Just a little type A

Free Entrance For National Park Week

Saturday, April 21, 2012, kicks off the first day in National Park Week, a weeklong celebration of celebrate the beauty that is America through free entrance to all National Parks, April 21, 2012 - April 29, 2012.

A complete list of all National Parks can be found here.

Discounts on services and food from some of the National Park vendors.  Some of the discounts include: Buy one Grand Canyon West Rim Sunset Tour, get one free; stay two nights at Mount Rainer National Park Inn, get the second night free.

Find the complete list of discounts here.

If April doesn't work for you, the National Park service offers several fee-free dates throughout the year.  Upcoming free days are

• June 9
  Get Outdoors Day
• September 29
  National Public Lands Day
  
• November 10-12
  Veterans Day weekend

See the list of fee-free days here.

 

Fear Of Mechanics

Image Credit

Why is it that when your car has a problem, the issue mysteriously disappears before you get to the mechanic?  Maybe my car is afraid of the mechanic like some dogs/cats are afraid of the vet?

My check engine light came on yesterday so I scheduled an appointment for this morning.  Of course, 1 mile from the dealership the light goes off.  

On the plus side, I'm not wasting the day waiting for my car to be fixed.  

 

You're Not Normal

"You know, you're not normal." Jeff tells me the other day.

I was expressing my frustration that someone wasn't as organized as I would like them to be.  And I couldn't understand why something was being done a certain way when it was more efficient to do it another way.

Me: "I don't get it. Why can't so and so do it like this?  It just doesn't make sense. Doing it that way wastes time."

Jeff: "you know, you're not normal.  People aren't like you.  You can be way over the top."

Me: "Yeah, yeah, I know. I guess, I just expect everyone to be like me and then I get frustrated when they're not."

Is it wrong to expect that everyone be just a little type a?

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Love how they used You Tube.  

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• $1 plus shipping and handling ($2)/per month gets you 5 cartridges with 2 stainless steel blades 
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Specific details can be found here.

One Thing You Wished You Knew Before You Attend BlogHer '12

Normally I don't post my travel plans in advance but I'm throwing caution to the wind.

I'm attending #BlogHer '12 this summer.  I missed out on attending BlogHer '11 last year, despite being held in San Diego. I hadn't learned about it until the week before and the only tickets left were full conference passes at $798.  

Not wanting to pay that price I opted not to attend. Penny wise but pound foolish because now this year, I'm attending. With airfare, hotel, and meals, it would have cost me less to pay for the full conference pass...live and learn. :)

Back to the subject at hand, I've got a roommate (not calling her out in case she doesn't want me to identify her) for the conference and I asked her what was the one thing she wished she knew before she had attended her first BlogHer.  So I thought I'd throw this out there for the veterans and newbies of BlogHer.

For the BlogHer veterans:  What is the one thing you wished you knew before you attended your first BlogHer conference?

BlogHer Newbies: What is the one thing you wished you knew before you attend Blogher '12?

Here's mine, it's an easy one: Is 500 business cards enough?

Freebies on Income Tax Day - April 17, 2012 And Before

Need a little relief post filing your income taxes?  These companies/merchants are offering a little something in the way of tax relief.  Read the details as some offers start before April 17, 2012.

• AMC Theatres: coupon for free small popcorn. Valid 4/13/12 - 4/15/12
• Arby's: coupon for a free order of value-size curly fries. Valid 4/17/12
• Aunt Anne's: coupon for buy one, get one free pretzel. Valid 4/17/12 - 4/25/12
• Boston Market: coupon for buy one individual meal and drink, get one free.  Valid 4/17/12
• Bruegger's: coupon for Big Bagel bundle for only $10.40.  Valid 4/13/12 - 4/17/12
• Chili's: coupon for either a free appetizer or free dessert with entree purchase. Valid 4/16/12 - 4/18/12
• Cinnabon: two free Classic Cinnabon Bites.  Valid 4/17/12 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
• HydroMassage: free massages. Valid 4/16/12 - 4/20/12
• MaggieMoos: free scoop of their new yogurt. Valid 4/17/12 between 4 - 7 p.m.
• Office Depot: coupon for free 25 single sided black and white copies. Valid through 4/16/12
• Office Depot: coupon for up to 5 pounds of shredding. Valid through 4/16/12.
• Panda Express: coupon for free single serving Shanghai Angus Steak. Valid 4/17/12
• PF Chang's: coupon for 15% off your pickup order. Must place order online. Valid 4/17/12
• Seattle's Best Coffee: free coffee. Valid 4/17/12
• Sonic: half priced drinks and slushies. Valid 4/17/12

 

Let Me In

During Spring Break, the Big One had a friend sleep over.  Beekers not quite understanding why he's not in the room, but patiently waiting to be let back in.

Scarring Your Child

Just how embarrassed would he be?  Would it scar him for life?  Registration today for the Big One.  Jeff and I agreed that one of us should attend to ensure that the Big One gets into his recommended AP and Honors classes.  Needless to say, he was not happy when I mentioned it to him in the car this morning.

The Worse Ever

Yesterday I spent the entire day and a good part of the evening, minus roughly an hour for lunch, 10 minutes to quickly put up the Hawaiian Airlines fare war to Hawaii post on my other blog: Traveling Well For Less, and 20 minutes for dinner, working on our family vacation and I'm a bit peeved.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE planning travel. Love looking things up, finding rates, researching travel destinations, etc. Afterall, I was in the travel industry for 12 years: worked as a travel agent for two years, then owned my own travel agency for 10 years. Loved traveling vicariously through client planning. However, my husband has, and looks like he will always be, the worst client ever.

Signs Of Spring

I love spring.  All the flowers in bloom, bunnies in the yard, and the sweet chirping of birds.  It's always fun to find birds eggs in the nests.

But not when the nest in in your fire alarm.  

Normally we move the nest before the birds have laid their eggs, but we didn't catch this one in time.