As I much as I love clubs (book club, cd club, etc.), I really despise grocery or pharmacy "clubs", where to get the sale price of an item, you have to dig and find the associated card. These are not clubs that require any outstanding qualification, they are merely vehicles used by the Man to track purchases. I usually either forego the sale price or ask the cashier to use his/her card.
Airline Frequent Flier clubs present a similar quandry for me, but the stakes are much higher. The allure of one day having a ticket to Hawaii just by flying to and from Boston and Seattle, or Boston and D.C. (many, many times) is quite a carrot. But the reality it this: airlines go bankrupt (four years of flying TWA in college with nearly enough miles to somewhere exotic...and bam, they're gone), the rules are arcane (travel must be completed only in months ending in "r"), and the prize itself elusive (as soon as you think you're ready, the miles have expired!). For the past 10 years I've been accruing miles (which means remembering my various frequent flier numbers, plus pins or passwords) on several different airlines, so that if they were all pooled together I could use them, but separately they are useless. Except for USAirways...the shuttle that transports me and my sister between Boston and D.C. several times a year. An astounding 35,000 miles had been earned and I decided to see if they could in fact be redeemed. As I clicked through the steps on the website to redeem miles for a ticket to D.C. on Mother's Day weekend, I surprisingly hit no snags. "This system might work", I thought. Soon enough, victory (really, a major coup!) was mine. I had an e-ticket sitting right in my email. The impossible has been made possible! I thought then that I'd use my coop card that very day to save $0.63 on groceries.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Salad Days
Things have not been going so well on the salad front for Liz. Her update below...
Encouraged by the fact that I successfully ate two side salads (baby greens with blue cheese, pears, currents and vinaigrette) in the last two weeks along with a lunch salad (which, mistakenly included a hard boiled egg -- something I never have to do again), I decided to try a "savory dinner salad" Saturday night. This bold step forward in my summer of salads was a complete disaster and I am sure it set me back weeks in my learning-to-eat-salad endeavor.
It was absolutely AWFUL. Even though it was full of things I like (Cheddar cheese, carrots, chow mien noodles and fresh shrimp in addition to the questionable orange bell pepper and baby spinach spring mix) I could barely choke down two bites (I made a face and had to stick out my tongue -- much to Matt's amusement, but not mine). I had to retreat to the kitchen to fetch Ben and Jerry's Neapolitan Dynamite with which to cleanse my palate. Matt and I decided that it was the pepper and the Caesar salad dressing that I used -- which was too salty. It made the whole thing taste like sea weed. I even bought expensive Caesar salad dressing thinking it would be better than the regular wishbone or Safeway salad dressing. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm never eating Caesar salad again -- no matter what the Washington Post says about it ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032800311.html). And, as a matter of fact, I am not trying anything new for the next week -- and maybe the next two weeks when it comes to salad type things -- including the allegedly 'crispy, crunchy' radishes in the fridge. YUCK.
Encouraged by the fact that I successfully ate two side salads (baby greens with blue cheese, pears, currents and vinaigrette) in the last two weeks along with a lunch salad (which, mistakenly included a hard boiled egg -- something I never have to do again), I decided to try a "savory dinner salad" Saturday night. This bold step forward in my summer of salads was a complete disaster and I am sure it set me back weeks in my learning-to-eat-salad endeavor.
It was absolutely AWFUL. Even though it was full of things I like (Cheddar cheese, carrots, chow mien noodles and fresh shrimp in addition to the questionable orange bell pepper and baby spinach spring mix) I could barely choke down two bites (I made a face and had to stick out my tongue -- much to Matt's amusement, but not mine). I had to retreat to the kitchen to fetch Ben and Jerry's Neapolitan Dynamite with which to cleanse my palate. Matt and I decided that it was the pepper and the Caesar salad dressing that I used -- which was too salty. It made the whole thing taste like sea weed. I even bought expensive Caesar salad dressing thinking it would be better than the regular wishbone or Safeway salad dressing. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm never eating Caesar salad again -- no matter what the Washington Post says about it ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032800311.html). And, as a matter of fact, I am not trying anything new for the next week -- and maybe the next two weeks when it comes to salad type things -- including the allegedly 'crispy, crunchy' radishes in the fridge. YUCK.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Barney: And Interview with Nora
With the success (erm, sort of) of Nora's avocado plant, she moved on to a higher life form; a beagle! Nora volunteers at a weekly dog training class at the animal shelter and after working with this 6 month old beagle one evening, decided to adopt him. I asked her a few questions:
1. What made you decide to volunteer at the animal shelter?
I needed a new volunteer project and animals make everyone feel warm and fuzzy, I thought it would be good for the animals and for me.
2. Did your previous experience growing an avocado plant have any bearing on your decision to adopt a dog?
I don't have a lot of luck with plants, but I did get that little seed to grow, so it gave me hope that I could care for a living thing.
3. How is your avocado plant?
That said, the avacado tree is not doing very well. But I blame the weather, as it is a tropical plant. I do not blame me and lack of care/water...
4. What made you decide on the name Barney?
Barney the name was picked by Barry because his favorite book as a child was "Barney Beagle Plays Baseball". The other night I heard the two of them in the living room... the Red Sox were playing and Barry was telling Barney "Did you see that hit?" and "Wow, that was a good play, Barney!" I'm not sure if Barney gets the rules yet.
5. Do you ever listen to Three Dog Night?
I don't listen to 3 Dog Night often at all.
1. What made you decide to volunteer at the animal shelter?
I needed a new volunteer project and animals make everyone feel warm and fuzzy, I thought it would be good for the animals and for me.
2. Did your previous experience growing an avocado plant have any bearing on your decision to adopt a dog?
I don't have a lot of luck with plants, but I did get that little seed to grow, so it gave me hope that I could care for a living thing.
3. How is your avocado plant?
That said, the avacado tree is not doing very well. But I blame the weather, as it is a tropical plant. I do not blame me and lack of care/water...
4. What made you decide on the name Barney?
Barney the name was picked by Barry because his favorite book as a child was "Barney Beagle Plays Baseball". The other night I heard the two of them in the living room... the Red Sox were playing and Barry was telling Barney "Did you see that hit?" and "Wow, that was a good play, Barney!" I'm not sure if Barney gets the rules yet.
5. Do you ever listen to Three Dog Night?
I don't listen to 3 Dog Night often at all.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Tales from the Fruitcart: On Being An Adult
The editors have been busy with work and life. I saw Zara yesterday and she was sparkly and with perfectly coifed hair as always. We are both collecting tales to report, but in the meantime, here's an update from Liz, my sister, a reporter and employee of a company which itself employs a fruit cart to keep worker morale high. Looks like it's working!
So, as you may know, I have decided that this is the summer of salads and baseball. Two things I always think look good -- but then aren't when actually eat them or attend them. As you know, for years I have said there is no reason to learn to like either one of these things -- even though people informed me that when I am an adult I'll need to know how to eat a salad and go to a baseball game. Well. Here I am. "An adult." And, low and behold, I do need to know about salads and baseball because it is increasingly embarrassing to go out to a work lunch or function and be the only person who a) doesn't order salad and b) can't follow the conversation about the Nationals or the Red Sox or the Yankees. As a result, I fear I may be left behind professionally. (It is that whole social skills thing.)
I realized when I made this resolution a few weeks ago that learning to like salads and baseball may be easier said then done. As if by magic, while sat at my desk thinking about this instead of my actual work, the fruit cart came by with what else other than fruit? Cracker Jacks of course! It was opening day and the office was getting into the spirit of it with a fun afternoon treat. As I was mulling over my Cracker Jack prize (a weird portrait of Susan B Anthony as either a young adult or an old lady depending on how you folded the corners) I was inspired. People not only eat Cracker Jacks at baseball games, but they also drink beer! Why can't I just go to the game and drink and pretend to know what number 11 (who is only 21!) is doing. Well, I put this plan into action last week at an exhibition game at JFK and, other than the yucky hang over the next day, it worked out splendidly! Now that I know a baseball stadium is really just an overpriced sports bar with a cover charge this baseball thing will be a snap.
Salads, on the other hand might not be. I started small (putting four spinach leaves on my sandwiches) but now it is time to move on to 'real' salads. And, thanks to the fruit cart again, I successfully made my first dinner salad last night. The fruit cart inspired me yesterday afternoon because it had some of the first pears of the season on it. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to take one home to put in my salad, along with currents, blue cheese and pine nuts, to disguise the taste of my "spring green mix." It worked out very well, if I do say so myself! Even Matt congratulated me -- I ate all but one purple leaf without grimacing!
I let you know what adventures transpire when I push the fruit cart around the office in a few weeks. Maybe I'll get the ice cream fruit cart since it will be warm then! Fingers crossed. Everyone likes the people who bring non-fruit fruit carts.
So, as you may know, I have decided that this is the summer of salads and baseball. Two things I always think look good -- but then aren't when actually eat them or attend them. As you know, for years I have said there is no reason to learn to like either one of these things -- even though people informed me that when I am an adult I'll need to know how to eat a salad and go to a baseball game. Well. Here I am. "An adult." And, low and behold, I do need to know about salads and baseball because it is increasingly embarrassing to go out to a work lunch or function and be the only person who a) doesn't order salad and b) can't follow the conversation about the Nationals or the Red Sox or the Yankees. As a result, I fear I may be left behind professionally. (It is that whole social skills thing.)
I realized when I made this resolution a few weeks ago that learning to like salads and baseball may be easier said then done. As if by magic, while sat at my desk thinking about this instead of my actual work, the fruit cart came by with what else other than fruit? Cracker Jacks of course! It was opening day and the office was getting into the spirit of it with a fun afternoon treat. As I was mulling over my Cracker Jack prize (a weird portrait of Susan B Anthony as either a young adult or an old lady depending on how you folded the corners) I was inspired. People not only eat Cracker Jacks at baseball games, but they also drink beer! Why can't I just go to the game and drink and pretend to know what number 11 (who is only 21!) is doing. Well, I put this plan into action last week at an exhibition game at JFK and, other than the yucky hang over the next day, it worked out splendidly! Now that I know a baseball stadium is really just an overpriced sports bar with a cover charge this baseball thing will be a snap.
Salads, on the other hand might not be. I started small (putting four spinach leaves on my sandwiches) but now it is time to move on to 'real' salads. And, thanks to the fruit cart again, I successfully made my first dinner salad last night. The fruit cart inspired me yesterday afternoon because it had some of the first pears of the season on it. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to take one home to put in my salad, along with currents, blue cheese and pine nuts, to disguise the taste of my "spring green mix." It worked out very well, if I do say so myself! Even Matt congratulated me -- I ate all but one purple leaf without grimacing!
I let you know what adventures transpire when I push the fruit cart around the office in a few weeks. Maybe I'll get the ice cream fruit cart since it will be warm then! Fingers crossed. Everyone likes the people who bring non-fruit fruit carts.
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