Rockin' the Rewards, Rollin' the Rebates

When planning my trip to visit my Dear Daughter in Jackson, Mississippi, she was trying to help me scope out possibilities for flights as opposed to my driving down- solo. The short version of the story is that for the time span I wanted, the flights weren't really cheap.

It's cheaper to drive. Then I have more flexibility, too.

And, I said to my daughter, I don't mind the drive.

Also- I didn't mention, but I will mention now, in this current quarter, I get additional reward points when I use my credit card at gas stations.

I work all the reward and rebate angles I can.

This quarter, my main credit card, in addition to the 1% on all purchases, is awarding 5% on purchases at gas stations.

When I accumulate enough points, I ask them to cut me a reward check for real money.

But that's not the only way I'm accumulating points. Because, during the month of July, if I make purchases on 10 separate days at my usual gas station, and use *their* reward card, I will get 7000 bonus points on my gas station rewards card.

I can't get *cash* back with this card. However, when I accumulate enough points, I redeem these rewards for gift cards. One holiday, I was able to get 3 different $25 gift cards just with reward points.

I have so many reward cards that it's hard to keep track of them all. I have reward cards for gas, office supplies, printer ink, pet supplies, groceries (2 different chains), cinema, restaurants, department stores. I use some cards more than others, but I have a ton.

Plus the credit card reward program.

One of my restaurant cards is a "club". We pay $59 a year for the club; in return, we get $59 credit towards food, 20% discount on food at the restaurant, a free brunch for me on my birthday, and a free brunch for my husband on his birthday, a free brunch on our anniversary AND on the anniversary of the restaurant. AND 20 free passes to the Comedy Club in the basement  of said restaurant. SUCH a deal!

Since we dine out, and enjoy taking friends to the comedy club, it feels like a deal to us. And since we buy drinks- which aren't covered by the discounts or credits- and because when we redeem the free birthday brunch we buy brunch for the one who *isn't* having a birthday, it works out well for the restaurant, too.

I love working the rewards system. This is how I score better wine: I look at what wine is on sale. I see a nice pinot noir, regular price $23.99, on sale when I use my card for $14.99. BUT WAIT! If I  buy 4 or more bottles of any wines, I get an additional 10% of the sale price! Winning!!

AND, with this grocery reward card, every time I use the card, the store donates a percentage of what I spend to the charity of my choice. I have them donate to my theater troupe.

WINNING!

What was I saying? Oh, yeah...

So, I drove to visit Dear Daughter. Next quarter, though, gas stations are done- we are on to Amazon gift cards and department stores for the holidays. So then I could fly.

A swinging day and good clean fun

I was trying to post some pictures that I discovered have motion- to share with my Facebook friends in a private group. The pictures would post, but only as still shots.

I think they will post here. These are photos that I took when Dear Husband K and I were babysitting for #1 grandson. I hadn't realized that these pictures had motion until the photos uploaded to my Google+ site.

All of this is still mysterious to me; I will keep investigating. Meanwhile, we can enjoy these here. I think.

Do Stuff, Write About It

“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It's that easy, and that hard.”
― Neil Gaiman

It is that easy, and it is that hard.

If I write, every day, I will find that I have things to say.

So I believe.

A few days ago, I did a lot of stuff. I will write some of it down.

Friday was the day we had decided to have family over to celebrate my birthday.*

I got up relatively early. The day before, I had spent a long time cleaning the living room: moving couches and sweeping underneath them, dusting everything, putting away clutter. I'd made a start on the two bedrooms. I made more progress on the bedrooms and kitchen, and then I went out for errands - stopping to get cash to pay my nephews, gas to rack up the Rewards Visits, make some returns of retail therapy merchandise, and then on to pick up nephews.

My nephews did tons of work at my house: they trimmed the lawn (Dear Husband had mowed the day before) and cleaned my car (we had driven dogs to and from the Pet Hotel and fetched Dear Daughter's dog from Dear Almost-Son-In-Law's parents place). The  nephews swept and mopped and cleaned and cleared. Then, before and after they showered- each choosing a bathroom- they cleaned the bathrooms.

I wasn't idle, either. I worked hard on continuing to sort and pitch and recycle the STUFF that I had been clearing and cleaning from the various Convenient Flat Surfaces in bedrooms and on snack bars.

Then I got busy cooking. Even though it was my birthday, I was cooking. Yes I was! Because one of the things I have remembered is that I like to cook for people. So I made my famous macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, and had chilled pears and watermelon chunks. I also was about to make a delicious baby spinach and mandarin orange salad- but found that the salad spinach that I had bought JUST THAT DAY was slimed! EW! So Dear Husband was sent out to fetch more salad, while I made my famous herb mayonnaise salad dressing and visited with the first arrivals- Auntie B and Cousin S Lee.

I had bought a Bumpy Cake because I love it and because calories don't count on your birthday (that is my story and I am sticking to it. Besides, I had worked off cake and ice cream with all the housework that day and the day before.) And ice cream. Because it is summertime and because Bumpy Cake loves ice cream.

As it turned out, my mom couldn't help herself, and bought me a Bumpy Cake as well.

An embarrassment of riches. We sent left over Bumpy Cake off with the nephews, because it won't be my birthday forever** and the calories will eventually catch up.

I also made rice and black beans, with shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream on the side, because nephew M doesn't like cheese, and we couldn't have the poor boy starve, now could we?

Eventually, my mom and my sister and her hubby joined Auntie B and Cousin S Lee; and later son J, his wife J, and my grandson J (we call them J3 from A2, since they are from Ann Arbor) arrived.

Lots of food was eaten by all and we were all delighted watching grandson J discover the delights of delicious pears and it was a good night.

I took Ibuprofen and two senna tablets before bed. I already ached from the housework, and I didn't want to get constipated from the pain killer.

I know, too much information.


* One can never celebrate a birthday often enough. As of this writing, I have celebrated my birthday before (while up North with family and friends), on (at a Tigers baseball game) and after (twice so far) the actual date. I will be celebrating at least once more, as I have a birthday credit at a local fancy-shmancy restaurant. So there!

**Somehow, no matter how many celebrations we manage, the birthday excuse eventually expires. Usually in less than a month.

The To Do List

What a to-do to do today!

I am a list-maker. There is no point in denying it.

There is quite the list for today.

I have a play to read and review for a friend.

Follow up on the play I'll be directing in Detroit in the fall.

Follow up on the play I'll be directing in Chicago in January 2014.

Follow up on the play I finished directing last month.

Laundry.

Dishes.

Writing of my own. Which also requires a list: topics for scholarly articles must move up the list, returning to the NaNoWriMo novel, plays to return to and revise. A long list of anecdotes and topics for this blog and others. Letters to friends.

At the top of the list: Coffee.

First things first.