I received a 2% executive membership rebate check.
Then American Express will send out their rebate check in February.
This check is redeemable only at Costco.
But, this year, I promised myself that I will put all my rebate checks into a savings account. So, I transferred $40.32 from checking to savings.
*This month, I put $330.00 into a savings account.
Today is January 13th, but I still cannot let go of Christmas.
I had such a good time during the season.
Last weekend, I bought some last chance Christmas stuff at a local store.
Everything had to go, they said.
At work, I still turn on my Christmas lights. I still listen to Christmas music.
It’s so sad that the season went by so fast.
I put on my Santa Hat on Thanksgiving Day. Some folks greeted me with “Merry Christmas” – On Thanksgiving Day.
My 10-day vacation was magic. I really enjoyed my vacation. I spent 6 days all alone, including Christmas day. And I loved it.
I bought myself a nice Christmas gift (below)
I love this 13″ notebook computer. Of course, I bought a factory re-certified unit for a deep discount. The battery lasts 7-9 hours. I plan to get out of the town and take care of my business with my computer once in a while.
I still turn on Christmas lights at my work. I listen to Christmas music. My apartment smells like cinnamon sticks.
I have gained 4 solid pounds during the season.
I ate a lot. Look at my snack shack (photographed December 2010).
This is why some people hate Americans.
Don’t try this at home, unless you have super strong willpower.
I have a friend with almost no self-control. She goes crazy whenever she visits me.
I should snap out from the Christmas hangover and start enjoying 2011.
I can’t wait for Christmas 2011. But that would wish away 1 year of my life. I shall re-focus and enjoy 2011. I would like to be productive this year.
The Christmas season is only 10 months away.
First Costco shopping of the year.
I didn’t buy anything special. They were all stable items.
I bought 2 cases of V8 with a coupon. I put them upside down in the cart, so the checkout clerk will scan the UPC codes on the bottoms faster. V8 came out to be about $0.33 for each can*. (FYI: 99 Cents the only store sells V8 for $0.57 a can*)
*Plus CA redemption value
Coupon saved $13.00
These are stuff I bought from Bed Bath and Beyond during this Christmas season.
I love Cinnamon Stick scented Yankee Candle. To me, Cinnamon Stick is the best holiday smell. You light this up… and it’s Christmas.
The big jar was about $15 with the sale & coupon.
Remember, Bed Bath and Beyond takes expired coupons. So, I clip and hold on to all coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond.
Coupons are nothing to laugh at. I saved $5 on a large jar of Yankee Candle. I have great respect for coupons.
I would never buy Yankee Candle at full price. Because I cannot afford it. Coupons make it possible for me.
Yankee Candle, olive oil dispenser, olive oil sprayer, straws… from Bed Bath and Beyond.
I am on my 10-day vacation (4 days off, 2 days holidays, 4 days weekend).
8 days flew by like a rocket ship. I still have 2 days to enjoy. I shall make the most out of it.
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When I was a boy, I used to love scale modeling. I spent many days making tanks, sports cars, and fighter planes. Back then, I had to save money for months to buy a cheap box of a tank. Kit models were such a treat back then, that’s why I relate kit models with Christmas.
I wanted to re-live that olden day. So, I bought 2 boxes of kit models. I was very happy to find this truck. I remember when I was a young boy. I used to look at this truck in the store window for hours and daydreamed.
On the night before Christmas, I put the truck together as I watched Polar Express. I had a good sentimental moment alone. The entire apartment was quiet. I couldn’t hear any of my neighbors.
It took several hours (a few days) to put this together.
After this truck, I got fed up with scale modeling. That was enough. Maybe I will get to the tank next year (?). We’ll see.
Update 2021 – 11 years later, I still haven’t finished that tank. It’s about 1/4 finished.
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My neighbor “S” paid a visit on Christmas day. She said she found the coins in the laundry room. “I thought it had to be you,” she said.
She said, after using washers and dryers, she put the coins and Christmas card back up there. She wanted somebody else to have that good feeling.
###
I did a lot of shopping.
I ate a lot of treats.
I met my parents twice.
This vacation was so very sweet.
It was Thursday 9 pm when my neighbor called. She’s 10+ years younger than I am. We are just friends. She occasionally invites me to join her young friends at her place. She told me once that I was fun to be with because I was “Odd”. Mm.. Story of my life.
She asked me if I would like to keep her company. She had to drive to Los Angeles to see her friend. She needed to pay her some money and say hello to her for about 15 minutes. I hadn’t been to Los Angeles for over 10 years. Tomorrow is Friday, so it would be OK if I get a little tired.
“OK, I’ll go with you”, I said.
I put on my Santa hat, and she hit the freeway. She told me it was strange and fun to go out with me. I gave her a smile as I adjusted my Santa Hat.
THEN, she started to chain-smoke as she listened to loud techno music. OMG, that was painful. All my good clothes (I bought from Costco) were soaked in smoke.
Below is a sample of “Techno Music” – She didn’t listen to the exact song, but they are all same.
** NOTE ** I am not saying Techno Music sucks. I respect all kinds of music. But I am just too old for this kind of music. I stopped listening to the “New Stuff” since the ’90s.
Anyway, we drove to the trendy part of Los Angeles. We found my neighbor’s friend walking her dog at night in high heel boots. She was a cute blond. I expected we would head back home in 15 minutes as she told me earlier. But they started to drink beer. I drank water. We were there for about 2 hours. And it was past midnight. I was falling asleep on the couch next to the dog. My neighbor gave her friend some money she owed, and the friend gave her some homemade cookies.
Then I noticed something funny. The cookies didn’t look right. I was pretty sure that there were illegal drugs in those cookies. I was angry and worried.
We finally hit the freeway back home. She cranked up her Techno Music again. And there went chain-smoking. We were hungry, so I took her to Denny’s for late-night breakfast. As we ate breakfast, I confirmed that the cookies contained marijuana.
I came home past 3 am and I went to bed around 4:30 am.
I crashed the next day. I was so tired. At work, I had to take a nap in my car.
I am too old for this.
But it was fun.
