Tag: grocery store

The Price of Tea

On By Michel McDonaldIn Products I LikeLeave a comment

In my blog I talk about things that I find interesting or disturbing. My blog is more like a bad episode of Seinfeld. So… now I’m going to talk to you about the price of tea lol.

I went to the grocery store to buy some tea bags. I grew up on it and I like to make it as an alternative to soda. In my opinion it’s cheaper than anything else out there, all you need is a coffee maker, a tea jar and some sugar or sweetener. My mom used to brew it in the sun but I find it much faster to brew a pot of water in the coffee maker with the tea bags clamped on the coffee pot lid. I had an aunt who used to boil the water on the stove in a large saucepan then steep the teabags in the water then pour it into the jar. I like my way better.

I was a little confused about how much they charge for their teabags though because it didn’t make any sense. I was looking at the 100 count box which was $3.99. Ok that is a bit high but it’s not that bad I guess. But, I don’t need a big box, I just need enough to get by until Next week when I get some money. I looked at the box with 50 bags and it’s $3.49. What? It’s only .50¢ less? Well that’s not right. It’s half the bags, it should be half price right? $2! Then I looked over at the one that only had 25 tea bags and that one was $5.49 WHAT?!? How can it be possible? It has 1 quarter of the bigger box. How can it possibly be more? The box with 25 tea bags should cost $1 not $5.49.

Then I look and see all these boxes that only have like 10 tea bags and they cost more than the box of 100 bags. What is wrong with this picture? Why is tea so expensive when it’s in a smaller package? Why is this big box of 100 tea bags so cheap compared to the other ones? I don’t understand. And the box of 50 and 25 was the same exact brand and same exact flavor as the box of 100 bags.

Lipton, Lipton, Lipton, can we have a chat please? Is there something we can do to fix this? It just doesn’t make any sense what you are doing here. I just don’t see your logic in charging so much money for smaller packaging. It should be less but you charge more. Why? Is it because you are going broke? Is it because the packaging cost more than the tea itself? Maybe we can think of a cheaper way of packaging the tea bags then. I just can’t understand why you would charge so little for 100 bags but then jack up the price for the smaller boxes.

I’ve been a Lipton fan since I was a kid and I remember in my 20’s buying the smaller boxes of 25 bags and they were only $1.50 per box. I’m sure there was a mistake in pricing at the grocery store but it looked like it had the correct label so I don’t know. I just think that it’s a big waste of tea bags and packaging if nobody is going to buy the smaller boxes when they can get the bigger box so cheap. You know what I mean?

Ok, my tea bag rant is over lol. I’m stepping off my soap box now. Carry on.

Yes… that just happened.

Crewel Lye

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, XanthLeave a comment

I finished reading the 8th Xanth Novel today called “Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn”.

This was sort of different from the rest of the Xanth novels that I read. This time the story was all about Jordan the ghost. He was telling 5-year-old Ivy the story of his life and how he died.

In order for him to tell his story they had to clean the magic tapestry with a homemade cleaner (which was a crewel lye) but he died because of a crewel lie. See the pun? I forgot where it was but there was a reference to spinning a yarn (telling a story) but it was caustic? LOL I don’t remember now. The puns are getting a bit confusing.

I really hate giving too much of the story away just in case anyone hasn’t read it so I’m just gonna say that I liked it. Of course I like all of the Xanth novels so it’s hard for me to say anything else.

I don’t know what it is about these books but they are so easy and fun to read. During the time that I’m reading them, I feel like I’m in the story. Have you ever seen The Neverending Story? That’s the way it is except I’m not actually in the story lol. But I feel like I’m there watching instead of reading from my bedroom.

So that’s 8 Xanth novels down and 25 to go until they release the last 2 books then it will be 27 to go. My next book will be New Moon, the 2nd Twilight book. I bought it from the grocery store on December 3rd (impulse buy) and I still have yet to read it so it’s next on my list to read tomorrow.

My Free Nook Cover

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, crafts, eBook, NookLeave a comment

Last night while we were at Barnes & Noble, after I had already paid for the Nook, Darrin asked if I bought a cover for it. Well naturally I didn’t. I had only saved up just enough money to buy the Nook. I didn’t even buy the extended warranty (which I have 30 days to buy), how could I afford a cover?

We went over to the Nook display and I was looking at their prices. Some of them were $50. Some were as low as $10 but those were rubber and didn’t cover the book like a book cover. I don’t want that. We left with the thought that ‘I will eventually buy one’ in mind.

I’m sitting here looking at the Nook and thinking, I really wish I had a cover for it because now that I’m thinking about it, it starts to worry me. How can I possibly feel safe with the limited warranty that I get if I don’t have a cover to protect it if something happens.

As I’m looking at the covers available I’m noticing that they are basically just cardboard with plastic or fabric sewn onto them. I could do that. Could I do that? Yes, I think I can.

For some odd reason we still have the big box that Chips HDTV came in. The cardboard is really thick but it’s not too thick and it’s not too thin either. I want the cover to be strong enough that it won’t bend easily. I cut the top flap and the side in a book V shape. Although I needed to add another bend because this thing is a bit thick and I need it to wrap around in more of a U shape.

I have these book covers that I bought at the grocery store in 2007 when the final Harry Potter novel came out. Luckily it came out around the same time they started stocking the back to school stuff. It’s a stretchy fabric so it starts out small but stretches enough to fit a big history or science book. I bought 2 of them, black and red. They were cheap so I bought 2. They had some other colors but black and red were my favorite.

I’m really glad I’ve held onto them all these years because I was able to finally utilize one of them. I got the cardboard cut up perfectly so it’s just the right size for the Nook. I stretched the book cover over the cardboard and although it’s a bit long it fits and it kind of looks cool at how loose it is. It looks like it was on purpose that it’s so loose.

Ok, now I have a cover but how the heck is this thing supposed to really hold it? I’m gonna need some corners to hold onto it. How do I do that?

Solution. You know Rexlace? You know, the stuff that you use to make those cool key chains? Well, in 2004 (I think) I remembered how I learned how to make those key chains when I was in the cub scouts and I wanted to see if I could learn again. I bought a bunch of rexlace, even megalace. I thought the megalace would be really cool but it turns out that it was even more difficult to make that I thought.

I’ve held onto all that rexlace and megalace all these years. When I buy craft stuff, I may not use it all up right away but eventually I will have a need for it and tonight I had a need for it.

I have some black megalace and I pulled some of it out and held it up to the corner and measured how much I would need and cut 4 pieces. Ok, I have the pieces but how to sew it on? I started using a needle and thread but that was very difficult and time-consuming and the thread kept breaking.

Solution. I have a sewing awl. AHA! That works perfectly because the needle is thick enough to go through the cardboard and the handle makes pushing it through a breeze and the wax thread is thick enough that it will hold better than plain old sewing thread.

It took me awhile and since the thread was black, the megalace was black and the book cover was black, it made it very difficult to see in the poor lighting in my room. But it worked out. I have my book cover, the nook stays in place and I saved $50.

The only issue that I have is that the cover won’t stay closed so in order for it to stay closed I have to lay it down so that the weight of the Nook lies on the front cover to keep it closed. That’s fine though. I may eventually figure out a way to sew a latch on the front and back, like a buckle or something. I don’t know. I will figure it out, I always do.

So now my Nook is protected when not in use and when in use as well. I am very happy and satisfied with my handy work.

TerraTrike – The Rover – Official Site Of The World’s Most Comfortable Recumbent Trike / Recumbent Bike

On By Michel McDonaldIn Cycling, ExerciseLeave a comment

TerraTrike – The Rover – Official Site Of The World’s Most Comfortable RecumbentTrike / Recumbent Bike

Have you seen these before? I’ve seen people riding them on the Bakersfield bike trail and I’ve seen them at Snyder’s Cyclry (bike store) but I haven’t seen them this cheap. Although the 3 speed Rover is the least expensive, they go up from there.

I would be too afraid to ride one of these on the streets on the way to the bike trail because I’m too paranoid that I’m gonna get hit. We have some crazy drivers here who don’t care about my safety but instead only care about the thrill they get from turning me into a paranoid nut case. Yes, I’ve been hit by the driver of a pick-up who was looking directly at me when he hit me so I know from experience.

I wouldn’t mind riding one of these on the bike trail though because it does look a lot more comfortable than riding a regular bicycle. For one when you are ready to pull over to rest for a bit you don’t have to get up. Just stay seated. That’s another issue I have with the bike trail, there aren’t very many places to sit and rest. There are a few places but when your legs decide you need a break there is never a bench to rest on.

The downside that I see is that I wouldn’t be able to bring it to the grocery store because there doesn’t seem to be a basket in the back like most grandpa trikes have so I’d still need my regular bike for those trips.

Although, I can’t afford $800, if I were to get another bike it would probably be this. I would have to get a ride to the bike trail if I did get it, that is until I got comfortable enough riding it in the streets.  There aren’t too many cars early in the morning so that is the best time for me to go out on a regular bike or this.

People Say I’m Full of Bologna

On By Michel McDonaldIn FoodLeave a comment

Sing along with me. My Bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R. My Bologna has a second name it’s M-A-Y-E-R. Oh I love to eat it every day and if you ask me why I’ll say. Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.

My mother made me bologna sandwiches for lunch nearly every day when I was a kid until I was old enough to make them for myself. We alternated between bologna, ham and pb&j. When I took them to school as my lunch I much prefered the bologna or ham sandwiches as opposed to the pb&j because at least the mayo didn’t soak into the bread like the jelly did but at the same time, mayo shouldn’t be sitting in a lunch box or paper bag for a few hours before you can get to it. It’s a wonder I’m still alive lol.

I wasn’t really that big on the bologna though, I mean I liked it enough that I was eating it but I wasn’t this huge fan. I ate it because that is what was given to me. When I was on my own I never really voluntarily bought it for myself because after so many years of bologna sandwiches several times a week you get sick of it.

Over the last 20 years I’ve been more of a turkey or ham sandwich kind of guy. Occasionally a PB&J will do but not too often anymore since I found out that I was diabetic.

Yesterday I was at the grocery store looking for some lunch meat and I got to thinking, I haven’t had bologna in over 20 years. But, I’m trying to lose weight, should I? I looked carefully at each new type of bologna they had because there are more options now than there were in the last 40 years.

One caught my eye. Oscar Mayer 98% fat-free Bologna made with turkey. WHAT?!?! Turkey is a healthy alternative, a meat that I have been eating a lot of lately along with chicken. The regular bologna is about 170 calories (give or take) but this 98% fat-free bologna with turkey is only 25 calories with 0 grams of fat. Uh sign me up for that action.

The bread that I’ve found is called Nature’s Own and the whole wheat bread is only 50 calories per slice. The Kraft fat-free mayo that I’ve been using is only 15 calories for 1 tbsp which is enough mayo to spread on both slices with some leftover that you can put back in the jar. 1 sandwich is 140 calories with 3.5g of fat. That is not a bad sandwich if I do say so myself. It’s so good, I ate 2 and I didn’t feel one bit of guilt.

The turkey bologna tastes so much better than the original, although I’m not saying the original tasted bad, I liked it but this is better and has way fewer calories and no fat.

The good thing is that it wasn’t expensive either. Usually if something is good for you, it’s going to be expensive. I can’t remember the exact price but it was on sale for a buck and change. Although the regular price was two bucks and change.

So, I guess you could say that I am a bologna person again, as long as they keep making this stuff I’m on board with it.

Goodbye Bicycle

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

Well so much for exercise.  I went to the grocery store and as soon as I got on the bike to come home something felt a little strange with the chain.  I rode in front of the store from where I locked my bike at and tried to fiddle with the pedals to find out why the chain was giving me trouble but I couldn’t figure it out.

So I was fine to ride to the street I turn right on but then it started acting a little strange, the wheel didn’t feel right, it was wobbling.  I got off the bike in the middle of the street and had to walk it over to the sidewalk.  At first I thought the townie basket was coming off and was pushing against the wheel so I took the heavy groceries out.  That wasn’t it.

I still didn’t see it because the sun was almost finished going down so it was too dark to see, but then I saw it.  The bolt that goes all the way through the wheel was sticking out too far on the left.  The 2 nuts on the ride side were gone, I don’t even know what happened to those.  So since there was no long bolt to hold on to the frame on the right side the wheel couldn’t keep me balanced since it was only holding on the left side.

I had to walk the rest of the way home carrying 1 heavy grocery bag on my left hand and 1 light but still annoying grocery bag on my right hand while both hands held onto the handlebars.  The entire time I was walking the back wheel was rubbing against the brakes and making this awful noise which I can’t explain how it sounded.  Well, it sounded like some deep voiced animal either dying or giving birth.

I have 2 missing bolts and no idea where they are and no money until next week to be able to do anything about it.  It’s not going to be expensive, well, I don’t think it will be.  I mean it’s just a matter of screwing the bolt centered again and buying 2 nuts right?  Maybe?  I’m sure the nuts aren’t too expensive at Home Depot or maybe the bike store has them cheap.  Or who knows, maybe I have to bring the back wheel to the bike store and have them fix it and charge me $20 for it.

I wonder how this happened.  Last weekend when I rode the bike on my 22 mile trip I tightened everything .  In fact I did a full maintenance job on the entire bicycle to get it ready to ride with no issues.  How in the heck could that bolt screw itself all the way to the left?  It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Whatever, it doesn’t matter.  I’ll get it fixed and everything with be fine… blah blah blah.

Update 2011-01-28: As of this date I still do not have a new back wheel.  I just can’t afford it.

We Cheated with Taco Bell

On By Michel McDonaldIn Diet, HealthLeave a comment

When I was a teenager we used to go to Taco Bell and we would have about 2 or 3 tacos each and we never gained any weight.  Why?  Because we were fit already and we were athletic so we could eat all the tacos we wanted as long as we remained active.  Although, even back then we didn’t go ALL the time, we went once in a while.

Taco Bell was never my downfall.  I don’t see Taco Bell as being the cause for my weight gain because during the time it took me to get fat Taco Bell was never on the menu.  Every once in a while it was but it is not what made me fat and I can’t say it contributed to it either.  Actually fast food was never what made me fat.  It was always what I bought from the grocery store and made at home.

In the 10 weeks that I’ve been on this diet we have had a no fast food policy.  Although, we don’t regularly go to fast food restaurants anyway, we just figured that if we never went at all then we would be ok.  I would say that in a year we would probably have maybe 4 trips to a fast food restaurant.  So it’s not like I’m depriving myself of something that I never have.

Today I was thinking about Taco Bells new fresco menu on the approved SparkPeople list for fast food restaurants.  I looked at the calories for the fresco soft taco and it was basically the same as a regular soft taco.  Well, the Fresco soft taco is 180 calories, the regular soft taco is 200 calories.  It doesn’t matter if it’s beef or chicken, it’s the same amount of calories.  I didn’t really want the fresco because the salsa they put on it has onions which I cannot stand.  So, I chose those extra 20 calories each.  I had 2 soft tacos for 400 calories and I don’t regret it at all.  And if you think about it, that’s only 40 calories more than if I chose fresco.

The reason I don’t regret eating 400 calories in 1 sitting is because it’s today only.  I’m not going to have Taco Bell again for maybe another 6 months or maybe longer.  I can’t say when we will have it again but I do know that it won’t be any time soon.

If you deprive yourself of things that you like to eat then one day you will end up bingeing on it.  So, it’s good to eat the things you like every so often.

I’ve lost 31lbs so far and believe me, I don’t plan to gain it all back so by eating taco bell tonight and getting the craving over now will make sure that my weight loss continues.

Premium M&M’s

On By Michel McDonaldIn FoodLeave a comment

mandm-premium-box-mocha-216x300I’m not a rich man, not by any means so when I buy M&M’s I have to buy them when they are on sale.  So when I was at the grocery store looking for the cheap candy I noticed that the premium M&M’s had a clearance on the Mocha flavor for $1.79.

They are kind of strange looking.  It’s kind of like a bronze color with brown flecks.  Normally when I eat M&M’s if they are the plain I suck on it until it dissolves completely.  That way I get the taste for a lot longer.  These are different.  The shell has no flavor at all.  It’s kind of like sucking on a marble.  So my instinct is to just bite down and chew it.

It tastes good.  I love anything that is coffee flavored and this is Mocha so it works for me.  But like I said, it had a clearance tag on it.  What does that mean?  It means they no longer make it and they are on sale to get rid of them.  I know this for a fact because I went to the M&M’s website and they don’t even have this flavor listed anymore.  I had to do a search just for the photo to add to this blog post.

So after this bag is finished (give me 5 minutes lol) I’m never going to buy them again because they are about $4 at the store at their regular price and that’s a bit too rich for my blood for candy.

You Don’t Get Paid To Recycle Bottles? Whaaat?

On By Michel McDonaldIn Green, RecycleLeave a comment

I am talking to a friend that I have known for many cycles.  We’ve been online buds since 1997 when I first got online and was using AOSmell going into the Astronet Chatrooms.

We are talking about recycling.  I was telling her about how much I get paid here in Bakersfield, CA for recycling cans as opposed to how much I get paid to recycle 2 liter bottles.  She lives in St. Louis, Missouri and she informs me that she gets money for recycling the cans but they don’t allow them to profit off of 2 liter bottles yet they charge her .05¢ on top of the regular cost to buy a 2 liter bottle.

This is just another example of how “the man” is trying to screw you out of your hard earned money.

This is what I asked her:

Mike:
ok just so I get my facts straight…

you can recycle 2 liter bottles but they don’t allow you to make any money? yet they allow you to make money from recycling cans correct?

and they make you pay for the blue recycling cans and make you recycle?

Susan:”
right you don’t get money from any plastics at all you can get money for cans it is like 30 cents a pound for cans but nothing for any plastics we have to have them recycled and picked up by the contracted trash company for the city. some cities don’t even get a choice

Are you listening America?  They don’t even give you a choice in some cities.  They charge you .05¢ for the bottles yet they don’t give it back to you.  That’s what the point of the California Redemption Value (CRV) is, that’s why they charge us the .05¢, so you will recycle it, so you may get your change back.

I was at the grocery store yesterday where I bought a 12 pack of diet Dr. Chill (a new albertson’s generic brand lol) and it was on sale for $2.67 which was the only reason I bought it in the first place then the total was over $3 and I was like what?  I thought it was $2.67 and she said CRV and she pointed on the screen that it shows .60¢ CRV charge.  That’s .05¢ per can.  Yeah, you are damned right I’m recycling that shit.

Cracka Please

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

Why is it ok now for African-American people to call white people cracker all the time?  I want to know why this is accepted!  That is not a compliment.  They are calling white people cracker just like white people called them another word that begins with a N.

I’ve never called a “black” person a name in my entire life.  Nor have I ever called a Mexican person or a Jewish person or an Indian (not native American but they count too) or an Irish person any race a derogatory name.  In my ENTIRE life.

The reason I’m blogging on this subject is because I went to the grocery store this evening to buy some dinner.  I was standing at the express lane check stand and these 2 women got in line behind me.  One mentioned that she forgot the cracka’s and the other said oh I hate cracka’s.  They said the word cracka (not cracker) about 15 or 20 times and they didn’t just say the word cracker, they said the word cracka with attitude, they accentuated the word as if they weren’t really talking about food.  It just sounded very racial to me.

I’m not a paranoid person either but it just sounded funny that they said it that many times you know?

I understand that a lot of black people are angry.  I get that.  I really do understand because what their ancestors went through is enough to make anybody angry but come on, it was hundreds of years ago.  Lincoln freed the slaves get over it.  Yes black people were treated very poorly even in the 1950’s and 60’s.  They weren’t even allowed to marry white people in the 70’s and I’m sorry for their loss of freedoms.  But what they don’t understand is that, I wasn’t around during the time of their oppression.

My family wasn’t even in this country during slavery times so I have nothing to do with what their ancestors went through.  My mother’s side was in Ireland and Scotland and my father’s side was in Germany.  I have nothing to apologize for because my blood didn’t spill their blood.  My blood line wasn’t racist against them either so back off.

If anything, I’m the one being oppressed now, not just by the African-Americans but by all of America especially California because the government in California is telling me that I cannot get married so take that.  Black people weren’t allowed to marry white people until the 70’s well guess what, I can’t get married either in 2009.

It’s the year 2009, we are halfway to 2010.  Don’t you think it’s time for racism and sexual discrimination to end?  How about all discrimination?  Hows about we make a deal kay?  I won’t call you any names (as I haven’t my entire life) and you don’t call me a cracka anymore kay?  Thanks.