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