Food

Beaufort Mermaids

Mermaid de LiberteCarolina Car Trek has fallen back a notch and Beaufort’s Big Swim is now in second place on the Bogardi must-see-’em-all list (right after SC Post Offices.) And not just because the Mermaids are sans clothing, but mostly because the base of the cars is a 55 gallon drum that makes the whole thing look like a public trash bin with a funky top.

The new camera is here and I’m busy monkeying with it. I’ve taken about 20 pictures trying stuff out and so far absolutely none are worth saving, let alone posting here. Too bad I’ve stopped keeping score on the meals out thing because now I could have posted marvelous pictures to go with the prices because this camera has a special “Food” setting.

As much as I hated the Kodak Easyshare software, it made short work of transferring pictures from the camera to the PC. This camera came with a couple different programs for camera to PC connection and I hated the first one I tried, Lumix Simple Viewer, but the second one, Photo Fun Studio, seems a little better. One other thing the Kodak camera made simple was keeping the batter charged, it happened automatically every time the camera was in the dock. The Panasonic came with a separate battery charger, but you have to remove the battery from the camera to charge it. There is an optional AC adapter (DMW-AC5PP), but it doesn’t even charge the battery, it just runs the camera. Definitely won’t be getting that because they want $80 for it.

Started down, went up, still up.
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Philanthropic Lawyer

One afternoon a lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass. Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.

He asked one man, “Why are you eating grass?”

“We don’t have any money for food,” the poor man replied, “We have to eat grass.”

“Well, then, you can come with me to my house and I’ll feed you,” the lawyer said.

“But sir, I have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree.”

“Bring them along,” the lawyer replied.

Turning to the other poor man he stated, “You come with us, too.”

The second man, in a pitiful voice, then said, “But sir, I also have a wife and SIX children with me!”

“Bring them all, as well,” the lawyer answered. They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine was.

Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the lawyer and said, “Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you.”

The lawyer replied, “Glad to do it. You’ll really love my place. The grass is almost a foot high.”

Rode the Bus to Work Today

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.
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Memorable Camcorder

JVC GR-D770Every year the company holds a service awards banquet and the employees who are celebrating any 5 year increment anniversary get a gift, plus a nice steak dinner for them and their spouse, followed by a DJ with dancing.

Donna and I went for our 5 year anniversary and have not gone back for the past three. The main reason is the building where they hold it allows smoking in the bar area where you have to go to get your alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. The bar is a separate room, but with all the traffic in and out for drinks, you might as well leave the door open. Another reason is the food, it is the usual fare for 150 people, fatty rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes in aluminum foil and a green over cooked vegetable. The HR department does a nice job with all the work that goes into something like this and a lot of people really enjoy the event, but it is just not our cup of tea.

The gifts are chosen from a catalog from a company that specializes in just that thing and is approved by the corporate office, everybody in Emerson chooses from the same catalog. The gifts increase in value as you advance through the 5-year increments. At five years I selected a wooden pen & pencil set, at 10 years I got a nice looking gold plated plastic wall clock (that is keeping perfect time in the garage) and for the life of me I don’t remember what I got at fifteen years. This year I was probably going to end up with anther forgettable gift as well, there were probably 2 dozen items to choose from, but like the event itself, there was nothing in there that was my cup of tea. Then I had an idea. Why not get the camcorder and give it to Donna’s brother and his wife. They have a new baby and it would be perfect for them to capture those precious moments.

When we visited them in May I asked them if they had a camcorder. To which I got the unexpected reply of, “Yes.” It was too late to change my gift choice, I was getting a camcorder. This year’s award banquet was last Saturday night, so Monday morning I got a letter of congratulations and a small box containing a JVC GR-D770. Great, now what am I going to do with this thing, I certainly have no need (or desire) for a camcorder. Giving it as a gift to a relative seemed OK, but somehow selling it on eBay seems ungrateful.

Whatever happens, I will remember my 20-year award unlike the forgotten fifteenth.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
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FRS

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.
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Imposing

Marlboro County Court HouseWhen you are driving towards the center of Bennettsville, SC on Broad Street you can’t help but be impressed with the sight of the Marlboro County Court House as it fills the street in front of you.

On our way back to the hospital in Florence on Saturday, Susie asked if I would stop at a McDonald’s so young Katlin could get a Happy Meal. Ever the obliging driver I spotted a Mickie D’s and got in the drive up line. Susie also wanted a Snack Wrap or something for herself. Because the only thing I have ordered at a McDonald’s Drive Up in the last three decades is a Hot Fudge Sundae, Susie would tell me what to repeat into the microphone, in essence translating McDonald’s speak through me. After we ordered and the team member inside told us, “Dat ill be foe six dee.” I got to repay the earlier favor by translating Southern for Susie, and told her that the total for the food was four dollars and sixty cents.

At the second window we received our two bags of stuff. Susie’s wrap in one and the Happy Meal in the other. When Susie pulled out the toy from the Happy Meal bag it was a Monster Wheel obviously intended for a boy. I tried to hand it back to the team member in the window saying, “Could we get a girl’s toy?” She wouldn’t take it back, they were all out of girl’s toys. With no Hello Kitty toy on the horizon and rather than get nothing, Katlin excepted the neon green wheel thing with a frown.

To try and lighten the moment I told Katlin that I guess she didn’t get a Happy Meal after all, but instead she got an Un Happy Meal.

Well, I thought it was funny.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
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Spenser’s Crime Buster Tips

#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.
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