Fred Meyer Fuel Points

These used to be called Kroger Fuel Points when we were back in ol’ SC, but the Kroger brand stores are called Fred Meyer out here. The difference is that they are a grocery stores plus a department store under one roof. Because they are part of the Kroger family, they offer the same fuel points deal – spend a buck and get a point, each hundred of points equals a dime off a gallon of gas at their pumps.

Back in Aiken we churned through points at the pump and zeroed out all we earned each month in that month. Fortunately the points are good in the month earned and are good until the end of the next month, which is where we are now using the points because of the pandemic and all we don’t drive enough to go through our monthly points in that month. Right now we are not even filling the tank of either car either. We go in the final days of the next month and put on average a half of a tank in one or the other car. Usually the Mini.

Today we ran to the store to get one item missed on our weekly shopping trip, parchment paper for those keeping track, and after we checked out we noticed that we were about 30 points shy of the next 100 point level, so we needed to spend a little over $30 at Freddy’s over the next couple of days.

If you have been following me on Instagram, or checking the IG widget on the right of the page, you will know that we have been running through jigsaw puzzles at a prodigious rate. One, to be killing time safely because of COVID and two, the fact that it is winter out and we have not adjusted to cold weather outdoor activities yet1. We have bought a few puzzles new, but have mostly been scouring the local thrift stores for bargains.

We had entered Fred Meyer at the opposite end that we usually do because it was the one closest to the gas pumps, we were using up December’s Fuel points to put a little over a half a tank of premium in the Mini. So instead of walking out the exit Donna made a beeline to the toy department so see about buying three 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles to add to our stash of bargain puzzles awaiting solving. As it turned out the were Buy One, 1/2 Off The Second, so we ended up with 4 for the price of one.

And we ended up leaving the store with a full eight hundred four fuel points that we need to use before February 28th.

Identity Crisis

On our weekly Thursday morning grocery shopping trip I noticed that the F was unlit in the Fred Meyer sign by the entrance we go in. This seems to be a running issue with this signs. Three weeks before that when we parked the dark letter was the r. Five weeks before that, both the F and the r were not on. I’ll let you know if in the upcoming weeks if the sign becomes just d Meyer…

Olene

They are forecasting 1-3 inches of snow for us tomorrow and this afternoon was sunny and forty, so we thought we better get out and enjoy it. We decided to venture a whole 10 miles from home and take a walk along a section of the OC&E Trail that we hadn’t explored yet. To make the flat walk more palatable I downloaded some caches to look for along the way.

Turns out we were not the only ones with this idea. As we pulled into the parking spot there was a horse trailer and another car already there. There were two horses and riders just coming back, but the car driver and family was getting ready to go for a walk. As we changed into hiking boots another car pulled in with a fellow and his canine companion.

The trailhead there is “decorated” with a retired train snow plow car that had a cache so we went there first. By the time we found and logged the cache the folks in the parking had started on their way, but as we started on the trail proper we could see one man coming back. By the time we passed him we missed the first cache, but found a side trail that headed up the hill to cache #2.

That cache was a sneaky two-parter that we couldn’t find the second part on, so we had to DNF it. The walk up was worth it for the view, see the above photo. The next one was even higher up the hill and was an easy find. From there we headed back down hill to cache number four, which turned into another DNF. We spent 10 minutes wandering in circles using my phone and the GPSr to no avail. We didn’t even try the next cache on our track, it was on the way downhill we planned on taking, but gave up after noticing the trail required a very steep drop. So we took an easier slope back down towards the OC&E, before climbing back up a bit for one last cache. While I was still figuring where to start looking, Donna cried, “I found it.”

A couple hours in the sun, 2-1/4 miles traveled, 700′ of it up hill, and 3 of 5 caches found, all in all a very pleasant January afternoon in Olene, Oregon.

Out of the Money

2020 was the 8th and last of the Motoring Challenge contest put on by Moss Motors. We participated in 7 of them, the first year Miatas weren’t invited, and 2020 was our worst year ever scoring a measly 21 points and for only the second time we weren’t one of the 50 runner-ups and not earning a $50 Gift Certificate.

One reason for this years lack of motoring challenging was our late start, our first photo wasn’t taken until April. Back in Aiken because of the milder winter we would jump on the challenge in January, but here, pleasant drives start much later on the calendar.

Another reason was there were several categories that left a lot up for interpretation, like The Science Corner (Signs or Scenes) with requirements like Geology, Meteorology, Mycology or Physics and the category like Sign Up For Interpretation with requirements of The Meaning of Life, Promises Kept, I Would Do Anything for Love or But I Won’t Do That. We always found it easier to search for the more straightforward things, like cities that begin with every letter of the alphabet.

But the main reason was really the whole pandemic thing. Because the biggest reason we enjoyed the event was that it got us planning and then taking trips to find all these challenges. We decided that this year discretion was the better part of valor and it really wasn’t worth getting sick, really sick or dead for a $50 gift certificate.

Good Luck Cleaning Up the Joint

This is today’s The New Yorker cartoon…I had another image, using my presidential action figures all photo-shopped up for today, but after January 6th it seems just a little in bad taste. But, if your taste run that way, feel free to click here to see it.

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Special Inauguration Edition of SORT
As of Monday, January 18, 2021 at 9:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
2006 Chevrolet Corvette 1995 Chevrolet Corvette 2020 Chevrolet Corvette
Everyone knows the incoming 46th President is a Corvette buff, so …
A Red Z06 for zipping around the secret road course at Camp David. A White Vette to be modded “Safari Style” with a lift kit and knobby tires. And a new Blue one for cruising the Mall saying hello to his constituents.