The good, the bad and the ticked me off!

June 4 – After breakfast today we didn’t walk since we were headed to Little Rock for the day.  We wanted to check out the city a bit and get a feel for when we pick Kam up at the airport in a couple of weeks.  Also, since we’re in a dry county, surrounded by dry counties, I wanted to make an alcohol stop! 

As we drove in I made note of the liquor stores, I think they are the ones Kurt has told me about, and also the Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond so we could make those stops on the way back.  We headed for the AAA office first.  I have to say I did not do a very good planning job for this year’s excursion.  I didn’t order a single map or travel book.  So we stopped and got what we think we’ll need for the rest of the summer and asked some questions about where some of the stores were that I wanted to make a stop at.  No World Market so we will have to ration our products from there until we leave AR.

The young woman at AAA was extremely nice and helpful.  We could not have asked for better service.  She told us where the closest Michaels was, as well as Hobby Lobby, Bed Bath and Beyond and Bath and Body Works.  The plan was to go to one of the craft places and Bath and Body and then to have lunch downtown at Doe’s.  Kurt has told us about it ever since he married Donnette.  They close in the afternoon and re-open for dinner so we needed to catch them for lunch.

I got my paint to repair my yellow earrings and the Bath and Body was at the mall but we got a great parking space and it was close to the entrance.  That is a really nice mall, reminded us of Millenia, multi-leveled, upscale shopping.  I did well with my stop as what I wanted was on sale and of course I had several coupons!  I paid $19 for $56 of products, so I was happy.

Inside Doe's

Bill was concerned about parking downtown but Doe’s is a very old sad looking place in the middle of law offices and there was plenty of street parking.  Guys in dress shirts and ties were coming and going.  Their big thing is steaks served family style but they have other selections for lunch.  Bill got a homemade burger and fries and he commented that a fresh made burger always tastes so much better than others.  I knew I was having tamales as I remembered Kurt

It ain't pretty!

telling me they are good.  I had the side salad with the house dressing which was very lemony with a kick.  I’d love that recipe!  My 3 tamales came with a bowl of chili, real chili, meaning mostly meat in a thin sauce, not all thick with tomato chunks.  I cut my tamales up in bite size pieces and put them in the chili!  It was delicious!  I’d like to go back at night for the steaks.  You order them as a 2-3-4 or larger pounds and they come with fries and maybe a salad, I didn’t read it all.  We saw 2 guys get one to share.  She said it was a 2-3 pound sirloin and it was huge.

Arkansas Capitol

After a photo session out front we drove to the Capitol building for a photo op also.  There was a string of school busses lined up out front was many different towns, districts and a lot of police officers trying to keep the traffic moving without incident.

We got back on the highway out of town and stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond first.  I was in the check out line and Bill had brought in a coupon I left in the car when I discovered I didn’t have my debit card.  He used it to pay for lunch and I used cash for the tip we left but didn’t really remember putting it back in my wallet!  Crap, crap, crap!  Bill gave me his card and went to the car to check on it, called the restaurant and she looked at the register, our table and outside where we took photos, but no card!  Bill had given me the car keys and went back in before we left to use the restroom so we think it fell out and we didn’t notice.  In the parking lot of Target I called BMO and what an ordeal to cancel a card.  You would have thought I was trying to use it, not cancel it.  My emergency password is at home on a rolodex card and I didn’t pass any of the security questions.  I did finally remember I had a receipt with the last 4 digits of the card so she cancelled it but would not send a new one.  No big deal, I called my branch where 2 of the ladies know we over the phone and got a new one ordered but it will be sent to the house.  Hopefully it comes before Kam flies out or she will have to mail it later.

Target was disappointing as it was not a “Super” Target and I mostly was going for the grocery section.  Left with just a couple of things I wanted.  We spotted a Barnes and Noble in the same plaza, which was not on our list but since the one in Winter Garden closed and I had a gift card from Kam for there we made a stop.  The card covered a cookbook for me (like I need one, I know, but this was gluten-free baking) and 2 books for Bill and I got .70 back!  I sprung for drinks at the in house Starbucks and Bill was excited!  It was so yummy, Java chip frappuccino. 

The last stop was for wine and booze!  The first place didn’t have the wine I wanted but I bought 2 bottles anyway and my Gentlemen Jack.  The second place was much larger with a much better selection and I was able to get the wine I wanted so got 3 more bottles.  That should last me a while.

The ride home was uneventful but nice to be on roads with plush greenery and some rises and falls in the landscape.  It really is much prettier than Florida.  By the time we unloaded the car and put everything away it was time to make dinner.  I used my last frozen meal with a salad.  Bill cleaned up the kitchen and I put out corn for my pets and  just relaxed until it was time to go to work at 8.  The times goes fast.  We had quite a few walk-ups with questions and wanting sites for the weekend and waited until the last minute.  Of course they all want the prime sites with water and electric and those are gone.  I worked on some scrubbies while Bill watched TV and he answered the phone tonight.

As we were leaving for work 2 of the deer were outside the RV but not at the feeder.  Maybe they had eaten it all already.  They hung out in the woods for a long time!