Monday, January 12, 2009

Monday Toots...and Snow

We're back from Denver and the Oxford Hotel. We slept in (in fact, we spent all day 'in' on Saturday), watched Humphrey Bogart in Sahara (one of the best war movies ever made), caught up on reading, ate out at the pub next door, and... it was nice. Antique furniture, lovely old 19th century prints and etchings on the walls. A firm bed with lots of pillows. Snuggly comforter...and cotton terry robes that actually fit. A huge shower head in the white-tiled bath. Clean smells and surfaces everywhere. Aaahhhhh.

There were a few glitches in the luxury. It wasn't the wiggly toilet that sounded like a foghorn when flushed. Nor the key that snapped in the wet bar, or no cream and sugar for the (burned) coffee Sunday morning. You see, the Oxford promises if you put your shoes out in the hallway at night, they'll be shined and back in place in the morning.

So we did. Morning...no boots. At 9 a.m., Husband finally called the front desk. Boots arrived. I thought, 'Gee, that's a light polish.' Husband sniffed: 'nope, they weren't polished at all.' The denoument came as I pulled them on -- left boot had a slightly-used lime wedge in the toe! Husband thinks they spent the night in the bar...what did they do there, unburden their soles?!

Ham and eggs at a nearby diner; a stop at Molly Brown's house (now a museum - and it's Margaret to us yahoos)...and it's Monday morning, back to reality. And snowing.

Frugal Zeitgeist had a problem with her shredder:
http://frugalzeitgeist.blogspot.com/2009/01/rip-frugal-shredder-of-doom.html
Can she return it? Nooo...because a few months ago, she shredded the receipt.
(We burn iffy papers in the fireplace, especially credit card applications.)

Tight-Fisted Miser believes there are certain things you should always get free:
http://tightfistedmiser.com/2009/01/02/five-things-you-should-get-for-free/

Speaking of, get a pastry or another drink free when you buy a drink at Borders:
http://seattlesbest.com/media/special/SBC_buy1_get1.pdf
(Thanks, Money Saving Mom!)

Crockpot365 recommends hot & sour soup for the flu (sounds good, mine is still not gone yet):
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/01/crockpot-hot-and-sour-soup-recipe.html

And Frugal Upstate has ten easy suggestions for deciding on what's most important for you and your family, needs and bill-wise:
http://frugalupstate.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-be-frugal-pay-your-bills-and.html

I can relate to one of Upstate's recent dilemmas. Thinking to save money, she got three meals ready for husband and children before leaving on an out-of-town gig. While she was gone, Husband took the kids out to eat twice, and went to his in-laws the third time.

The food went in the trash.

I used to do the 'loving hands prepared at home' thing for Husband's and girlies' meals before I left on a gig. Eventually I realized that at least half of that food was going down the disposal...because Husband, bless his little heart, hated cooking of any kind, even reheating. After all, that also meant dishes.

Now I'll usually have something in the crockpot before I go -- he'll eat that, at least. (Thank God for paper plates and bowls.) I may make one more dish and put it in the freezer. Otherwise, I get some freezer dinners, round up the fast-food coupons, and let him decide.

No comments:

Monday Stuff On the way to Other Stuff: Meltdown

     The nice thing about Colorado is that we have these horrendous snowstorms -- and within a few days, they're melting off -- fast. Al...