by

Town Run

One cheque I’ve been expecting was here today, but not the one I was hoping for. The one I got was for 198USD from Amazon (thank you again to everyone who uses my affiliate link!). I wanted to buy 200USD, so I thought I could just get the 198US straight up. Nope! I had to convert the cheque to CAD and then back to USD. I lost 15CAD in the exchanges. Based on my banking history, I was advised that I should open up a USD account. I’ll investigate that next year.

I then went to the SaskTel dealer to unlock my cell phone and was told that I needed to call the toll free number to do that. I informed the clerk that the toll free number had told me to do it in person and was haughtily told, “Yes, I can do it for you, but you still have to pay the $50.” Nowhere in the exchange we had previous to that did I even mention the $50 unlock fee, much less that I had any issue with it (for things like that, choose to just accept rather than fight). So now the phone is supposed to be unlocked, or at least it will be once I go through some steps to reset it.

I was also told that I can call SaskTel on Friday, or whenever I’m ready to leave, and they will suspend my account for three months. My monthly fee is $70 plus tax and I was resigned to paying that for eight months, so I’m glad to save the three months!

I had some bottles and cans to return and got $11.40 from that. Lunch at the buffet in town is $11.45 with the tip, so I took that as a sign to go have lunch even though I hadn’t planned on it! As I’ve been posting on Facebook, I’ve been keeping myself rather creatively fed as I work through my stores, but I’m really due for a ‘proper’ meal. So lunch was rather appreciated, especially since they had baked ham as a special item (no extra charge) and it was cooked and seasoned exactly the way I like it. Yum!

I also stopped at Peavey Mart to buy a good quality tarp to cover the front part of Miranda’s roof. I haven’t had a leak in several rainy days, so I’m thinking the caulking I put up there finally cured, but I don’t want to take a chance with the snow melt in the spring. I have no idea yet how I’m going to secure the tarp, but I’ll figure something out. 🙂 While at Peavey, I also bought a better, weatherproof, lock for my breaker box. The one I’ve been using is incredibly stiff and no amount of lubricant is helping.

Gas was ‘only’ $1.23 today, so I filled up, not being certain of how soon after the border I’ll hit a gas station. I hoped to find a map book or at least a map of Montana at the gas station, but there was nothing. I’ll pick something up in Billings because I like to have the paper as a backup. I’m also going to buy a new GPS. I’ve been using an app on my phone that isn’t bad, but it’s just not as user friendly as a dedicated GPS. I also need to have some work done on the truck (oil change and possibly the brakes), so I might end up in Billings for a few days.

I should be done with my work by tomorrow night and then I can spend Friday morning getting the property closed up. So I’m guessing I’ll be on the road by early afternoon Friday, as long as the cheque is here by then. I’m going to ask about when it was sent if it’s not here tomorrow.

Driving my truck into town today, I couldn’t help but be eager to take her out for a long stretch. My Moya’s happiest on the long hauls. We’re a good match. 🙂

12 thoughts on “Town Run”

  1. We usually stop at the State welcome center located near the borders of States. They always have free maps, literature, coupons and usually free coffee, bottled water or something from the State. These are usually on the Interstates so if you travel the secondary roads it might nor be an option.

    Another good source of maps and State guide books is the official State website. They are always happy to mail you maps and guides. You have to do this early of course as the mail takes time.

  2. My ‘problem’ is that southern SK and the bulk of MT are wide open and empty. 🙂 No rest areas or towns worth mentioning between here and Billings, and Billings is quite a long day (about 800KM), so I’ll probably do an overnight in between.

    Only one rest area I’ve ever stopped at had coffee worth drinking. Trying to remember which one. Might have been Virginia.

    I have taken advantage of the free guides in the past. Texas sent me a lovely welcome package! 🙂

    • No, I mean the actual staffed State Welcome Center that is usually within a mile or less after entering a State. They are buildings with a reception counter, clean washrooms and racks of information. The maps are at the reception desk for the asking.

      • Yes, I know, Croft, but there’s no such VCs out in my part of Montana. I’d have to be closer to the Interstate system, like crossing at Coutts/Sweetgrass (shudders). 🙂

        When I was traveling in the States with Miranda, I made full use of all the freebies at the VCs along the way! I remember the lady at the Louisiana VC took all the pamphlets I picked out and sorted them by location!

  3. The visitor center in Natchez, Mississippi, has a free coke fountain and coffee for visitors, blew my mind. Have a safe trip Rae!
    I will read about your travels from Florida. Yeah! Where the visitor centers have Orange Juice!

    I think it was either Montana or Wyoming, where you can do a free coal mine tour and they would come and get you at the visitor center. We passed. lol

  4. Gina, I really wish I could remember the visitor centre with good coffee. They had pastries, too! And I would hope that Florida VCs have orange juice! 🙂

    I’d be up for the coal mine trip! 😀

    Thanks for the good thoughts. Can’t wait to get going!

  5. That coal mine tour is probably the FREE tours available from Alpha Coal West at their Eagle Butte Mine during the summer months, Monday through Friday at 9 am and 11 am. Tours last approximately 2 hours. Please call ahead (307) 686-0040 for reservations as seating is limited. Campbell County is one of the largest coal producers, and is known as the “Energy Capital of the Nation.”
    This is out of Gillette, WY. Black Thunder is one of the largest single coal mining complexes in the world and the first coal mine in the world to ship 1 billion tons. I don’t think they do tours but you can see portions of it from the highway. It is south of Gillette.

  6. Where is the Amazon link on this new site of yours? I can’t find it. Are we supposed to go to your old site to click on the amazon link?

  7. I should add one! Thanks for the reminder! Most people have it bookmarked. I really don’t get many click-thrus from the blog.

  8. I bookmarked your site then go to it to click on your Amazon link. I thought that was the way to do it. I will explore…..

  9. That’s just one way of doing it. Most folks click on the link and then bookmark the resulting page as ‘Rae’s Amazon’, or something along those lines.

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