You Can Dress Me Up ....

[mrdreamjeans]

As the sayin' goes, you really "can't take me no place nice". I like to pretend that my choices on road trips or vacations are made from the font of necessity. In reality, I'm frugal by nature when it comes to spending money on certain things ... hotels ... car rentals ... flights ... dining ... Save your money or your breath if you're trying to impress me with fancy restaurants or trendy places. I will focus more on the cost, than the company, and find it irksome.

Fine dining is wasted on me. I like well-prepared, reasonably-priced, simple food, especially home-cooked. Waxing philosphopically about a to-die-for sauce or debating the merits of a certain vintage aren't parts of my culinary vocabulary. In fact, the whole smelling the wine, tasting it, raising an eyebrow, nodding your head in approval after a precise moment of consideration, just makes me want to roll my eyes or giggle. I won't enjoy chatting desultorily over a lengthy multi-course meal that takes my entire week's meal allowance, even if I adore you. Eating is just something I have to do on the way to something else .. like a movie ... or a show ... or shopping:)

For example ... I've spent three nights in a hotel during this 16-day trip. I've chosen La Quinta Inns. I've used roadside coupons to keep the cost under $60 a night. La Quinta has free wireless, though I had to use the newly installed roadside rest stop wireless internet in Kansas and Iowa on this trip when email didn't work. My hotel last night was in an industrial area of Kansas City. My dining choices were Denny's or The Waffle House. I chose Denny's. Tonight, I'm in Ardmore, OK and the choices were Ryan's Buffet or IHop. I chose the buffet and was able to hold myself to one run through the starches and carbs ... which means the whole buffet was open to me:)

I will spend hours finding the lowest airfare with the most perks. I will drive a few extra miles to discover the cheapest priced gas (no matter how illogical that may be). I will stock up on bottled water and soft drinks from the grocery, rather than give my money to a vending machine.

In other instances, I am very generous. I will spend money on theatre tickets or flowers, gifts or clothing for my friends. I'll go out of my way to find the perfect birthday gift, take time to write and send a card or drive hours to see someone special; but call it a quirk or whatever, I will not waste money on things I consider fussy or unnecessary. You can dress me up .... but ...

Odd Sightings and Observations from the Road:

1. I passed a town in Iowa named "What Cheer".
2. It's weird to be at a rest area in Kansas just to use the wireless internet; on the other hand, truckers just aren't as hot as they used to be, so why not? :)
3. Taxes on hotel rooms in Kansas City, MO are over 14%! There's an arena tax, a city occupancy tax and a state occupancy tax. And yet, they probably wonder why convention business is off.
4. The reading on my trip odometer this morning was 2727.7.
5. I passed through the Flint Hills area of Oklahoma today. Mile after mile of nothing but rock, brush, roadkill and the hypnotic asphalt before me. The high today - 94 degrees. The temps have been jumping by 20s.
6. I've developed a fondness for Blue Collar Radio on Sirius. They may be redneck - but Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, Kathleen Madigan and Chonda Pierce can make me howl with laughter.
7. I turn to Blue Collar Radio when the Broadway channel plays Patti Lupone, Liza Minelli or anything from "West Side Story", "Phantom of the Opera" or "Mama Mia". For a variety of reasons, I can't listen to them anymore.
8. It's Friday night in Ardmore. It's a draw as to whether most of the city is at the high school football game or at Wal-Mart. I can see the stadium lights blazing from my room. One thing's for sure ... There are many examples of first cousins marrying first cousins if you stroll down the aisles of Ardmore's big W! I know. I strolled. (Oh well, I wasn't dressed up, so I guess I fit right in:)

Tomorrow, I'll be back in Brenham.

Comments

[tonethbone.livejournal.com]

"In fact, the whole smelling the wine, tasting it, raising an eyebrow, nodding your head in approval after a precise moment of consideration, just makes me want to roll my eyes or giggle"


LOL...I feel the exact same way..and I feel like laughing too..
BUT the tasting and spitting out into a cup..at wine tastings..that doesn't make me want to laugh..it makes me want to puke.

So , like, I love different types of pasta...Should I chew on some a little and then spit it out at pasta tastings?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

Or eat some mashed and gnashed chocolate cake and smile ...

FOOD FIGHT!!!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

...speaking of which, in my experience , to have a truly worthy food fight, start with tomato aspic -it not only splats, but also bounces! :0)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

So, do you use tomato aspic or jam as stage blood? :)

I'll remember this tip for future use!

HUGS!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

For blood it's Karo corn syrup & food coloring - ketchup in a pinch. The temptation to play with the aspic makes for unconvincing death scenes... and the urge to lick off the jam can be overpowering (though pleasant, depending on who's doing the licking, and where you've applied the jam).
File under the 'Department of Silly Information' :0)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I once did a student film of "Hedda Gabler". I played George and toward the end Hedda killed me ... shot me in the head ... It was strawberry jam around the hole in my head:)

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

ooooh, just to razz you, next time you visit I'll be tempted to drag you off to a little local place called "L'Etoile" (where the check will be in three figures and the food nigh unto divinity). That way, I'll be dining at a star, with a star :0)

Oh well, hon, you're peaches-with-cream just the way you are ... burgers or fois gras, it's always better when shared with you. Hugs!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I wonder what it cost so far!!! Hehehe

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a mighty fine compliment indeed! I guess what I wanted to say the most in this post is that, left to my own devices, I'll make conservative, middle of the road choices when traveling.

Any meal is elevated by the company ... and the dinner we shared on Wednesday evening was five star to me ... burgers or salads aside ... I was with friends!

HUGS!

Re: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I wonder what it cost so far!!! Hehehe

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I so agree. When I'm 'on the road' alone I tend to pick unpretentious places for meals, and bring along reading material...probably just like you.
It's friends who make it an event and automatically elevate the locale. Though next time we might try Nick's - you pass by the bar to get to the vinyl banquettes, they haven't changed the wall paper in fifty years, and the spanakopita is made daily by the owner's mother. A nice little 'joint'for bears to hang out in.
Hugs!

Re: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I wonder what it cost so far!!! Hehehe

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me!

[mikeybill.livejournal.com]

So we can take the Man of Texas, bit not the Texas out of the man? ;-)

Driving for miles for cheap gas is illogical, but I get it.

But I do like to spoil myself at times, with good restaurants, but only as a treat - I have no desire to live that way for ever.

Not so much a Texan trait, as it is growing up in a small town ...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

With the trip in particular, I needed to contain costs/ save money where I could. It's just part of my upbringing that you don't spend a lot of money on food, even if you have it. Believe me, I indulge myself in other ways ... clothing, furniture, gifts ...

I'm particularly irritated by the price of gas because there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the pricing system. I think the escalating costs are a mixture of politics and greed. I've paid anywhere from $2.47/gallon to $3.02/gallon for regular unleaded on this trip. Local taxes aside, it's all the same product. Course - it doesn't help that I can remember when gas was 50 cents a gallon and McDonalds burgers were 15 cents a piece! LOL!

HUGS!

[labeartorycub.livejournal.com]

I've just spent the last hour and half of my waking to catch up on your journal alone. What a nice adventure you've had in networking and in the company of friends! Welcome home, my friend.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

WOW! Thanks, Mike!! I am honored. It has been a wonderful trip and I accomplished my short term goals. Now, to get the house sold and a solid job offer! (Unfortunately, I've come home to a host of problems. I will just have to do my best to get through them.

Were your ears burning today? I was speaking on the phone with rafdfw in Fort Worth as I was driving through the area. He's a writer with about 17 years of radio and television news writing experience and now works for a school district and a university. I was telling Raphael that you were a technical writer in the medical field and that you were a great guy. I suggested he check out your journal.

HUGS!

[labeartorycub.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Neil. It was really nice of you to mention that to him. And yes, sometimes, I eerily have psychic moments. I hope you house sells soon so that your life can move forward, and I will think good thoughts about you getting through your problems at hand. Hugs

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You can think good thoughts ... and prayers might help too:)

I really appreciate you, my friend ...

HUGS!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I arrived home about 6pm last evening. I hope to keep my pontification to a minimum; a few more photos of the journey and it will be time to move forward. I achieved the short term goals I laid out for myself. Now, comes the hard part ... maintaining the momemtum, finding work till the house sells and keeping my spirits up. When I walked into the house last night, it felt like a stranger's house where I was only visiting, as if, on some level, I had already said goodbye to it.

As always, it makes my day to hear from you ...

HUGS!

[pbehr.livejournal.com]

You said, It feels like a stranger's house.

Great to hear. You
ARE moving on.

Big hugs

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

It does. I am. Now, to get the house marketed more effectively!

HUGS!!