Mom Approves

I took me Mom out a little before Noon yesterday. Once we were in my new old van and pulling away from the curb she said, "Now, I'm with you. We can go wherever you want and do whatever you want."

With an invitation like that, I decided to be mischievous. "Cool. I figure we can find a bar, drink beer, and watch football all afternoon."

Silence.

Silence. 

Just a bit more silence.

Finally Mom responded, "Okay, maybe I don't want to do whatever you want to do."

"All right," I replied, smiling. "How about we go to Ollie's Discount Store and do some shopping, and then find a McDonald's and have cheeseburgers for lunch?"

With a bright smile of her own and a nod of approval Mom said, "That sounds just fine."

So that is what we did.

Eighth time's a charm

I had just about given up hope. Having always been able to find Chase and Sanborn coffee at Ollie's Bargain Outlet (at least for last three or so years) the well had appeared to run dry. After stops at seven stores across southeast Michigan, it no longer appeared readily available among Ollie's venerable wares. 

Yet on my Sunday drive with me Mom we chose to shop at the Ollie's in Port Huron with renewed if diminished hopes. And lo and behold, there it was: a veritable mother lode of Chase and Sanborn coffee. What's more, they were cans which proclaimed they held 20%, that's twenty percent, mind you, more than their standard cans. So I of course bought two. That means I got forty percent more, right?

About the only negative was when the cashier for some strange reason known only to him and his devils bagged the cans upside down. Upside down? You have to admit that's heathenish. Or at least disrespectful.

All right, it was a long way to go on such a silly quest. But it gave me time with my mother. She's more than worth a drive to Port Huron and lunch at McDonald's.

Sunday fun day

What to do, what to do? 

I'll start by taking my morning walk. Yes, that will work. Then I'll sit with Mom for a bit and take her for a ride. Perhaps we'll go to Ollie's Bargain Outlet. The one in Port Huron. I haven't been to that one yet, and I need, uh, stuff. At bargain prices. Then we'll get lunch and take the long way home.

Once back home I'll check in on the Tigers and catch the last couple hours of the Masters. Hideki Matsuyama had quite a run yesterday after the rain delay and sits with a four shot lead. I'm  going to root for him and hope it's not the kiss of death.

Then I'll finish the day watching the second round of Wrestlemania 37. It won't be the same without the Undertaker. But it was cool to see Hulk Hogan again in part one.

Yes, I think this has the makings of a fine, relaxing Sunday.

Not just for chips

Yesterday for the first time ever, I walked in February.

Well, all right, I have walked in February before. Routinely in fact. But it was stuff such as walking to the kitchen for chips. 

Yesterday I walked in February for exercise for the first time ever. February mostly is too cold, icy and snowy to allow walking, at least at the faster cadence of a walk which I employ when exercising. When I walk I hoof it: meandering isn't enough when you're on a mission. You've got to move, buster.

Winter had been mild enough that I had been walking until around the third week of January, which is unusual in itself. But as it's 36 right now, with a real feel of 36 (imagine that: 36 degrees when it is actually 36 degrees) and the sidewalks cleared of the recent snows, I'll be out walking again in about an hour. Then it's off to my Sunday adventures with Mom. Who knows what treasures await us at the Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Monroe? 

So I will be walking. In February. Twice. And not just for chips, although it is far too early in the day to rule that out.

 

A mostly successful weekend

I spent last weekend in Newark, Ohio visiting the Ohio Cosgriffs.  We were able to have a good family visit, talking and watching movies. We saw 300, which is a good movie about loyalty and honor, and Battlefield Earth, which is not a good movie on any level. Yet even that was made bearable because we watched with Rifftrax commentary. Rifftrax makes fun of movies, and Battlefield Earth was a slow pitch over the heart of the plate just asking to be skewered.

We made shopping trips to the local Ollie's Discount Store, whose slogan is 'good stuff cheap'. That was about the only disappointment. I was hoping to find Chase and Sanborn coffee (my coffee of choice) which is often at Ollie's. I haven't been able to find it at the Detroit area stores and, alas, it was not at the Newark Ollie's either. Rats.

But at the Newark (actually Heath, Ohio) Rural King, and I love Rural King, we found absolutely scads of red birch beer. Well, not scads, but dozens of quart bottles of the stuff. I love it; it's a form of root beer derived from the sap of red birch trees. I haven't been able to get that in the Detroit area, but Rural King saved the day. I bought 15 quarts. It's that good, and at 99 cents a bottle with no deposit (Ohio doesn't have a bottle deposit) it was a steal. It's made by Frostop. You should try it. I can sell you a bottle for...hell, I ain't selling it to you. Get your own.

So, it was a mostly successful weekend. For the Ohio Cosgriffs, my exit Monday morning was surely what made it a complete success. And as an aside, if any of you know where to get Chase and Sanborn I'd appreciate the tip.