Tory Richards's Blog, page 184

PARTY TIME!5/26-5/31LOTS OF FUN

PARTY TIME!
5/26-5/31
LOTS OF FUN

Senior Discounts

Someone sent me this list so I thought I'd share it with you. Have no idea where they got it from but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it? All they can say is no.
Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for free.

Restaurants
Applebee’s: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Arby’s: 10% off (55+)
Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan’s: discount varies by location
Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+) I have been getting a free drink with a sandwich
Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)
Chili’s: 10% off (55+)
CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Culver’s: 10% off (60+)
Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+)
Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)
Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+)
Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior platter (55+)
Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off (55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)
KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)
Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations (55+)
McDonald’s: discounts on coffee everyday (55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
Shoney’s: 10% off
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
Subway: 10% off (60+)
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off (55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy’s: 10% off (55+)
White Castle : 10% off (62+)
Retail And Apparel
Banana Republic: 10% off (50+)
Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month (50+)
Belk’s: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)
Big Lots: 10% off
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+)
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
Clarks : 10% off (62+)
Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)
Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kmart: 20% off (50+)
Kohl’s: 15% off (60+)
Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+)
Grocery
Albertson’s: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)
Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)
Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55+)
Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
Uncle Guiseppe’s Marketplace: 5% off (62+)
Travel
Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
Alamo : up to 25% off for AARP members
American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
Best Western: 10% off (55+)
Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+)
Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)
Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members
Greyhound: 5% off (62+)
Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance
Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)
Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
Motel 6: 10% off (60+)
Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members
Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up
United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Activities And Entertainment
AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)
Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)
Busch Gardens Tampa : $3 off one-day tickets (50+)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
Regal Cinemas: 30% off
Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)
SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)
Cell Phone Discounts
AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service (50+)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).
Wendy’s: Free drink with meal.

Miscellaneous
Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)
Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

Cats on Crack

Well not really. I bought my babies a new toy which came with catnip. They each took their turn playing and rolling all over it. This is what Gin Gin looked like when she was done. She collapsed in a drug induced sleep with her eyes open. They looked glazed over! It was so funny. Then when she wakes she decides to claim the toy for herself. As you can see she practically covers up the whole thing.

The problems with being BUSTY!

If you're busty and you know it clap your hands. Ok ladies, who can relate to this? I know I can, some of it anyway.



constantly tucking them back into your brawhen you go to a restaurant and sit in a booth, they have nowhere to go but onto the tablecan't get close enough to your plate so you have to bring the food to you, in which case some of it ends up in your cleavage or staining the front of your blousewhen you go to bed at night and lay down on your back, they rest against the bed on either side of you (I guess this one would be good if you're breast feeding twins)when you go to the doctor and  have to strip, they give you that little square tissue to hold over your breast, you have to put your arms underneath the sides to keep them beneath that tissueyou feel like you're being molested when you get a breast examwhen the mammogram technician has to use both hands to pick up one breast, and she makes a sound like she's strugglingwhen you get a mammogram and they can't get an ex-ray of the entire area so you have to get two ex-raysyou work at a desk and by the end of the day the weight of them have pulled you down so that your slumped over and they are resting on your desk topyou're typing a document and when you reach forward for something your breasts land on the keys and before you know it you have 2 or 3 lines of letters that make absolutely no sensethey make a good cat bed
Sucks, doesn't it? Have I left anything out?

Winners

Leni, congratulations! You win an autographed copy of The Senator's Daughter . Please contact me to claim your prize. Thanks!


Rissa is my winner for the Sinful Sirens Blog Hop! Congratulations on winning a copy of The Mercenary Way . Please contact me and claim your prize. Thanks!

Monday Man Candy

Great bod! Nothing wrong with a hairless chest but I've always liked a little hair where it needs to be. Especially at the belt area. Sexy!

Does the phrase, "Save a horse ride a cowboy" come to mind? Whew! I could personally save a lot of horses with this one:)

Around the World with Virginia Campbell

TAKE A "MINDCATION"--READ A GOOD BOOK--VISIT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS




When warm weather comes to stay for a while, it's the perfect time for cookouts, outdoor concerts, and enjoying the pleasures of the sun on your face and the fun of bare toes in fresh cut grass. Savor the abundance and variety of fresh produce from Farmer's Markets, or the bounty of your own garden. Don't just stop and smell the roses. Take time to watch the butterflies, hear the buzz of the bees, and let Mother Nature's aromatherapy work its wonders. Find the time to laze in the fresh air with lots of good books. A backyard "mindcation" is a wonderful, inexpensive, and easy way to escape for a while from the everyday issues of life. I very much appreciate my personal freedoms. Due to my financial constraints, I have a very modest lifestyle. However, I find great delight in simple things and I have an unlimited imagination. I get up very early each day, and I relish that morning time with my coffee, my newspaper and my computer. That's the way I prepare myself for the rest of the day and dealing with the world at large.


I read a wonderful book which brought home to me how precious freedom really is, and how high the cost is of preserving that freedom. "The Soldier's Wife" by Margaret Leroy is a thoughtful, well-told tale based on the true German occupation of the small Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II. After I read the novel, I researched the facts of the occupation, and the real story is just as compelling as the fictional account. Reading them both enhances the collective story content. Vivienne de la Mare is the wife of an English soldier, and she and her two daughters live with her mother-in-law at the family home in Guernsey. Vivienne's husband was absent from her life long before he went off to war. His affair with an actress alienated him from Vivienne's heart. Left to care for her mother-in-law, who is rapidly succumbing to dementia, Vivienne makes life as pleasant as possible for her two young daughters. When the German occupation arrives in an intense and violent manner, many rapid changes occur in the life of the islanders. German soldiers take over the empty house next to Vivienne's, and she becomes involved with one the officers. Theirs is a poignant, passionate, and ultimately improbable affair. During the time of the occupation, Vivienne is faced with many difficult decisions, some of which may have dangerous consequences for those she loves. "The Soldier's Wife" is written in a beautifully descriptive style, and it offers glimpses into both sides of the horror of the second world war. The shades of survivorship are well represented.



My mother and grandparents often talked about food shortages and rationing during the Great Depression and later during World War II. My grandparents were very resourceful, skilled in gardening and preserving food, and practical in making the most of what was available. As a matter of survival, the characters in "The Soldier's Wife" had to learn to do the same thing. Used to the bountiful produce from the land and the sea, and the superior dairy products from the famous Guernsey cows, the islanders suddenly were faced with scrambling to find substitutions for everyday foods. They learned to use vegetables in many different ways including making flour from dried ground beans and coffee from roasted and ground parsnips. I am not sure that I would be that resourceful, but we never know what we are capable of until we are faced with great challenges. One of my favorite scenes in "The Soldier's Wife" involves the rapture of Vivienne's struggling family's enjoyment of an unexpected gift of overripe peaches. The fruit was sweet and succulent, and it seemed like a taste of Heaven. The juice from the peaches ran freely down their chins as they gratefully devoured their fruity treasure. You will also greatly enjoy reading about the Channel Islands in "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.



Some traditional food favorites enjoyed by the islanders of Guernsey are "Guernsey Gâche" (Pronounced Gosh), a type of fruit cake/yeast bread; "Bean Jar", a hearty dish made with dried beans, onions, and pork; and Gâche Mélée (pronounced Gosh Mel - are), a type of apple tart. Seafood is plentiful, and abalone is a native delicacy. Vegetables are plentiful and varied due to the mild climate of the islands. The dairy products are of the finest quality due to the world-renowned Guernsey cows. I have adapted some recipes in order to share with you the flavor of the islands. I am also providing some links to information about theChannel Islands. It's a tiny, but tremendously fascinating spot on the globe. Famous author Victor Hugo was a resident of the islands for fifteen years, and during his time there he wrote many great works including "Les Miserables".


Visit Guernsey

Visit Guernsey Blog



Chopped Apple Tart

1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter
6 medium red apples
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 egg

Peel and dice apples into bite size pieces. In a large bowl, cut the butter into the flour. Add all other dry ingredients and apples. Mix well. Add the water and the egg and stir until well blended. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Cook at 350° for 1 hour, or until crispy. Serve topped with butter and sugar or a dollop of fresh cream.


Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

2 strips of bacon
1 onion
2 tbsp. butter
2 lbs. red, ripe tomatoes
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
4 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the bacon and the onion and saute in a heavy kettle until the bacon is cooked and onion is soft. Put the tomatoes in a bowl or saucepan and pour boiling water over them, leaving it for a few minutes, and then draining. Slip the peel off and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, the thyme and the bay leaf to the saucepan and saute for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and put the mixture through a food mill. Return to the saucepan and heat through, tasting and adding the seasoning as necessary. Swirl the heavy cream into the hot soup and serve.


Beans with Pork & Onions

3 cups dry pinto beans (soak beans overnight)
1 medium size onion
3 cups of water or unsalted chicken stock
2 level teaspoons salt
1 heaping teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 pound bacon or salt pork

In a Dutch Oven, cook soaked beans on low heat until tender. Drain and rinse beans. Slice onion in bottom of bean pot and add drained beans. Mix remaining ingredients, except meat, with water or chicken stock and pour over beans. Cut meat into small pieces and stir carefully into bean mixture. Place in 300° F oven and bake for 2 1/2 hours; uncover for the last half hour. Add water if necessary


Mushroom Stroganoff

3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 lb white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine or apple cider
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
8 ounces egg noodle, cooked

Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add onion and saute another 2 minutes. Then add mushrooms and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add flour and stir another minute. Add white wine or cider and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently--about another 2-3 minutes. Mix in sour cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked noodles and toss to blend noodles with sauce.


Baked Sea Bass with Roasted Vegetables

2 sea bass, cleaned and left whole
1/2 a lemon, thinly sliced
2 large red peppers
1 large red onion
5 small tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsps olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Clean and trim the red peppers and cut into large chunks. Peel and trim the red onion and cut into thin wedges. Cut the tomatoes in quarters. Toss all these vegetables and the garlic cloves into a buttered roasting pan and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and 2 tbsps of olive oil. Place in the oven to roast for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fish. Cut the skin of the fish about 3-4 times each side. Stuff the fish with sliced lemons. After the first 25 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle over 1/2 the thyme onto the vegetables. Lay the fish on top of the roasting vegetables, sprinkle over the remainder of the thyme and then drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Put back in the oven and continue roasting for 20 minutes.


I wish you all the joy that sunshine and the smell of freedom can offer.Most of all, I hope that you always have days when there is peach juice on your chin!

6 Sentence Sunday

...my review of Cabin in the Woods


I went to the movies Thursday for the first time by myself and saw Cabin in the Woods. My opinion...it was really, really good!Full of zombie and other monster action, a little sex between Chris Hemsworth (yum) and Anna Hutchison , and a wee bit of misplaced comedy thanks to pot smoking Fran Kranz. The gist of the story was to escape the family of zombies the 5 people who went to the cabin for the weekend, unknowingly released. It has an action packed, jump out of your seat plot with a twist at the end you won't see coming.The movie contains one of the bloodiest scenes I've ever seen! LINK to other participating authors.

nuff said

nuff said

LAST TWO DAYS

It's on folks! Lots of authors and lots of chances to win a prize. My giveaway is a download of one of my books, winners choice! All you have to do to get your name entered into the drawing is become a follower and leave a comment about which book you'd choose if your name is drawn. Good luck!

LINK  to other participating authors!