Mild weather / Butter popcorn / Chiles Rellenos /Another power outage

We have had some spectacular weather...sunny skies and temperatures in the mid to high 80's. Friday we reached 87 degrees so I put off driving to town until late in the afternoon. My plan was to only go to Ollie's to return the wireless keyboard/mouse combo I purchased Wednesday since the mouse failed to work even with three different batteries.

Thankfully there was only one person in line in front of me...however, the cashier was a new employee in training and it took a while for her to process that refund. I had better luck as mine went much faster perhaps because it was instantly credited back to my credit card.

Since that went so well and there was still daylight I decided to once again venture to Dollar Tree as the last time I was there the cashier told me to check with them on Friday as that is when their supply truck comes in. I made a beeline to the butter popcorn aisle and I was so happy to see it was back in stock!

To be on the safe side I made sure I bought enough to last me a while. Note Muñeca on the bottom of the picture frame acting like she expected me to share with her...😂

They had also received an ample supply of Campbell's soups which I avail myself of...

While not Campbell's decided to try this brand of Cream of Mushroom soup since it was affordably priced.

I had not seen cans of Hormel Tamales in a long time so took the only two I found...

Needless to say that by the time it was time to head home it was pitch dark and I do not do well driving at night. Lucky for me I had my yellow-tinted glare-reducing glasses in my glove box that I also purchased at The Dollar Tree some time back.

I have been thinking about Chiles Rellenos for a while but the Stripes that sells them is the only truck stop in town and they go fast! Decided to take a chance, I walked in as the girl was finishing making them. I really did not want a lunch plate that comes with two sides and a flour tortilla that sells for $5.29 (all their lunch plates sell for that amount). I asked her what it would cost to buy one individually so she went to ask and it was only $2.99 but as a taco...a taco I asked?  She said yes, wrapped in a flour tortilla. I could not pass on that kind of deal so I bought three!

They were huge, so I took out my measuring tape and can confirm that they were 7 inches in length.

We have been having the usual power spikes but this evening at 8:08 p.m. we lost power until it was restored at 9:12 p.m.  What gets to me is that they never tell us why?  It was a beautiful evening with no wind or bad weather of any kind in Del Rio or the surrounding area and it's not like air conditioners were running as they would be in the summertime.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Recycling Center / Ollie's and Dollar Tree / KFC

I can not believe it is already December...time has sure flown by! With the Thanksgiving holidays, I had avoided going into town to elude the crowds. The Mexican citizens that had not crossed the border to shop in the United States are thankfully back and it has been a boom to the local economy. Per my border crossing app, the lines at the international bridge were one and a half to two hours plus this weekend. Have I mentioned that I do not venture to Ciudad Acuña during November and December for that same reason?

First stop this morning was picking up the mail at the post office. Post office #1 is across the street from the Federal Courthouse there must have been a big trial because there were law enforcement vehicles everywhere and few parking spaces.

Headed to the Recycling Center to drop off the recyclables I have had in the trunk of my car for a while and was pleasantly surprised to be the only one there. With that checked off my To-Do List, my next stop was Ollie's. Another pleasant surprise awaited as the store was practically empty.

Ollie's has a large section of As Seen On TV products so headed to that section but the Christmas music was so loud that I just picked up what I was actually there for which was to purchase a wireless mouse and keyboard combo. I took pictures but as usual...I am not able to upload them at this time 😢

Dollar Tree is in the same strip center so left my purchase in my trunk and headed there. I was lucky to find a cart as there were only about six left. The difference was like night and day from Ollie's there were a LOT of people there.

Headed to find my buttered popcorn, mushrooms, and canned whole jalapeños peppers. No luck with the popcorn or mushrooms. Picked up some cleaning supplies and some large cans of Campbell's Tomato soup.

There was no Christmas music playing at this store but two girls decided to start singing as they shopped...they had probably been to Ollie's...😄

I almost stopped at Walmart as there were very few cars there but my right foot was starting to hurt so only passed by Murphy Oil USA and confirmed that they had the cheapest gas in town at $2.659 for unleaded and $3.169 for diesel.

Drove by Whataburger and Sirloin Stockade and even though it was around 2:00 p.m. their parking lots were full so had to settle for KFC. They did not have original KFC so had no choice but to buy crispy. I hate it when I cheat on my diet and the food is not up to par!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

No Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp...is the world coming to an end?

I had a doctor's appointment today and could not help but note a few unhappy faces in the waiting room as they played with their phones. This was my first visit to this doctor and when the nurse was taking down my information another nurse came in and asked her if her FB was working...my nurse replied that she had not gone into FB today. Seriously people you are at work...why are you checking your social media accounts?

It wasn't until the 5:00 p.m. news that I became aware of what had taken place with regards to these Apps worldwide. I could not help but think of my cousin who carries two cell phones around with him at all times. He probably had a mini nervous breakdown 😂

Since I was already in town I made a quick trip to Dollar Tree and was surprised they hardly had any shoppers which was great for me!  I picked up 12 jars of mushrooms and a couple of bags of buttered popcorn before the prices go up.

Another reason for going to Dollar Tree was to kill time until my medication was ready. That is when I went to look for my phone to see if the pharmacy had texted me yet and realized I had left the phone at home. 

I was going to go next door to Harbor Freight after putting my buys in the car but it was just too darn HOT so headed to pick up my new medication using the drive-thru window only to be told that it was not in stock and would not arrive until tomorrow from San Antonio...grrrrrrrr...another pitfall of living in a small town.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Cluster headache / Dollar Tree / Walmart

I woke up this morning with a terrible cluster headache on the left side of my head. It was so painful I could barely move it. I used to experience severe headaches back in my working days but they ceased when I retired. It is very rare whenever I get one now.

I take a lot of medication so did not want to take any pain killers or even aspirins. Took my blood pressure to make sure it was not elevated and it wasn't so took two of my BP meds that I normally take in the morning.

I wondered if my pain was because I have been washing my hair at least twice daily as I come in sweating profusely from working in the yard.  By noon I had to take two aspirins and while it helped some I still have pain in my neck like arthritic pain. Last night I fell asleep in the recliner with the cool A/C blowing on my face, which might have also had something to do with it.

I had to drive into town to run a couple of errands this afternoon. I am so glad that I filled up a week or so back because prices have risen by .15 cents a gallon.

Stopped at Dollar Tree to pick up a couple of canned goods and noticed that they now sell ice. That is good to know in case I ever make it back to my beloved Terlingua as ice after Del Rio goes up exponentially in price. A seven-pound bag for $1.00 is a very good price.

I have forgotten to mention that the McDonald's at Walmart closed shop in March but I do not know if it was March of 2020 or 2021. There are two other McDonald's and while you can go through the drive-thru or go in to order they do not allow you to eat inside. I had stopped there last month for a soft cone but when I found out I would have to eat it in my car I passed.

This afternoon I splurged and bought my sugar-free ice cream now that I finally made some room in the freezer.  I also bought some avocados, it has been a long time since I have eaten one.

When I came out of Walmart the sky opened up and I got drenched the last thing I wanted was to get my head wet so I just threw everything into the front and back seat without putting them in the coolers I had brought with me.

This evening I decided to do an Aunty Acid as well as jokes for my married lady readers...enjoy!

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid 

Funny Sayings

And yet another month in 2020 comes to an end...

Took some time away from my favorite cable news shows and cut down on my Internet use this weekend.  I just wanted to take a break from the constant toxic news cycle that we can't altogether escape from during the week.

Friday I needed to run errands but I misplaced my car keys.  I looked high and low for them, while I do have a spare I put it in a "safe place" and now I have no idea where that might be...I tell you I would lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body!

Spoke to a friend of mine for a little over three hours who coincidentally also misplaced her keys but at least they were not her car or house keys. This is when I realized that I need to fix one of the cars to use as a spare...but like everything else in my life, it will have to wait.

Saturday evening I was outside watering the trees when I saw my neighbors drive up and a few minutes later their rowdy drunk son drove up and he seemed to have a lot of stuff in the back of his truck...geeze, did he leave his wife again?  I suppose that means loud music and firecrackers this coming Labor Day weekend.

I woke up at 5:00 a,m. this morning and since I could not go back to sleep decided to get up but not without first checking the weather on San Antonio's Channel 4.  At 5:19 a.m. it was 86 degrees with a heat index of 92 degrees.

While it was dark I had the five cats circling me as they demanded to be fed but I made them earn their keep by protecting me from a possible lurking snake. I came in from outside at 7:08 a.m. without having to see a single neighbor.

Took a shower and got an early start to my day as I had a lot of errands to run that I was unable to get to on Friday. It has been a long time since I had to make three trips to town but I did today.

The only store I remembered to bring my phone inside was Dollar Tree. Needed some mushrooms and was hoping to find some Sara Lee wheat bread.

While I found the mushrooms the only bread on the shelves was some no-name brand ones.

I saw this juice (fake wine) that fellow blogger Rick and his wife Kathy enjoy and smiled when I thought of them.

It was another hot day.  We had a high of 105 degrees.

With a heat index of 109 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.



Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Trip to Post Office / Recycling Center / Dollar Tree

Stayed up late last night writing checks so had to drive into town to mail them. I mentioned back in December 2019 that my post office lost two of my payments including their own payment for my annual P.O. Box fee. Their excuse was that they had new personnel. Since then another payment has been lost in the mail so I now mail things from Post Office #2 which is the main post office in Del Rio. This is where you can apply for a passport or renew your existing one in this area.

Post Office #2 in Del Rio, Texas

I had so many plastic bottles, metal cans, and junk mail that I needed to take to the Recycling Center and I took the opportunity to do so this afternoon.

I then headed to Post Office #1 so I could pick up my mail since it had been 9 days since I was last there.

This weekend I washed my favorite tennis shoes only to find that one of the traction strips (not sure of the correct terminology) was coming apart so I needed some super glue to re-attach it.  I decided to head to Dollar Tree to purchase some.

I had mentioned that Dollar Tree was now selling stuff costing more than that...now $3.00 and $5.00...so decided to photograph those items.

Fabuloso, Ajax and Palmolive...

Laundry detergent...

I know Clorox cleaners with bleach are in low supplies elsewhere but they had plenty on hand for $3.00.

Storage containers...

Pet beds are very reasonable may buy some in the winter to put in the boys' cuchas.

Electronics...

Plenty of Scott toilet paper and other no-name brands with no limits for $1.00 a four-pack.

I had no idea they also sold Viva paper towels...

I really did not need anything just bought super glue, a yellow highlighter, and some canned mushrooms (actually they come in glass containers) for my salads.

It was cloudy in the morning but the sun finally came out this afternoon.  We had a low of 73 and a high of 93 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Storms / Trip to town

We have had several severe storms this past week. While the rain is very much needed, we could do without the strong winds, thunder, lightning, power outages, and thankfully only pea-size hail.

We had a strong thunderstorm this afternoon but at least the power did not go out like it did on Wednesday. Just like then, I lowered the A/C to 75 degrees in case it did...the house would be cool...this is going to cost me!

The strong wind gusts have done a number on the trees, there are branches and limbs everywhere.  If you have been reading me for a while you know I HATE YARD WORK!

Friday, May 22nd I had to go pick up the mail at the P.O. Box as I was waiting for this year's insurance premium (Houston house) as I have a bad feeling that we are in for a heck of a hurricane season. While it had arrived the Flood Insurance which is billed separately had not.  Even though my house was not flooded during Hurricane Harvey or any prior storm before it...one never knows what catastrophe awaits with climate change.

I left early in the morning to run my errands and not seeing many cars at the main HEB stopped to get the items that are not usually carried at little HEB.  Filled up on pre-packaged salads and large containers of organic triple-washed spinach.

Happy to report that the darn "beer smugglers" had not made their presence felt yet. The beer coolers were well stocked and I took advantage of that. With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, the meat was going fast. Chicken was selling for $1.29 lb which is not bad since it usually sells for .99 cents a pound.

Noticed eggs had gone down to $1.49 a dozen for medium size but it was not the HEB brand.  However, name brands and larger quantities were still expensive. I still have not used the eggs I bought at Dollar Tree two weeks ago but will boil them soon now that I can eat them with my salads.

They are still out of Lysol disinfecting wipes but they did have some generic ones. They were well stocked with toilet paper as well as paper towels. While I did not need some...I went ahead and bought Charmin Ultra Gentle...one never knows when will be the next time it will be available.

This is selling for $12.97 at HEB
wonder what other parts of the country are paying for it?

Stocked up on canned goods, pasta, and cereal.  Since it was early there were not that many people and I am happy to report that they were all wearing masks!

I needed some items from Dollar Tree.  I think the lines are over and done with since the Governor decided to open up the state of Texas. I walked right in to buy what I needed and what is cheaper here than at HEB...like canned mushrooms, minced garlic, dishwashing liquid, frozen vegetables, as well as frozen fruits for our oatmeal and cereal.

I did buy a flex tub for $5.00 (remember I mentioned that they now carry items costing more than a dollar) so I can soak my fine washable until I work up the nerve to go into a laundromat. With my insomnia, I stay up late at night reading many blogs (that I do not comment on) I remember reading one where a couple bought a small portable washing machine for their RV but I will be darn if I remember which blog it was as he was going to post his review. If anyone knows which blog it is please let me know as I spotted it in someone's sidebar.

I must say it took me longer to wipe down and bring in all my purchases than it did to actually shop for them.

Today we had a low of 73 a high of 96 with a heat index of 100 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

A cloudy, gray and miserable day / HEB reasurring E-mail

It was a cool and drizzly morning when I went outside to look for the boys so I could serve them breakfast...only not to find them...who knows where they were at.  It was much too cold for my liking so I went back to bed. I woke up a couple of hours later to a flashing alarm clock...really, another power outage?  We have had several this week!

On the upside, I am glad that Daylight Savings Time no longer affects me as it did when I was younger and working. I suppose a lot has to do with the fact that I am an insomniac so I do not have a regular sleeping schedule like normal people. Another positive is that it gets dark later and I can drive back from San Antonio or any other city without having to book a hotel as I have poor night vision.

I find it ironic that HEB sent me an e-mail reassuring me and its many customers about all the steps they are taking to keep their customers safe and to make sure we have access to the supplies we need to combat the coronavirus.  I have yet to see such communication from our local authorities.

I mentioned on another blog that I am grateful for the years I spent in Houston, Texas and how the City of Houston, as well as Harris County, instilled in its citizenry a philosophy of always being prepared be it for tropical storms, hurricanes or severe flooding. I credit them for making it easier for me to be prepared to handle this current health crisis.

I have supplies on hand to last four months though I think I could stretch it to six months or a little more. While I have more room in my Houston house than I currently do at Mom's house, I have begun using the non-working cars as storage as they are parked in the garage/carport and for now, the heat is not a factor.

Yesterday after visiting Home Depot I paid a visit to Dollar Tree. I remembered one of their employees told me some time ago to make sure I came early on Saturday or Sunday as they try to be fully stocked for their Mexican customers from Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila.

I heeded said advice and was able to pick up Disinfectant Wipes as well as Spray Disinfectant that was sold out on my last visit.

Rob, if you are reading me I am sorry to say that a lot more people must have known about the homemade hand disinfectant hack as they were sold out of Aloe Vera gel.  Not worried though, I have plenty on hand.

Since I am a Nosey Rosie, I was looking at what people were buying. Observed that people from Mexico were purchasing regular stuff they have always bought while we Americans were buying up things to survive this pandemic.

Today we had a low of 61 and a high of 74 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

The return of normal weather

While this morning it was still cool for this area at 43 degrees (?) I ventured out to be one of the first at the laundromat. Well, I wasn't...there were four other cars there.  Got off to check if the one washer that has a special price for us regular customers who know of its existence was available but it was in use.

Would not have minded paying the regular price for another one but with three screaming kids running around to their heart's content while their mother was glued to her phone...decided to pass and try my luck another day.

Drove to the Stripes closer to the house (the one going to Mexico) instead of my favorite one on Veterans Blvd. to purchase a breakfast taco and a hot cup of chocolate.  It hit the spot.

Yesterday I had a very busy day and by the time I was able to go online the power went out twice so I decided to skip the post and go to bed instead. There have been a couple of power outages this week though they have not lasted long.

I have been waiting for a package coming from Argentina for over a month and that was using a courier service that then ended up being dropped off at the big post office where it was about to be sent back since USPS does not make home deliveries where we live.  It was thanks to my friend that sent the package that I was able to track it down.

I went back to Dollar Tree to purchase more cereal and canned goods then headed to Walmart.  Stocked up on more items before the coronavirus strikes this area and I will be scared to leave the house.  As of today, there are 65 confirmed cases in the USA but since so few people have been tested I am sure there are many more we do not yet know about. Just in San Antonio, Texas, there are eleven cases.

Gasoline prices have gone back down. Walmart had the cheapest price at $2.039 per gallon for unleaded gasoline.

Saw this neat little trailer in the parking lot. Unfortunately, the other side was the pretty side with all the red pop colors that matched their truck.  I wanted to take a picture but they had their door open and were running their generator, lol!

It was a nice sunny day with a low of 43 and a high of 77 degrees. Hmmm, as I am typing this KENS5 in San Antonio is saying that the low in Del Rio was 32 degrees, not 43 per Accuweather the website I use.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day

Yard work / Stocking up / Dave is back

Thursday night (Feb 20th) I could not go to sleep for the life of me finally managed to doze off Friday morning for three hours.  We have been having a lot of wind lately so had to pick up even more trash along the street side of the fence.

Noticed more weeds were growing so went and got my hula hoe also known as a stirrup hoe and tackled the bigger ones.

I was out there for about two and a half hours and I still was not able to get them all.  I hope it rains soon it would make the chore easier but then again, even more, would replace them.  It is a never-ending battle.

It was 2:12 p.m. and I had not eaten breakfast yet, came in to eat a quick bowl of cereal when the phone rang and I much prefer talking to my best friend than doing yard work!

My back was beginning to hurt so I decided not to push it and concentrated on filling up a large size cat food bag with old Houston phone books and magazines that were too far gone to make the cut for my next trip to the Recycling Center.

I went to bed as soon as my Spurs game was over and slept soundly for nine hours.

This morning I got an early start and ran several errands.  One of those included a trip to Dollar Tree where I was so glad to see the big size and regular size boxes of brand name cereal on their shelves.  On Wednesday, I paid $3.64 at HEB for a Family Size box of Cheerios.

I have been waiting for the opportunity to stop at a laundromat drove by two this morning. They were both packed, I suspect they will be for a while with this cold and miserable weather.  We had a low of 52 and a high of 68 degrees with the sun finally making an appearance.

A former blogger came back online Dave of "Living Out Here" fame.  Here is a link to his blog
http://livingouthere.blogspot.com/2020/02/lytle-tx.html

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day