One Life Stand

Well not really but I am headed home for my dad’s birthday.  GeckoBro is flying in later this evening so I’m sure my dad will enjoy spending the weekend with all his kids (only one of us still lives in our hometown).  GeckoBro and I are going in toghether on a gift for my dad.  We have an idea of what we’re going to get but the final choice is up to him.  It should be interesting to see how long it takes to get him to actually make a decision and let us buy it for him.  Both can be a bit tedious.  Below is a pic of what we chose.  Hopefully he will like it.

Well Linens N Things did have the decorations I wanted.  However, the box wouldn’t fit in my trunk!  Putting it in the front seat wasn’t an option because my coworker was with me.  After wrestling with the box for five minutes (I really didn’t want to have to return the item), we decided to just discard the box and put the contents in the trunk.  This is the first time having a teeny car has been an inconvenience.  And hubby wonders why I make him chaffeur me when shopping for the house :-)

We didn’t really do much decorating last year since we’d only been in the house a few months.  However this year, it’s time to get the spirit and get to decorating.  I’m kicking myself because I waited too long to go to Linens N Things and they’re sold out of the pre-lit trees in urns that I want for the front porch.  I called another location and I think they have some so keep your fingers crossed.

Hubby already put up our wreath and will put up the indoor garland this weekend.  We’re going to get candelabras for all the windows, garland for the mantle and stockings and that’s probably it for this year.  We may add some more outdoor decor next year though.  We stopped by Target after hubby’s game last night and their candelabras were $5 each, which isn’t that bad but we need 14 of them.  Sheesh.

How do you guys decorate for Christmas?

I don’t know if the planets are off-kilter or what.  I keep hearing/seeing, in real life and the blogosphere, grown folks acting a fool.  Engaging in ridiculous antics, arguing back and forth, all sorts of name calling and slander.  I’ve even heard talk of passing out flyers and law suits.  I just don’t get it.  Are folks crazy?  Too much time on their hands?  What is it?  And it’s sad because some of the offenders are people that I thought were better than that.  Remember, when you argue with fools, people can’t tell who is who…

Well, happy Thanksgiving folks.  I’m off at the in-laws.  Hopefully, you’re surrounded by family, friends and food and counting your blessings.

One of the radio stations here is airing an ad for a "Black Santa" at one of the "Black" malls.  Is there really a need for a Black Santa?  I can understand Black parents wanting their kids to see people who look like them…BUT St. Nicholas originated in Greece and the name Santa Claus originated with the Dutch (original name was SinterKlauus or somesuch).  Do the holidays really need to be "ethnicized" (is that a word)?  Must we have holiday icons of every ethnicity?  How come no one’s pushing for Black leprechauns and Black cupids?

I check my credit reports every six months or so.  When I pulled two of my credit reports over the weekend, I saw an error - a big error.  Our mortgage got sold earlier this year and the credit report shows that we have mortgages with both the old company and the new company.  Therefore, it shows we owe twice as much as we really do.  It’s not a big deal in the big scheme of things because we’re not trying to get any credit but it’s better to nip things in the bud.  The longer you wait, the harder it generally is to resolve these things.

So check your credit reports (www.annualcreditreport.com) and happy Thanksgiving!

I haven’t been feeling all that great lately.  Thankfully, this week will be pretty quiet at work.  Work has actually been pretty good.  I’ve had three offers in as many weeks.  It’s definitely nice to be wanted.  I got my temporary crown on my tooth on Thursday.  It feels funny and hurts a bit so I plan to call my dentist this morning.

Hubby and I went to see American Gangster on Friday.  It was pretty good but why was the matinee $8?!  That’s insane.  We may have to start watching PPV.  I’m working on a list of all the home improvement projects we want to do and it’s going to cost a grip.  Such is life I suppose.  Hubby wants his home theatre first but I’d rather do the patio because I want to have a birthday party for him and it will be nice to have the additional outdoor space.  We did pick out some curtains for the living room over the weekend.  I’m going to wait to get the ones for the dining room after I find a rug for that room.

We got most everything moved back into the garage and we can finally stop parking outside.  Of course, now that we park inside, the weather is nice.  It’s supposed to be 72 today.  (MegaRich, I do plan on posting pics for you.)  Hubby bought some stain so I guess we’ll stain the garage steps and the deck the next nice weekend.  Now that we’ve moved everything back in, you don’t notice the scuffs on the garage walls so no more plans to paint them.  We do need to go ahead and paint the guest bathroom.  Maybe we’ll do that over the Christmas break.

Speaking of Christmas, we need to start sending our Christmas cards.  It really snuck up on me.  I know we have some cards left over from last year but we’ll probably need to buy some more.  I was thinking of ordering custom cards but I waited too late.  I guess we’ll do that for next year.

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels to everyone!

The holidays are my favorite time to travel.  No, I’m not a glutton for punishment.  Dealing with long lines, flight delays and novice travelers really aren’t my idea of a good time.  But now is a great time to get bumped.  I’ve gotten many a free flight this way.  If you’re in no particular hurry to get to your destination, it can be well worth your while.  So here are a few tips to improve your chance at getting bumped as well as making it as painless as possible.

• If possible, don’t check any luggage.  You’re more likely to get bumped if they don’t have to pull your luggage from the plane.  This also gives you more options for getting on the next flight out.  For example, when I lived in the Bay Area, I was open to being routed to any of the airports in the area (SFO, OAK and SJC).  This gave me three times as many options.
• If you must check luggage, put the essentials (including toiletries and a change of undies) in your carry-on.  This makes it less of a hassle if you do choose to get bumped.  I once got bumped off the last flight of the day and spent the night in Houston (IAH).  I got a voucher for a free ticket, a night in a hotel and a first class seat on the first flight out the next morning.  It was late at night and nothing was open or near the hotel.  Imagine how UNpleasant that would have been without toiletries and fresh undies.
• Get to the airport early.  Not only will you be less stressed but you can find out when you check in if the flight is full.  If so, you can go ahead and volunteer to bumped.  They generally won’t know if they need you until close to the last minute but this ensures you’re at the top of the list.  There have also been occasions where they didn’t need to bump me but I got a meal voucher and/or upgrade simply for being willing.
• Come prepared and comfortable.  If you have to sit around the airport for hours and perhaps walk from gate to gate, tight jeans and stilettos may not be the best choice.  However, be sure not to let comfortable = looking like a bum.  Whether you like it or not, better dress often equals better treatment.  In addition, you’re more likely to end up in first class if you look like you belong.  I also make sure to have plenty of reading material, laptop, iPod, etc. with me to make the time pass more quickly.
• Know what you’re entitled to and don’t be afraid to ask but also be reasonable.  Getting bumped to a flight that’s an hour later is generally not going to get you a free flight.  There are regulations in place that address the level of compensation that you can expect to receive.  If your delay is two hours or less, you’ll usually get $200 max.  A four hour delay will usually be worth $400.  However, don’t be afraid to ask for meal vouchers that can be used within the airport or an upgrade.  You’re not necessarily entitled to these things but you never know, they might just say yes.
• Last but not least, be polite!  In addition to "getting more flies with honey", it’s just the right thing to do.  It’s not the airline employees’ fault that the airlines overbooked or that there are mechanical or weather problems.  Everyone is already frazzled enough as it is without you adding to the situation.

That said, happy travels this holiday season.

I’ve been looking for a charcoal gray pea coat for a while.  I (thought) I finally found one I liked.  So yesterday, I called a friend to ride with me and headed to the mall during lunch.  After lunch and ice cream, we headed to the store.  The coat was NOT what I wanted.  Boo.  Then my friend spotted a cute brown suede coat.  Now I’ve been wanting another one of those but the pea coat was the priority.  Then she pointed out the coat was on sale…and I had a coupon.  So, of course I ended up with that one and the pea coat search continues.