I hadn't anything really planned for my Friday off, since the exterminator was coming, until the new Publix ad was published on Thursday. They usually have one of their shrimp rings buy-one get-one on Stupid Bowl weekend and this year was no exception. They're still expensive, but half as expensive, and they're nice to use for a treat. So after the exterminator did the perimeter of the house, I zipped over to Publix, wrapped up even in a scarf due to the nippy cold, and bought two of the medium rings. These will be decanted into two plastic bags—whatever James does with the icky cocktail sauce is up to him—and can be used on a special occasion (like Valentine's Day) to make a nice homemade shrimp scampi or other shrimp dish. There were some other goodies on twofer, like Near East couscous and quinoa mixes, and Hallmark items were also included, so I came from the store with a pretty good haul. I also stopped at the hardware store; no three-foot non-flat-plug extension cords there, either.

I had just put up the groceries and was doing a few chores when James called: he was coming home since work was very slow. We took our Barnes & Noble coupons and went out to the Avenue at West Cobb, where I picked up the newest Daisy Dalrymple mystery in paperback (actually, it seems like it's the last new Daisy mystery period; I don't see a corresponding new hardback). While we were out, we decided to do the shopping at Kroger to avoid the maniacal Stupor Bowl shoppers. It wasn't a bad time to go, either, as a lot of people weren't out of work yet. Kroger was a little less crazy than Publix—they had mostly Valentine-themed foods, whereas Publix was a jaw-dropping wonder, with football themed cupcakes, cookies, cakes, not to mention turkeys and turduckens and foil roasting pans as if it were Thanksgiving!—and we also picked up soups for supper.

Saturday both of us evidently needed to sleep, because we ended up getting up at ten. By the time we got to the Farmer's Market, there was no more chicken salad. That'll learn us.

Later in the day we checked out a bookstore/coffee shop noted in the local freebie magazine "Cobb Life." This is Traders 22, across from the Kennesaw public library in downtown Kennesaw. It was a cute little place, in an old 1920s house (complete with a hallway niche for the telephone), with the kitchen used to prepare the coffee and hot chocolate and the bathroom looking still the same as it had back then. There were some books in what was a living room and a bedroom, but just a small supply. We sat and relaxed and had a peppermint cocoa and some nice coffee cake which wasn't overly sweetened.

On the way home we stopped at Three Way Campers on Cobb Parkway to look at baby trailers. We can't afford a lot and can't pull much. Much of what we can pull is about $10,000-$12,000 and pocket sized. I liked the little rPods, but there were a couple of other small trailers that were a bit roomer and better laid out. I forgot what the brands were. They had several used Class C units (the ones that have a truck cab with a "loft" bed over them) that had seen better days. Someone had loved them to death. :-) We also stopped at the little place on Austell Road, Norman, but the only little one they had would have only fit two skinny teenagers or a hunter and his dog. :-)

To clear the fridge a little we finished up our Chinese food for supper, which ended up being a bad idea. This batch was massively greasy. I couldn't finish mine and was sick all night despite taking my Prilosec. I also ended up with a killer headache that even three ibuprofin couldn't quell. It finally went away enough to talk with Emma on chat, but I was having connection problems all night.

Up earlier this morning, so feeling shellshocked if better all day. We ended up going back to Publix to grab a couple of more shrimp rings and some birthday cards. Also found some no-sugar spaghetti sauce, one which might be useful with the shrimp, and some chicken apple sausage we haven't tried before (so far nothing is as good as what we get from Trader Joe's). It was still cool enough to tuck all the perishables in an insulated bag and take a turn around the Akers Mill Barnes & Noble to see if there was something to use a second coupon on. James found a World War II nonfiction book and I almost picked up the second book in Jennifer Worth's Midwife series (I finished the first book, a super page-turner, last night), but this is where she addresses the workhouse survivors, such a sad story I wasn't sure I could bear it. I found a travel book instead, about a man who picks up an old Frommer's Europe on $5 a Day who decides to follow its itinerary and see what the sites Frommer reviewed were like now. It was recommended by Eric Weiner, whose Geography of Bliss I had enjoyed.

Finally we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Panera Bread, then returned home. James wend down to the "man cave" and Schuyler and I watched the Puppy Bowl. A real cutie of a small female dog won "MVP," most valuable puppy, and there was lots of adorable romping, the "Kitty Halftime Show" (the kittens always look astonished at the confetti finale!), hamsters in a "blimp," a cockatiel "tweeting" the plays, and, this year, hedgehogs as "cheerleaders." Much better than that football nonsense!

We found these wafer-thin pork chops at Publix this morning. James showed them a picture of a gas flame and they cooked up nicely. We had talked about having waffles and bacon this morning, but James forgot to take the bacon out to thaw and then was sick to his stomach this morning and figured he shouldn't be eating bacon anyway. He had Cheerios instead, so we had the waffles with the pork chops. It all sorta works out in the end.

Labels: animals, books, food, shopping, travel

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:57:00 PM

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