Just last week, I needed an adapter to charge my new bluetooth thingie, to transmit my Sirius sat signal to my new $850.00 LightSpeed headset and I happened to be in Afton WY, the local Shopko was right across the street. Having my Sunday morning in flight tunes (acoustic blues, on the BB King channel) die would make the 20 to 40 ski landings I'd be making on the way home much less fun if not impossible. 9:30 AM on a Sunday morning, already open, and they had just what I needed. The only issue was I didn't have enough cash on hand, having just bought breakfast out of a 20 dollar bill, and tipping well (as the last time I was at the same cafe, I had to promise to send a check for the 3 dollar balance I was short), and the same waitress served me this time.

I keep a rotating amount of cash in the plane, I almost never take my wallet, least I find the next work day, in town, my damn wallet is still in the plane and I can't buy any diesel fuel. It's a good system (for all my local breakfast trips anyway) and has served me well, as long as I remember to refurbish the on board cash. The time I came up short a few weeks ago, I gave the waitress a heads up : " what I really want is the Hollandaise omelet, with all the trimmings, plus coffee, but I only have enough cash for 2 eggs up and toast, no coffee." Forewarned, she let me slide,she bought my story of being a pilot and leaving my wallet at home, and I'd mail a check, blah blah. What helped is Afton is much more air aware then most places, we were within a few hundred yards of the Aviat plant/the dog kennel. Having, as agreed sent the balance owed, this time around I assured her I had enough cash on hand when I ordered, though I couldn't resist, when at the cash register, of making a show of searching my pockets for enough money to settle up, you had to have been there, it was a riot.

So after leaving a over generous tip for putting up with my sense of humor, I came up short at Shopko, 100 yards from the cafe. I was the only customer, and the only employees were 3 young ladies, so I felt like a complete doofus when I had to put the needed item back on the shelf unbought, when i came up short, and THEN used the bathroom (right near the checkout line) always a good practice before takeoff of course. While in there, thinking of what a deadbeat I appeared, when I came out I told them that actually I was a homeless person and just wanted to use the john. Another laugh riot, for me anyway, then I pointed out that actually I was a rich pilot (aren't we all) and hey, you could see my plane right across the street! They still weren't impressed but that made me at least feel better. Onboard cash stash now replenished, but I just had a brain fart: in the future I will keep a credit card, a card I don't really need or use day to day, that has a 20K limit, that should handle the odd, unexpected, breakfast flying expense Seriously, this just occurred to me!

I took these pics 10 days before reading about their (in some areas, not Afton thank goodness) filing chapter 11.

The view across the street from the store entry, what I pointed out to the employees to back up my claim I wasn't actually a homeless person just wanting to use the can, I don't think they bought it.