Found some good deals in the bargain meat case today so we had a lovely t-bone for supper. Mr. Troutbend is driving to Vegas in a couple of days, to be gone about a week at bowling tournaments, so I wanted to cook something good. Tomorrow we are having hamburgers with blue cheese mixed in by the meat guys at the store.

Our most recent guests left a ton of food when they flew back to Chicago: full 12 pack of Diet Coke, most of an 18 pack of Bud Light, a whole watermelon, 6 lemons, a liter of Diet Dr. Pepper, unopened bottle of blue cheese dressing, hamburger buns, sliced cheese, 3/4 pound of butter, and a full bottle of olive oil. Plus charcoal, hickory chips, and charcoal lighter.

We were amazed because these two people apparently drank a whole 18 pack of Bud Light (and a few cans out of the one they left) in the four days they were here. That's really sucking it down.

When they came I told them to let me know if they needed anything for the kitchen because I would gladly give them oil or spices or whatever. I usually email people before they come and let them know what's in the kitchen of the cabin they are renting in the way of supplies so they don't have to buy everything.

He emailed me when they got home and listed it all for me. Just so I'd know. I responded that we owe them some beers and if they come back I'll stock their kitchen with an approximation of what they left.

If I knew they were coming back this summer, I'd save the non-perishables for them. We had a gal from Omaha last week who left some wine coolers and a beer, but she'll be back at the end of July so I'm saving them for her. We still have some of her grape jelly from last summer that I put over there every time she comes back in case she wants to use it up. She didn't like our telephone, so she bought two new ones. Apparently she bought one, didn't like it, and bought a cordless one. She didn't want reimbursed, but it was after I told her I would only charge her $40 a day because it was just her. This was some kind of running away from home emergency, so I just charged her the approximate cost of utilities.

I asked my friend Jane if I should send the big drinkers some money or offer them a discount if they ever come back and she was scornful: "No way, bad planning on their part. They could have bought six packs instead of 12 packs and 18 packs."

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