Tom had a great time seeing a few of his railroad buddies, all retired, spending a few hours together, sharing stories from long ago and updates on their current lives. They all had a good time, although they aren’t all smiling in these two photos. Hopefully, he’ll have an opportunity to see more of his old friends next time we visit the US.
Today, Tom is leaving at 12:45 when son TJ and daughter Tammy are picking him up for a two-night stay at TJ’s cabin in northern Minnesota. He won’t return until Friday afternoon, hopefully in time for the last family gathering at Billy’s before we depart next Wednesday. I will miss him, but I have plans for tonight and tomorrow night with my family.
Yesterday was a quiet day. We had no specific plans and wondered what we’d do for dinner. Around 5:00 pm, when I started getting hungry (Tom eats a bigger breakfast), we decided to order unwiches (bread-free subway sandwiches) from Jimmy John’s. We’d order online and then head five minutes from here to pick them up at their driveway, an easy plan.
Once we started adding ingredients we like to our bread-free sandwiches, our order totaled $45! This was a shocker. It didn’t include drinks or a side, just two sandwiches. But they aren’t filling without bread unless we get the large sizes. Then, we looked up prices at Champps Sports Bar for what we’d order if we dined at the local location, and moments later, we were in the car on our way there.
We each had a delicious filling meal: Cobb salad for me and burger and fries for Tom. I had one glass of wine, and Tom had a beer during “Happy Hour.” Our total bill, including the drinks, tax, and tip, was $55, only $10 more than we’d have paid for fast-food Jimmy Johns. If we hadn’t ordered drinks, which we wouldn’t have done at Jimmy Johns, the prices would have been the same for everything else. Wow! That’s surprising!
In the month and a half we’ll have spent in the US, we didn’t eat any fast food. One reason is that it seldom works for me, but the other is the ridiculous cost of it now. A dinner at McDonald’s for one person can easily cost $20; with a burger, fries, chicken tenders, and a drink, it’s over $20 with tax. Can you imagine the cost for a family of four or five for a trip to this fast food restaurant? It could easily be close to $100, if not more.
It’s no wonder how stressed parents and singles are these days trying to make a living to support themselves and their families while living in the US. It was high when we left here 11 years ago, and it’s so much more now with inflation over the years, especially over the past few years when food and housing prices have escalated so much.
This morning, Lindsey, the adult daughter of Connie and Jeff (who passed away at our holiday home in Marloth Park last year). Lindsey was in Marloth Park with us through the sorrowful event, and catching up with her at 11:00 am this morning when she comes to see me at the hotel will be fun. It will be wonderful to see her again.
This afternoon at 2:00 pm, Greg and Miles will pick me up at the hotel to go to the second playoff baseball game for the Minnesota Twins at Target Field stadium in downtown Minneapolis. I am a little apprehensive about climbing all those steps at the stadium and standing in the crowded line for long periods. Hopefully, we’ll get there early enough to get situated in our seats.
Grandchild Madighan will come to spend the evening and have dinner with me tomorrow evening. Having time to ourselves for the first time since we arrived will be wonderful. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, as well—busy times.
That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow with new photos and more.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, October 4, 2013:
