I am getting so tired of having to have a shopper's card at every darn store. At the same time, I do appreciate the discounts at the grocery store, but the membership is free. What is the point of just signing up for a plastic card so you'll receive major discounts at no cost to you? How does this work out?
I have long shopped at Meijer, but Bigg's started a gas program with the Sunoco station and I have always felt Sunoco gas lasts longest in my car. Of course, they discontinued their partnership with Sunoco. Now, I can only get gas at Speedway or SuperAmerica. I can't remember the last time I ever saw a SuperAmerica.
Well, Bigg's also partnered with a local family-owned grocer in town and now you can use your shopper card at both places. I once got over fifty cents off per gallon with all my grocery points. I was flabbergasted. And I don't get to use that word often enough.
I went to get gas the other day at Speedway and swiped my Bigg's card. Please see cashier. I went inside and was told I had to sign-up for a Speedway card. I just thought it was something simple, they way Kroger does it with their partnership with Shell. Wait a minute.... That's not simple either! You can't even get gas at Shell without swiping the damned Kroger card. I once pulled up and swiped my credit card only to have it ask me for my Kroger card. Back in the car, grab Kroger card, swipe. Please swipe credit card. I JUST DID THAT! Swipe card again afraid I'd be paying twice. Long process...You are not eligible for a discount. Oh, for the LOVE!
So I went ahead and signed-up at the kiosk for a Speedway card even though I was in a real rush to pick my daughter up from school. I asked how I got my discount with my grocery card and the boy said, "Oh, it takes 24 hours for it to activate." ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS? I just wanted gas!
The guy told me I could go online and activate the card and add my shopper points. I did that today, but it didn't seem accurate. I called the grocery and she said there is yet ANOTHER card I need to sign-up for to use at both places.
I am trying to figure out how I can grow all my own food and use the leftovers to fuel my car.
Monday, April 18
Wednesday, March 2
Nap? Cuh. Rap.
In the hour and a half it took me to get my 3.5-year-old daughter down for a nap, I went from Mommie Dearest to Kathy Bates in Waterboy. My darling daughter went from Rosemary's baby to Sleeping Beauty. In other news, I'm having a really good hair day.
Wednesday, December 1
Monday, June 28
Summer (or Some 'Er Better Than Others)
I was enjoying a cup of coffee when I came across an article in the local newspaper about the number of children on the west coast who have died of hyperthermia after being left or trapped in boiling hot cars. Three things: 1) I was immediately reminded why I abhor reading the newspaper, 2) I am a bad journalist for that, and 3) I have discovered my local paper doesn't really seem to have any local news in it.
Clearly, this upset me. I cannot even imagine how awful it would be discover such a scene in your car. I do not judge anyone. You hear of those stories where parents forget their kids are in the car and horrid things happen. I will admit I can see how someone could do that. I have been driving down the highway only to look in the rear view mirror and nearly faint to discover the little one's car seat is empty. Forget the fact that just minutes before I'd dropped her off at gramma's for the day. That split second of "Oh my GOD! I left her in the grocery cart!" zaps through your brain. The only thing that snaps you out of it is Huey Lewis serenading you on the oldies station. The very same oldies station that you would beg your parents to turn off in the car because is was making you car sick. It is, in fact, the one station that your very own daughter loves. Each time Boston or the Moody Blues comes on your daughter yells, "This is my favorite!" as if she knows you just need a little reminder that she's still there. It helps.
Well, my friend and I decided to take our children to the drive-in on Saturday night. It was so retro. It was so exciting. It was so blazing hot. It was nothing short of the worst idea we've ever had. We were told to park in the 7th row or back. I drove down row no. 9 and decided there was no freaking way we were going to park near "those people." Again I don't judge, but seriously.
I parked in the 6th row, I guess, without realizing it. My friend went off to the concession stand since we were informed in about twelve different ways that it is how the drive-in makes its money. I was asked very nicely to move back a row and to tie the hatch of my Jeep down so it is even with the roof. I did it~by myself! It took a couple tries, but let me tell you, there is nothing like the admiration of a couple of toddlers to make you feel like you could...well...tie anything down in an emergency.
Needless to say, at this point, I was sweating like a maniac. My friend returned and had for a split second thought we'd abandoned her. (That would have sucked, no? But I think it would make for a great movie. Take someone to a drive-in and leave her stranded? I'm sure it's been done. Then again, if the movie was anything like real-life, she would be begging to be separated from the rest of the party.) Friend's son and my daughter proceeded to eat popcorn. I think it was my daughter's first foray into such loveliness. They shared marshmallows I had packed and my friend and I shared a Mt. Dew Big Gulp. It was heaven. It was just what I'd imagined. I felt like a little kid again. It was...blazing hot and I was sweating in places I didn't know sweat glands bothered to be.
It was so nice being out in the middle of nowhere. Not a star in the sky. Just the space station! How cool is that? Was I really having anxiety that people are actually living on that thing in space? I had a terrifying nightmare once about winning a contest where I got to fly into space. It was awful. Not even for Bruce Willis would I leave the planet (and we all know how that movie ended).
I was enjoying the movie way more than the kids were. It was actually stressing me out a little. Eventually everyone needed potty breaks and I was glad for the break. I made my way to the concession stand where the bathrooms were. If it was 94 degrees outside, it was 194 degrees inside those disgusting bathrooms. Dear God, people. Learn. To. Flush. Everyone was dripping with sweat and there was no way not to accidentally touch someone. It was horrible.
I found my way back to our spot only to find my daughter post-sobbing, my friend was putting her son's shoes on and they all looked like they'd been beaten with wet hot noodles. So we all trudged our way back to the bathrooms. My daughter refused to use the potty even though it was her idea and she was already sitting on it. Friend's son wouldn't stand to potty and demanded to sit. We're screaming DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING and it was then that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Holy crap. I thought we were the normal ones at the drive-in. I looked at my friend who was dripping sweat from head to toe, and our disgusting children, and ran out into the darkness as quickly as possible.
When I returned to the car I found friend's son laying on the sleeping bag wrapped in my sarong. Of course, my daughter had to get under it as well. My friend and I just stared at our children as they fought to wrap themselves together under a blanket. Hello! It is 4000 degrees out here! I turned to my friend and said, "We could seriously be arrested for child endangerment right now." Then I looked around. Couldn't everyone at the drive-in be arrested for some form of child abuse? I couldn't even count the number of families packed into hot cars watching Toy Story 3. My crappy car couldn't pick-up the radio signal and we were mooching off all their radios, so I was sadistically thrilled for their stupidity. Our kids eventually gave up, got too tired and buried our sleeping bag in rocks.
We packed up our kids, much to the thrill of our neighbors, and left before the inevitable traffic jam. We didn't get home until almost midnight. We just stared at each other like What the hell were we thinking? Friend and I decided we will go to the theater to see the movie. In the air conditioning. By ourselves. We'll take wine.
Clearly, this upset me. I cannot even imagine how awful it would be discover such a scene in your car. I do not judge anyone. You hear of those stories where parents forget their kids are in the car and horrid things happen. I will admit I can see how someone could do that. I have been driving down the highway only to look in the rear view mirror and nearly faint to discover the little one's car seat is empty. Forget the fact that just minutes before I'd dropped her off at gramma's for the day. That split second of "Oh my GOD! I left her in the grocery cart!" zaps through your brain. The only thing that snaps you out of it is Huey Lewis serenading you on the oldies station. The very same oldies station that you would beg your parents to turn off in the car because is was making you car sick. It is, in fact, the one station that your very own daughter loves. Each time Boston or the Moody Blues comes on your daughter yells, "This is my favorite!" as if she knows you just need a little reminder that she's still there. It helps.
Well, my friend and I decided to take our children to the drive-in on Saturday night. It was so retro. It was so exciting. It was so blazing hot. It was nothing short of the worst idea we've ever had. We were told to park in the 7th row or back. I drove down row no. 9 and decided there was no freaking way we were going to park near "those people." Again I don't judge, but seriously.
I parked in the 6th row, I guess, without realizing it. My friend went off to the concession stand since we were informed in about twelve different ways that it is how the drive-in makes its money. I was asked very nicely to move back a row and to tie the hatch of my Jeep down so it is even with the roof. I did it~by myself! It took a couple tries, but let me tell you, there is nothing like the admiration of a couple of toddlers to make you feel like you could...well...tie anything down in an emergency.
Needless to say, at this point, I was sweating like a maniac. My friend returned and had for a split second thought we'd abandoned her. (That would have sucked, no? But I think it would make for a great movie. Take someone to a drive-in and leave her stranded? I'm sure it's been done. Then again, if the movie was anything like real-life, she would be begging to be separated from the rest of the party.) Friend's son and my daughter proceeded to eat popcorn. I think it was my daughter's first foray into such loveliness. They shared marshmallows I had packed and my friend and I shared a Mt. Dew Big Gulp. It was heaven. It was just what I'd imagined. I felt like a little kid again. It was...blazing hot and I was sweating in places I didn't know sweat glands bothered to be.
It was so nice being out in the middle of nowhere. Not a star in the sky. Just the space station! How cool is that? Was I really having anxiety that people are actually living on that thing in space? I had a terrifying nightmare once about winning a contest where I got to fly into space. It was awful. Not even for Bruce Willis would I leave the planet (and we all know how that movie ended).
I was enjoying the movie way more than the kids were. It was actually stressing me out a little. Eventually everyone needed potty breaks and I was glad for the break. I made my way to the concession stand where the bathrooms were. If it was 94 degrees outside, it was 194 degrees inside those disgusting bathrooms. Dear God, people. Learn. To. Flush. Everyone was dripping with sweat and there was no way not to accidentally touch someone. It was horrible.
I found my way back to our spot only to find my daughter post-sobbing, my friend was putting her son's shoes on and they all looked like they'd been beaten with wet hot noodles. So we all trudged our way back to the bathrooms. My daughter refused to use the potty even though it was her idea and she was already sitting on it. Friend's son wouldn't stand to potty and demanded to sit. We're screaming DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING and it was then that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Holy crap. I thought we were the normal ones at the drive-in. I looked at my friend who was dripping sweat from head to toe, and our disgusting children, and ran out into the darkness as quickly as possible.
When I returned to the car I found friend's son laying on the sleeping bag wrapped in my sarong. Of course, my daughter had to get under it as well. My friend and I just stared at our children as they fought to wrap themselves together under a blanket. Hello! It is 4000 degrees out here! I turned to my friend and said, "We could seriously be arrested for child endangerment right now." Then I looked around. Couldn't everyone at the drive-in be arrested for some form of child abuse? I couldn't even count the number of families packed into hot cars watching Toy Story 3. My crappy car couldn't pick-up the radio signal and we were mooching off all their radios, so I was sadistically thrilled for their stupidity. Our kids eventually gave up, got too tired and buried our sleeping bag in rocks.
We packed up our kids, much to the thrill of our neighbors, and left before the inevitable traffic jam. We didn't get home until almost midnight. We just stared at each other like What the hell were we thinking? Friend and I decided we will go to the theater to see the movie. In the air conditioning. By ourselves. We'll take wine.
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