American Air Times

Yesterday I booked a flight to New York to visit with family and friends. I'm thinking,
"I'm going to get through this process online 123." I know how to do it; it won't take me 3 hours like it takes my sister; I've become a pro at this." Except this time I'm trying to use my rapid rewards with American. I decide on the date and times and go to put in my Aadvantage number and find out that I'm too late. Those dates with the times I want are filled on the rapid rewards program. So I say to myself, "yipee...I've got enough miles saved up...I'll fly Business Class." Not so fast, lady." American wants to charge me 100,000 miles worth of reward mileage to go Business. (It should only be 50,000 earned credits.) That puts me 48,000 miles in the hole. My choices after 30 minutes of this: I can go back to the beginning, see how I can maneuver all these miles that I have even if I have to leave my house at 4:30 a.m. to get a seat on the day that I want, or...I can CALL AA and let them figure it out for me. Well after the agent got me the exact times that I wanted on the days that I wanted using up more miles than I cared to but not 48,000 extra miles, my choice came down to: I can let her book it for me for $20.00 plus $5.00 in taxes, or I can hang up, go back to the computer and see if I can be as creative as the agent and put in all my info for no cost at all. I took the road less traveled these days and let the agent do it. LIFE'S TOO SHORT.

Bye bye, m'am

I'm sitting at work now ready to meet the world head on and make whatever sales are possible on a post July 4th Sunday. A very young woman comes in with two adorable little boys, Mateo and Marcus. They are acting just like my 2 adult sons used to act when they were together in a store. I naturally relate some of the horror stories that I can remember of my sons when they were 2 and 4. And, of course, it was like it was yesterday when they used to hide behind the clothing rounders in the department stores and cause havoc there. So by now I'm "back in the day" and am enjoying a comraderie with this lovely woman. And then it's time for her and the boys to leave. In a very loud and charming voice she says: "good bye m'am" and I am shattered. I've come back to earth. I'm probably 35 or 40 years older than she is!

The British 'r coming, the British 'r coming!

I'm trying to catch up on my bills and my email and FaceBook and Twitter (yes, I do all those things now) and the cannon right outside my window is deafening! I've now jumped out of my skin about 6 times and ran to take cover the 1st two times. I should have realized it's just past 9:00 p.m., the sun is down and the bloody fireworks to celebrate our country's freedom have gotten out of control. Every time I think they're over and I start concentrating again, another blast of fireworks begin. Wish I could close the windows, but it's about 80 degrees in the house. I shall make this short and enjoy the sounds of liberty and others' right to pursue happiness!

Answer: Blue Skies, Blue Caps and Gowns, Blue Lips, Pomp and Circumstance

Question: What Did Friday, June 25th have?

My 4 1/2 year old grandson graduated from Pre-K on Friday along with 23 other adorable preschoolers in blue caps and gowns. When I saw the actual gowns lined up on a table in one of the classrooms earlier that day,I knew it was going to be a 5 hanky afternoon. Because along with caps and gowns comes the Pomp and Circumstance march; I have never made it through that song without a few tissues when each of my kids graduated. But this was a first for a grandchild. I mean, he was just born a few years ago! And here I was with wet eyes and cheeks as Pomp and Circumstance played throughout the classroom.

I was standing in the back of the room right near the door where the kids would come out in their caps and gowns and walk down a short aisle to take their places in little chairs up in the front of the room. My little one caught my eye and he smiled as I clicked a whole bunch of pictures to send to everyone and carry around with me. Of course, having never used a digital camera, I didn't realize that the flash had to go off, and before that, a red light would come on. So 7/8 through the ceremony and exercises, I realized that I had nothing to show. Luckily my daughter and son-in-law have a record of this momentous occasion.

The commencement exercises were very adorable along with a slide show as a record of each child's 2-1/2 years at the Wonder Years Pre-School. Pictures were taken of all the graduates and then it was on to another classroom where parents, grandparents, younger toddlers and friends all indulged in delicious cake and drinks. It didn't take me long to spot my little 2 year old toddler sitting in a chair, minding her own business and devouring the blue icing of the cake all by herself. She was her own picture of blue: blue lips, face and hands. What a delicious day for her and all of us!

blue skies, blue cap and gown, pomp and circumstance and blue lips

Buddy can you spare a dime?

One Friday night last month I was coming out of my temple from Friday night services when my friend noticed that his car (an Infinity) wouldn't start. He kept trying to turn on the ignition many times and so did each person who came over to give him a helping hand and who each had a new suggestion on what to do. I had to be up at 7:30 a.m. the next day, which is a time that I only observe as a wake up time with my grandkids when I'm up at their house. It's an ungodly hour for me. That said, I wanted to get out of the temple parking lot as soon as possible. So I called my housemate to see if he could come down to the temple and give me a ride home. My friend called his girlfriend to do the same since he figured that AAA would tow his car off somewhere for the night. So 20 minutes later I'm picked up, we drive up Jamboree and right before we exit, there's a sign that says Jamboree exit. But, I must admit, it's a little confusing at the turnoff point and many times it's a natural inclination to want to go one exit more before we REALLY have to get off before the toll. Well, we were talking and naturally missed the exit. So there's a toll fee we have to pay for just literally ONE BLOCK. My friend asks me how much change I have (the toll is .75 cents!) Together we've come up with .55 cents. Yes, we each have dollars on us but, believe it or not, this particular toll station doesn't make change at all; nada, zippo, zilch! Now there are 2 lanes for the toll road, one is for the Fasttrak, the other is for putting your money in the basket. No one at all was coming behind us in the change lane. Everyone was zipping through with their fasttrak passes. Finally I hailed down a lovely man who barely spoke English. He pulled over from the fast trak to check his coins. Nope, he didn't even have .20 cents to his name. So while I'm talking to this foreigner , who really could have been the grim reaper for all I know, my friend was literally on his knees outside the car checking in the front and back of the car to see if he could scrounge up .20 cents more maybe from under the mats or in between the seats. He found 2 dimes. Twenty minutes later we were home free having gotten the green light to pass through. Thinking my other friend was still at temple waiting for AAA, I gave him a call to find out how he was and to laugh about our adventures; he was already home. When his girlfriend arrived, she suggested he start the car again and lo and behold, it started! Boy I hang around with some doozies, huh? One floods his car over and over again and the other is scrounging for change under the carpets of his car! There's something wrong with this picture.

Shopped 'Til I Dropped

Last weekend the SEARS ESSENTIALS closed in my neighborhood. Ever since I knew the store was closing I'd visit it regularly to see how the merchandise was selling, what percentage off was being given, and was there something I had to have. So I missed out on the wine rack that I'd been touching, feeling and measuring for about 6 weeks, I missed out on some toys for my grandkids, there was no jewelry that interested me, basically nothing but a few bras. After I purchased one bra at 50% off, I waited until the line would go down more. But alas, when the 75% sign went up, the brand that I liked had nothing to offer me but 2 sizes larger. So, had to have the bargain, and bought it at 2 sizes larger. Then last weekend, I went in early Friday morning, just to scout out the store for the last time. Not much left. Saturday, after work, I was so tired but had to go in again. Even less left. I decided that was enough. I'd touched everything, tried on what was slightly interesting, and just went home. No more, don't go back; you've seen it all. Except that Sunday night, the last hour of the store's existence, I just couldn't drive home after work without giving it one more shot. I'm now completely exhausted having worked and been on my feet the whole weekend. So with painful heel spur and all, I park my car and with 45 minutes left until closing, I decided to try on a few blue jeans in Omar the Tentmaker size. The clothes were 80% off with an additional 50% off of that. Can't beat that. So I figured I'll buy one size larger, just to get me through this overly fat, outrageous BMI number that I've earned. And for $3.50 I walked out of Sears Essentials with my new oversized jeans that I can throw out after I stop eating walnuts, yogurt, M&Ms, chocolate and all the other midnight snacks.