Lots of Errands
We had an ambitious set of errands planned for Reno yesterday, but for the second time in a month, as we neared Sparks, we got hung up in a traffic jam, presumably caused by an accident (although we never saw it). It screwed up our schedule so badly that we bailed out at the first opportunity and went home.
Today, we tried again, getting on the road before 2 PM. We had a lot of stops to make.
First was the recycling station, which was the most time-constrained stop because it closes at 3 PM. When we got there, we found the gate was closed, but there was a worker there who took our five bags/boxes of recycling and dumped them for us, so we didn't have to take them home.
Next was Staples, where I had $5 store credit about to expire. The clerk remembered us for all of the ink we bought last year for Westercon. Today's purchase was sort of related. I agreed to print plain-paper signs for Pemmi-Con using the printer we got for Westercon last year. Today I bought a container to hold all of the printing that should stack conveniently in the Astro for transport and then be able to sit in the Pemmi-Con Office for people to collect the signs they ordered.
Next was Savers, and while we didn't find the think for which Lisa was looking, we did find a couple of inexpensive towels, which will be handy.
Cost Plus World Market gave us an opportunity to buy some food items that are difficult to get anywhere else. Kuma Bear was happy that we bought salmon.
One week short of a year ago today was the Day of the Missing Shoes in Tonopah, where we had to buy a pair of shoes for Lisa over the phone and then authorize several of our friends to stop by the SAS Shoes on Virginia Street in Reno, with the first one to show up collecting the shoes and bringing them to us. Those shoes need replacement, and so in we went. As it happens, the person in the store was the woman who handled that transaction a year ago and she remembered it and us. We got Lisa a pair of shoes for the Winnipeg trip. We expect to take the worn shoes back in later and order them to be resoled, which costs about half the price of a new pair of shoes and lasts as long.
Speaking of things we need for the Winnipeg trip, we next stopped at AAA and got paper maps for the states and provinces through which we plan to travel, plus the Western and Central States regional maps, and they threw in maps of Winnipeg and Regina. Smart phones are all well and good, but lots of places through which we're traveling might not have enough signal to use one, and I don't think my smartphone will have data in Canada anyway.
Across the street from AAA is Work World, where I purchased two new pairs of slacks. My size 46 slacks are falling off me because I've lost weight, and while 44s are a little tight, I went ahead and bought them.
Finally, we got groceries from WinCo. We're thinking our way though what things we'll want to pack in the way of non-perishable food for the Winnipeg trip. More about this later.
Driving home was routine. We were out around six hours, and we got a whole lot done.
Today, we tried again, getting on the road before 2 PM. We had a lot of stops to make.
First was the recycling station, which was the most time-constrained stop because it closes at 3 PM. When we got there, we found the gate was closed, but there was a worker there who took our five bags/boxes of recycling and dumped them for us, so we didn't have to take them home.
Next was Staples, where I had $5 store credit about to expire. The clerk remembered us for all of the ink we bought last year for Westercon. Today's purchase was sort of related. I agreed to print plain-paper signs for Pemmi-Con using the printer we got for Westercon last year. Today I bought a container to hold all of the printing that should stack conveniently in the Astro for transport and then be able to sit in the Pemmi-Con Office for people to collect the signs they ordered.
Next was Savers, and while we didn't find the think for which Lisa was looking, we did find a couple of inexpensive towels, which will be handy.
Cost Plus World Market gave us an opportunity to buy some food items that are difficult to get anywhere else. Kuma Bear was happy that we bought salmon.
One week short of a year ago today was the Day of the Missing Shoes in Tonopah, where we had to buy a pair of shoes for Lisa over the phone and then authorize several of our friends to stop by the SAS Shoes on Virginia Street in Reno, with the first one to show up collecting the shoes and bringing them to us. Those shoes need replacement, and so in we went. As it happens, the person in the store was the woman who handled that transaction a year ago and she remembered it and us. We got Lisa a pair of shoes for the Winnipeg trip. We expect to take the worn shoes back in later and order them to be resoled, which costs about half the price of a new pair of shoes and lasts as long.
Speaking of things we need for the Winnipeg trip, we next stopped at AAA and got paper maps for the states and provinces through which we plan to travel, plus the Western and Central States regional maps, and they threw in maps of Winnipeg and Regina. Smart phones are all well and good, but lots of places through which we're traveling might not have enough signal to use one, and I don't think my smartphone will have data in Canada anyway.
Across the street from AAA is Work World, where I purchased two new pairs of slacks. My size 46 slacks are falling off me because I've lost weight, and while 44s are a little tight, I went ahead and bought them.
Finally, we got groceries from WinCo. We're thinking our way though what things we'll want to pack in the way of non-perishable food for the Winnipeg trip. More about this later.
Driving home was routine. We were out around six hours, and we got a whole lot done.