Tara texted me this morning about an automatic bank withdrawal. SiriusXM just charged $22. Is that monthly?? Because there were two question marks, I knew this displeased my wife. And honestly, it displeased me, too. For the past year, the monthly charge had been $7 and some odd change. I figured my one-year promotional period … Continue reading Shootout at the XM Corral
Tag: Mount Rushmore
Pretty In-Tents Weekend
First off, let me state for the record that I love camping. In theory. Often though, the reality doesn't match up to the picture you've painted in your head. I'd been looking forward to this weekend's getaway ever since I booked the reservation on December 20. When your backyard is knee deep in snowdrifts and … Continue reading Pretty In-Tents Weekend
London Calling
I've learned some really cool things about the Black Hills during the course of my job. Like the fact that there is a secret chamber behind Abraham Lincoln's head on Mount Rushmore that functions as a time capsule of sorts for future generations. It contains copies of important historical documents like the Declaration of Independence, … Continue reading London Calling
I Didn’t Want to be Don Draper
We recently started watching "Mad Men." I have no idea what took so long; I graduated from college with a BA in Advertising, after all, and once dreamed of living the Madison Avenue lifestyle. There's no way I wouldn't find the show compelling. What I did not find compelling was advertising. I knew I wanted … Continue reading I Didn’t Want to be Don Draper
Revolving Door
We've had a revolving door of houseguests over the past four weeks. I feel so popular! Following my FIL's visit the first weekend in August, my MIL and nephew came up for a few days. They drove the 1,200 miles from Tacoma to Rapid City, which I can tell you from personal experience is quite … Continue reading Revolving Door
The Buck Stops Here
Oh, Deer We have learned just how abundant deer are in the neighborhood. I see them every morning when I'm out walking. Sometimes, we don't even need to leave the house! We were playing cribbage and listening to records in the basement Friday night when Tara went upstairs to grab a beer. She saw this … Continue reading The Buck Stops Here
Banana Belt, My Ass!
Woke up this morning to a temperature of -13º (yes, that's a negative symbol in front of the number), which is about a million degrees below average. OK, maybe it's only 40 degrees colder than normal. "Only" being a relative term! Another relative term? "Banana belt." In case you have never heard of a banana … Continue reading Banana Belt, My Ass!
Today’s Theme is Buffalo
Before our South Dakota trip, I had one goal: to see a buffalo up close. Also, to eat buffalo. That part was easy enough: I ended up having buffalo, in one form or another, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. Seeing a buffalo? That was a little trickier. It was looking like a bust three-quarters … Continue reading Today’s Theme is Buffalo
Getting My Griswold On – Day 4: Black Hills
Miles traveled today: 166.8 Total miles traveled: 1547.2 It's Technically Not "Stealing" Since I Didn't Pocket Anything I forgot to mention yesterday the one downside to my motel in Rapid City: a crappy wireless internet connection. For some reason I cannot log on through the Super 8 server, so I have to look for other … Continue reading Getting My Griswold On – Day 4: Black Hills
Working My Way Back to Youth
In my last post, I mentioned that I've been taking stock of my life these days, and had been all introspective as of late. And that I'd come to some revelations. This is true; the biggest one being: my life is dull. It hasn't always been this way. As a child, I had many adventures. … Continue reading Working My Way Back to Youth
Mark My Words 