I know this has to be a popular topic for anyone in America. Even if someone does not drive an automobile or dives and electric powered car, they are effected by the increase in the amount that Americans have to pay at the pump. The rising price of gasoline causes the price of all goods to go up because of the added expense in getting from one place to another and then eventually to the consumer.
The more people have to pay at the pump the less they have to spend on their families. People have to make a variety of sacrifices just to afford getting to work and back. Overall, families are pretty resilient to change and can work through a lot of things, but it is frustrating when it is something that is so out of their control. Currently, according to the New York Times, President Obama doesn't feel like there is a quick domestic answer to the climbing gas prices and claims that instability in the Middle East and in increase in the demand for oil in China has contributed to the increase in the amount of our paychecks we leave at the filling station.
There are new technology items that have helped to give consumers an edge when it comes to knowing where to shop for their gas investment. The website, http://www.gasbuddy.com/ can give consumers the ability to shop for the cheapest gas in their area. They can search by city or zip code just to name a couple. Although this is only one tool in the battle against the pump every little bit helps. Consumers are willing to drive out of their way to save on the price per gallon hat they put in their tanks. This is where the saving can get questionable. Do people really save when they pay for gas to drive themselves across town to save a small amount in the purchase of gas. I know that I have been guilty of doing this very thing. I will realize that I need fuel and dive to the station across town on my way home where I remember seeing it for a cheaper price on my way to work only to find that it cost more then than it did before.
Gas buddy is not the only website that can help consumers find the cheapest prices. The US Department of Energy has a website that consumers can use to search gas prices across the nation. I guess if nothing else, just when we think we have it rough here, we can look at other areas of the country and see how much more others are having to pay and somehow try to feel lucky. Either way it is money coming out of our pockets and money that we are unable to have to spend on our children and it is frustrating. I hope that there is an answer for us in our near future, one that will allow for more stability.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I miss the days of reservations!
I remember when a night out used to be so much easier to plan. You work all week and look forward to "date night" with great anticipation. Well, honestly along with all of the anticipation of a great night out comes a little agitation or frustration. It is the wait at restaurants that drive me crazy. I understand that there are a lot of people that have a similar plan. They too work all week and want to go out for dinner and enjoy sitting down to a great meal that they didn't have to prepare. I understand they have a similar plan, but that doesn't mean that I understand why I have to wait in line with them. This may sound a little cold, but the answer to my problem is very simple....bring back the option of making a reservation!
I realize that to the business owner the process of accepting and holding reservations can equal a loss of money and customers, but it doesn't have to be that way. As I was waiting in line to enjoy a dinner out with my husband the other evening it got me thinking that there has to be a better way. It isn't very often that my husband and I get an evening out by ourselves and we really don't want to spend 30 to 45 minutes of it standing around with total strangers in a crowded area that wasn't originally intended to handle it's current amount of traffic. Because of the small area everyone ends up either sitting really close together, having to constantly shuffle around to get out of the way, or stand in a cold breezy door way. So, naturally I started thinking about how to improve the situation.
In my opinion, restaurants could take reservations and secure a large percentage of their profit. If upon taking the reservation for seating at their establishment if restaurant owners would take a credit card to use as a deposit then I think their problem would be solved. If the patrons showed up for their reservation on time then of course they would dine there and the restaurant would make its profit. If on the other hand the people did not show up for their reservation the establishment could charge for example a $25 cancellation fee it the reservations were not met of cancelled within a set amount of time. I realize that this could be an inconvenience for the customer if their plans did not work out, but I would be a great convenience the majority of the time. If the set up did not work for the customer I sure there would continue to be lots of restaurants that they could continue to go to and get the convenience was waiting in line.
I would enjoy being able to plan an evening out and be able to know about how long dinner would take and not have to wait in line. We have to wait in line for so many things, fast food, groceries, banks, and so on, it would be nice to not have that frustration with trying to have an enjoyable evening.
I realize that to the business owner the process of accepting and holding reservations can equal a loss of money and customers, but it doesn't have to be that way. As I was waiting in line to enjoy a dinner out with my husband the other evening it got me thinking that there has to be a better way. It isn't very often that my husband and I get an evening out by ourselves and we really don't want to spend 30 to 45 minutes of it standing around with total strangers in a crowded area that wasn't originally intended to handle it's current amount of traffic. Because of the small area everyone ends up either sitting really close together, having to constantly shuffle around to get out of the way, or stand in a cold breezy door way. So, naturally I started thinking about how to improve the situation.
In my opinion, restaurants could take reservations and secure a large percentage of their profit. If upon taking the reservation for seating at their establishment if restaurant owners would take a credit card to use as a deposit then I think their problem would be solved. If the patrons showed up for their reservation on time then of course they would dine there and the restaurant would make its profit. If on the other hand the people did not show up for their reservation the establishment could charge for example a $25 cancellation fee it the reservations were not met of cancelled within a set amount of time. I realize that this could be an inconvenience for the customer if their plans did not work out, but I would be a great convenience the majority of the time. If the set up did not work for the customer I sure there would continue to be lots of restaurants that they could continue to go to and get the convenience was waiting in line.
I would enjoy being able to plan an evening out and be able to know about how long dinner would take and not have to wait in line. We have to wait in line for so many things, fast food, groceries, banks, and so on, it would be nice to not have that frustration with trying to have an enjoyable evening.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Home Re-model
My husband and I had a big remodel planned when we purchased our most recent home. Well, we dug in and got so much done. It has been a tremendous amount of work. We started with the walls. Down came the wallpaper, then we patched blemishes and sanded, finally everything was ready for paint. I have failed to mention that I am terrible at decisions. Well, before you can paint your walls you have to pick out and purchase paint. That was truly the hard part. I have painted and re-painted rooms. My bathroom is currently in waiting for another change. A little paint sample looks so different than a whole room of that color. I know that I should just buy sample sizes and do a decent size swatch first, but I'm so excited to have one more thing off of the to do list that I paint the whole room.
We pulled up the carpet, tore down walls, put in a fireplace, you name it. The list is very long but there is one thing still waiting on me, the painting. I had decided that I wanted all of our trim and doors painted cream in color instead of a wood finish. That is a much bigger job than I thought it would be. I wasn't even half way through the project when I realized that I was in over my head.
Well, it will get done someday. Hopefully that will be someday soon. The doors are still waiting on me along some of the trim, but it will happen. I just have to find the time, and finding time is definitely a post for another day.
We pulled up the carpet, tore down walls, put in a fireplace, you name it. The list is very long but there is one thing still waiting on me, the painting. I had decided that I wanted all of our trim and doors painted cream in color instead of a wood finish. That is a much bigger job than I thought it would be. I wasn't even half way through the project when I realized that I was in over my head.
Well, it will get done someday. Hopefully that will be someday soon. The doors are still waiting on me along some of the trim, but it will happen. I just have to find the time, and finding time is definitely a post for another day.
Filtered Water vs Bottled Water
Filtered tap water has benefits over bottled water. I know people worry about impurities in their drinking water and some people are willing to pay a lot of money for purified water packaged in plastic bottles. People can get pure water without paying the high price and at the same time be kind to the environment. According to msnbc.com, bottled water has experienced the largest amount of growth. Bottled water has had an increased in popularity larger than any other beverage including soda. This increase in popularity has lead to an increase in waste in U.S. landfills.
There are campaigns such as Refill Not Landfill that try to get consumers to choose refillable bottles. Even if the consumer is concerned about impurities they can use items such as Brita water filters to eliminate those impurities. Brita also has products other than home filtration systems. These home systems are great though. They cost about $33.00 and are a great way to keep cool clean water in your fridge in the filtration pitch. The filtration bottle is what I am so impressed with. As long as you have your bottle, you can get purified water anywhere without buying anything or creating more waste.
It takes everyone making simple choices to make a difference. It can be difficult to change, but the more aware people become hopefully the more positive changes there will be.
There are campaigns such as Refill Not Landfill that try to get consumers to choose refillable bottles. Even if the consumer is concerned about impurities they can use items such as Brita water filters to eliminate those impurities. Brita also has products other than home filtration systems. These home systems are great though. They cost about $33.00 and are a great way to keep cool clean water in your fridge in the filtration pitch. The filtration bottle is what I am so impressed with. As long as you have your bottle, you can get purified water anywhere without buying anything or creating more waste.
It takes everyone making simple choices to make a difference. It can be difficult to change, but the more aware people become hopefully the more positive changes there will be.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Groundhog Day
We have lots of traditions in our society. Some are more for adults while others are more focused on children. Some traditions are focused on religious events or simply set dates on the calendar. One of these traditions is Groundhog Day. There is a plump old groundhog that lives in Punxsutawney, PA named Punxsutawney Phil that is quite a celebrity. So, I'm sure most everyone is aware of how Groundhog Day works. On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his dwelling and ventures into his bright or gloomy environment and a crowd is present to draw a conclusion to his weather prediction. Its is either one of two possibilities, 6 more weeks of winter, or an early spring.
Now honestly I don't ever remember putting too much thought into this event and it's not highlighted on my calendar, but it's sometimes a topic of conversation for those who catch the news broadcast. All this being said about what a fairly lighthearted event this is, I was very surprised to read on ABC News the title, Punxsutawney Phil Isn't Always Right. There was actually people who took the time and were likely paid to compare the groundhog's weather prediction record to actual weather records. Now you may find this shocking, but an analysis at the National Climatic Data Center concluded that there is no correlation between the two records! Well, the true die hard Punxsutawney Phil fans say that the point is that it is always winter somewhere. I guess the fans are more accurate that the groundhog.
In conclusion, it's a simple annual event that shouldn't be over analysed. Just let it be for fun. I think there is too much of a need to prove or disprove everything in our society. In the end it doesn't really matter what the groundhog says, we can't change the weather.
Now honestly I don't ever remember putting too much thought into this event and it's not highlighted on my calendar, but it's sometimes a topic of conversation for those who catch the news broadcast. All this being said about what a fairly lighthearted event this is, I was very surprised to read on ABC News the title, Punxsutawney Phil Isn't Always Right. There was actually people who took the time and were likely paid to compare the groundhog's weather prediction record to actual weather records. Now you may find this shocking, but an analysis at the National Climatic Data Center concluded that there is no correlation between the two records! Well, the true die hard Punxsutawney Phil fans say that the point is that it is always winter somewhere. I guess the fans are more accurate that the groundhog.
In conclusion, it's a simple annual event that shouldn't be over analysed. Just let it be for fun. I think there is too much of a need to prove or disprove everything in our society. In the end it doesn't really matter what the groundhog says, we can't change the weather.
Flying
When I first started flying, I would get nervous before my flight and my husband would tell me that I was at a much greater risk traveling in a car. At first I thought this idea was crazy. Falling from the sky seemed much more dangerous to me. I began paying attention to news reports and an occasional statistic and turns out he was right. There are many more deaths related to motor vehicle accidents every year in the United States than there are from plane crashes. So, after a few flights I got over my fear of flying which didn't last long and started really enjoying it. I even found it to be relaxing after I got to the right terminal. This was especially true if I had time on my side and could grab a bite to eat and look through a magazine. It became my "me" time that is so hard to come by. From the airport terminal I couldn't wash dishes, clean the floor, or do laundry. All of the everyday stuff that I fill my time with was impossible. Well, everything except homework and somehow there is always a way to do that it seems. WiFi has been both a blessing and a curse as far as that goes. It seems like it gets harder and harder to unplug.
Oh, and I can't forget to mention the people! Now that is some good entertainment. I'm always curious as to where they are going, who they are meeting, and the reasons for their travel. Some people get very dressed up for the airport which always kind of amuses me. I guess if they are going right into a situation where they need to be dressed a certain way I can understand it, but for everyone else it just seems silly. Flying is kind of a cramped uncomfortable experience to some degree so why would anyone want to make that worse. I say go for comfort! I remember a very funny thing a lady once said to me as we were boarding a flight. She looked down at my feet and I was wearing brown leather flip flops. She then turns and asks me why I'm not wearing tennis shoes? She tells me that she would never flying in any other type of footwear because the chances of surviving a plane crash are much greater if you're wearing tennis shoes. I've thought about that one a lot and somehow I just don't think it comes down to your shoes. There are lots of factors that come into play but I don't think footwear is one of them.
Anyway, I love flying and wish I could do more of it. I miss the days of planning a last minute trip and away we would go. My 8-month grounds us a little bit, but I guess that is to be expected. Ultimately I wouldn't have it any other way.
Oh, and I can't forget to mention the people! Now that is some good entertainment. I'm always curious as to where they are going, who they are meeting, and the reasons for their travel. Some people get very dressed up for the airport which always kind of amuses me. I guess if they are going right into a situation where they need to be dressed a certain way I can understand it, but for everyone else it just seems silly. Flying is kind of a cramped uncomfortable experience to some degree so why would anyone want to make that worse. I say go for comfort! I remember a very funny thing a lady once said to me as we were boarding a flight. She looked down at my feet and I was wearing brown leather flip flops. She then turns and asks me why I'm not wearing tennis shoes? She tells me that she would never flying in any other type of footwear because the chances of surviving a plane crash are much greater if you're wearing tennis shoes. I've thought about that one a lot and somehow I just don't think it comes down to your shoes. There are lots of factors that come into play but I don't think footwear is one of them.
Anyway, I love flying and wish I could do more of it. I miss the days of planning a last minute trip and away we would go. My 8-month grounds us a little bit, but I guess that is to be expected. Ultimately I wouldn't have it any other way.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It's Not all in the Numbers
This blog likely will be one that more women than men can relate to but that's okay since it is coming from a female. So, many of us fixate on the scale. We have our goal weight, our healthy weight according to the experts, the weight where we feel our best, and so on. Some of even know roughly or even exactly how much we weighed around certain events in our lives for example pre or post pregnancy. Well, I too am victim to all of those numbers in my head, but what I have clung to is this one haunting pair of jeans. You know that pair. We have all had them. They were your favorite. They fit just right, just the right length, and you felt great wearing them. You felt great that is until they didn't fit any longer. I can't let go of them. They have laid dormant in the upper back corner of my closet for the better part of 8 years. I think about getting rid of them, but I just can't seem to let go. It could be the history behind the jeans. This links back to my point about weight and events, I was wearing them when my husband I first met. He doesn't care about the jeans or likely even remember them, but for me they are my marker. Now this is silly I know, but I continue to let them nag at me.
So there are those days when you think you can take challenge and try them on, if you dare. Chances are I'm setting yourself up for disappointment, but there is that slim chance that I can wiggle into them. It might take lying flat to zip them, but that still counts. They might be the kind of tight I would never wear to a public place or possibly even attempt to sit down in but again if they're on it still counts. I should use these moments as motivation. Okay, so if I'm this close to that goal why not push harder and apply those two dreaded words, diet and exercise? Well, because I dread them, both the diet and the exercise. So, my favorite, perfect, haunting pair of let me not forget to mention way over-priced pair of jeans will continue to linger in my closet. Although I look at them as a physical marker I think more than that I relate them to the history we have together.
So there are those days when you think you can take challenge and try them on, if you dare. Chances are I'm setting yourself up for disappointment, but there is that slim chance that I can wiggle into them. It might take lying flat to zip them, but that still counts. They might be the kind of tight I would never wear to a public place or possibly even attempt to sit down in but again if they're on it still counts. I should use these moments as motivation. Okay, so if I'm this close to that goal why not push harder and apply those two dreaded words, diet and exercise? Well, because I dread them, both the diet and the exercise. So, my favorite, perfect, haunting pair of let me not forget to mention way over-priced pair of jeans will continue to linger in my closet. Although I look at them as a physical marker I think more than that I relate them to the history we have together.
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