Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

Sweeney said:
I made it home this afternoon. I got to spend almost 2 weeks in the Dallas Area, no time for fun stuff sadly. But, I did have some of the best texmex I've ever had :)

This includes trips to at least 4 new bucc-ees. 3 in the Dallas area, and 1 in Missouri. I don't understand the crazy amount of money people spend there -- I mean I see shopping carts FULL of 'stuff' but I guess if that is your thing. I like the BBQ, it's not the best I've ever had, but it is good...

I also got to visit Wally's --- which is an up-and-comer. Currently, there are 2 locations. Northwest of Bloomington, Illinois (Pontiac), and another just west of St. Louis, with a 3'rd coming soon here to Central Indiana -- just northeast of Indianapolis. There are rumors of a Bucees too coming to the south side. I actually think I know exactly where they are looking at -- at one time it was supposed to be a Cabellas before the destruction when Bass Pro bought them.

Wally's is the "Home of the Great American Road trip" -- their mascot is a bear, and a classic Winnebago. The formula is the exactly the same as Bucc-ees - including BBQ, Gourmet Popcorn, and all the swag you can imagine. I stopped at the one in Fenton Missouri, and it was not bad! The 'Q was similar to Bucc-ee's, so I call it a win.

Anyway, I'm glad to be home. Of course, going from a daytime high of 75 to a daytime high of 30 is making me question my life choices...but you've got to take the good with the bad!
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For awhile we thought a Buc-ees would be built in my county in SC. The state and company could not work out how and who was going to pay to upgrade exit 21 on I-85 to handle the traffic increase, so it died.
 
Tour 931 said:
Kwik Trip beats Bucc-ees by a country mile. There is a sign on I-29 that announces Buck-we 762 miles ahead. I don’t remember the exact miles but it’s something ridiculously funny.
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We have a Kwik trip in our MN town, and like it. Kinda miss it here in AZ sometimes, maybe Bucc-ees will have to be our distant cousin substitute down here.
 
Van_and_Terri said:
We have 2 Bucc-ees (Daytona & St.Augustine) within 30 miles of us. Both are always crowded and I’ve seen an accident around the gas pumps on every visit. I try to avoid them now.
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The one in Florence, SC is dangerous on I-95. People are diving for the exit at the last second to get there. We decided on our New Mexico trip to not try one while towing the camper.
 
Warren Mary Ellen said:
For awhile we thought a Buc-ees would be built in my county in SC. The state and company could not work out how and who was going to pay to upgrade exit 21 on I-85 to handle the traffic increase, so it died.
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Greenwood has been wooing something like this for a long time -- they built the intersection I anticipate this going for a cabellas that never happened -- but the intersection appears to be capable from my observation. We'll see if it happens. The Wally's is a done deal, the buildin gis well under way. There are 2 existing locations as I stated above and its scope is slightly smaller -- its about as big as the smaller buc-ee's.

What I find interesting is the original Bucees just outside of Houston (I think) is still there --- it's just about the size of an old school 7-11. I'm not sure when they became the 400 pump mega-stations that they are today.


Van_and_Terri said:
We have 2 Bucc-ees (Daytona & St.Augustine) within 30 miles of us. Both are always crowded and I’ve seen an accident around the gas pumps on every visit. I try to avoid them now.
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That one is new - They all are busy. Though the around Dallas area there are probably a half dozen or more -- they are the big ones. And the crowds are much less -- I suspect unless you're in a tourist area like you are, or, up by Gatlinburg the novelty wears off and things return to something resembling normal. You may never get there becuase of tourists from all around the country/world that have only heard of this mystic place.


Tour 931 said:
Kwik Trip beats Bucc-ees by a country mile. There is a sign on I-29 that announces Buck-we 762 miles ahead. I don’t remember the exact miles but it’s something ridiculously funny.
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HAHAHAHA....why am I not surprised to hear you say that! LOL -- 215 or so is about the closest for me, ironically that same mileage within 10% is the same for two locations in Kentuky. The Wally's in Illinois is about the same distance. We're just 200 miles from everything at the moment!

----

Right now, my body aches from 13+ hours in a Chevy Express 2500 van -- with vinyl seats and plastic floor. My shouldes and back hurtin' really bad today. The 50 degree temperature swing isn't helping. Time to light the fireplace.
 
Kwik-Trip has the best customer service. The owners are filthy rich and decided to make a legacy instead of more million$. The employees share all of the profits and are treated like family. They in turn treat the customers with respect. Plus the food and coffee is fabulous.
 
Tour 931 said:
Kwik-Trip has the best customer service. The owners are filthy rich and decided to make a legacy instead of more million$. The employees share all of the profits and are treated like family. They in turn treat the customers with respect. Plus the food and coffee is fabulous.
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That is what you explained when we were running around Necedah CICO. I have to admit, I like it. The reason for being in business is to profit, that is a must. But having the motivation of serving your customer while treating employees well is a good thing.

Bucc-ee’s I"m sure isn’t perfect on the employee-care front, but they’re darn close. Good benefits, and great pay. Hekc, their bathroom staff (who are constantly cleaning — those restrooms are spotless!!) earn something around $23 an hour, and that’s one of the lower-paid jobs there.

I’m philosophically opposed to the minimum wage for one main reason: it defines the minimum, and some companies are perfectly happy to pay exactly that—and not a penny more. Early in my life, I worked those jobs. If they actually had to compete for good workers, I suspect wages at the bottom would be higher than they are today, and this is a fairly respected thought in economist circles.

They all state it differntly, but the most 'accepted' is sometimes called the “focal point” effect: the minimum wage acts as a coordination device or focal point that lets employers avoid bidding up wages. Some people even describe it as the minimum wage setting an artificial ceiling. Of course other models get name-called, but the functional mechanics are the same. Say a minimum, and thats what some will pay and nothing more. Eliminate the minimum and the wage scale will go up....or the company won't be able to attract people.

I’m glad there are at least a few companies out there that try to pay a decent, competitive wage. (We’re getting pretty deep into Austrian-economics territory here, aren’t we? )

On a lighter note, I love that the old 7-Eleven hot-dog-roller and Nacho Chips with a petroleum-based-cheese-food era is slowly fading. Companies like QT, Kwik Trip, Buc-ee’s, Wawa, and even smaller regional players like Leo’s and Wally’s are bringing genuinely good food to the road.

I just wish the big boys like Love’s and Pilot would step up their game a bit—the attached fast-food joints usually leave me unimpressed.
 
Aren’t the wages in Right to Work states lower? Most minimum wage jobs weren’t meant to be a career yet I know people that it’s the only job they have ever had.

No fresh snow for Christmas.
 
Tour 931 said:
Aren’t the wages in Right to Work states lower? Most minimum wage jobs weren’t meant to be a career yet I know people that it’s the only job they have ever had.

No fresh snow for Christmas.
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I'll be honest: I don't really know if union workers end up better off in the long run, and frankly, I don't care what the averages say.

Growing up, what I saw wasn't a tidy "3% higher annual wage" (which I thinks is the difference) -- What I saw were weeks or longer, where my dad desperately wanted to work but couldn't because of "strike votes" or stalled contract talks. We'd go without paychecks while the union "fought for us," and suddenly Spam, beans, and macaroni became dinner every night. I watched him stress over whether we could make the house payment because someone else decided it was time to walk the picket line. In the 80's he finally agreed and went to work for Notre Dame as a groundkeeper. He took a pay cut, but didn't have the stress of annual unemployment.

And the everyday nonsense: "I don't get paid to do that—you'll need to call a mover to shift that typewriter desk ten feet." Rigid job rules that slowed everything down and left good workers powerless. That kind of silliness isn't good for anyone - but its common. Heck, even an Electricain today can't even clean up thier own mess -- just go to a job site the day the electrician wrap.

Lastly, there's the dues—money taken straight out of paychecks and funneled to politicians. Growing up near Chicago (South Bend might actually be worse), I learned quickly in my early 20s that those local governments were literally the best money could buy.

Don't get me wrong: I have zero problem with real trade guilds like electricians, plumbers, or HVAC techs. Their apprenticeship models are solid—they teach safety and real-world skills while new guys earn their way up. That's voluntary, practical, and actually helps people build a career.

But the big industrial unions—Teamsters, UAW, the Hoffa-style outfits? No thanks. After what my family went through, I decided early on I'd have nothing to do with them. Ever.

As long as it is your choice to join a union, I "'m fine with it -- just don't force me to do it.
 
Sweeney said:
I'll be honest: I don't really know if union workers end up better off in the long run, and frankly, I don't care what the averages say.

Growing up, what I saw wasn't a tidy "3% higher annual wage" (which I thinks is the difference) -- What I saw were weeks or longer, where my dad desperately wanted to work but couldn't because of "strike votes" or stalled contract talks. We'd go without paychecks while the union "fought for us," and suddenly Spam, beans, and macaroni became dinner every night. I watched him stress over whether we could make the house payment because someone else decided it was time to walk the picket line. In the 80's he finally agreed and went to work for Notre Dame as a groundkeeper. He took a pay cut, but didn't have the stress of annual unemployment.

And the everyday nonsense: "I don't get paid to do that—you'll need to call a mover to shift that typewriter desk ten feet." Rigid job rules that slowed everything down and left good workers powerless. That kind of silliness isn't good for anyone - but its common. Heck, even an Electricain today can't even clean up thier own mess -- just go to a job site the day the electrician wrap.

Lastly, there's the dues—money taken straight out of paychecks and funneled to politicians. Growing up near Chicago (South Bend might actually be worse), I learned quickly in my early 20s that those local governments were literally the best money could buy.

Don't get me wrong: I have zero problem with real trade guilds like electricians, plumbers, or HVAC techs. Their apprenticeship models are solid—they teach safety and real-world skills while new guys earn their way up. That's voluntary, practical, and actually helps people build a career.

But the big industrial unions—Teamsters, UAW, the Hoffa-style outfits? No thanks. After what my family went through, I decided early on I'd have nothing to do with them. Ever.

As long as it is your choice to join a union, I "'m fine with it -- just don't force me to do it.
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I worked in construction for many years and worked with union and non union steam fitters and electricians and I always preferred union companies. Their training and supervision were always better. A non union company would take their best electrician (or steamfitter) and make him the forman - the best worker was usually not the best boss. Most of my work was on government funded jobs (worked in Washington DC) so companies had to pay the prevailing wage, so there was little cost savings going non union.
 
Alllrighty then. The holidays are over. The turkeys are eaten, the ham is gone, the candy now only contains things people won't normally touch....

Now...the diet.

I'm afraid to step on the scale. At my peak I was over 300 pounds, and lost almost 100 of 'em...the great unpleasantness happened where I put on a few. Since then, its been a gradule gain. Then last december, I got an invitation to go to Texas where I did my best to overdose on Mexican cuisine. Its time. I've got to get serious, my body is telling me with aches and pains that I havn't had in years the inflamation is back.

Here we go...shooing for 205 again. A physician friend of mine has said numerous times that limiting carbs is the only way to effectivly lose weight, and thats been my experience as well. So back on the Keto bus with intermittent fasting, which is really pretty easy anyway once you 'adapt'

What I find a little sad, is that the podcasts that I used for motiviation have gone silent. Jimmy Moore and Dr Adam Nally had the one I appreciated msot. Nally is a physicain, and brings a lot of knowledge. Jimmy however became a guest of the state and I have no idea where he is today. Either way...I just to find a way to keep motivated.
 
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I diet with portion control to keep my calories down. I can have 200 calories of cake which is one bite or those same 200 calories in pasta can be four ounces. Or I can eat a half pound steak. My AIC is low so apparently I don’t eat a lot of sweets.
 
Tour 931 said:
I diet with portion control to keep my calories down. I can have 200 calories of cake which is one bite or those same 200 calories in pasta can be four ounces. Or I can eat a half pound steak. My AIC is low so apparently I don’t eat a lot of sweets.
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Its not about sweets, its about carbs. Starch and Grain come into the equasion. Fortuantely for you, you seem to be able to regulate. This isn't where most people find themselves, and that is where my comment comes from. I envy you in a way...mostly becuase I can't find good bacon anywhere :) Since pandemic the quality of bacon has really gone to @#$.
 
I do not do dairy so the paleo diet has worked for me. I am not strict with the diet as I do some whole grains. My sugar level, triglycerides, and blood pressure were all high before I started last January and now all are normal so I do not need to take any medications. I have lost 30 pounds and feel much better. I do cheat and allow 1 piece of dark chocolate and a dram of whisky most nights. My goal is to lose another 20 pounds this year. I became my wife's caretaker last year and I do all the cooking and I have the time to cook from scratch which helps. I think carbs, refined sugars and processed foods are the problem.
 
Sweeney said:
Its not about sweets, its about carbs. Starch and Grain come into the equasion. Fortuantely for you, you seem to be able to regulate. This isn't where most people find themselves, and that is where my comment comes from. I envy you in a way...mostly becuase I can't find good bacon anywhere :) Since pandemic the quality of bacon has really gone to @#$.
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For me it’s about a balanced diet with reduced portions. I try for 50 grams each of protein, fat and carbs a day.
 
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