6 or 7 in line. I crept forward at a glacial pace (probably seemed longer for Donna standing outside in a gnat cloud) and finally got to order. An Everything Bagel for her, the aforementioned Cranberry Pecan Muffin for me and to fortify ourselves for the 3 mile ride home I bought a cookie to share.
Meal Cost: $4.55
Tip Jar: 45¢
Spent Today: $5.00
Year to Date: $1554.16
Meals out, 89 of a possible 603.
Speaking of cookies, we made a double batch of Donna’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies this afternoon and I lost count after eating six…
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 286
The Emperor came home today from the doctor’s tonight after his ligament replacement surgery and fluid transfusion. On the way home we stopped for pizza at a place called Nick’s House of Pizza in West Columbia. Because it is called Nick’s you know that they also serve Greek food. So we had a Greek salad to go along with the 10″ pie with sausage, pepperoni, onions and bell peppers. There were a couple of waters and a Sprite involved too.
Meal Cost: $17.92
Tip: $3.58
Spent Today: $21.50
Year to Date: $1549.16
Meals out, 88 of a possible 597.
On July 1st the FRS had a 10–1/2 game lead over the Yankees. From the first of July through last Saturday the Red Sox have gone 6 & 5, but the Yankees have a record of 7 wins, 4 loses and were 10 games behind. On Monday morning when I mentioned that I thought the expected FRS slide had begun, I was scoffed at. I predicted that the Yankees would only be 5 games back by the end of the month. Both my Yankee fan manager and Mark the Braves fan felt that the Sox were too good this year and the Yankees too weak. My boss was just making excuses in case and Mark is used to the Braves always winning the division, but I on the other hand have had to suffer through several decades of Red Sox collapses.
Both now may believe my prognostication powers because since Saturday the Yanks have won 4 while the Sox are 1 win, 3 loses shrinking the lead to 7 games. I may still be wrong, at this pace the Yankees may be ahead of the Bosox by August 1st. Which brings to mind a memorable quote from the movie Game 6, while in the bar watching the titular game, the kid tells Michael Keaton’s character that he should be happy because the Red Sox are winning, to which he replies, “The Red Sox are always winning…until they lose”. The screenwriter must have been an FRS fan.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 283
 For the second time in 7 weeks I’m driving a PT Cruiser. The Emperor is sleeping over at Wray’s place in advance of having it’s 60K mile check-up by the royal physician tomorrow. There was a coupon on the dealer’s web site that offered a free rental on any major service or timing belt change. They have an agreement with Enterprise and after a 20 minute wait we were whisked away to their offices to fill out the paperwork. Five minutes after that Donna and I were driving away in a Marine Blue Pearl Touring model. It had a whopping 248 miles on the clock and there was still plastic protective wrapping on the front carpet and lower doors.
I can now say with authority that these vehicles are trucks in cute clothing, it rides rougher than my tightly sprung sports car and if the steering wheel was 30 degrees more horizontal I would feel like Ed Norton. After a couple of understeered curves I had to chant to myself, “Not a Miata. Not a Miata.” to prevent visiting the wrong side of the yellow line on the sharper right turns.
On the way home we stopped at Fudrucker’s for dinner. I had a 1/2 lb burger, onion rings and washed it down with iced tea. Donna opted for the fish sandwich with water to drink.
Meal Cost: $14.96
Tip: None
Spent Today: $14.96
Year to Date: $1527.66
Meals out, 87 of a possible 594.
If you haven’t checked out the Jokes page in a while, I’ve added a couple of new ones in the last week: Genie In A Tackle Box and The Romantic… (thanks Mark)
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 283
 Aiken had it’s Horseplay with painted horses and now Darlington County has it’s painted cars. While looking for the Post Office in Lamar, SC we noticed a painted car in front of the Library. Later in the weekend we noticed a couple more cars around. So when we got home, we looked on the internet and discovered that it was new this summer — Carolina Car Trek. There is even a contest involved that can win you a 2008 Darlington Raceway Package (whatever that is.)
I had to give a little blood this morning for my cholesterol check next week, so I had to not eat breakfast at home. This meant a stop at the New Moon Cafe for eats on the way in to work. Cranberry Peacan Muffin for me and an Everything Bagel for her.
Meal Cost: $2.89
Tip Jar: 11¢
Spent Today: $3.00
Year to Date: $1512.70
Meals out, 86 of a possible 591
A couple of new links on the sidebar tonight, 1) A New Miata? in 143 days and B) Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules.
I found another place that is raffling off a new Miata, or MX-5 as Mazda would have you call it, the International Motor Racing Research Center. The IMRRC is in Watkins Glen, NY and they are selling just 2,500 chances on a 2007 Touring Package car. $35 each, two for $60 or a quartet for a C-note. I opted to take 4 chances at getting a new Miata about 1,088 days sooner than planned.
After finishing re-reading Spenser book #3 and finding another rule, I broke down and created a page for Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules. I only have 32 more books to go to get all of the rest (if there are any more…)
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 282
 We were back in northeast South Carolina hunting Post Offices. Knocked off 16 more, bring our total captured to 184 out of the total of 460. I was stopped by a freight train twice over the weekend, once on Saturday with Donna’s cousin Susie and her daughter Katlin in a Jaguar XJ8 and on Sunday with Donna in the Miata.
The visit wasn’t all fun and games though, we were there to offer what moral support we could to Donna’s cousin Laurie because her husband Ted was in the hospital. Ted’s lifelong health issues had final caught up with him. Diabetes and a bad heart caused an early retirement. The diabetes led to weakened kidney’s which finally gave up after a his last heart attack necessitating dialysis. When we visited in March they were still struggling with getting the home dialysis to work right and Ted reminded us of how Donna’s mom had gotten towards the end. When we stopped in last week the both of us were shocked at how far he had deteriorated. He fell out of bed on Tuesday and was hospitalized in Florence at the McLeod Medical Center. Ted passed away early this morning.
While traveling west, somewhere east of North, South Carolina the Emperor moved past the 63,000 mile mark.
For dinner we both had a bowl of Won-ton Soup and an Egg Roll, while we split an order of Jade Chicken (don’t know if this is a regular Chinese restaurant dish or just got it’s name because we were eating a place called Jade of China.)
Meal Cost: $13.90
Tip: $2.10
Spent This Meal: $16.00
Year to Date: $1509.70
Meals out, 85 of a possible 585.
Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 278
 It has been a long day, so I have too much to write and not enough time to write about it, not even what we ate for both meals we ate out today and I know how much you all look forward to that. I will tell you that in honor of Bastille Day there was French cuisine consumed at both meals eaten out today — that’s right, we had fries.
Lunch
Meal Cost: $8.64
Tip: None
Spent This Meal: $8.64
Dinner
Meal Cost: $19.96
Tip: $4.04
Spent This Meal: $24.00
Year to Date: $1493.70
Meals out, 84 of a possible 582.
Started down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 275
#31: If you have a name and no address, try looking in the phone book.
For some reason the first three of these I found, they were in the same book, were called Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules, but this one was called a Tip. I have decided to read all 35 (so far) Spenser books to chronicle all the tips/rules and collect them on a separate page here. I have now re-read two of the four books I own and tonight when we visited the used book store I picked up three more. They probably have another half dozen on the shelf still for later.
Today was a two-fer, breakfast and dinner out. Donna told me point blank this morning that we were going out for breakfast and because it was a weekday that meant Hardee’s. Biscuit & Gravy for her, Sausage & Egg Biscuit for him, O.J. and Hash Rounds to split.
Meal Cost: $5.71
Tip: None
Spent This Meal: $5.71
Dinner was out because it was the monthly Miata Club meeting, for July it was in Aiken at Olive Oils. Crab Bruschetta for appetizer, Seafood Ravioli for her, Hot & Sweet Sausages for him. We went whole hog and got desert, Chocolate Ice Cream for her and Key Lime Pie for him.
Meal Cost: $43.00
Tip: $6.45
Spent This Meal: $49.45
Year to Date: $1461.06
Meals out 82 of a possible 576.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 270
 The top on the Miata is starting to wear out. There are several small spots on the inside where the cloth liner is gone exposing the rubber inner layer. And there are a few places on the outside, at places the top is folded, that are the same way. So far this year the top has made 266 transitions. In 2006 it made 525 and in 2005 there were 399 changes in state. I did not keep data for all of 2004, nor did I count any of the first month of ownership in December 2003. Using a complicated formula consisting of averages from prior years I estimate that for those 13 months it made 410 transitions, making a total lifetime of 1600 changes or 800 cycles.
I probably have a couple more months before an actual holes develops, but I’d rather not get that far, so I’ve started to research new tops. An OEM Mazda cloth top lists at a buck under a $900. An after market top starts around $630. Both these are cloth with defroster glass back window like the current top, but I could always “downgrade” to a vinyl top, they start around $450. The trouble with after market tops is matching the parchment color of the 2003+ Miatas. Most of the tans out there are darker and more compatible with the earlier year cars. So I’m contemplating going with a black vinyl top. But for now I’ve got samples on the way of the two canvas tans available from the place I bought my last top from. One is a stock color and the other is custom adding $50 to the cost.
They also have a custom color called dark ruby that is a wild card in the color selection. Donna hates the idea without even seeing it, but I’ve got a sample of that coming too. We will have to see, the Garnet Red has mica in it so it changes its color, from a sparkly red to maroon, depending on the light. This makes it awfully hard for that dark red canvas to look good at all times, but I can hope. If I really like it, I may try and persuade her.
Forgot to blog about eating out last night. Went to Maria’s for carnitas, we both had water to drink so we got out for cheap.
Meal Cost: $9.58
Tip: $1.42
Spent Today: $11.00
Year to Date: $1405.90
Meals out 80 of a possible 573.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 266
 After a bad month and a half, that started innocently enough with a fall that a broke a vertebra, my mother passed away in the Hospital of Central Connecticut this morning. We knew her health was failing with the reports I was getting from my siblings, so even though we had visited a couple months ago in April, Donna and I put in for vacation for the week of the 4th of July for another visit. Turns out it was a little less than a week too late. Oh, well, Donna and I spent a few very nice days with her back in April, including a wonderful day trip to see covered bridges in western CT.
She was a great mom (even if she did saddle me with this very painful Red Sox Fan illness thing) and I’ll miss her. My mom and dad split up when I was around 11 years old, so not only did she have to be a mother, but she also had to be the father to me and my sister and brother. Sometimes for the heck of it I would call her and wish her a happy Father’s Day. That’s Mom 3rd from the left in the bottom row from about a dozen years ago when we went to Las Vegas for Donna’s Mom’s 65th birthday. We are still heading up north starting tomorrow, just now for a different reason.
Lunch at the Evergreen Buffet. Various Chinese foodstuffs consumed by each with water to wash it down with.
Meal Cost: $12.30
Tip: $2.00
Spent Today: $14.30
Year to Date: $1394.90
Meals out 79 of a possible 528.
I was planning on washing the car before our trip up north anyway, so when I got home I pulled the car under the awning instead of into the garage. Washed the inside of the windows and gave it a quick waxing as well.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 226
 Got a break from deck finishing tonight as we met some friends in Augusta for dinner. Five of the 6 usual suspects dined at the Patagonia Grill in Evans, GA. Number 6 did check in during dinner by cell phone from the left coast.Donna had Anticucho Pork Skewers with water to drink. I had some Chilean Empanadas with sweet tea. We split a panqueque con dulce de leche for dessert.
Meal Cost: $30.43
Tip: $5.57
Spent Today: $36.00
Year to Date: $1370.35
Meals out 77 of a possible 516.
We took the long way home by heading northwest on Washington Road before hanging a right and crossing J. Strom Thurmond Dam at Clarks Hill Lake.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 220
or I May *Write* A Post Again Someday…
This office will be closed for any Star Wars that may break out.
Maria’s Mexican for dinner. Chicken Fajitas for one split two ways. Extra tortillas. Two waters to drink.
Meal Cost: $11.29
Tip: $1.71
Spent Today: $12.00
Year to Date: $1334.35
Meals out, 76 of a possible 510.
Started up, went down, up, down, up, down, up, down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 216
 Alternate Title: Down on the Farm.
The Single-A farm in Greenville, South Carolina. The Drive are affiliated with the FRS and to show the love, last year they opened a new stadium with the same dimensions as Fenway Park in Beantown (including a 30′ high Green Monster with manual scoreboard.
Because we are traveling we are eating out. Breakfast with the MMC at the Sunrise Grill in North Augusta. The joint we were supposed to meet at at 7:00 AM had changed their opening hour from seven to eight recently leaving us locked out in an empty parking lot. No worries mate, we just moved the show a 1/4 mile up the street. Half a waffle and two eggs for her, western omelette with home fries for me. I had a cup of joe and she had a hot chocolate.
Meal Cost: $15.63
Tip: $3.00
This Meal: $18.53
Lunch at a Cracker Barrel in Greenville. I had the spicy grilled catfish sandwich on sourdough and Donna had a bowl of tortilla soup. One iced tea, one water to drink and guess who had what.
Meal Cost: $13.25
Tip: $3.00
This Meal: $16.25
Dinner at the ballpark. $5 a piece tip to the Maitre De got us in the door (AKA General Admission tickets.) Nachos for her, Italian sausage for him. Diet DP for him, bottled water for her. We split an 8-pack of chicken nuggets a little later.
Meal Cost: $16.00
Tip: None
Spent Today: $50.78
Year to Date: $1314.32
Meals out, 73 of a possible 498.
The game was supposed to start at 7:00 PM, but it was probably still pouring down rain at that time. The rain did stop and the game started at 7:30. We entered the stadium at 6:00 when they opened the gates and after eating and taking shelter, by the time the game started we had had enough. From the way the skies looked we were sure it was going to rain some more any minute, so we left. Seeing as the rain showers were scattered we opted to drive around Greenville and take some of the PO pictures we were going to do tomorrow. Ended up doing all of them (that we could find.) There is one on the Furman campus according to USPS.com, but we didn’t see it.
At the last one of the night, a CPU in an ACE Hardware store, the odometer read exactly 59,000 miles.
Started down, went up, back down, up again, down once more, up yet again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 203
 Well, I’ve posted the latest northwest trip’s photos. Trimmed the total down to 51, forty-eight regular and 3 panoramic shots. I’ve got about 2/3s of the titles and captions finished. Check them out if you want: Northwest Trip 2007
Still burning the CD collection with 5, plus a little more, out of 10 rows done. Five hundred directories with 3,751 files in them occupying 13.8 Gig of a hard drive space.
Tonight was haircut night and after getting our respective ears lowered we headed over to Wife Saver for chow. We split a 4 piece chicken strip dinner with mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and broccoli casserole. I had a sweet tea and Donna had water.
Meal Cost: $9.60
Tip: None
Spent Today: $9.60
Year to Date: $1244.02
Meals out 68 of a possible 486.
Here is a SC Blog that I just had to link to considering it’s content, pictures (and stories) about traveling around the state. Ok, it is a Mustang not a Miata, but I’ve got a few pictures of my car infront of some of the places he has photographed as well — Mustang Rolling. More South Carolina blog gems to follow.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 191
 We went over to Augusta this morning so I could hand hold the leading candidates for the new digicam because Aiken doesn’t have a Circuit City. Pretty much decided to go with the Panasonic DMC-T3Z and holding it and looking at it nearly clinched the deal. The Canon SD800 IS was real nice too. It was a lot more pocketable than the Panasonic, but that 10x optical zoom kicked but. Didn’t buy it at the store because they had the price as $349 and it was listed as $289 on the web on Saturday.
There used to be a Winn-Dixie in this strip shopping center, but it went out of business a while back. Last time we were there it was still empty, but this time it was filled with an hhgregg store. I went in and poked around while Donna bought some beads at the Michael’s next door. They had the Panasonic for $319, but I still wasn’t buying, knowing it was cheaper on the web.
We ended up at the Atlanta Bread Company for lunch where we split a House Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing and a Pressed Chicken Sandwich. Water and a small Coke to drink.
Meal Cost: $14.81
Tip: None
Spent Today: $14.81
Year to Date: $1234.42
Meals out 67 of a possible 480.
When we got back home I went online and found out that CC had bumped the online price back up to $349. Well, it as got to be cheaper somewhere out there. Found it on New Egg for $289 and they are tossing in a 1 Gig SD card for free. Yippee! While checking it out, I notice that this item is covered by their “Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy” which basically means you can swap for another of the same, but you *ain’t* getting your money back. This makes me very nervous, so I start reading reviews to reassure myself. Reading some of the posts on Steve’s Digicam’s Forum I see someone mention that it is too bad this camera doesn’t offer any manual control. Huh?!? I thought it did.
Turns out I misread something and in fact the TZ3 doesn’t have any manual exposure control. Too bad too because this is a deal breaker. I guess I will have to settle for the runner-up, the Canon SD800 IS, but I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger even though it is only $20 more at New Egg and the same 1 Gig SD card deal applies. I have been seduced by the 10x optical zoom on the Panasonic, the Canon’s paltry 3.8x will not satisfy me.
The CFO authorizes a bump up in the spending level in hopes I can find another contender. Believe it or not, there is not much out there at the $400–450 level. I guess we are getting too close to DSLR territory and manufacturers don’t want to offer anything that might cannibalize those sales. There is one intriguing possibility, the Panasonic LX2. 10MP, 16x9 shooting format and lots of manual control, but there is that wimpy 4x zoom again. Plus, what’s with the no built in lens cap? Why not replace the built in flash with those cute little flash cubes? Another possibility is the Canon G7. Its a 10MP camera too, with a 6x zoom, but it starts at 35mm not 28mm and the thing is a brick at nearly 12 oz.
I will probably wait for 3–4 months before trying to buy a camera. Things happen quickly in the electronic world and my perfect camera could be in the pipeline right now. If worse comes to worse the cost of buying the Panasonic T3Z might come down enough that I’d swallow the no manual exposure control thing.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 188
 We went out with our usual group to our usual Aiken haunt tonight. Good times with good friends, but it was a bittersweet evening. I returned my Godson Gnorm to his parents. 
Bruschetta for appetizer. I had the Sun dried Tomato & Prosciutto Personal Pizza. Donna had her usual Seafood Ravioli. We both had a glass of wine to drink.
Meal Cost: $42.80
Tip: $7.20
Spent Today: $50.00
Year to Date: $1219.61
Meals out 66 of a possible 474.
In Yesterday’s post I listed a couple of Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules. Later in the book he mentions “Spenser’s Rule.” Seeing as he is mainly involved in busting crimes is that to be understood here? I think in this case it must be, considering the rule in question is obviously related to that endeavor.
Spenser’s Crime Buster Rule #113: As a last disparate fall back position, you find someone to follow, and follow them.
If it was more along the lines of, “Always keep a cold six pack of Sam Adams on hand for guests.” I might have been labeled as just Spenser’s Rule…
Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 184
 I’m digital camera shopping. It has only been 14 months since I bought the Kodak V570 and I still really like it, but there are a couple of features that it doesn’t have that I want. 1) Image Stabilization. Have you ever tried to take a blur free photo while standing on the vibrating deck of a ferry? 2) I really miss some sort of manual exposure control. Ever try and get a crisp image of something close and something far at the same time without aperture priority or a manual mode?
Any of my needs taken alone are not too difficult fulfill;
- Less than $350
- Image Stabilization
- Manual Mode or Aperture Priority min.
- 7 Megapixels min.
- 23mm Wide Angle Lens
- Fits in Shirt Pocket
- 6x Optical Zoom min.
- SD Storage
- Optical Viewfinder
(the last two are not deal breakers, but nice to have) all together they add up to something nearly impossible to find so far. Right now real close to and leaning towards: Panasonic DMC-TZ3
Donna had a tough morning, so we went out to the Evergreen Chinese Buffet for lunch:
Meal Cost: $12.31
Tip: $2.00
Spent Today: $14.31
Year to Date: $1169.61
Meals out, 65 of a possible 468.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 179
 Yes again. At 5:00 PM eastern time on the USA Network TDPM was broadcast and I watched the whole thing. This makes about 2 dozen viewings of Dead Man’s Chest. I’ve seen the second movie twice, once in the theater and once at home on DVD. In spite of the pan & scan, in spite of the editing, in spite of the commercial interruptions the first is far superior to the second. I haven’t seen the third yet and will probably rent it when it comes out, but I’m betting it won’t top the original either.
Take 8 days off and you forget. We went out to breakfast yesterday and I didn’t write in the post, so here is the wrap-up and I’ll try not to do it again. Toasted bagel with cream cheese for her and a cranberry pecan muffin for me. Donna drank a hot chocolate and I had water.
Meal Cost: $3.75
Tip Jar: 25¢
Spent Today: $4.00
Year to Date: $1155.30
Meals out, 64 of a possible 465.
Remember meals out on vacation don’t count. Good thing too, as I’m a little embarrassed by how much we spent on the evening meal at the Mariott last Friday.
Poor Donna because the day after we arrived in Washington she came down with a sniffley, sneezey, coughing thing and she is just now getting over it. At first we though it might be an allergy to something out there because spring is in full bloom out there, but we are not too sure. I’m thinking it is something she got at work before we left because a couple other folks at work reported similar symptoms. She is pretty much over it now and I think how she managed to get rid of it was by giving it to me. I started with a slight sore throat on Saturday night and today I’m flirting with a runny nose and some body aches. Didn’t I already have this crap once before not to long ago?
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 176
 Our Fabrication Manager has been gone for a week on vacation and now he is absent for fortnight visiting vendors in Asia. Gnorm moved into his office today in a bloodless coup. Don’t worry, because he is the boss, he’ll be taking next week so he can go to Seattle with us.
I’m still burning my CD collection and I’m almost done with row #5. I just came across a CD I have no recollection buying and I can not even think of what anything on it sounds like: Pourquoi Quebec? by Tony McManus. I may have to give it a listen.
I used to read quite a bit of science fiction as youngster and as I entered my twenties, horror became my choice of escapist “literature.” Used to read a lot of fellow FRS fan, Stephen King’s books, but quit about the time he started writing them thick enough to be used as nightstands. Now I’m into pulp stuff about private eyes and disgraced cops that save the world from criminals ans serial killers. I’m also a sucker for lawyer slash courtroom drama books. My latest read has been a real pleasant surprise, I picked it up thinking I was getting a typical lawyer saves a wrongly accused book, and it is that (at least I think he saves him, I’m not finished yet) but it also mixes in a very convincing horror plot. For the icing on this cake it is also told with some biting humor in places. The following is a snippet from Lost Girls by Andrew Pyper:
The next day is passed by explanations of DNA identification technology delivered by the google-eyed lab rat the Crown has brought up from Toronto. I feel for the poor bastard, though, trying to teach a remedial science lesson to the jury, who look back at him as though auditioning for the chorus in Deliverance: The Musical. It gives me a chance to doze off for five-second hits of sleep. A tricky business that involves holding your head up with one hand and positioning it so that your closed eyes will be hidden from the bench. This part is essential. Judges are universally intolerant of sleeping lawyers, mostly because their own seating arrangement prevents them from indulging in the same pleasure themselves.
Each time my eyelids spring back open it’s with the terrible image of Bert Gederov and Graham Lyle having kittens all over the boardroom floor two hundred miles to the south because I haven’t yet returned their calls. The reason is simple: despite my best efforts I haven’t come up with a resonable explanantion for my remarks to the press of the other day. By the time the court is adjourned in the afternoon (the DNA dweeb having just finished his “introductory remarks”), I know that it can no longer be avoided.
Donna was out at a business dinner with a couple bishops from the Vatican (ASCO HQ in NJ) and some vendors, so I was left to my own devices. A 6″ Italian Sub (Ham, Salami, Pepperoni & Provalone) from Sub Station II that I brought home and ate over the sink pretending I was a bachelor. All that was missing was a bottle of beer to wash it down. I substituted a Sprite Zero.
Meal Cost: $3.60
Tip Jar: 40¢
Spent Today: $4.00
Year to Date: $1151.30
Meals out, 63 of a possible 426.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 170
 …when the FRS are playing baseball. The Sox had a 6 run lead through almost the entire game, somehow the Braves managed to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the 9th (must not have got the memo about Jonathan Papelbon being the most feared closer in the American League.) But he got Andruw Jones to strike out swinging (for the fifth time in the game) to end it. Season series so far: Boston 2 — Atlanta 1. There are three more games to be played in Atlanta in June to settle it for this season.
We started the morning with a nice tandem ride. I had finally measured the wheel circumference and set both cyclecomputers to the same figure, so Donna wouldn’t be riding further than me on these trips. Worked out pretty good, as mine read 14.0 miles at the end of the ride and hers said 13.98.
Lunch out with friends at Zaxby’s where we split a large Wings ‘n’ Things and an order of Carrots & Celery Sticks. One large Coke and one water to drink.
Meal Cost: $11.72
Tip: None
Spent Today: $11.72
Year to Date: $1147.30
Meals out 62 of a possible 420.
I uploaded five new photos to the Enchanted Ceiling site, something I hadn’t done in a while. It started yesterday when I thought I might sort out my sky photos. I had 14 posted EC and I had 34 posted in a gallery here. I have 37 in the directory on my hard drive and about more 40 in a staging directory. I uploaded the 14 to my other Flickr! account and then to make matters somewhat worse I picked the 5 from the staging directory and added them to the Enchanted Ceiling site ( 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 ), then the Flickr account, but not the gallery here. So did I help the organization or hurt it? Who knows.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 168
or They Made Me An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse
 Today was the MMC’s bi-annual Driving Miss Daisys Event at the Elmcroft Assisted Living Center. We had 7 Miatas and a Sebring show up for caravan duty and we had 9 female residents go for a ride up and around Strom Thurmond Dam at Clarks Hill. Their combined ages were nowhere near 58,000, but that is the mile mark the Emperor passed on the trip. We could not have asked for a better day, it was around 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
Afterwards all us Miata types went out for lunch. Some one suggested a semi-new Mediterranean restaurant up the road a piece in Evans, GA called Khalid’s Cafe. The service was leisurely (partly because the eleven of us overloaded their Saturday lunch staff), but definitely worth the wait. A return visit is in the offing for a Club meeting at a later date.Donna ordered up a bowl of Lentil Soup, a Greek Salad and Sprite to drink. I went for a Kufta Burger with Iced Tea to drink. We each had a piece of Baklawa for dessert. My mouth is watering just typing this.
Meal Cost: $23.86
Tip: $3.14
Spent Today: $27.00
Year to Date: $1135.58
Meals out, 61 of a possible 417.
Because of my affection for Rudy and Patti’s gnome Gnorm, they asked me to be his Godfather. I readily accepted and my first act was to volunteer to take him with Donna and I on our trip to the northwest starting next week. I sure hope Gnorm’s blue coat is waterproof…
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 167
We went down to Hilton Head with a couple that knew Jerry when Donna and I were still in grade school. Russ Schwalbert and his wife Jean lived on the same street as him in Mansfield, Ohio. Jerry’s kids baby sat Russ and Jean’s kids and they both worked for Thermo-Disc which moved to Aiken in the building that now houses ASCO in the late 70s. Jean just got a new Lexus ES350 and they offered to drive us down, so Donna and I got to ride in a very strange place, a back seat.
Before going to Jerry’s service, which was to start at 1:00PM, we stopped in Bluffton for a little lunch. To be somewhat fair to Russ and Jean because they supplied the ride, we picked up the tab for lunch. It would have been easy to split because I got what Russ did and Jean ordered the same thing as Donna did. One slice of the special pizza for the guys, soup and salad for the ladies. Russ and I had iced tea, while Donna had a Sprite and Jean went for a water. Total bill$36.00, $31.48 with a tip of $4.52. Divide by two:
Meal Cost: $15.74
Tip: $2.26
Spent So Far Today: $18.00
We got back home at about the same time we would have had we gone to work. Donna had conveniently forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for dinner. We thought we were going to be much later and figured on a meal out anyway, so we headed out to try a new place in town, Jim’s Taste of New England. Lobstah Roll for her and Fish & Chips for me and we split a Garden Salad. We both washed the meal down with water.
Meal Cost: $28.16
Tip: $5.00
Spent This Meal: $33.16
Spent Today: $51.16
Year to Date: $1108.58
Meals out, 60 of a possible 411.
The Lobster Roll was good, but expensive and not nearly as stuffed as you would get in the northeast. The Fish & Chips consisted of one, albeit large, piece of fish and a bunch French Fries. The fries looked like they came from real potatoes, but didn’t really taste that way. Have they figured out a way to extrude an incredible simulation of a real potato? The cole slaw was delicious though and is probably the driving reason for a return visit, but we’ll probably try something different.
Started down, went up, back down, up again, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 166
Breakfast for two at Hardee’s. Biscuit & Gravy for her, a Sausage & Egg Biscuit for me. Water to drink for her and an OJ for me. We split an order of Hash Rounds. I have a local middle school discount card that let’s me get 2 Sausage & Egg Biscuits for $1.89, so to save money and get some use out of the ten bucks we paid for the card, I’ve bought two the last two times. The first time I was going to take the second biscuit to work and give it away, but as we sat and read the paper the biscuit started calling our names, so Donna and I split it. It was too much food, so we vowed to not eat the second biscuit this time. HA! Couldn’t do it. Today the second biscuit was devoured before we left the place. Next time we will resist.
Meal Cost: $5.18
Tip: None
Spent Today: $5.18
Year to Date: $1,057.42
Meals out, 58 of a possible 408.
Big Toe Update: A doctor’s visit on Monday netted me a ten day prescription for an antibiotic and an admonition to soak my foot 3 times a day in hot ass water with some epson salts. So far so good, I’m about half fixed.
Duck Update: Its tame and follows Mark around. He and his son will be making a small pond out of a big ol’ old heating duct hood from our old die casting department this weekend.
As Seen On TV!
 A local morning weather shows pictures sent in by viewers as long as they are remotely weather related. I sent in the image on Gnorm from Friday’s post. Figuring he probably wouldn’t show that, I also included this one. It made the cut and was shown yesterday morning at 5:15 & 6:15. I had about a half dozen folks at work tell me they saw the picture.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 162
It started out as a suggestion from my wife, “Hey let’s keep track of how many times we eat out and how much we spend.” Ever the obedient husband I started posting what we ate when out and what we spent. It was fun in the beginning and then it became interesting. Now that our dining costs has topped the 4 digit mark, it not something we are real proud of. But why not?
Maybe we need a little perspective. We have eaten out a total of 57 times this year and have spent a grand total of $1,052.24. That works out to about $18.46 per meal or $9.23 per person per meal. Another way to look at it is that today is the 134th day of the year, multiply that by 3 squares a day and you get a total of 402 possible meals. That means we have eaten 57 meals out, but it also means we have eaten 345 meals “at home” or 86% of the time we Eat In. Not too bad. Wonder what the national average is?
One stat I found is from foodservice provider ARAMARK.
…2004… As a result, adults now consume on average more than 5.6 meals away from home each week, citing time, convenience and value as the top motivating factors.
If this is correct, 5.6 meals divided by 21 possible meals, is a little more than 27% meals eaten out compared to our 14%.
Another one is from the National Restaurant Association’s report Restaurant Spending — 2004.
Households consisting of only a husband and wife recorded the highest per-capita expenditures on food away from home in 2004 ($1,347)
Per-capita is a fancy way of saying per person, so take that $1,347 and multiply it by two, meaning that that husband and wife spent a total of $2,694 in 2004. At the current rate that Donna and I are spending, we will end up disbursing $2,866 on meals away from home in 2007. Factor in inflation and restaurant dining trends and it looks like we are about average.
So if we are near average in money spent, but eating out about half as many times as everyone else, we must be eating at pretty nice places or everyone else is just ordering off the dollar menus.
Still to make us feel better I will add another line to the “Eating Out” macro that will keep track of meals out in relation to possible meals.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 161
 Avulsion — a forcible tearing or surgical separation of one body part from another.
Or in this case a tearing of the time — space continuum, as 125 Broughton Ave in Hilda, SC, or at least the Post Office there, has vanished. Our second attempt to locate a postal facility in this micro town failed just as it did the first time. Maybe it is like Brigadoon and appears only one day every hundred years. I did take a picture of the next best thing though, the Town Hall. I won’t put it in the postal gallery with the other 10 we grabbed today though, just not kosher. Fittingly, there is a sign on the door saying the Town Hall is open the 2nd Saturday of the month from 8 AM to 12 noon.
Three quarters of the way through our Postal Safari today we stopped in St. George for lunch, Taco Bell. Two hard tacos for Donna and two soft tacos for Brian and we split a medium fruit punch.
Meal Cost: $5.15
Tip: None
Spent Today: $5.15
Year to Date: $1,052.24
Josh Becket of the FRS was pitching today. So far this year he has had 7 starts and has 7 wins, but something happened on the way to a record 8 straight. An avulsion on the right middle finger, leading to “irritation of the skin” lead to him being pulled from today’s game after the fourth inning. This is the team being cagey, Mr. Beckett missed several games last year because of a blister on his throwing hand. To me, no matter how you spin “avulsion on the right middle finger, leading to irritation of the skin”, it is a blister. Supposedly the early exit was a precaution to prevent an actual blister, we’ll see.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 159
OK, so I’ve had a sore big toe for about a week now, feels like an ingrown toenail, meaning it is just fine unles I hit on something. I can deal with it. But this morning I noticed it right off as it hurt to even walk. Just the act of pushing off with the toe made me wince.
Now the ingrown toenails I’ve dealt with before have all been at the very end of the toe. This pain is coming from the side of the nail about halfway down it’s length. If you wanted to make this grown man squeal in pain, all you have to do is squeeze the side of my toe. Today’s planned hike in the woods was called off and we stayed home while I tried to minimize my walking.
We did manage to get to out to the MMC Breakfast Meet. It was in downtown Aiken, so we didn’t have far to go. Veggie Omelet with Grits for Donna and Hot Cakes with Sausage for me. Donna had water and I had an OJ.
Meal Cost: $10.92
Tip: $2
Spent Today: $12.92
Year to Date: $1,047.09
I want to keep the Flickr! South Carolina Post Office Photos separate, mainly because the map is filling in and looking cool, so I created a second account for other pictures. First up were the ones from last night’s sunset trip. Here is my favorite shot: Gnorm & John
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 157
 Somethin’ always happens whenever we’re together…
We did ride the tandem to work today. It is always nice to take an early ride while its still cool and traffic is very light. The best thing about riding to work is when you get there, you are wide awake and raring to go while the rest of your co-workers are slug-like and trying to get their brains kick started with a cup of joe. It is almost as if they are moving in slo-mo.
Tonight we went out to dinner with two other couples. The company was great and the food was good, but we spent more than we wanted and it wasn’t just because we bought a round of lasagna sticks for a communal appetizer. It seemed like the value just wasn’t there compared to some of the other places we have eaten at. Caesar Salad, 1/2 rack of Ribs with broccoli & sweet potato fries, iced tea for him, while Donna had a Garden Salad, the Seafood Fra Diavolo (discovering that she really doesn’t like mussels) over linguine with water to drink.
Meal Cost: $43.68
Tip: $6.32
Spent Today: $50.00
Year to Date: $1,034.17
 After dinner, we jumped in our three Miatas and did a 60 mile loop drive around Clark’s Hill Lake. We ended up at the dam’s South Carolina side parking lot to catch the sunset. A big ol’ thunderhead off in the distance spoiled the “sun setting over the water” image we hoped to see, but did make for an interesting show anyway.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 156
Lunch of Chinese food at the Evergreen Buffet with water to drink for two.
Meal Cost: $11.98
Tip: $2.02
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $960.17
Came home from work today and our street was half resurfaced. It is about three years from when we were told it would happen, but it has finally happened. Kind of guessed it was coming the other week when we noticed some spray painted numbers on the street when we went for our evening walk. I hope it isn’t raining tomorrow after work so I can rollerblade on the smooth as glass surface.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 152
We had breakfast out at the Atlanta Bread Company before doing our weekly grocery shopping. Whole grain Bagel toasted w/ Cream Cheese for her and a toasted Apple Spice Bagel for him. Water to drink for both.
Meal Cost: $2.67
Tip: None
Spent Today: $2.67
Year to Date: $946.17
I’m thinking they didn’t charge for the cream cheese because that total sounds kind of cheap.
Donna made some of her famous Chocolate Chip Cookies for a meeting I have at work today. I of course had the sample them to make sure they were up to par. Ten cookies later I allowed that they were.
No way I could have worked off all the cookie calories consumed earlier, but a 14 mile tandem bike ride helped.
We stayed up way too late last night to watch “Living With Cancer” on the Discovery Channel. We both wanted to see it, but didn’t realize it was three hours long and didn’t go off until 11:00 PM. It was an interesting show, but most of it was not new to me. The first 45 minutes or so we covered the Lance Armstrong story (we were after all on the Discovery Channel) and who doesn’t know about him, a good portion of the second hour was on Leroy Sievers, who’s blog, My Cancer, I’ve been reading since he started it last year. The third hour was new, a live town meeting thing with an audience of cancer doctors, nurses, survivors and advocates. This was a little more interesting because it was unscripted. I’m sure they will rerun the show, and it is worth a look, but who knows when.
Practically every year since 1992 the folks at Mazda have released a special edition Miata. Usually unique in color and loaded with extras. Some of these are particularly sought after, especially the 1993 Limited Edition black with red interior and the 1999 10th Anniversary models. For 2007 there has been an SE in Japan and England, but not the US. It is similar in color to my car, but more like the 2000SE with a dark purple exterior and light beige interior.
The Japanese market is lucky enough to get a lot of other stuff that we don’t get over here. The best is something called Web Tune where you can order your car online after customizing it with all kinds of goodies that you can’t get here.
I found an image of a Mazdaspeed MzTuned Roadster on the web somewhere and it has been my PC’s wallpaper for a while. The car is in silver and it is kind of boring, so during a dull moment today I played around coloring it. They have made Miatas in a bunch of colors including a plethora of blues, several reds, a bunch of greens, most primary colors, including three shades of white, but they have never offered any kind of beige. I think this color I call Champagne would look pretty good on a Miata. Maybe it will be next year’s special edition color?
Tonight was the May meeting of the MMC, but at the last meeting they though it would be a good idea to meet at 7:00PM. This is later than Donna and I like to eat so we stopped on the way home from work and picked up our usual 14″ pie at Ferrando’s.
Meal Cost: $15.83
Tip: None
Spent Today: $15.83
Year to Date: $943.50
I think they have adjusted the crust to something thinner than they used to do, it was still good pizza, but slightly different. We ate 2 pieces each finishing half the pie. The second half is earmarked for Saturday lunch.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 140
Jerry the Condo King called me about a week ago to ask advice about buying a bicycle. Not for him, but for his mid-30’s daughter. She is mostly a runner, but has enjoyed borrowing his balloon tired bike and speeding around the bike paths on HHI. She mentioned graduating to a road bike and he said if you join the local bike club he’d buy her a bike. Little did he know. He check a local bike store and was flabergasted that an entry level hybrid/cross bike was $750. I suggested he check with the local Club and see if anyone had a used bike for sale. Once you get into it, it is like anything, you keep upgrading equipment until you can’t afford it any more, usually long eclipsing your competency level.
When I told Donna about Jerry’s call, she said, “What about my old road bike?” I didn’t even think about that. We both have fairly decent road bikes that were near top of the line about a dozen years ago that we don’t really ride anymore. I called Jerry back and asked how tall his daughter was. Five foot three. Bingo, Donna is 5′-2″, the bike would fit. I emailed him pictures and told him it she was interested, for $200 he could have it. Last Saturday he drove up from Hilton Head with two crisp Ben Franklins and drove home with a 1994 Bridgestone RB–1/7 with upgrade STI shifting. I tried to foist my road bike off on the daughter’s boyfriend, but he wasn’t biting. If you know anyone who might be interested in a 12 or 13 year-old Bianchi with full Ultegra 600 stuff and a cool dark purple/silver paint job let me know. I don’t know the frame size off the top of my head, but if you are 5′-9 to 6′-0 it should fit. $200 +shipping if you can’t drive here to get it.
We have two older (from the early 80s) bikes that we used to use as commuter bikes that we haven’t used for 5 or 6 years now. Each spring we think, maybe we’ll start back to riding to work and never do. Trouble is that they are so old (even though they have seen some upgrades over the years) that they are hardly worth much at all, but they are perfectly serviceable as commuters, but talk about a limited market. If I could get a hundred dollars a piece for them I can’t say as I’d be happy but it would be better than them hanging in my garage serving as spider homes.
We really have found a home on the tandem. Went for a little 11 mile ride this evening at dusk and it was very enjoyable. We are even concocting a plan on how to commute on the bike for two. I bought a front low rack for panniers and some extenders to retro fit an older rear rack off the internet last night from JANDD Mountaineering. When they get here we will be able to carry two sets of bags, one set each and then add a trunk bag for lunches.
Oh yeah, we had the breakfast of bicycle champions this morning too. Hardee’s Biscuit and Gravy for her and 2 Sausage and Egg Biscuit for me. We shared a water and order of Hash Rounds.
Meal Cost: $4.64
Tip: None
Spent Today: $4.64
Year to Date: $927.67
I posted another email joke forwarded from Mark (I think that needs an acronym — EJFFM), so if you like quasi-dirty humor, click on the Joke category for a look at it.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 137
 We bought this morning’s breakfast from the New Moon Cafe after yesterday’s hike, a low fat Blueberry muffin for her and a Raspberry Coconut muffin for him (which we ended up splitting 50–50.)
Meal Cost: $2.65
Tip: 35¢
Spent This Meal: $3.00
After breakfast we tried to make up for the last 3 weeks on non-activity in the Post Office quest by heading to the capital city of the Great State of South Carolina and getting a photo of all 13 POs. Mission accomplished. The only Post Office not accounted for that lists Columbia as the city is the one on the Army base, Fort Jackson. (They have an Open House on the 18 & 19 of May for Armed Forces Day so we might try and sneak in then.)
A few years back a favored Sunday lunch spot was an Italian fast food chain called Fazoli’s, but they closed up shop here in Aiken and we have missed eating their food quite often since then. Well, Columbia has two Fazoli’s and both are close to some of our destination Post Offices, so we thought it might be a treat to eat there for lunch. I guess our memories have been colored by time (or maybe it was this particular restaurant) because it didn’t seem worth the trip. The Twice Baked Ziti with Hearty Meat Sauce was good and the bread sticks were practically dripping in butter, but the salad and the dressing left a lot to be desired. I had a fountain Coke and Donna had water.
Meal Cost: $10.76
Tip: None
Spent This Meal: $10.76
Spent Today: $13.38
Year to Date: $923.03
Five out of six isn’t half bad. As a matter of fact it is 83% good. After looking lackluster on Fox yesterday the FRS came out swinging against the dreaded Yankees today and came out on top of a 7 to 4 score. Big Papi contributed a homer, as did the coming out of his funk Manny Rameriz, but those guys are expected to smack the long ball. A nice bonus was a homer from our utility infielder Alex Cora. Now we have 19 warm up games until we come back to the “House That Ruth Built” on the 21st of May.
Started down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 133
 Left over story from our northeast visit: After the service for Donna’s aunt the family gathered at a nice Italian restaurant in Summit, NJ, where we were served a five course meal. Donna and I sat at kind of the “kids” table with the youngest cousin, her husband and their young daughter, a couple of family friends and the daughters of the middle two cousins, Susan’s two girls Meghan 14, Jessica 12 and Mary’s 14 year-old Kristen. When they came around taking drink orders those three girls to my right ordered Shirley Temples, I had a glass of red wine and for fun Donna ordered a Shirley Temple too. I’m not to sure who started it, might have been Jessica, but the girls decided to see if they could take their cherry stems and tie them into a knot in their mouths using just their tongues.
Meghan was the only one of the three to actually accomplish the feat, we of course applauded her success. If I was her father I’m not so sure that I’d have been that proud and I would have definitely instructed her not to demonstrate that talent on a date with a hormonally charged teenager.
Arri’s Grill for supper. Two 1/3 lb hand formed patties of ground chuck served with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo and mustard. We split an order of fries.
Meal Cost: $10.37
Tip: None
Spent Today: $10.37
Year to Date: $891.27
I’ve got a 485 CD collection that is rarely used anymore. Matter of fact, if it wasn’t for the rental car the other week and the one we’ll be driving out west in another month they wouldn’t ever leave the shelves they sit on. So I have decided to rip them all into MP3s and store ‘em on my hard drive. I’ve done about 30 so far, but I haven’t really been applying myself to the project. I mean if I do get them done, what do I do with all that plastic? Maybe I can find somebody to wholesale ‘em to about 50¢ a piece…
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 126
We had Chinese take out for dinner. Two Egg Rolls, Wonton Soup for 2, Beef & Broccoli with some Shrimp Fried Rice for Donna’s lunches this week.
Meal Cost: $21.45
Tip: None
Spent Today: $21.45
Year to Date: $880.90
 Chewie is so excited he wants to blast something. His Red Sox Nation membership card came in the mail today. There is a small bumper sticker that goes along with it and he’s going to put it on the Millennium Falcon when Han isn’t looking.
While in DC the other week, after we walked to a lot of the war memorials in West Potomac Park we headed over to the Tidal Basin to see if we could find any cherry trees that still had blossoms on it. Unfortunately there were only a few. There are about three or four varieties of cherry trees planted around the basin so that some of them bloom at different times, but during our walk we only came across about three trees that looked like they were at their peak. Because of the great distances between bloomed trees, my dream of a sweeping panorama of blooming trees with the Jefferson Memorial in the background (very postcard-like) was squashed. I did take a couple of close ups of one blooming tree. As we strolled along I was looking down reviewing my last pictures when — SMACK –my head hit a low hanging branch. I know now why George Washington chopped down that cherry tree. It wasn’t bad enough to make me see stars, but I did decide from then forward that I would wait until I was stopped to look down at the camera’s LCD.
Our free Chargrilled sandwich from Chick-Fil-A cost us $8.09. We used the coupon from the Chick-Fil-A calendar, but to get the sandwich you had to buy a small fruit cup and a medium soda. We sometimes split a meal when we go out, but that amount wouldn’t be enought so we added a Chicken Strip Salad to the tray.
Meal Cost: $8.09
Tip: None
Spent Today: $8.09
Year to Date: $859.45
I’ve added a forwarded email joke to the Joke Page.
Also added 8 photos from the Sterling, VA BMW Ultimate Drive. No captions yet, probably tomorrow.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 118
 We were up at 4:00AM to drive to Columbia. The flight and all about it went smoothly. The only hitch was that Donna told her friend Sally to meet us at the Alamo counter at Dulles, trouble being there is no counter at the airport, Alamo is off-site. Fortunately, by the time we figured out where Sally’s Metro bus would stop, it was just arriving. We picked out our Pontiac G6 and headed west.
Brunch was at the Cindy-Dee Restaurant just over the Potomac River into Maryland in a small town called Knoxville. The food was pretty good, but I wouldn’t recommend you drive out from DC just to eat there. (As a side note, I won’t be keeping track of the money spent eating out during our trip, can’t really count it as eating out because we have no choice in the matter.) We were on our way to Sally’s sister’s house for Easter lunch, but Sally informed us that lunch meant 2 to 3 PM so topping off the stomach at 9:30AM was a good idea.
After they got home from church, and while the food was cooking, Donna, Sally, Sally’s brother-in-law and I went a half mile back down the road they live on, to an entrance to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal for a walk. It was a very brisk walk, in more ways than one as the temperature was probably in the upper 30s with a good breeze. After getting back from our walk we had a wonderful free form Easter lunch, that if we had 60’s soul music playing in the background, could have almost passed for scene from the Big Chill. There was Donna and I, Sally, her sister Suzie, Suzie’s husband John, John’s sister Peg, a neighbor of theirs in Georgetown, Suzie and John’s daughter, one of her friends and her friend’s mother.
At around 5:30 Donna and I were running out of steam, so we took our leave and drove back to DC. Sally managed to direct us back to DC without incident, but after arrival, it took us three circles of the tricky roads near the Key Bridge to actually find the Holiday Inn parking entrance.
Tomorrow, the three of us will be doing some touristy stuff, you know, see some monuments, and if we get going early enough maybe we’ll see President George come out to get the Post in his bathrobe.
 Seeing as we are vacationing in the northeast next week and the temperatures there probably won’t get as high as the mid-fifties, we were not going to let the cold weather here stop us from having a nice day outdoors. Note to would be burglars: Our neighbor’s 75 lb pit bull is spending the week at our house and we are only leaving him two days worth of food.
Our excursion began with lunch out at the Stoplight Deli in downtown Aiken. We both had a cup of chili to start. Then we split a Rachel sandwich (corned beef, ham, swiss cheese, cole slaw, russian dressing on wheat.) We both finished off the meal with a cookie, oatmeal raisin for her, peanut butter for him. The usual water was to drink.
Meal Cost: $11.87
Tip: None
Spent Today: $11.87
Year to Date: $851.36
After lunch we drove to Ridge Spring’s Nut House to pick up a gift sampler for our Easter dinner hosts. While we out we headed over towards Columbia to fill in a Post Office hole. Gaston and Swansea were first and then we were headed to two towns that I originally marked with red dots (meaning no PO) on the map, North and Norway. Between the two pairs of towns, I spotted a sign directing folks to a Post Office in the town of Neeses, so I followed it. We ended up getting photos of five places even though according to map map there should have only been two.
Please tell me why two people who don’t golf (unless you count a bi-annual stab at putt-putt), aren’t really interested in golf and probably can’t name 5 current golfers, will spend 4 evenings at the end of the first week in April glued to the tube watching the Masters?
While I’m asking questions, why in the world would the History Channel be showing The Planet of the Apes?
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 116
 All Donna could do after reading last nights post was shake her head. (Wait’ll she sees this one.) What’s a good superhero without a sidekick? While Garnetman can drive like the wind, spot the apex of a curve in a flash, the big picture of proper course is his Achilles heel. He needs direction, so who reads the maps that keep him on trajectory? NaviGirl, that’s who.
Why Garnetman might have starved this very evening had not NaviGirl led him to the golden doors of the China Palace. Sizzling Rice Soup for two and a serving of Double Fried Pork split down the middle. Water to drink.
Meal Cost: $13.50
Tip: $2.50
Spent Today: $16.00
Year to Date: $834.49
Once again I “borrowed” the superhero images from The Art of Andy Smith. I did email him to see what he’d charge for his You be the Superhero! program. We’ll see what he says. Of course if he finds this site first and sees the liberties I’ve taken with his art, I may hear from his lawyers instead of him.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 110
 We started the day with breakfast at our favorite place, no not Hardee’s, but the New Moon Cafe. We got there just after they opened and had to wait in a line 6 deep, but as always the food was worth it. We both had a Cranberry Pecan Muffin and we split a bottled water. We also bought two Everything Bagels for our Sunday breakfast.
Meal Cost: $5.53
Tip Jar: $1.00
Spent This Meal: $6.53
Year to Date: $771.49
After eating we went over to Hitchcock Woods and took a hike. Not only did we want to take a walk in the woods, but we wanted to go watch a bit of the 91st Annual Horse Show (even though our neighbor wasn’t participating.) After buying some note cards and becoming “Friends of the Woods” it was time to hike back to the car.
Once home, we ate lunch and did a couple loads of clothes, before semi-dressing up for dinner out with the Master’s Miata Club Dinner Out Auxiliary. It was member Patti’s birthday so we went to a little fancier place than usual, Calvert’s. We were there at 5:30 specifically so we could take advantage of the “Sunset Dinner for Two.” We both eat for $28.95 and that includes salad, entree and desert. I had salad with Blue Cheese dressing and the London Broil (mmmm) with steamed veggies and twice baked potato. Washed down with a glass of Pinot Noir. Donna had Creamy Vinaigrette on her salad and then the Seafood Crepe with Sprite to drink. The b-day girl got a special Chocolate Roulade desert with a candle in it, while the rest of us were served Chocolate Bread Pudding. Donna took one bite and didn’t like it, so I sacrificed for the cause and ate both deserts.
Meal Cost: $40.50
Tip: $6.50
Spent Meal: $47.00
Year to Date: $818.49
The other two couples live over in Augusta, so they had a shorter drive home, too bad for them. When we left for our 35 mile drive the temperature was 70, the sun was setting and the full moon was rising. We pulled into our driveway at almost full dark. This is why convertibles were invented.
Started down, went up, back down, up again, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 104
 Just got back from Columbia where we participated in our second BMW Ultimate Drive of the year. The weather today was the opposite of what we had 2 weeks ago. In Augusta it was sunny and bordering on hot, but today was cloudy and bordering on cold with a little rain tossed in.
Today’s loop was only 10 miles and Donna and I took it a little easier this time, we only made 10 laps in 8 different cars. There always seemed to be a lot of cars just sitting there not being driven, I think the gloomy weather was keeping the crowds away. Here is a rundown of what we drove/rode today:
- 530xi Sport Wagon
- 2 laps in a 335i Convertible (w/folding hardtop)
- 750 Li
- 2 laps in a 650i Convertible
- X3
- 328xi Sedan
- 335i Sedan
- 335i Coupe
While as friendly as the Southern Fleet Crew in Augusta, these folks seemed a little less organized than them. Might have just been an off day, the rain probably and they were a bit burnt out. The day before in Charleston they had a mob, 207 different drivers.
Taylor BMW in Augusta won in the refreshment category as well. All they had here was water, soft drinks and Subway sandwiches. In Augusta they had a couple kinds of sandwiches, wraps, pasta salad, cookies and brownies to go with the drinks.
Like last time we had lunch before we drove over. Don’t ever get the Southwest Chicken Salad at Hardee’s — yuk. We shared that, a small drink and a small order of curly fries.
Meal Cost: $7.39
Tip: None
Spent on this Meal: $7.39
Year to Date: $744.96
After driving, our plan was to drive home and have linguine & clam sauce, but it was rush hour and I-20 was backed up, so we got off an exit and headed into Columbia against traffic flow. We’ve missed placed our Columbia city map and I’ve misplaced my memories of how to get around, so boy did we get around. Hopelessly lost we stumbled onto Five Points which has plenty of eateries, so we stopped and ate at a place called Yesterdays. Eeeh, I’m sure there is some place better right around the corner, but we didn’t know any better. Lasagna and salad for me and Donna had black bean chili and a salad. The usual water and tea to wash it down with.
Meal Cost: $16.49
Tip: $3.51
Spent On This Meal: $20.00
Year to Date: $764.96
To top the day off, we caught the elusive 4th Post Office in Lexington, the Pastime CPU [29072–2117]. As luck would have it, the PO was in the same shopping center as an ice cream place. We had desert and finished the drive home.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 99
 One Biscuit n’ Gravy for her and one Sausage n’ Egg Biscuit for him with a water to drink.
Meal Cost: $2.74
Tip: None
Spent Today: $2.74
Year to Date: $737.57
I’m charging up the camera tonight so hopefully the battery will make it through the whole afternoon tomorrow.
Alright, what is the gimmick with all the offers I’m getting for 1.99% or 2.99% on balance transfers ’til the balance is paid off. I’ve got a pretty big balance on one card that is at 15 or 18% and I’ve been tempted to give one of these offers a go, but I’m sure I’m missing something that will come back and bite me.
Called to set up my six month follow up urologist appointment and was informed that the doctor I’ve been seeing is opening up his own separate practice. I was more than welcome to stay with the group, but would see a different doctor. Or I could choose to stay with my current doctor. They couldn’t give me his new number because they didn’t have it yet (so the receptionist said.) So what happened? My guy has only been there a couple years and he took over the patients from my previous doctor when he retired. He didn’t get along with the other two in the group? Did he do something the other two didn’t approve of? Get caught with his finger in the wrong cookie jar? Are the other two that difficult to get along with that they caused the retirement and now the split?
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 98
 Apparently there is a big difference. I have the address of the missing Lexington post office in the master spreadsheet as 929 N Lake DR STE B. When I wrote about not being able to find it yesterday I put North Lake Dr in the post. The reason we couldn’t find it was because I had made a map of 929 S Lake Dr and that was where we were looking.
It bothered me that I couldn’t find the place, so tonight I went to the Hardee’s web site and search for Lexington locations and there was one at 917 South Lake Dr. I then went to the Postal Service site and repeated the search and it was then I realized that there was a difference between north and south — about 2–1/2 miles.
Two garden salads (Blue Cheese for me, Italian for her) and a 14″ 5-topping pie (sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions and banana pepper rings) at Ferrando’s in the alley on the way home from work. Water for both to drink. As usual we have half the pizza left for dinner another night at home or maybe lunch one day instead of a microwaved packaged meal.
Meal Cost: $20.56
Tip: $3.44
Spent Today: $24.00
Year to Date: $734.83
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 96
We were going to eat our usual bagel at the Atlanta Bread Company, then it changed to Waffle House, but because we had some time to spare before our trip to the Columbia Airport we opted to dine at the local IHOP. Pigs in a Blanket for me and Eggs Benedict for her. I had OJ and Donna stuck with water.
Meal Cost: $15.44
Tip: $2.56
Spent Today: $18.00
Year to Date: $710.83
We weren’t flying anywhere from Columbia, but we were escorting a women who was. She works for ASCO in Florham Park, NJ and is contemplating making the same move Donna and I made 18 years ago, i.e. transferring down to the Aiken plant. She has been been here since Thursday interviewing and looking at houses. The job here, I think, is pretty much hers for the asking, all she has to decide is if she wants to make the leap.
After dropping Joan off at rental return lot at CAE we heading around to the other side of the airport to take a photo of the Columbia AMF (Air Mail Facility.) We of course had a line up of other Post Offices in the vacinity to take photos of as well, ten total, truth be told. Two others in West Columbia, the one in Cayce, three in downtown Columbia and the three we didn’t get in Lexington the other week.
Normal temps this time of year is lower seventies, but today broke an all time record as we hit the 90 mark. It was already almost 80 by the time we started picture taking and the pine pollen was so thick it looked like a yellow fog. As we drove, we could look at the other cars around us and see pollen rooster tails behind them!
 <— Incredible Simulation of the atmospheric conditions around midday in the SC midlands.
Plan B became forget the Columbia and Cayce POs and get the 2 West Columbia ones and because Lexington was on the way home, we’d get those three as well. This worked out nicely because when the day started there were 94 POs in the gallery and this would make a nice even 100. Plan B hit a major snag when the 900 block of North Lake Drive in Lexington held nothing other than a Shell gas station and a Hardee’s. Crap, looks like we would finish the day one shy of the century mark.
In the beginning of this quest I was skeptical of taking pictures of the Postal Service’s Contract Postal Units (AKA CPUs), figuring they wouldn’t have any signage marking them as Post Offices, but so far, of the 4 we passed, all had a big sign out front and had posed to have their portraits taken. Plan C was born. Aiken has a CPU, maybe, just maybe, that would be 100. Sure enough, after covering most of the western side of the state on Post Office safaris, photo number one hundred was taken just a little over a mile from number one.
On the way to the airport this morning, somewhere close to Couchton, the Emperor passed by the 56,000 mile mark.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 95
This is our early to work week, so we can get tomorrow afternoon off. The down side to these hours, besides having to get up an hour early, is we are up an hour early. This morning Donna didn’t want her usual breakfast, she wanted some Biscuit and Gravy from Hardee’s, but Hardee’s is open until 6 o’clock and by that time we should be on our way to work not ordering breakfast at a “fast food” place.
To make up for not eating out for breakfast we ate out for dinner. Maria’s Mexican Restaurant again, but this time we didn’t bother with the tacos, we just split an order of Carrnitas. I had iced tead and she had water.
Meal Cost: $11.88
Tip: $2.12
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $692.83
Tonight and tomorrow will separate the men from the boys in the office Tourney Pool. Right now I’m leading the pack to win bragging rights, but the Sweet Sixteen is right about where I start to drop from the top levels to the mid-pack where I usually am.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92
Went to see Mr. Doctor today to go over my latest lipid profile. Ooops, looks like I did a little back sliding in the last 6 months. My total number was up by 30 points and the bad stuff was up by 20. Not only that, my triglycerides were up a chunk as well. (latest numbers on top)
| |
Chol |
HDL |
LDL |
Trig |
| Goal |
<200 |
>31 |
<100 |
30–150 |
| 03/05/07 |
195 |
39 |
123 |
167 |
| 09/19/06 |
167 |
37 |
103 |
135 |
| 04/06/06 |
168 |
37 |
106 |
126 |
| 12/08/05 |
182 |
35 |
120 |
137 |
| 07/28/05 |
177 |
30 |
113 |
169 |
| 06/17/05 |
164 |
31 |
85 |
238 |
| 05/06/05 |
174 |
27 |
108 |
194 |
| 01/10/05 |
176 |
33 |
110 |
167 |
| 09/21/04 |
209 |
24 |
131 |
271 |
There are a few reasons for this: 1) I was a real slug this winter, once the weather turned cold I stopped roller blading altogether. B) Even though my appointment was today the blood was drawn in mid Girl Scout Cookie binging. iii) My weight is up by about 5 pounds since September [see 1 & B for explanation.] Doc wants me to double up on the Red Yeast Rice and come back in 4 months.
Of course 2 heaping plates full at the Chinese Buffet at lunch is probably not helping matters either. Lunch buffet with water to drink for both of us.
Meal Cost: $11.98
Tip: $1.02
Spent Today: $13.00
Year to Date: $678.83
It is officially spring. Not just because the vernal equinox has passed and not because the Bradford Pear trees blooms are turning to leaves and the dogwoods are flowering, but because we rode to work with the top down at 6 o’clock in the morning and didn’t feel cold. Oh yeah, another sign that it is spring is the pine pollen whipping around the company parking lot doing it’s middle east dessert sandstorm impression.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92
 We drove a ton of BMWs today and not a single one had a manual transmission. One of the workers said they quit a couple years ago because they were burning up too many clutches…
It is probably easier to name the models I didn’t drive (6 series convertible, 5 series wagon & a 3 series 4-door), but let me list the ones I drove and the order we drove them before I forget.
- Z4 Coupe
- 335i Convertible (the new hardtop model)
- X3
- 550i Sedan
- X5
- 750 Li
- 335i Coupe
- 650i Coupe
- Z4 Roadster
Because the BMW dealer had moved a couple miles further out on Washington Rd we had a whole new loop this year. It was a mile shorter than the previous one at 14 miles and a little more suburban. It wasn’t too bad until school let out as it passed three different institutes of education. Maybe because it was a nicer day than last year, there seemed to be a lot more folks out driving today, so we didn’t do any double loops. We drove each car once for a total of 125 miles. For you math majors, I know that nine times fourteen would be 126, but a slight navigational error on the first loop brought us in a mile too soon.
Highlights: The 335i Coupe with enough horsepower to achieve earth orbit if you could get a ramp of the right angle. The 5 series sedan and the X5 had a HUD speed display that hovered just above and in front of the hood on the driver’s side.
Lowlights: I-Drive and the abrupt throttle response from the drive by wire system. (I’m sure both of these would turn into highlights or at least invisible if I had more than 14 miles to figure them out.)
My navigator missed a turn call out on the first loop, but I had my own oops moment when we got in the X5. The rep got us in the car, I got it started and he reset the odometer and marked down the mileage. He then asked if I had any questions and being as this was our fifth loop and I’d driven aN X5 last year, I said, “Nope.” I hit the window up button, bzzzzzzzit. He walked away and I grabbed the shifter and pulled back to put it in drive, it didn’t move and nothing happened. Pushed it forward with the same result. Pushed a button on the side and then tried to move the shifter, still nothing. Bzzzzzzzit, I hit the down button for the window. “Excuse me,” I say, “Just how do I put this thing in drive?” The nice rep leans in the window and points at the button I pushed earlier and said, “Hold that in while pulling back.” “Ahhh,” I said, “I tried each separately, but didn’t try the combination.”
Even though we knew there would be food at the BMW dealer, we weren’t sure what and Donna wanted a fish sandwich, so we stopped at McDonald’s before heading over to drive cars. Fillet-O-Fish for her and a Southern Chicken Sandwich for me. We split a small drink and fries.
Meal Cost: $6.61
Tip: None
Spent Today: $6.61
Year to Date: $628.25
Turns out he food that was available was good, so we had half sandwiches and wraps with some pasta salad at the end of the day that we called dinner. The brownies were so awesome I ate two.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 84
 Our neighbor’s kid (well she’s no longer a kid, she’s in college) has been horsing around for for quite a while and we have been to see her do a few events in the area over the years. Today Ellen was competing in the cross-country portion of the 3 day event at Jumping Branch Farm in Montmorenci, where we had seen her show jump before a few years ago. Ellen’s mom invited us this morning to watch with her and she made an excellent guide, filling us equine novices in on the intricacies of 3-day eventing.
All that spectating made us hungry, so we stopped at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant on the way home. Carrnitas for me and two tacos for her. We both had agua helada to drink. Even though I list what we ordered separate, today, like last night, we pretty much divvy up each dish between us 60% what the person orders and 40% of the other’s item.
Meal Cost: $12.65
Tip: $2.35
Spent Today: $15.00
Year to Date: $616.99
I gave the Emperor a proper bath this afternoon. It was already needing it and after driving a mile or so of dirt road to see Ellen jump fences, it was really time. While washing, I noticed that I have a nice scrape on the lower portion of the front chin spoiler. Wonder how long it has been there? It is on the driver’s side, so I would see it each day as we walked back to the car after work, but… The only reason I probably haven’t noticed it before now is that the primer showing through is white and the parking lot lines are white and it must look like their reflection in the spoiler. Because I am forever parking in the farthest out spot and as close to the curb as possible to avoid door dings, I bet I scraped it ever so gently on one of those curbs. I think I have a bit of that spray can of car color left that I can use to touch it up.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 76
Although she wanted it yesterday, she got it today. Breakfast at Hardee’s. Biscuit and Gravy for Donna and I had a Sausage and Egg Biscuit. We split a small Hashrounds while I had OJ and she drank a water.
Meal Cost: $5.28
Tip: None
This Meal: $5.28
Year to Date: $563.99
 This week was our LDSW, so we were off this afternoon. Since we had breakfast out and knew we were eating dinner out, we opted to eat lunch at home. We were then going to go for a hike in Hitchcock Woods because we were unsure of this weekend’s weather and wanted to get in a little exercise to counter our huge caloric intake for this week. The immense gravitational force of our couch almost prevented the hike, she had a book, I had a book… In the end we did manage to reach escape velocity and get outside for our hike. Glad we did, as it was near perfect weather for it. A lot of other people thought it was a nice day to enjoy the woods too, we saw five folks on horseback, about twice that on foot and one red-tailed hawk gliding on thermals looking for an afternoon snack.
This evening we dined with a couple other couples at Rae’s Coastal Cafe in Augusta. Donna had the Coconut Shrimp and I had the Jerk Chicken. The food was great (as always) and may explain this place’s popularity. We got there a little after it opened and 5:30 and before we even got our salads the place was nearly full. By the time we were done eating the waiting patrons were packed two deep at the bar with spill over clogging the exit aisle.
Meal Cost: $32.28
Tip: $5.72
This Meal: $38.00
Year to Date: $601.99
On the way home from the “big city” the Emperor past through the 55k mile mark and not a single one was traveled through a food court at a mall. When they ask for a login, user billydwilliams with a password of thatsright.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 74
 Responding to some primal urge buried deep in her DNA to eat protein to help awaken from winter’s hibernation and prepare for the arrival of spring, Donna decided she wanted beef for dinner. We didn’t have any in house, so off we went to Moe’s. She ordered a John Coctostan with beef and pinto beans. I opted for a Joey Bag of Doughnuts with chicken and black beans. We split a bottled water. Because we had a buy one, get one free coupon dinner was major cheap.
Meal Cost: $6.97
Tip: Zip
Spent Today: $6.97
Year to Date: $558.71
After my last Spenser book quote I realized that it might be better if you had a little background first, so here’s the setup for today’s excerpt. Spenser is hired to protect radical feminist and lesbian author Rachel Wallace. Linda Smith is the publisher’s media rep and Shirley is the morning news talk host. This takes place partway through the interview where Shirley is busy trying to goad Rachel into a sensational quote about her sexual inclination instead of actually discussing her latest book:
The guy crouching below the camera lens made a gesture with his hand, and Shirley said, “We’ll be right back with more interesting revelations from Rachel Wallace after this message.”
I whispered to Linda Smith, who stood in neat tweeds beside me, “Shirley doesn’t listen to the answers.”
A lot of them don’t,” Linda said. “They are busy looking ahead to the next question.”
“And she hasn’t read the book.”
Linda smiled and shook her head, “Almost none of them ever do. You can’t blame them. Sometimes you get several authors a week plus all the other stuff.”
“The pressure must be fearful,” I said. “To spend your working life never knowing what you are talking about.”
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 72
After work today I went out into the garage and removed the cobwebs from the tandem, aired up the tires and rolled it into the sunshine. That’s right, for the first time this year, we went for a bike ride. Just cruised around a bit before ending up at the Municipal Building where we payed our water bill.
At about seven miles there came a call from the back seat to start heading home because the ischial tuberosites were starting to bother her. Mine had been letting me know I hadn’t been on a bike in a while for a few minutes already, but being a man I didn’t complain, verbally anyway.
As a reward for burning a couple hundred calories cycling, we went out to Outback and promptly consumed 4 or 5 times that many for dinner. Twin lobster tails with mashed potatoes and a salad, water to drink was what Donna had. I opted for the grilled salmon with broccoli and a salad, which I washed down with iced tea.
Meal Cost: $41.62
Tip: $6.38
Spent Today: $48.00
Year to Date: $551.74
 We went to a local book fair yesterday and picked up some used books. I snagged a couple of Spenser hardcovers for $4 a piece and a couple of early paperbacks with some retro cool cover artwork. The quote below is from one of the hardcovers, School Days, and sometimes I feel just like Spenser does.
“Why would the parents want to discourage an attempt to find their son innocent of multiple murder charges?”
Don’t know,” I said.
“You don’t know shit,” Rita said, “do you?”
“No,” I said. “But it’s okay, I’m used to it.”
When I get into the paperbacks I’ll scan the cover of one. I’ve compared the Spenser books to potato chips here before, but with this week’s eating pleasure, maybe I should compare them to a box of Girl Scout Cookies: They are extremely tasty with no redeeming nutritional value and once you start eating a box you just can’t stop until they are gone. Which is exactly what happened to a box of Samoas today.
I’ve uploaded yesterday’ post Office pictures to the gallery. Look for Barnwell, Fairfax, Olar, Sycamore, Ulmer and Williston.
This morning we hit our favorite downtown breakfast spot for a veggie quesadilla, a breakfast parfait (granola on the bottom, vanilla yogurt in the middle and hot blueberries in syrup on top) with a low fat raspberry bran muffin for a kicker washed down with a bottled water.
Meal Cost: $8.75
Tip: 1.25
Spent Today: $10.00
Year to Date: $503.74
Today’s high didn’t make it into the 60’s and tonight’s low will be around 30, but I’ thinking this is the last of the “cold” weather around here for this winter. Next week we will be in the low 70’s almost every day. Some of the Bradford Pears are starting to bloom and the dogwood next to our house has buds. Even though we tried hard to talk ourselves out of it because of the chilly temps, we still ended up spending an hour or so walking in Hitchcock Woods. The weather didn’t scare a lot of people off either, we probably spotted more folks enjoying the woods this afternoon than we have in the past 6 or 7 times total.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 64
 My longest post title yet?
We went on another Post Office Photo Safari today. We started with a longish dip in Georgia for lunch. Ever since last November’s visit to the Blue Moon in Statesboro, GA we have wanted a return trip, today was it. The small iceberg salad & crab cake were for her and the roast beef sando was for him, but we mostly shared everything between us. Donna drank water and I had sweet tea to drink. This place is now 2 for 2 in excellent meals.
Meal Cost: $22.25
Tip: $3.75
Spent Today: $26.00
Year to Date: $493.74
We hunted and hunted all over the little, and I mean little, downtown of Hilda, SC for the Post Office that the USPS web site was located at 125 Broughton Ave. We drove up and down that street several times, any further cruising and I’m sure a resident would have called the sheriff on us if we did it one more time, but it just wasn’t there. The only thing we could think of was that it was located inside the one little convenience store located at about where 125 should have been, but there weren’t any outward signs of a PO. No flag, no blue mailbox outside and no sign. For the heck of it, on Monday I may call the phone number listed and see what happens.
Hilda was our last official Post Office destination of the day, but I was lobbying for a brief stop in Windsor to retake the picture there. They used to have a rundown trailer for a Post Office, but now they have a new building. Donna doesn’t want this to turn into a project like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, i.e. once you’ve finished one end, it has been so long that you need to start all over again at the beginning. I am arguing that it won’t be like that, as I won’t actively seek out newer structures, but if I happen to pass by one during the normal course of life it should be OK to retake the image. While we were spiritedly discussing the matter, we came across something that both of us felt solidified our argument.
Back when I first started this foolishness, I mapped out a couple dozen Post Offices that were close enough to us to make nice short half day outings. Some of the bitty towns strung out along eastbound US78 made for one. Between the SMALL towns of Windsor and Elko, both with Post Offices, sat the decent sized town of Williston without one. I didn’t see the logic in that. As we drove through Williston today, what should we spy on a parallel street to our route, that’s right, a Post Office. We stopped and took a picture.
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 62
 Tonight’s dessert was a fesh out of the freezer, very chilly box of Tagalongs.
Donna was having a bad morning so at noon she called me and asked if I had heated up my TV dinner yet. I said no and immediately asked, “Where are we going for lunch?” Evergreen Chinese Buffet of course. Two lunch buffets and two waters.
Meal Cost: $11.98
Tip: 2.02
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $467.74
As much as I was prepared to hate “Failure to Launch”, it wasn’t all bad. Worth the hour and a half of my time.
Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates were great as the parents, Mathew McConaughey’s two friends were good, Zooey Deschanel as SJP’s roommate was fantastic and even though the story line was predictable, you actually wanted it to turn out the way it did.
Because we did care enough for these two characters, they could have chopped off the last ten minutes, as soon as they made up while locked in the friends apartment, she unties him, they kiss, roll credits. We really didn’t need to know that both MM’s buddies found relationships too. And we most certainly didn’t need the dolphin making nice with McConaughey at the very end, to show that he was in harmony with nature and everything was just wonderful now that he and Sarah Jessica Parker were together.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 62
 We ate almost all of a box of Café Cookies tonight. We didn’t finish them for two reasons, 1) while good cookies, they are definitely second-tier tasting compared to Somoas, Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos and b) we had a MMC meeting tonight, so we are kind of stuffed from BBQ.
At Papa Russ’s BBQ we split the Big Platter, 1/4 chicken and pulled pork with green beans and baked beans for sides, Jalapeno corn muffins to sop up the plate. We bought a bottled water to split, but it turned out to be fru-fru fortified water with vitamins and berry flavoring. I ended up drinking that, while Donna got a cup-o-regular water to drink.
Meal Cost: $14.08
Tip: None
Spent Today: $14.08
Year to Date: $453.74
While Netflix is very, very good to us, but this week we have been stepping out on them.
We are on Netflix’s 1-at-a-time, unlimited rental plan which costs $10 a month. Now that they have added a bunch of distribution centers, there is one a mere 60 miles away, we can turn around a movie in 4 days at best, to 6 days at worst. This means we are watching at least 4 movies a month, but probably average 5, making our cost per movie in the low two dollar range.
Last Saturday we got a promotion in the mail from Movie Gallery with three coupons, one for a free rental, another for rent one, get one free and the third for rent 2 and get 1 free. Monday we went into the local Movie Gallery for the first time since our last Lost Weekend back in September. I meant to bring the 1 Free Rental coupon, but I brought the “Rent 1-Get 1″ by mistake, so we picked out 2 movies and it cost us all of $4.23. When we were checking out we hit some mystery bonus thing because the clerk gave us a receipt that included a coupon for another free rental. We used that tonight and picked out “Trust the Man” (this and “Failure to Launch,” will possibly make up for the gore, violence and F-word usage in “The Departed.”) When we take this back we will use the original Get One Free coupon and will have watched four movies at an average cost of a hair over a buck.
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 61
 Here is an outtake from today’s Postal shoot for my sister-in-law-in-law. Hi Beth We left the house at 8:00 AM and followed two-lane blacktop, except for a brief stint in Lexington, on a couple hundred mile loop through rural South Carolina gathering 10 new additions to the Postal Gallery, the nine listed yesterday and a last minute addition, home of the Annual South Carolina Peanut Party, Pelion.
Would have been more, but we only snapped one of the three reported post offices in Lexington, because when we got there around noon the traffic was thick as molasses. About the only thing Lexington was good for today was lunch. We stopped and ate at a Maurice’s BBQ there. One Little Joe basket, one Sauci-Chick, sweet tea for me and water for her.
Meal Cost: $14.62
Tip: None
Spent Today: $14.62
Year to Date: $439.66
It was around 40 when we started the trip this morning, so the top stayed up until White Rock. I’ve got all ten photos uploaded, but I have yet to write blurbs for them, so for tonight, you can easily figure out which ones are fresh (I wish there was a way to highlight the new entries into this photo album thing…). For an extra hint, they are all on the front page, except for the above mentioned White Rock.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 54
 While hunting up cool backgrounds for at work I stumbled on this little thing, but it is too small for wallpaper. I am a draftsman by trade and I’m not sure just what they mean by “Enjoy a Real Job in Industry.” I searched Google Images for draftsman and did find one that is big enough that came from a US Government site. I’m using it now for two reasons, it is drafting related and it is Black History month. See, the image came from a collection about African Americans and the Second World War effort. Download it.
Second day in a row we have gone out for breakfast. This time instead of driving 60 miles, we drove just 2 and went to the New Moon Cafe. Everything bagel toast with butter and cream cheese for her. Warmed up Cranberry Pecan muffin with butter for him. Bottled water to split.
Meal Cost: $3.99
Tip Jar: $1.01
Spent Today: $5.00
Year to Date: $374.17
 Well, Newberry, SC is in America. This morning was the first of a monthly event called Miatas for Breakfast where the MMC will go for early morning eats. It will take place on the 3rd Saturday of the month at a place that is near or far and may involve a drive before or after.
Today we drove to Bill & Fran’s for eggs in the Milk and Egg Capital, Newberry. Capitol of what, county, state, country, or world the egg shaped water tower isn’t saying. One egg scrambled with bacon, grits and toast for her, one egg scrambled with sausage, grits and biscuits for him. Order of hash browns to split, coffee for him and water for her.
Meal Cost: $11.67
Tip: $2.33
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $369.17
After dining, I convinced the other Miatas to follow me to the Newberry Post Office so I could take PO Picture #50 with 5 Miatas filling the parking lot. From there we went into the heart of the small town and looked for early morning places that were open so we could get out of the wind and cold. Apparently when the sign on the doors of the downtown antique places say they open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, it is only a guideline.
One place that was open on Main St made $3 off of us, they had a selection of Girl Scout cookies, mmmm, Caramel deLites. They then directed us to another place that was open just one block over, a real live throw back of a hardware store. Very interesting place, stuff stuffed into every nook and cranny, everything from ax handles to bear traps, light switches to cylinders of welding gases, from snowboards (WTF?) to keys made, from spittoons near the wood stove to a Nobel Prize. Well, actually it is a bronze replica of William F. Shull’s (the owner of the store) grandfather’s prize. Clifford G. Shull was awarded the 1994 Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in neutron scattering, a technique that involves directing a beam of particles produced by a nuclear reactor at a sample of material.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 45
 When I stepped up to the refrigerator, as I went about my usual after work business of fixing of chilled drinks for us, my foot made a squish sound. It was water. There was a nice wet spot surrounding the fridge. I pulled it away from the wall to see water leaking from the coupler connecting the ice maker input line to the supply line. Dang. I hate plumbing.
I headed out to the garage and my tool box to get a couple of wrenches. I was not to be so lucky, just tightening the fitting had no effect on the leak. So outside I went to shut off water to the house. I really hate plumbing. With a trip to my local home warehouse store imminent and the water to the house off, I figured now was time to take a look at the kitchen faucet that had developed a drip. You could get it to stop by turning it off and then moving the handle a touch. Move it too little or too much and the leak stayed or even get worse, but I had mastered this shut off maneuver. On the other hand the major faucet user was not to happy with the arraignment. What the heck, Valentine’s Day is coming up.
At the store I bought the new washers and springs for the faucet and also the little ball on a stick thing controls the water flow. I bought a new coupling and as a extra precaution bought some of those little white plastic crush rings (or whatever they are really called.)
Back home I put all the new faucet pieces in and buttoned it up. Next I put the new coupling on the water line. I went outside and turned the water to the house back on. The faucet worked like a charm and was an instant hit with the spousal unit. The coupling on the ice maker water line was spraying a fine mist of water all over the place behind the fridge. And just like the first time, tightening it a little more with the wrench had zer effect. Back outside to turn off the whole house line again. Have I mentioned I hate plumbing?
I took the new coupling off and put the old one back on using two of the new white sleeve things. Success, no leaks (he writes, as he simultaneously knocks on wood.) Pushed the refrigerator back against the wall, but coiled the ice maker water line in such a manner as to leave the coupling easily visible for frequent checks.
By the time everything was tidied up and the tools put away it was much too late to cook dinner at home. Acropolis, here we come. Large Greek salad to split and a gyro each. Water for her and iced tea for me.
Meal Cost: $18.50
Tip: $3.00
Spent Today: $21.50
Year to Date: $355.17
Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 43
According to the idiots who started me on this quest, there are 367 Post Offices in South Carolina. After today’s 160 mile, seven PO trip we are 13% of the way towards the goal of getting a picture of everyone.
We stopped in Greenwood after getting both Post Offices there for some lunch at a place called T.W. Boon’s. We split a Shrimp Po-boy, Onion Rings and a Sierra Mist.
Meal Cost: $8.56
Tip: $1.44
So Far Today: $10.00
The Postal Gallery Database site says 367, but I can not get a definitive list from the US Postal Service site. If I search from Columbia (which is pretty much in the center of the state) with a hundred mile radius I get 488 results. This probably isn’t accurate because it may include surrounding states, when I search from Aiken for a 100 miles it starts to list Augusta, Georgia POs.
Wikipedia lists 541 Zip Codes in the state. When I went through that list and removed the ones that said PO Box after the name I end up with 404. But I know that isn’t right because there are only 2 Post Offices in Aiken and I was left with 4 zips. Plus there were 5 or 6 names I removed that I recognized as having buildings (because I have pictures of them), so I’m thinking that the PO Box designation means there is no carrier service in those locations.
The USPS site may not even be 100% accurate as to how many it has either. When we first started this quest it listed a Post Office in the micro-town of Snelling, SC and no amount of driving the few streets in that town using the USPS site’s map resulted in a find. Same thing happened in Hilton Head where we could only find two of the four the site had listed for there. Searching today lists no P.O. for Snelling and 3 for Hilton Head.
Anyway, we may never know if we get all of them, but we sure are going to try.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 39
Tonight we had dinner out with friends at Olive Oils right here in Aiken. Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Proscuito and Cheese for him. Seafood Ravioli for her. Water to drink. All the salad and breadsticks you can eat included.
Meal Cost: $29.68
Tip: $5.32
Spent This Meal: $35.00
Spent Today: $45.00
Year to Date: $333.67
This afternoon was our half day off for working 9 hours for the last 4 days. Our intention was to go to the Stoplight Deli, but we ended up at Ferrando’s for pizza instead. 14″ pie with pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers and banana (pepper) rings. Two garden salads a Sprite and a water. Plus a little cup of marinara sauce for crust dipping. The good thing abut this meal is that we only eat half the pie, so Sunday’s lunch is already taken care of…
Meal Cost: $19.08
Tip: $3.92
Spent Today: $23.00
Year to Date: $288.67
 Instead of Life of Brian maybe it should be called Eating With Brian?
We had Sunday lunch out with the usual suspects, but tried someplace different — Quiznos. We have had two previous experience with the chain, one that was good, we bought a sub onboard our flight to Seattle last year and it hit the spot, while second was not so good here in Aiken when we were seduced by a sign about a featured sub. Today’s experience was right about in the middle of those first two. Large Honey Bourbon Chicken with chips and a small Sierra Mist. We have vowed to give them at least one more chance before crossing them completely off our list.
Meal Cost: $10.68
Tip: None
Spent Today: $10.68
Year to Date: $256.59
After lunch we braved the elements and went outdoors. For the first time in a while it was actually nice enough to entice our fair-weather attituded selves into Hitchcock Woods. When we came out it was also nice enough still for us to drop the top on the Emperor for the drive home.
We are not even watching the Super Bowl for the commercials, although we have passed through CBS a few times to keep track of the score.
Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 32
Our usual breakfast spot and our usual breakfast, except we went hog wild and bought an O.J. to split instead of water. Hardee’s Biscuits and Gravy for her, Sausage and Egg Biscuit for him.
Meal Cost: $5.38
Tip: None
For lunch, it was pizza at home, but for dinner we have a Papa Russ’s Big Platter that we are taking over to the Butler’s house for the MMC monthly meeting and game night. Chopped brisket & pulled pork with sides of baked beans & hash brown casserole. Corn bread muffins to mop up the plate.
Meal Cost: $12.71
Tip: None
Spent Today: $18.09
Year to Date: $245.91
There are signs proclaiming this on each of the two roads we used Thursday and yesterday when we passed close by and through the secret bomb plant south of town. I guess that is supposed to be the 21st century equivalent of “Loose Lips, Sinks Ships.”
Lunch at Zaxby’s. We split a large Wings & Things and had our own small waters to drink.
Meal Cost: $8.14
Tip: None
Spent Today: $11.56
Year to Date: $227.82
Aside from lunch and the grocery shopping immediately after, I ventured no further from the couch than the garage today.
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 31
I read somewhere where Doogie Howser is considered the first blogger, well I just finished watching Operation Petticoat and I think Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman has him beat by 30 years. Well, maybe not, Doogie had a PC and Matt was just an analog blogger…
Breakfast was two blueberry muffins from Country Morning Bakery in Ridgeland that we bought while passing through yesterday.
Meal Cost: $3.42
Tip: None
Spent So Far Today: $3.42
Year to Date: $216.26
Tonight was the MMC’s 14th Anniversary Dinner. It was held at the Partridge Inn in Augusta and we ate from a set menu out on the Veranda. We both had the SPINACH SALAD with Candied Pecans, Oranges, Bleu Cheese and Orange-Basil Vinaigrette. Donna had the BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN with Bourbon-Tomato Sauce with the Spiced Apple Crumble for desert. I had the GRILLED 8oz FILLET and the Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee for afters.
Meal Cost: $72.89
Tip: $13.11
MMC Rebate $30.00
Spent For This Meal: $56.00
Year to Date: $212.84
Yesterday we had the foresight to buy our breakfast for today from Stuffy’s Stubby’s Gruby’s New York Deli. Sesame bagel for her, everything bagel for him and a side of cream cheese.
This is also a favored lunch place on Hilton Head Island for us. Quintessential northeast Deli experience in the heart of the SC Lowcountry. They serve over stuffed sandwiches named after NYC landmarks that are worth twice what they charge. Plus you can get sliced deli meats and cheeses to take home too if you want. Don’t miss this place if you find yourself on HHI.
Meal Cost: $3.26
Tip Jar: 74¢
Spent So Far Today: $4.00
Year to Date: $156.84
When Donna and I went for our 2 mile walk on the beach this afternoon we must have passed about 20 people! Man, that is one noumitsu mizugiwa! (which I hope means crowded beach in Japanese) 
Lunch was at Donna’s favorite Japanese place, Hinoki of Kurama. Katsudon and a Coke for him and a Bento Box with Sprite for her.
Meal Cost: $25.42
Tip: $3.58
Spent Today: $29.00
Year to Date: $152.84
Cup of chicken soup for her, small lemonade & small waffle fries to split. His Chick-Fil-A sandwich was free because of the coupon on the cow calendar. Desert was several hours later at Mickey D’s, two hot fudge sundaes with nuts.
Meal Cost: $4.38
Tip: None
Dessert: $2.18
Spent Today: $6.56
Year to Date: $123.84
We bought two Low-Fat Blueberry muffins from the New Moon Cafe yesterday in anticipation of a wet dreary morning that would make us want to stay inside. The morning dawned dreary, but not wet. All was not for naught as we were ready to eat breakfast at 7:30 and the Moon doesn’t open until 9 AM on Sundays.
Meal Cost: $2.65
Tip: 35¢
Spent Today: $3.00
Year to Date: $116.84
One Large NY Steamer Sub to go.
Meal Cost: $7.41
Tip: None
Spent Today: $7.41
Year to Date: $113.84
A repeat of January 6th’s breakfast. Hardee’s — Biscuits and Gravy for her, Sausage and Egg Biscuit for him with a small Hashrounds and small water to share.
Meal Cost: $4.74
Tip: None
Spent Today: $4.74
Year to Date: $106.43
Stopped at Ferrando’s in the Alley on the way home to pick up dinner. 14″ pie with sausage, pepperoni, onions, green peppers and banana peppers, with two side salads to go.
Meal Cost: $20.67
Tip: None
Spent Today: $20.67
Year to Date: $101.69
Breakfast at home, Zaxby’s for lunch and Maurice’s BBQ for dinner.
For lunch it was a Big Zax Snak for him (includes a drink) and a House Zalad and drink for her.
Meal Cost: $12.90
Tip: None
Dinner was a Little Joe Basket for me and a Little Joe Sandwich for her. We both had Ice waters to drink. A soft serve vanilla cone was split for desert.
Meal Cost: $12.67
Tip: $1.00
Spent Today: $26.57
Year to Date: $81.02
Think steakhouse chain without a lot of steak, not our favorite place to eat, but we were there for the MMC annual planning meeting and there have a nice private room in the back we can use.
Two Large Megga Dinners, Sprite for her and water for him.
That’s what the receipt said, Large Mega Dinners. Kind of redundant isn’t it? Unless they have a Small Mega Dinner…
Meal Cost: $20.40
Forced Tip: $3.06
Spent Today: $23.46
Year to Date: $54.45
Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 11
At lunch today Donna showed up at my desk and announced, “I don’t want my Veggie Pasta.” When I asked what she wanted she told me Chinese. The veggie pasta was leftover from Sunday dinner and she had some for lunch yesterday and just couldn’t face it again. I had six dollars in my wallet and there was forty cents laying around on my desk, so we were good to go, figuring that would be plenty to get a take-out plate from the Evergreen Buffet just down the street.
At first the plan was to get her a plate and then return to work where I would heat up my frozen dinner, but the take out thing was big enough to fill with enough food for the two of us. I guess I’ll be having my Lean Cuisine Salmon with Basil for the evening meal.
The price for a take-out plate was listed as $6.25, so I figured with tax I’d have to use the debit card. When the lady rung us up the total was six and a quarter, tax was included in the price, so I’ve still got 15¢ to my name.
Meal Cost: $6.25
Tip: None
Spent Today: $6.25
Year to Date: $30.99
Breakfast at Hardee’s. Biscuits and Gravy for her, Sausage and Egg Biscuit for him with a small Hashrounds and small water to share.
Meal Cost: $4.74
Tip: None
Lunch at Boll Weevil in Augusta. We split some Bubba Nachos, a platter piled high with round tortilla chips covered in tasty chilli, cheese, lettuce and jalapeño slices. Sprite for Donna and water for me.
Meal Cost: $8.93
Tip: $2.07
Spent Today: $15.74
Year to Date: $24.74
Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 10
Sometimes I post jokes here that could be considered raunchy or of an R-Rated nature (like yesterday’s.) Because my wife, family, friends and possibly some impressionable youths read this blog, those kinds of jokes may not be appropriate for front page viewing. I will still post jokes, even those in questionable taste, but they will not show up on the main page. You will still be able to access them via the jokes link in the category listing. So you will know I’ve added something new, I’ll put a heads up in the daily post somehow.
Also new today is an “Eating Out” category. It will be for keeping track of how many times we dine out. In each post I’m going to tell you where, what and how much. As an added bonus, I’m going to keep a running total of how much we spend., kinda like the Top Transition thing.
The best hamburgers in town and the french fries are right up there too. Donna and I get the “mini” burgers served all the way (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup & mustard) that are 4oz. of hand formed primo beef. We split an order of fries.
Ari’s is always “To Go” because it is, literally, a hole in the wall and there is always some one in there smoking.
Meal Cost: $8.44
Tip: 56¢
Spent Today: $9.00
Year to Date: $9.00
The Beatles sang, “Money Can’t Buy You Love’” but they were wrong.
It’s on sale at the United States Post Office right here in Aiken, only $7.40, so I bought two:
Continue reading Buying Love
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