Go Greyhound

I'm trying to plan a trip to Florida in February and I hate to fly. I'm going so far south that driving it in one day isn't feasible. Driving it in two days sucks too much time out of my week of vacation. In desperation, I decided to check out my options at Greyhound. 

They are bad.

However, I found this interesting info about checked baggage. I think it’s safe to say that Greyhound caters to a different audience than the airlines. The red highlights are mine.

Acceptable Types of Baggage

In general, acceptable baggage includes suitcases, duffel bags, toolboxes, trunks and securely tied cardboard boxes. A plastic and/or a paper bag is not acceptable as checked baggage.

Really? What if the bag has handles? And what if I securely tie those handles together? That, my friend, turns my JC Penney shopping bag into luggage.


Prohibited Items for Checked Baggage 

Acids, ammunition, animals, combustible liquids, compressed gases, corpses, cremated remains, explosives, firearms of all types, fireworks, flammable liquids, furniture, hazardous materials (poisons, radioactive materials, etc.), materials with a disagreeable odor, matches, merchandise for resale, protruding articles, or any unsecured articles including those in plastic or paper bags are prohibited

All right, I get it, no plastic or paper bags no matter how nice they are. But wait a minute. I can’t check a corpse? What if it’s in a securely tied cardboard box?

Hmm, no cremated remains either. So much for Plan B.

Thanks, Day 24

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I've had a fun but exhausting day. I'm thankful for all of it, but here are a couple highlights:

Aunt Louise is in town from Cincinnati for the first time in 7 or 8 years. I mentioned in an earlier post what an interesting life she's had and how great her stories are. This morning I picked her up at my cousin's house in Gahanna and drove her to my brother's house in Pataskala. It was nice to have a chance to talk one-on-one. I mentioned the Ohio State/Michigan game was this weekend. She told me when she was young she'd never miss an Ohio State/Michigan game and that her friend was on the faculty at OSU and they consequently had great seats. One year - and granted, this was probably in the 1930's or 1940's - it was so cold and snowy the stadium emptied out before the game ended. The bleachers (her word) were TOTALLY EMPTY except for Louise and her friend, the only true diehard Buckeyes fans who wouldn't leave until the game was over and the Buckeyes won.

That must have been something, that's all I have to say : )

Later in the day at Chrissy and Bryan's, where I had dinner, about 8 of us were playing cards and there was a huge misunderstanding in a conversation between my ex husband and Bryan's mother. It's really too complicated to explain here but it was like watching a very slow, but inevitable, train wreck. My son Joe was at the table playing cards with us and he did his very best to derail it but to no avail. And now, for Joe and I, the cell phone pornography story will forever be a part of our Thanksgiving tradition.

Thanks, Day 23

I'm kind of thankful this all ends tomorrow, aren't you?

I said in the very first post I wasn't going to say I was thankful for my kids because that is a given. I am, though. I spent the day working and laughing with Chrissy. I talked to Joey on the drive home and had the best time. He is so smart and funny. So there you have it. Thankful for my kids. How original.

(but they're such good kids)

Thanks, Day 22

What I know about electronics you could store on a 2 gig thumb drive and still have 2 gigs of memory left. It's amazing I can use gig and thumb drive in a sentence.

I bought a digital camera from Craig's List a few months ago with the help of a friend. I bought a 4 gig memory card for it, took a few pictures, and then dropped it or bumped it or something and shattered the viewing screen. I don't know how it happened. It still takes pictures, you just can't see them on the camera, and that's kind of the point of digital cameras. (Oh, your eyes are closed, let me take it again).

I want to take Thanksgiving pictures so I borrowed a digital camera from a friend. A friend who found her camera, but couldn't find her memory cards. The memory card from my broken camera fits perfectly into her camera, but doesn't work. The screen won't even light up.

So what do I do? Do I search online and try to find an answer? Do I go to Cord or Best Buy for some expert advice? No, I do the sensible thing and head over to Discount Drug Mart.

A few of you may know that Discount Drug Mart is one of my favorite stores. It's close to my house and it sells EVERYTHING. Little peat pots to sprout last years tomato seeds? Discount Drug Mart. Wine? Furnace filter? Frozen pizza? Socks? Discount Drug Mart. It's a fabulous store.

When I got there I wasn't sure where to find memory cards so I asked a young woman who works there. She said "sure we have them" (I knew they would) and walked with me to a service counter. The cards were hanging on a wall behind the counter, obviously for security reasons.

I had the card with me that didn't work. I showed it to the nice young woman (I wish I had gotten her name) and explained my problem to her. I knew the camera needed an SD card; the card I had said SD on it, but also HC. I asked if she knew what that meant. She didn't, but she took her smart phone out of her pocket and googled it for me. It means "High Capacity" and HC cards are not compatible with all kinds of cameras. She sold me an SD card with half the capacity of the one I had. It was $14.99, hence the secure location behind the counter. I came home, put it in the camera and - voila! - it works.

This whole exchange took less than 10 minutes, and I'm so grateful - for pleasant and helpful store clerks and for Discount Drug Mart.

Thanks, Days 18, 19, 20, 21

What a thankless blogging slacker I am! It's time to catch up:

Day 18
I had dinner plans with friends tonight that I bailed on because I was too tired. I got home from work at 6:30, was recliner surfing by 7:30, and the next thing I knew it was 10:30. I'm thankful for recliner naps.

Day 19
Had a nice day running errands with my friend Pat. It's not everyone you can go to Target with and still have fun, but we managed.

Day 20
My daughter cooked spaghetti sauce all day. Like her Grandma Gioffre did, she flavors it with pork but takes the pork out before serving the sauce. That pork is incredible. When the sauce was done, Chrissy fished out the pork and brought it to me for my dinner because she knows I love it.

Day 21
I had a frustrating day at work today, making change after change on our Thanksgiving promotion, mostly because our managers can't get their act together. But a few of my co-workers...well, they're stellar. We bitch for a few minutes about the changes, then we put our heads together, cover each others back, and get the work done. I'm thankful for them.

Now - let's recap the last 3 weeks:
1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg
3. Gambling
4. Boss in Meetings
5. Fridays
6. Aunt Louise
7. Perfect Fall Days
8. Road Trips
9. Langston Hughes
10. Enlargement Pill Emails
11. No Cancer Head
12. Pretty Bowls
13. Free Mammograms
14. Unencumbered Saturdays
15. TVLand
16. Cake Balls
17. Blog Control
18. Big Lots Treasures
19. Scrabble Dictionary
20. Recliner Naps
21. Errand Friends
22. Sauce Pork
23. Stellar Co-workers

Thanks, Days 15, 16 & 17

Day 15

I'm writing this a couple days late, but I'm sure on Day 15 I was thankful that this is my blog, I have creative control, and I can post or not post, whatever I feel like.


Day 16

I found a Barbie-sized Justin Bieber doll that I'm pretty sure a certain 8 year old will like for Christmas, as well as a bright pink Christmas stocking with a toe that curls up like an elf shoe. Her stack of gifts is getting larger...I'm having a lot of fun shopping for her...but I'm thankful I found these treasures at Big Lots.


Day 17

My Facebook Scrabble nemesis gave me a present today out of the goodness of her heart: an extra copy she had of the Official Scrabble Dictionary. I don't beat her very often and I'm grateful for any tool that will help.

Thanks, Day 14

Cake balls. Today I'm grateful for the homemade cake balls my coworker brought to the office to celebrate another coworkers birthday. They were individual billiard-ball size portions of cake covered in an icing/candy hybrid. Red velvet cake with chocolate, devil's food cake with white. Holy cow they were good.

Let us count my blessings once again:

1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg
3. Gambling
4. Boss in Meetings
5. Fridays
6. Aunt Louise
7. Perfect Fall Days
8. Road Trips
9. Lena Horne
10. Enlargement Pill Emails
11. No Cancer Head
12. Pretty Bowls
13. Free Mammograms
14. Unencumbered Saturdays
15. TVLand
16. Cake Balls

Thanks, Day 13

Tonight I'm thankful for TVLand. When I can't find a thing that interests me on television, I can almost always find something on TVLand. Right now it's M.A.S.H. reruns. TV wise, you could do a lot worse.

Thanks, Day 12

I love a Saturday with nothing to do. I got a lot done - errands, laundry, I worked a bit getting the flower beds ready for winter. But it was all on my own schedule. No agenda, nowhere to be, no one demanding my time. It was nice, and I'm thankful.

Thanks, Day 11

I had a mammogram today. I know – dermatologist earlier this week, mammogram today, I’ve certainly been thoroughly examined recently.

Anyway, the company I work for provides free mammograms if you carry their insurance. That always seems like such a good deal when I sign up for an appointment.

Then, when it comes time for the actual appointment and I leave my desk during my work day to walk to the mammo-mobile out in the back parking lot, I can’t help but question my judgment and wish I’d shelled out the co-pay at St. Anns.

It’s like having a mammogram in a van down by the river with all your co-workers, well, not watching but knowing what you’re doing.

But it’s certainly convenient and, as I said before, free.

So that’s it for today: I’m trying to be thankful for free mammograms.

Thanks, Day 10

If you're reading along (and God only knows why you still would be) then you know I recently went to a nice event at the Cultural Arts Center. I said it was a pottery show, but now I believe ceramics show is more accurate. But that's not the point. The point is that at that event you could buy a handmade soup bowl for $10 and then have it filled with soup for your dinner. There were a couple racks displaying bowls, you picked your favorite and filled it up. My friend Marsha picked the prettiest bowl there. I really liked it. I coveted it. I looked for a similar one, but couldn't find it. Marsha even offered to give me the bowl because she knew I had bowl-envy, but what kind of friend takes a soup bowl right out of another friends hand? My mom taught me better. I settled on a nice but clearly inferior bowl.

I met Marsha today for lunch and what did she bring me? The bowl. What a thoughtful thing to do.  I love it, and I am thankful.

I believe I'll put gravy in it.

For those of you playing at home, here's the thankfulness recap:

1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg
3. Gambling
4. Boss in Meetings
5. Fridays
6. Aunt Louise
7. Perfect Fall Days
8. Road Trips
9. Larry Hagman (are you paying attention?)
10. Enlargement Pill Emails
11. No Cancer Head
12. Pretty Bowls

Thanks, Day 9

Today I am thankful - and happy to report - that I do not have cancer head.

Awhile ago my hair stylist said "What's that?" as she was messing with my hair. I had no idea what "that" was but I could feel it on my scalp once she pointed it out to me. She suggested I have it checked.

Always interested in a second opinion, I had my daughter give it a look. She said "Go get that creepy thing taken off your head."

The good news is the dermatologist said it is absolutely nothing to worry about. Just head crud (not her exact diagnosis). She said she could freeze it off but that sometimes hair doesn't grow back properly after a head freezing.

I wonder if Walt Disney knew that? Oh well, he was kind of bald anyway.

Thanks, Day 8

I am thankful to live in a country where I can receive this email - Fast Delivery on Max-Gentlemen "Enlargement" Pills - and nobody goes to jail.

Because if we don't have quick, ready access to Max-Gentlemen "Enlargement" Pills then - say it with me - the terrorists have won.

By the way, I hope you vote today. If you don't vote, you can't bitch.

Thanks, Day 7

I am thankful to know LH. Don't ask me, I won't tell you. This post is for her.

Thanks, Day 6

Is there anything better than a beautiful fall day of cool breezes, bright sun and blue skies? Yes, a road trip with a friend on a day like this. I'm grateful for both.

Once again, lets revisit the thankfulness list:

1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg
3. Gambling
4. Boss in Meetings
5. Fridays
6. Aunt Louise
7. Perfect Fall Days
8. Road Trips

It's probably amazing how many of these we have in common, right?

Thanks, Day 5

I was trying to avoid being thankful sappy here, but I'm feeling sappy so I can't help it. I drove to Cincinnati today to see my Aunt Louise. My buddy Pat was nice enough to ride along and bring her little dog. Aunt Louise loves dogs and now that she lives in a retirement home she doesn't get her hands on one too often. We had a good visit and it was a beautiful day for a drive.

Aunt Louise is 98 years old. She'd be furious with me for telling you that, so keep it to yourself. I've heard her use this line a thousand times: Someone will ask how old she is and Louise will say "Can you keep a secret?" When the person says yes, Aunt Louise says "so can I." Some of her cronies in the home have pulled me aside and asked me how old she is because she won't tell them. Neither will I. If you have a little vanity at 98 then I say good for you!

At 98, she still lives in her own apartment. Uses a walker, but gets to the dining room on her own for dinner. Has lived an amazing life for a woman of her time - she graduated from college, worked in a children's home in the south when she was barely in her twenties, became a minister in the Methodist church, traveled all over the world as a missionary and tells fascinating stories about all of it. Slightly embellished stories, possibly, but only to make them just a bit more colorful.

For example, while I was out picking up our lunch, Louise regaled Pat with the story about her former neighbors (before the home) and how the man murdered his wife. With a sledgehammer. Blood was everywhere! And he only spent one night in jail.

Appalling as it is, I know for a fact that Louise's neighbor did kill his wife with a hammer. She was terminally ill, he was her caregiver. I know Louise heard about it, but "I heard my neighbor killed his wife" becomes much more riveting when you throw in a few extra details. It takes a story from good to great.

Aunt Louise is the last living relative in the generation above me. Once she's gone, there won't be any aunts or uncles left. So, I'm thankful she's still around and still pretty sharp and healthy.



 

Thanks, Day 4

I had a very nice day today. The weather was sunny and crisp. Work went well. I spent the evening downtown with good friends. We started off at a pottery show in the Cultural Arts Center, followed by a chilly walk on the beautiful new Main Street bridge, and ended with pumpkin pie and good conversation in a condo with an amazing view of the city. It was a stellar day.

And yet, as I write this, the thing I keep thinking is I'm SO thankful it's Friday.

Thanks, Day 3

My boss was in a meeting today from 9 to 4.

Let me repeat that: 9 to 4. All day.

So, I had a quiet, relaxing and somewhat productive day and I'm thankful.

Let's recap the thankfulness so far:

1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg
3. Gambling
4. Boss In Meetings

Boy, if that doesn't give you an attitude of gratitude nothing will.

Thanks, Day 2

I received an email this morning informing me that I won the weekly prize in the football pool - $24. Tonight I played Keno with my buds and hit for $29! Awesome! I am so thankful for gambling!

A Month of Thanks

It started today on facebook, just like it did last November 1. People are counting down to Thanksgiving by posting something each day for which they are thankful. I don't want to do it on facebook, but I'll try to do it here. Last year I wrote about the 12 days of Christmas. This year I'll do a Thanksgiving blogfest. Read along if you want.

I'll start off by saying I'm thankful for my kids, my house, my employment, my health. That's a given.

So, today, I am thankful for gravy. Yummy gravy like my mom taught me to make. I cooked a chuck roast yesterday during trick or treat. I cooked it on low heat for a long time, until the meat fell apart at the touch of a fork. It was too late to eat it for yesterday's dinner. Tonight, I heated it back up, took out the meat, added some Wondra flour, water and seasoning to the broth and made graaaaaaavy.

Dang it was good. It makes me think of Fannie Flagg. I read somewhere that she said low-calorie cooking was not a tradition in her family; in fact they considered gravy a beverage.

A former neighbor of mine said she saw Fannie Flagg on a talk show and I was just like her. Not so much in appearance, but more in mannerisms and speech.

I wish I was like Fannie Flagg in that she's published quite a few books. I loved Fried Green Tomatoes. Her subsequent books were entertaining, but inconsequential. I do like her, though, so I'll add her to the list of things I'm thankful for today:

1. Gravy
2. Fannie Flagg