1,151. Ray Reads Receipts 2023
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Episode 1151 – Ray Reads Receipts 2023
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…how about this for sleepy? We’re gonna go through some receipts and pieces of paper I kept from trips I’ve made over the past couple years. My neighbor Ray will reflect on my receipts more in a way of like, oh, remember that meal? Really calming, lulling stuff. If you’re new, welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to put you to sleep by keeping you company and taking your mind off of stuff. There’s no pressure to fall asleep here, but we believe you deserve a good night’s sleep, you deserve a place you can rest, and myself and a lot of other listeners have been there. We know how it feels in the deep, dark night. Now, this show is very different, so give it a few tries, see how it goes. I’m so glad you’re here. I really hope I can help.
What’s gonna happen is we’re gonna have some support — that’s how the show comes out for free — then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime. You could fall asleep during the intro or get comfortable, get cozy, and then my neighbor Ray will come by and just…he’s got a lulling, soothing voice a little bit like mine. But he’s from Parkchester, so he’s got…but he’s cool, man. He loves going through my…we vacation together. So, if you’re new, let’s just see how it goes. I’m so glad you’re here. I really hope I can help you fall asleep because you do deserve a place you can get some rest. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. Thanks for making it possible, my patron peeps.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts on your mind that you’re thinking about…you know, thinking thoughts. So thoughts, things…thoughts about the past, the present, the future, you know, anything going on. It could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally that’s coming up.
It could be feelings about the thoughts, it could be just feelings, it could be feelings related to the thoughts and the physical sensations, it could be physical sensations, it could be time, temperature, routine, you could be under the weather. That’s what happened to me last night. Last night was…well, I’ll talk about it in a minute, just so you could know that I’m…so I could stay relatable. But whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, I’m gonna send my voice across the deep, dark night, I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, all to keep you company while you fall asleep, to take your mind off of stuff. Just means I’m gonna go off topic, I’m gonna get mixed up, I’m gonna repeat myself. My voice is not traditionally soothing; it’s more kinda not bad and comforting.
I make the show because you deserve a good night’s sleep. That’s the most important part about this podcast, is the fact that you deserve a bedtime you don’t have to dread, that you could look forward to that has less frustration, and get the rest you need so that your life is more manageable, so that tomorrow you’re rested or in the morning you don’t think about oh, last night or dread going to bed tonight, you know? You deserve that, and if you get the rest you need, your life’s gonna be better and our world will be better. If you’re out there flourishing, we’re all in a better place and we’re all happy for you. Now, for some reason if this show does not work for you or does not fit your taste and sensibilities, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou has other sleepy podcasts and stuff on there.
It doesn’t change the fact you deserve a good night’s sleep. So, that’s one thing. The other thing is that I can relate and a lot of other listeners can relate to how it feels and what it’s like. I might not be going through the same thing you’re going through, but somebody out there that’s listening right now may have. Or if not, they can relate and we could say hey, I know how it feels. That happened to me last night. Not to kinda…I just say this so you know you’re not alone; last night I went to bed early or on time and I was feeling a little bit of a C-O-L-D. I said okay, well, I’m gonna get a good night’s sleep, here. That was not in the cards. Getting to sleep or staying asleep was not in the cards for me. It was all those things; thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
I had physical sensations coming up because of my cold, then I had feelings ‘cause I just wanted to be asleep but then I was also coughing and stuff, and then I had thoughts about that. I’m not kidding — and this just comes from making the podcast — I tried my different techniques; getting out of bed, reading, taking a break, but at some point in the depths of…and it was…when I say ‘the depths of it’, you’ve been there. There was this part of me that said hey, it’s gonna be okay. I know you can’t fall asleep right now. It’s been a few hours and we’ve tried everything. It’s exasperating, but it’s gonna be okay. You’re okay. You’re really okay. It doesn’t always feel that way and maybe that’s not even the case, but having that soothing voice only exists because of all of you teaching me that.
I hope this podcast can be that on a subtextual…that’s the subtext, right? It’s gonna be okay. I’m here to keep you company. That’s why this podcast is so hard to get used to, ‘cause it’s not here to put you to sleep. It’s here to keep you company and be your friend in the deep, dark night. I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bestie, your bore-bor. That was my internal bore…I didn’t even know I had an internal bore-bae. It wasn’t actually, ‘cause it wasn’t like sweetie, you’re gonna be okay. It was you’re gonna be okay. So, a bore…more of a bore-bud, I guess. More my best…bore-bestie or my neigh-bore or my bore-bor. That’s who cuts my boring…it’s like a barber, but just for boring stuff. Actually, they wouldn’t cut stuff; they’d just say no, no, borbers are a additive.
We add stuff to your meanders. So, this is a podcast that’s gonna be here…I’m gonna be here for over an hour, so if you can’t sleep, I’m here to keep you company. ‘Cause that’s what I could have used, really, last night. I should have thought of that and said man, I need something to keep me company while I’m going through this, ‘cause I’m going through it. It was…all three points were on me. So, this show…also, you don’t really listen to it. It’s kind of like back…if you’re new, you kinda get used to it and then you say oh, this is how I use it. Some people listen to me at a mumble, some people listen to me ‘cause I’m here to keep you company. So, you could kinda just barely listen, kinda like a out-of-focus picture or something. So, that’s the list…oh, what else do you need to know?
This is a podcast you don’t really listen to, it doesn’t really put you to sleep, takes a few tries to get used to. That’s what I’ve been told over and over again maybe a million times by people; it took…takes some getting used to. They say, your podcast, it’s…at first I didn’t like it because I was expecting something else or I was wondering when it was gonna start. It can be frustrating ‘cause if you’re like me and…if you were like me last night and then you searched for a sleep podcast at 2:30 in the morning when you got in bed at 9:30 and then you turned on me, you’d…you might be frustrated, and that’s understandable. Oh, especially if you’re like oh, I need something lulling and soothing but…that your definition of lulling and soothing…I don't know, ‘cause…a lot of times, stuff…I say, it’s too nice. I can’t listen to it.
I need something that’s gonna comfort me and keep me company like a bore-bud. So, it just takes a few tries to get used to. Just see how it goes. The other thing that throws people off is the structure of the show, but the show’s structured and designed in a very specific way to do a few things; to reach as many people as it can and then you can kind of adjust. So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say well, I might try that show out. It already…okay, I’m glad you welcomed me into your podcast, one of the few podcasts I actually have to go inside of. But no, you could look at it from the out…it’s one of the podcasts you could look at from the outside. Like, where you don’t feel bad about it.
I don't know if that Beatles song…when they said I’m looking outside…you’re on…I don't even know what the lyrics were to that song, but I say oh, that reminds me…this one, you say it’s totally cool to be on the outside looking in. Normal, normal approach for Sleep With Me. Normal way to listen, even. So, that’s the start of the show, then there’s support so the podcast can be free or paying for it can be optional. That’s just how it gets out to the most amount of people and just the way we started doing it at the beginning. So, the sponsors and the supporters help that…that’s what makes that possible. Then there’s the intro, which for some reason, people that don’t like the support of the show…then they don’t like the intro. But they are two separate things. The intro is a show within a show.
We’re in the middle of it. It’s meant to introduce the podcast to new people, but for regular listeners, it’s familiar every time but it’s different every time. That way, maybe whatever parts of us are keeping awake can’t quite adjust. That’s kinda where I went…I took the wrong path last night. I tried all…very predictable behaviors until…actually, the thing that worked for me was…even though I should have done this earlier, was having some honey. A teaspoon…a spoonful of sugar made my…was my medicine that helped me go down last night. That was really the thing that I said well, okay, let’s just try some honey; maybe that’ll help. I had already tried cough medicine and stuff like that, so…but so, it was something…so, that’s why the intro is different every time.
It would be a lot less work for me to just put out a podcast with a short intro and a badda-badda-bing, you’re going to sleep soon; here’s a great bedtime story. But the reality is the intro is meant to ease you into bedtime as well as being familiar but different because for most of us, we need some sort of wind down. That’s just what’s been shown to work. So, you could be listening to this while you’re getting ready for bed or while you’re in bed getting comfortable or you’re doing another chill activity. Now, you can fall asleep during it or you could skip it. There’s 2% or 3% of people who skip the…start the show at twenty or thirty minutes, and a few thousand people listen to story-only episodes, but those are more part of playlists and stuff like that. So, see how it goes, but that’s the intro.
Then there’s support between the intro and the story, then tonight it’ll be a story from our neighbor Ray talking about mostly Orlando, but a couple East Coast visits over the past few years and meals we ate and stuff like that. Then there will be thank-yous at the end. So, that’s the structure of the show, that’s why I make the show. I’m really glad you’re here. I really work hard, I yearn and I strive, and I really hope I can help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple ways I’m able to do it for you for free twice a week.
Alright everybody, heads up; just in case…this is a lot of listeners’ favorite style of episode, but not everybody’s. This is my neighbor Ray coming on who I vacation with. I guess every vacation now is with my neighbor Ray, Ray Perkins. He’s very…he’s the most well-adjusted person I’ve ever met and always has something to say. He said he’s proud of me, so that’s cool because…so, we’ll set up…we’ll go from there. So, without further ado…so, Ray will talk…I think Ray is just gonna go through some of my stuff I’m filing away and…from vacations and look at it. So, without further ado, Mr. Ray Perkins.
Hello, hello, hello everybody. This is your friend Ray. Just in case you’re new to the show, welcome to the podcast. I’m Scooter’s neighbor, Ray, and I come on the show. I don't know how many years it’s been since I’ve been coming on. I think very early on, though. I was the second guest on the podcast after Bernie the Butterfly. I know Bernie…well, Bernie was on the Thanksgiving episode, so…with the parade. So, but I’m Scooter’s friend, neighbor…twice…neighbor twice. So nice, I neighbored him twice. You know, Scooter’s a bit of a grouch and tries to lay low, and I’m the one…I say, flower, open up for everyone. Scooter doesn’t call me his spring, but that’s the role I see with everybody. Not with just Scooter, but I say hey, open your petals.
There’s a bumble friend that wants to pollinate and there’s people that want to smell…metaphorically smell your luxurious…what…you know. Well…but today I have to tell you…now, I don’t want…Scooter said please don’t mention this, ‘cause what if I stop following through? This was not a New Year’s thing, but this is when we’re recording it, is early 2023. Scooter has…Scooter’s big on using a timer and he uses a timer to accomplish things he does not want to do. In some sense, when he’s flowing with the timer, he says Ray, it really works. He does say the less I think about things, the better it goes. I’m sure he’s talked about it on the podcast before, but one of the times he has…because his schedule is very different, there’s the days he works from home and then there’s days he works at a co-working space, and…to bring the podcast to all of yous.
He also works every day. He’s trying to cut down on Sundays, and…but he doesn’t always work…but none of that…but what’s to say is that he has different times for different places because with his work schedule, he also has to pay attention to things at home. So, one of the things he does is…he calls it his Sunday timer, though he doesn’t just use it on Sundays. But we’ll pretend because yesterday actually was Sunday and this is what happened anyway. The Sundays are a little bit calmer day for him to work because less people are sending e-mails. Sunday is the lowest day of people sending e-mails, either work-related or listeners sending e-mails…and so, Scooter has…he says it’s a little bit calmer of a day. So, he does some work and his goal, I think for this year, is to not work on Sundays, but we’ll see.
But you never know. But you could work a little, you know? He says, why is it all or nothing? Maybe Scooter…the option not to work. But he does…so, this Sunday was a successful day. So, last year at some point, he wanted to get his room organized. He was trying to make more space in his life for good things. So, he would…oh, so his Sunday timer is 01:15:10. So, he has one minute where he meditates. You start the timer, it makes a sound, and you meditate for one minute. He uses a paid workout timer for this where you can design your own workouts, which does throw his…even though he turned it off, it still tells his Apple Watch he’s exercising. He says, what’s up with that? But so, one minute of meditation, then fifteen minutes of work. So, let’s say Scooter was editing or mixing a podcast for fifteen minutes.
Now, this is only on Sundays ‘cause it’s a little bit better on other days to have 01:25:05, which is kinda like a Pomodoro. So, he does fifteen minutes of editing, then he has ten minutes of chores. So, he was trying to organize his room last year and get it to the point where he could stop filing. He was also trying to clear out some space but within a closet where he could catch up on his filing, which he started doing I guess before the turn of the year, over the holiday season. He was using his…when he was at home and over the holidays, a lot of days were like Sundays just ‘cause over the holidays there just tends to be a lot less e-mail traffic, so he has a little bit more relaxed time or less Zoom calls and things.
So, he’s been filing, and so I said…he hasn’t…he does not organize stuff from our vacations except to put it in one place, right? Now, this is a pre-filing; I have a bag of receipts and things, which is…might be strange for some people and seem cluttery, but for me and Scooter, it’s an opportunity to connect with the listeners and take a look back. So, there’s not just receipts in here; there’s other things. So, what I’ll do is I’ll reach in the bag, I’ll look at the receipt, and then I’ll say huh, what do we do? So, I’m gonna go ahead and start here with a few receipts. Okay, the first one is from Disney World. It’s a trip from a few years ago. Oh boy, this was with…this…we may have covered this one, Scooter. Interesting. But we’ll go over it again. I’m assuming Scooter paid for dinner. It was a lunch. So, this is a interesting one.
So, it was a Thanksgiving trip from a few years ago now. Wow, quite…a couple years ago. It was with Scooter’s parents, his daughter, and…yeah, and we did not have…and myself, and we did not have a Thanksgiving meal at Thanksgiving, but this was a few days after. I think it was probably towards the…this may have been our last meal together as a group. The way it worked was…now, this was a couple years ago and I haven’t been to Disney…and this was kind of after we took a break, but then we took another break from Disney. Oh no, so this was before we took our…well, because we still had a annual pass that was running out, I think, from a family trip. I think that’s when we were there. But so, the…this was when things were still getting back to normal.
We were…we had…we were…things were still rocky, you know? Everybody was getting used to traveling and working again. It wasn’t right during things. But so, there was definitely…was…so…and Disney was having trouble with all that ‘cause there was such high demand. So, they were having issues with staffing but also with the technology, which still seems…at least, my impression, a ongoing thing…and getting a reservation for a restaurant, it seems very hard. So, Scoot…we wanted to eat at the prime…no, the Sci-Fi Dine-In, right? Now, you can get on a waitlist now, or the app…the one good thing about the app is it says hey, the…by the way, there’s a open reservation at this restaurant.
Now, I’m not sure if Scooter went on the waitlist or if it was like hey, there’s a open reservation at this restaurant, but he made a reservation at the Prime Time Cafe, which I think we talked about. We may have even looked at this receipt already, but it’s…it’ll be good. We had…it was 2:00 PM when we paid, so I guess we probably ate at 1:00 PM. 2:12:05. The first person had pot roast and a peanut butter and jelly shake. Someone else had a chocolate shake, a pot roast, and a salad wedge. That sounds…oh no, Scooter’s coming up down there. No…well, that’s interesting. That doesn’t make any sense, either. So, I don't know. I think I talked about it ‘cause Scooter had ordered a Cherry Coke and it didn’t get refilled very much because people were getting used to working there again.
But it had been a while, or maybe they just had more…less people working, you know? Then someone else had the lunch holiday dinner which is your Thanksgiving-style dinner with meat…turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry. They had a NA pomegranate lemonade. PNA, it says. Maybe the…I don't know. Then Scooter…this must have been Scooter; he had fried…the fried chicken, but then for some reason they put the other drink on somebody else who only had a soup and a salad and a…they had a Diet Coke; Scooter had a Cherry Coke. For five people, it wasn’t unreasonable for a Disney price. So, that was one meal, and…yeah. Then this one is just when we went to Sea World. Okay, this next one…okay, this is from when we went to…interesting here.
Oh, so this was our first time going to Six Flags in Vallejo, California, which I don't know if we recorded anything about that. I’m not sure. I’d have to look back at it. But so, this was fall of…was it fall? No, summer? Oh, is that the date? Really, Scooter? Holy moly. That does not make any sense to me, but I guess that’s the date that’s on here. So, I guess it was summer of 2024, after school ended, because…so, Scooter, his daughter, and I. She was in a play, so her summer was somewhat busy. So, we didn’t get to go to any…we didn’t have any theme parks we were traveling to, which I said Scooter, we’re not going to any theme parks this summer? He said Ray, you could do whatever you wish. I’m not available to do that. I said oh, okay.
But he said, why don’t we get a Six Flags membership…they’re…just a season pass; not a annual pass. They’re also having some ups and downs with trying to figure out the pricing and such. But we were lucky because we got a season pass at a price where we…I think we…maybe we did do a show about this, but maybe not. It’s good we’re talking, then, because…so, we got the season pass. Scooter thought he bought a annual pass, so he was a little bit miffed. But he said you know, it was my fault; I wasn’t paying attention. But it was pricing-wise…well, we’ll…yeah, I guess we could talk about it now. So, I guess it was in June he bought this. Now, by us is…in Vallejo, which is about a hour and fifteen minutes away with traffic, that’s a Six Flags park. Then there’s also a Six Flags waterpark in another place called Concord.
I think…I remember talking with all…everybody about this, but maybe not. So, you’re…and then about five hours away is Six Flags Magic Mountain, which we had been to, correct? So, Scooter estimated the cost of the annual…or the season pass and he said okay, well, this is a pretty good price, and if we go a few times, we’ll break even. That’s always his goal, or to make money, in his mind. The annual pass came with a free soda cup which I’m sure we talked about, and then one meal, free parking, and then…any of the Six Flags parks, which they’ve changed now which is unfortunate, ‘cause I say…because it does change your mindset.
So, our mindset going to this place…Scooter had been to this Six Flags but it had been at least ten years, he thinks, and…’cause he said he hadn’t been there since he had…he didn’t go to Six Flags to drink, but he said I don’t think I’ve been here since I quit drinking…the Six Flags in Vallejo. He said he just had a memory of it. But so, he’s…so, we went there. So, Scooter hadn’t been there in a long time, his daughter had never been there, and I hadn’t been there in a while. But so, since we had these season passes and we knew…now, first of all, the free parking is big because parking is…if you don’t have the pass, you’re…I believe it was $30. So, Scooter said oh, okay, if we come here three times, the three of us, each one of us will have spent $30 on parking towards our pass.
Now, I don't have the amount of his pass on the top of my mind. Then we went in, we got our soda cups. That took a while because they said, I don't know what you’re talking about. So, that was a…I probably talked about it, but that was a little frustration. But again, everybody’s trying to figure this out and the overall management was…kept changing the type of passes they were selling. But we got our soda cups, then we had our meal. But before…after we got our soda cup but before we had our meal, is…Scooter’s daughter said I’d like to get a ICEE. Now, at Universal parks, if you buy the cup, you get the ICEEs, too. Now, at Six Flags you don’t, but it’s very clear; there’s a sign that says it and they do give you a discount. So, this receipt is from buying a…it was 1:00 PM and buying a ICEE refill.
Also, you get a discount, 20% off, with your annual pass. So, $4.30 with tax for the ICEE is not really that bad. But again, I guess going back to that season pass thing, we had a very chill outlook when we went there because we said okay, well, there’s no pressure to make sure we ride twenty rides or ten rides. Also because of the change in the price, of the park was very empty. We did have to wait in line for the most popular ride that was open the day we went, which was The Joker, but then a lot of rides were closed. But again, because we knew we’d be coming back and we didn’t pay…we paid more than we would have gone to just go once, but because we knew we were coming back and if we went two more times or three times, we would be breaking even.
It wasn’t like…it was so relaxed and kinda…long ago when I did that thing about Six Flags Magic Mountain…now again, that was at a…busiest time for the parks, so, it was a slightly different mindset. But if you go into Six Flags saying hey, I’m just gonna take it easy and do what I can do, you have a lot more fun. So, we had a blast, and this ICEE was a part of the blast we had. Okay, we got a couple more. Oh wow, so this one is a Universal…what time of year is this? Oh, so this was a time when we went for Scooter’s birthday. This is just a re…he’s paying for his soda cup refill. You get a annual pass discount on that as well; 10%. This was one time…and this hopefully will be a tradition. Now, it’s a little bit of a stretch, but Scooter uses Miles and then a hotel credit card.
So you go…usually we already had a Universal annual pass and then Scooter would use his Miles and then his hotel so he would…it would be a very low-cost long weekend. Oh no, maybe he doesn’t use Miles, but he has one of those credit cards where once a year he gets a two-for-one ticket. So, me and…him and his daughter can go and then I pay…I’m in a position…but then I…Scooter pays for the hotel and stuff, uses the hotel points. So, this one, we met his brother and his wife and their two children at Universal for Scooter’s birthday. Actually, Scooter’s parents came. This was a couple years ago, but he bought a refill of soda. 10:49 AM; getting that soda refill ‘cause Scooter needs it. Oh, and this is the…this is another receipt from that soda refill. Interesting. Okay, I’m putting my hand back in here, everybody.
Okay, so the first thing I have is a pencil from the Fairmount Glen Miniature Golf, which you could check out a episode…there’s a episode of the podcast about that. Miniature golf at its best. That’s a miniature golf course from Scooter’s childhood that we’ve gone to I think once or twice, and he did a episode about it before we had gone there, I think. I also have to remind Scooter that he had a idea for a podcast series based…not based on the miniature golf course, but while we were there, he came up with an idea. So, yeah, that’s an…the next thing. Okay, this is a CVS receipt from the summer. This one we’ll probably throw away. Alls I see is it has the rewards, which are probably expired. Expires two years ago. I can’t see what he bought. That’s the whole purpose. But it was in the summertime a few years ago.
Sixty count of something. I don't know if it was toilet…what comes in a sixty count? Toilet paper, maybe? I don't know. Interesting. He only bought…but so, that was in the summertime and I can’t see a time on here. So, let’s…Scooter, I’m gonna throw this one away ‘cause the whole purpose is to see…here’s a flight. Is this…? When was this? I can’t see a date on here. San Francisco…is this a layover? What is the date here? Well, I don’t have a date. So, we’ll…I don't know. Okay, next up…again, this is a couple years old. This was…Scooter, his daughter, and I went out to brunch. I think on the…was this on the day we were leaving and we…? Yeah, we were leaving but we weren’t leaving ‘til the afternoon.
So, Scooter, his daughter, and I…oh, so we were in Walt Disney World and we weren’t leaving ‘til the afternoon to go to the airport, I guess. So, Scooter said why don’t we do brunch at Disney Springs and…at this place called Art Smith’s Homecomin’? It was supposed to be…it was a very well…I think it’s…I’m…it doesn’t have what we ordered, so maybe there’s…this is just the credit card receipt, but it was good. I think it’s known for its biscuits. I don't know for brunch. I’m guessing Scooter had fried chicken again. This was a different trip, again, a few years ago. Okay, this one is, I think, from Scooter’s birthday. Yeah, he bought…so, for his birthday, this…that same birthday trip, he bought himself a new freestyle soda cup and some pizza tots at Green Eggs and Ham.
So, it was…so, this must have been a different day than he paid for his refill. It was 11:24 AM, so lunch or a snack. Pizza tots are like tater tots with cheese and pepperoni and pizza sauce. I believe, though, if I’m remembering things correctly…and…now, I’m picturing this in my head that Scooter was not hungry at this time, but he was with his nephew Daniel and his daughter, and he said hey, let me get a soda and some waters and then pizza tots for you two to share for a snack, ‘cause I think they said they were hungry. That would make sense that a tween and a teen would be hungry at that time. So, that was at Green Eggs and Ham, which looks like a green ham, I think. I believe you can get green eggs and ham.
You could get Who Hash from that…the Whos, pizza tots, buffalo chicken tots…those are good as well. I think you can get green eggs and ham. We’ve never actually…that I can think of, we never got green eggs and ham there. Oh boy, here’s another old one. This was a bucket list trip from a few years ago in the summertime with…oh, and maybe young Charlie sometimes listens to this podcast, but Scooter went to school with somebody named Charlie, and…Cheryl and Evie and young Charlie, who’s not young; he’s the same age as Scooter’s daughter. They all went to a very…a small, local theme park called Sea Breeze in Rochester, New York. Of course, I went. Of course. This is a food receipt from lunch, which was a hot dog with a large drink and fries and something red. I don't know what red means. $11.75 there.
Oh yeah, was there a time? 12:50 PM. We had a great time. It’s a very small theme park. It’s back when…so, it’s not…it’s an independent theme park. I don't think they have a dark ride, though. I’m not…they have a wooden roller…so, Scooter had gone there. Maybe we did a episode about it. I’m not sure, but it was a long, long time ago during his childhood. His mother would arrange…’cause she had six children she had to care for. Sometimes Scooter and his brother and maybe his sister, they would go on parks and rec trips, and there was a parks and recs trip from Syracuse Parks and Rec or whatever that went to Sea Breeze for the day and…with the city Parks and Recs department. So, Scooter and his brother went and a bunch of other children, and Scooter said him and his brother were on the older side.
They weren’t that old, though. He said probably…I don't know, sixth grade. So, Scooter was like, I had always wanted to go back there and see what that park is like. Then his friend Charlie said we go there every summer; let’s meet there. So, we all met there and we had a great time. They have fun rides. It’s not too busy. A lot of school trips or summer day camp trips or people dropping the children off for the day ‘cause it’s self-contained. It’s right on Lake Ontario or right off of Lake Ontario…a inlet, so a beautiful view and just something you don’t see a lot of anymore, unfortunately; a independent theme park that you pay one price and go into, ‘cause there’s boardwalks now. But those ones you pay per individual attraction.
With this one, it was…you go in and they had…it was better than a county fair and one price as compared to a boardwalk, and also probably a very low price. Okay, so this one is…I don't think we…have we done a episode about this? I don't know. This is one of my favorite resorts. I wish we could pay…play…stay there more often. The last time we looked, the pricing was a little bit not under control yet. But usually the pricing is very good. It’s in Orlando. Oh yeah, maybe our Father’s Day episode took place there. I think we did one other episode that took place here. A lot of highlights for Scooter and I. So, it’s called the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, and they own this gigantic piece of property which is so…it’s in Orlando.
You could…only Scooter…Scooter walked at one point with his father and I from the hotel to Downtown Disney, but normally normal people probably wouldn’t do that. But they have a shuttle to Disney Springs. Doesn’t look like they have a shuttle to the parks, unfortunately. Maybe they do now, though. So, if you’re going to theme parks…and I think we learned the hard way; the first time we stayed here, the…Universal’s pretty far from this hotel. But I’m…this is the thing they give you when you check in. This is from quite a few years ago as well. So, some things are different. They do have a resort fee now. That’s where Scooter says if you…and we’ve talked about this on the show. Again, consult your own…we’re just podcasters.
But if you look at your spending for the year and your goals and your vacation goals, you may be able to achieve hotel status through a combination of stays and using a hotel credit card. Then you don’t have to pay…you could use the points to stay there but also, depending on your status and if it’s a free stay, you don’t have to pay for parking or a resort fee. So, that saves you a lot of money. Then on top of that, depending on which status you achieve and those things, you get free breakfast. So, this place was great. Now, they…this was, again, right when things were opening back up. So, it was…there was more of…lines and stuff like that, but let’s go through. So, they have…we didn’t go to any of the restaurants other than to eat breakfast. But a lot of these Hyatts now have a ice cream place.
This one did; it was only open on weekends at night. Then they have a Starbucks and a place where you could get sodas and stuff like that. They have a bar and grill. They also have a Peridan lobby. That’s not a restaurant. Then they have a pool bar and then another restaurant. It looks like they have a couple other restaurants they were trying to get up. But they also had activities. This was on the weekend. They had a duck derby, a cornhole…these were at the pool, I think…a hula-hoop contest, a inner-tube river relay, and make-your-own-slime. That was $5. Everything else was included in your resort fee. Then they would have nightly activities or nightly movies at the pool for children where you could…and actually, on Friday and Saturdays, two movies. There’s a shuttle to Disney Springs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
There was one time we were staying there…’cause I think we’ve stayed there twice, and I would stay there every time. But again, sometimes it’s harder to book. But yeah, the shuttle goes Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting at 4:30 to Disney Springs. But there was one time it was a Wednesday and Scooter said let’s go to the shuttle; hurry. Every thirty minutes on…starting at 4:30. Leaves Disney Springs on the 15s. Last shuttle leaves at 10:00 PM. But the main thing about this place — and maybe we talked about it — are the activities. So, there is a small conference center. So, sometimes there’s a conference. But they have a lake there, like a drainage basin lake. But again, you could rent things that come with your resort fee…different kind of boats and go out on the lake.
But they also have bikes, and you could go…’cause they have this huge tennis facility that doesn’t seem to be really used. Maybe back…but where they could have huge tennis tournaments. Then beyond that, they just have some open property. It looks like there was even a train that ran through there at one point. So, it’s just fun to ride a bike…for Scooter to go for a run. There’s even a couple homes on the property, which is mind-blowing to me. But yeah, they have…oh, they have a health club. Oh no, Scooter looked in there one time. They have two hot tubs, splash pad…oh, fishing. I didn’t realize you could go fishing. Oh, poles available for purchase, though. Twelve tennis courts, a rock-climbing wall…that always had a line. Basketball, volleyball…we did play some volleyball.
A fire pit…so, highly recommend it, I guess is what I’m saying. Okay, how old is this one? This is from Germany in Epcot. Probably a few…at least a few years ago. It’s starting to fade, but we can see that Scooter had a root beer…a large root beer and a bratwurst combo. Oh, where’s the date on here? So, Germany has…what is this called? Sommerfest window. So, they have…you get pretzels and beer at one thing in Germany, then they have a buffet…a restaurant…it used to be a buffet, then it was family-style. I don't know if it’s a buffet again. That’s called De Beer Garden, I think. We’ve eaten there twice; once when Scooter used to drink and then once when he didn’t. There’s usually a band that performs. So, it’s pretty nice. But this one is the take-out window. You could get bratwurst…I don't know what else you get.
A large root beer, of course. I just like to know the date or the time here just so…it helps me create a picture in my mind of Scooter eating a bratwurst, drinking a root beer. There’s also a restroom in Germany, which of course Scooter would have needed. It’s outside of the area with the restaurants and stuff, over to the side. They also have trains…what are those called? Model trains over there. What is…? I’m not gonna give up ‘til I see a time. Somewhere on here there has to be a time and a date, ‘cause you can’t charge a credit card without it, I don’t believe. Expiration date…it’s…his card was tapped. Success…well, this is strange. Oh no, there…no, that can’t be right. There’s no…oh, that’s for a survey. This is frustrating ‘cause usually there’s a time on there. I’m looking. Don’t worry, I’m scouting this thing out.
It was $16.27, by the way, for the combo. I guess the combo probably comes with the bratwurst and chips, I believe. But I cannot find a time, so unfortunately we don’t know if Scooter was having a early lunch, a dinner…and he was only ordering for him, so I guess I had said no thank you, if he remembered to ask me, of course. Okay, so, bummer. Alright, next up, another soda refill from another trip. Let’s just see what time of day it is. 10:09, Scooter. But I think this one is…usually his daughter…yeah, this is at the Lagoon Popcorn…number 75. So, this one I know what happened here. So, what you do is you go in and if you go to…this is at…what’s that called? This has…Universal Studios, though. So, I can’t picture this place. Oh no, I can.
So, I was trying to figure out where this place was, ‘cause I thought it was in Toon Lagoon, which I still think it is. Maybe they’re just saying Universal Studios Florida as a park as a whole? But yeah, this was at 10:09 AM. ‘Cause usually what we’d do is we’ll go…you go in, you go left at Superhero Island, right, and if you’re there early you could try to go on The Hulk or Spider-Man before the crowds really build. You can always go on Dr. Doom because that doesn’t usually have a line. Also, most of those have single-rider lines, which you…so…and you could kinda see what happens with those. But even Dr. Doom has a single-rider line; just so you know. That has the best view…not for everybody. It’s a tower that goes up and down.
But then after you exit Superhero Island, you get to Toon Lagoon and you go through a area that’s a bit cluttered, and then you move on and you get to Dudley Do-Right and you’re going…a bridge over Dudley Do-Right. Either before or after the bridge is a popcorn stand that also serves ICEEs. Scooter’s daughter likes to get a ICEE there. So, I’m guessing that’s where that was, but I’m not positive. We are making a big dent in this bag of things. Oh boy, so this is a pretty big one. Okay, this is also in Orlando. Very old…so, this is quite a few years ago. What time of day? 5:26, is that what that says? I think it says 5:26. It’s so old, it’s starting to fade. We used a meal card for this. We used a beverage snack credit. Looks like we used one of them?
Oh, wow. We got a Oreo donut and a glazed donut. It looks like we only used one snack. So, they charged us only one snack for the…and we still had three snacks and two meals. They don’t have the dining plan anymore. Scooter tried it out this one time we went to see how it went. Okay, so, this one’s interesting. So, this is at…where Scooter’s…Scooter was visiting his parents at one point and he spent $92.96 at Publix. I’m trying to think of…a lot of desserts here. I don't know. I want to see a time on things, and a date. At least the time of the year. Okay, so, summertime…this was when he went to see his parents and then he was gonna help relocate the car. Let’s just see…a lot of bathroom supplies but also some non-dairy ice cream, dairy ice cream.
Jenny’s Ice Cream at Publix a few years ago was only $7.99 a pint. Public premium something. Two for $7. Then bathroom stuff, allergy stuff, cauliflower, mouthwash, salad…two salads, Diet Dr. Pepper, root beer zero, cream soda zero, and lemon-lime Spindrift. So, a bathroom and…so, this might have been when he was stocking up to stay with his parents and drive in the car. Okay, this one is definitely…is this even from a vacation? I don't think so. Maybe it is. BJ’s…oh no, so this was…Scooter was picking somebody…I know what trip this was. No…does that make sense, the date? Yeah, I guess so. I think this is when Scooter was picking someone up in the airport and his car did not make it home from the…this trip. So, we went to BJ’s. I guess so…oh yeah, because it was before 4th of July, so that makes sense.
It was in the summertime. 7:00…they paid at 7:30 PM. This was a year ago, but again, they…this place was still having trouble getting back to full operation because Scooter remembered…they had to pick someone at the airport; they were lucky they had time. Scooter had a glass of root beer, one of us had a lavender lemonade, and we got a cookie dessert and a large pizza. But then the car did not make it back. We picked someone up at the airport and Scooter’s car did not make it back from the airport. But it all worked out, actually, because…for Scooter it was a little bit…but he…then he went back the next day. Oh, so he got his car; it had some sort of complication ‘cause his car is electric but with a little bit of gas. But it totally broke down.
But he got off the freeway and then he was able to kind of get it to move on the little left of the battery to finally get it — after an hour — to a charging place where we left the car. Then we took an Uber. Then the next day, Scooter took an Uber back, drove the car to a repair place. It was still covered under warranty and actually, he…Scoot…that was before we went back east to see Scooter’s family. So, he was able to leave his car to get repaired while he was gone. Okay, this is another trip. Oh, so this is in the Land. A lot of Disney receipts we keep from these trips here. This is a flatbread cheese pizza, a milk, a mashed potato, an applesauce. That was all…it must be a kid’s meal. Yeah, flatbread with applesauce and mashed potatoes and a milk. That’s all we got. I don't know if he got this for his nephew.
Oh no, maybe this…what time of year is this? I don't know, when did Disney stop putting their times on the receipts? Unfortunately I’m not finding anything, so this is not a…this is a new trend with Disney in the last few years. It’s not a good thing for us. But that place is nice. It’s called The Sunshine Seasons. We did propose on the podcast that they put in a ‘food rocks’ just while you eat the food there, because they must have it somewhere. Okay, this is also from Downtown Disney, I believe. La Cantina. Scooter got a Coke; that’s all he got. Now, this is not a Disney…so, this one does have the time; 12:17:59. So, that’s 5:59 PM. That’s all we bought. I don't know if that was a outside stand and Scooter just needed a Coke, but it was one Coke. Okay, this one is from summertime in Syracuse. It’s Twin Trees Too.
I guess this was a pickup because…oh, you know what this was? When…I believe…and Scooter almost…yeah, this was a birthday pickup for Scooter’s…I think for one of Scooter’s brothers. I don't know, but it was…this was when…I believe…no, I’m positive; this was when Scooter and his father and I and Sophia drove the car from Florida to Syracuse, New York. But on the way, Scooter said, well…it was dinnertime when we were going to arrive, so Scooter said let’s get Twin Trees. We’ll order it and pick it up. Or maybe he had someone else order it, ‘cause…yeah, someone else ordered it and we just picked it up, because it was a large order. So, there was…it was a Wednesday, so there was a special with a cheese pizza, two Caesar salads, some chicken wings, then another pizza. Three pizzas.
So, this must have been Scooter’s whole family. I remember Scooter really had to use the restroom. Picked it up at 7:00…the time, yeah, we were supposed to pick it up was 7:20 PM. It was ordered at 6:00 PM. Yeah, I just remember Scooter…he was driving and he was like, I gotta use the restroom here. Okay, this is also from the summertime in Pulaski, New York. R&R One Stop, which is a gas station. It has ice cream, it has fudge. It looks like Scooter bought some fudge, which was $6.50, something else that’s no longer there with only three letters, then a bottle of Coke. $2.22. Holy moly. Oh, then a couple more. Oh, minus $2.20…oh, donuts, candy, and…I don't know what that is. But yeah, he got some…they have cinnamon sugar donuts there that are very good. I got one last receipt we’ll do here and then we’ll say goodnight to everybody. This one’s from a few years ago.
Oh, this was where Scooter bought a mug and it was…he still uses this mug to this day. So, this was at Disney resorts. You can only use it at the hotels, but you get your mug, your soda mug, and Scooter bought one that cost a little bit more money because it was…has…it’s a metal mug. It’s plastic on the outside but metal on the inside, so it holds…and it has Star Wars characters on it. Scooter bought that at the hotel on some trip. This one does have the time, so it’s a older one. 21:35. Isn’t midnight 24:00? So, almost 9:30 PM. Oh, because we got there late. This was another time Scooter really had to use the restroom; not when he bought the mug, but when he got to this hotel. It was pouring rain and he was rushing. You know, Scooter rushes; that’s fine. Yeah, we got in there and he really had to go to the potty. Then he bought the mug at some point after that. But yeah, that’s…goodnight, everybody, from your friend Ray. If you’re having trouble filing things, know that you’re not alone. Scooter’s there, too. Goodnight, everybody.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcribed by Leah Hervoly)
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Notable Language:
- Pre-Filing Receipts (PFRs)
- Beverage Snack Credit
- Summertime in Syracuse
Notable Culture:
- 6 Flags
- Dudley Do-Right
- Oreos
Notable Talking Points:
- A pollinating metaphorical bumblefriend
- A 10:49 am soda refill
- When did Disney stop putting their times on their receipts?