My son and family were in for a visit his week. They went to see Jimmie’s mother-in-law in Richmond and picked up her car, which was in great need of a good washing inside and out. Jimmie asked if I knew of any good car-detailers in town and I did not. When I (rarely) wash my car, I take it through one of those machines. Jimmie checked on-line and found a company willing to come out to us and … [Read more...]

  Like a number of larger retail stores, Stein Mart was unable to weather the crippling economic effects of the Chinese virus. It announced bankruptcy just this week. They will close all their stores. I was devastated. Stein Mart had become my personal favorite place to shop. I don’t buy a lot of clothes, but when I do, I like classic styles and colors and I like fair prices. Stein Mart … [Read more...]

  I spend a lot of time and money at Kroger’s. I spend enough that I often get 50 cents off per gallon when I buy gas from them. But there are two things that really get my goat. One, they use those huge shopping carts when they are assembling food for their pick-up customers. These things are so big you could put a couple refrigerators on them and still have room left over, and they … [Read more...]

The cable company called me this week and offered free cable TV for a year if I would sign back up.  We had dropped the cable about a month or so ago when our bill hit $150 and we didn’t even subscribe to any of the premium channels. “No thanks,” I responded to the cable lady. “We’re happy with Hulu.” Hulu charges us about $50 a month and offers jillions more options than cable. The only … [Read more...]

We have a gizmo in our Whirlpool refrigerator called a Meat and Cheese Tray. It’s pretty handy and a convenient storage spot for – yes – meat and cheese. It can also slide sideways on the shelf to create room, where needed. The other day, I attempted to slide it to the right, but a pot I didn’t see in the back was in the way and the little bracket at the top snapped. No problem. I can fix that. … [Read more...]

  I made a drive down to Eltzroth & Thompson last Sunday because I figured they were the only nursey in town that carried Abraham Lincoln Tomatoes. I was right. They had ‘em and I bought ‘em. This variety is unbelievably productive, beginning in mid-summer and continuing till the first frost. Three or four plants will keep you in fresh tomatoes for up to four months. Eltzroth & … [Read more...]

  There are two types of plumbing products. Those that don’t work now and those that soon won’t work. Plumbing is a group of inanimate objects waiting to fall apart. Sink faucets drip, commode seals leak, hot water heaters die violent deaths, dishwashers go belly up during the rinse cycle, pipes spring leaks, washing machines commit suicide and garbage disposals go to pot. It’s just a … [Read more...]

  We have some very nice grocery stores in Charlottesville – Harris Teeter, Kroger’s, Giant, Food Lion, Whole Foods, Wegmans and Wal-Mart, but we are missing one: Publix, and I wish we had one. Anytime I’m out of town, I’ll find the closest grocery store. If I’m not in a grocery store at least every other day fondling the cantaloupes and checking out the T-bone steaks, I sink into a … [Read more...]

  Distilleries are popping up everywhere. We have a number of them now in Virginia and one is pretty close to Charlottesville. Last weekend Nancy and I drove out to nearby Ivy to check out Ragged Branch Distillery. “They make their own bourbon and raise their own cattle for steaks,” Nancy explained on the drive out. Bourbon and steaks? How can you go wrong? Bourbon has always been … [Read more...]

Well-meaning humans often buy pets without realizing the amount of care and attention that will be required. Birds and parrots, in fact, can be more labor intensive than dogs and cats. They require special treatment. Birds can also be loud and messy.  Therefore, when people purchase birds from exotic pet stores without knowing what’s required, they will often mistreat the birds or give them up for … [Read more...]