Shopping, Rewards, Weather, & Walking

Today we tried a different route to Costco in Maple Grove. Our usual route takes us on back roads that curve and is supposed to be about 6 minutes quicker than other route choices. Joe has been concerned because there were so many turns and if we did not have WAZE or Google Maps, we would get lost each week. Today we took a more direct route of Minnesota 55 to Old Rockford Road (about 10 miles east of Rockford) and then it was pretty much one or two turns at most. It took six minutes longer but what’s six minutes when we are retired, and the highlight of our day is getting to know the countryside?

The countryside around the area is so beautiful that it’s not a hardship to take our time exploring. I noticed the other day that some of the farmhouse lawns are so green that they remind me of golf courses. In California I would see a green patch and assume it was a golf course and 99% of the time it was a golf course. Not true here.

The other highlight of the week was signing up for Cub Rewards – for those who have Raley’s rewards cards – it is similar. Savings and points for shopping. We also earn $.10 credit per gallon for gasoline purchases at Holiday stations for every $100.00 we spend and this increases over the month. If we spend $200 in the month, we get $.20/gallon credit and for every $100 more we spend we earn another ten cents to a maximum of $1.50/gallon credit. We have until the end of the following month to use the credit. On top of it, they give us a stamp for every $10.00 we spend in their stores, and we can use for either reduced price or free merchandise. Okay, it’s not that I necessarily need ‘stuff’ but why not collect the stamps and give what we earn as gifts?  It looks like the promotional items change quarterly. Right now, the prizes are different types of pans.

When the Cub employee asked me about the stamps, the first time I used my rewards card, I recalled my mom getting S & H Green stamps. It made me curious about whether S & H still does stamps and I discovered they are digitalized now. Anyone holding pre-digitalized books they never cashed in are out of luck unless they find a collector looking for the stamps or the booklets. I found it intriguing how times have changed. Except at Cub – the stamps are still paper!

Megan and I walked early this morning. Good thing at 8:00am it was 75 degrees, and the humidity was 83%. At 5:00 pm today it was 95 degrees, and the humidity was still 83%. We got home from shopping around noon, and we stayed in the house the rest of the day.  Perfect reason to read or watch a bit of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I am watching Season 2 and have discovered quite a few of the restaurants in either the Sacramento area or Minneapolis area have closed since COVID. Darn.

Today was day 12 of walks. I am happy about that. It feels good to get outside each morning and move around. I also do additional steps indoors so that I am building my stamina. The cul-de-sac walk has built in elevation changes. It’s downhill at the beginning (down the driveway) and uphill at the end (back up the street and driveway). Some days that small incline feels like the longest mile (It is 60 steps. I know because I counted them)! The mailbox is across the street and up a small incline an additional 45 steps from the top of Megan’s driveway. Somedays Joe beats me to the mailbox, but I have gotten the mail twice this week and feel like I accomplished something going up that extra incline.

Baby steps.