My husband has been holding down the fort for me – and that includes taking care of our 14 1/2 year old puppy (who happens to get special medications three times a day) and keeping the ol’ homestead in shape. It has also included taking care of my computer’s comings and goings.

This has meant that he doled out Sprite’s medications on the way to and from work and ALSO listened to her complain about the injustices of life. Her complaints are much louder and more frequent when her favorite person isn’t present. And that would be me!

My husband and I talked several times a day (thank goodness for cell phone family plans!) and he tried to describe what was happening on the site. From what I gather, there are other people who aren’t crazy about grocery store monopolies, AND he told me that when I think I’m recycling my grocery bags… well, quite frankly… I’m not! (Hmmm… I might just have to break down and buy some of the reusable shopping bags… When I do though, they won’t be from my grocery store! All of their over-packing-to-the-point-of-ripping has left me thinking that there are a whole lot of other places to buy those bags!)

I am so tired right now. Rather than spending one restless night contemplating a day of air travel, I am now up to two nights of worrying. Good grief! At this rate, I’ll have to go for much longer visits so that the two restless/sleepless nights before the air travel (each way!) actually pay off.

I had dated some entries so that they would “magically” appear while I was away visiting my brother, mother, and her beau, and since my husband already posted your comments, I’ll go ahead and read them right now. I just wanted to check in and say hello!

OK, here comes another not-mystery book rant! (I don’t even want to know how often these rants are appearing… but I’m pretty sure it’s more and more often!)

Here in San Antonio, we pretty much have a grocery store monopoly. When we first arrived in Texas fifteen years ago, there were several competing grocery stores. H.E.B. managed to strong-arm the other grocery stores by always undercutting their prices by a few pennies. I was guilty of comparison shopping – so my husband now blames me for H.E.B.’s current monopoly status.

It seemed like the day the last grocery store “hold-out” left town (I miss you so much, Albertson’s!!!) H.E.B. hiked all of their prices and started placing name brand items on the very bottom shelves, while they featured all of their store items in the choice shelves. Since they have several different store labels, that’s a lot of H.E.B. prime space devoted to their H.E.B., Hill Country, Central Market, (just to name a few of their labels) ETC hierarchy of “generic” brands at not-so-generic prices!

All of this has annoyed me – but not to the point of grocery shopping at department stores like Target and Walmart. (I enjoy these stores… but don’t think of them as grocery stores, and their selection in groceries is rather limited…)

Recently, however, I am more than just a little annoyed at my H.E.B. monopoly. My H.E.B. has gone green! And, in doing this, they have told their baggers to jam-pack as much as they can into the free bags, while pushing their cloth bags, which of course are NOT free. And they do this with a smile on their faces, touting saving the planet and minimizing our carbon footprint, ETC.

I recycle (almost) all of the cardboard boxes, plastic, cans, glass, and paper that comes into our house. I am, what some might call, obsessive about recycling. So, I appreciate the steps that H.E.B. is taking to try to get people to use the re-usable cloth bags. HOWEVER!!!!! I think that my grocery store taking the high road for environmental purposes would make more sense if they offered these reusable bags FREE of charge. (We even use the reusable Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles rather than the plastic water bottles you buy at the grocery store!)

That’s right… If they are going green, then great! But don’t tell your baggers to jam-pack my free, non reusable bags, while charging me to buy your environmental, save-the-planet bags. Give me the “green” bags, and I’ll use them. And, as for my grocery store deciding what is re-usable and what is not: I recycle the bags that are free. (I told you I’m obsessive about recycling!) I’m very concerned about the environment, and certainly don’t need to be guided by my grocery store… especially when they benefit financially by their “subtle” guidance!

You may wonder what I mean when I say “subtle” guidance >>> It seems that my H.E.B. baggers have now been instructed to follow the “jam-all-you-can-into-the-free-bag” approach >>> This of course has caused the flimsy plastic bags to rip, which means that I have had to clean a jar of jelly off of my garage floor this past month, not to mention having to take things out of the jammed-to-the-top bags, so that they don’t tear before placing them in my car.

Thanks H.E.B. for caring!

Well, it’s not West Virginia, but I am going “home” this week to visit my mother and her beau, as well as my younger brother. Destination: Colorado Springs.

[I’ll be gone for less than a week, and have pre-written a few entries that will post while I am gone… I am going alone, so my husband and son will be here to “keep down the post” >>> or whatever that ol’ sayin’ is…]

Although I really consider my “home” while growing up to have been my grandmother’s house in Northwood, Iowa, the place my parents moved while I was still in college is Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, they didn’t stay in that first house, and right when I considered it “home,” they moved to an area in town that was rather secluded, on a hill/mountain. After my father suffered a stroke, they decided to move “down,” off of that hill/mountain… which is now where my mother lives with her beau. (He’s terrific, by the way!)

The last time I was out visiting in Colorado Springs was last summer, when my daughter and I made a road-trip trek up to Pike’s Peak country. This year, however, I am flying solo. No, that’s just an expression… I’m not a pilot. And as those of you who have recently been on board our friendly carriers, there is absolutely nothing “solo” about flying these days.

Fortunately, I was able to book my tickets far enough in advance that I am “assured” of a window seat… Unfortunately, the airplanes I will be flying on are booked to the full capacity, so there will be someone in the middle seats… up close and personal, if you know what I mean!

As someone who could stand to lose several pounds… I am sure that the person in the middle seat will be chanting: “Please not here!” as I walk down the aisle, and stop right at his/her aisle’s side. I consider myself lucky to have booked all window seats on all four flights. Those people who waited to book their flights might learn a little something about procrastinating. If they had gotten their tickets (perhaps only a week earlier) they could be looking forward to having to walk in front of them in order to get to their seat by the window , and they could also look forward to scrunching themselves into the window/wall so that the person to their left/right can commandeer the arm rest.

Oh, oh… I am off task again! And, don’t even get me started about having to pay for your suitcase to be checked! Good Grief!!! Actually that payment warrants a GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing my mom, her beau, and my brother… and even my mom’s spaniel who does not like anyone invading his house. As a dog person, every time I see that little… rascal (?!?) I think that I will soon win him over. That hasn’t happened yet!