WHATEVER WORKS.. VACATIONS VACATIONS AND MORE VACATIONS

WHATEVER WORKS Let’s go on vacation, vacation, vacation!!  And more vacations!

This is going to be my SEVENTH BLOG, so I thought I’d give you the probable recurring characters in case you didn’t get them the first time.

Nancy, my best friend of 60 years.  We grew up together and have known each other since 3rd grade.  She claims that I’m several years older than she is.

Laurie, my niece, who lives in the Big Apple.  She has put up with her delusional Aunt for almost 50 years.
 
Cathy, another best friend, who Nancy and I also went to school with (since the 3rd grade).  She’s also several years older than Nancy.  So I guess Cathy and I were left back several times in kindergarten.

Shawna, Chris, Taylor, Nicole and Samantha, Nancy’s son, daughter in law, and grandchildren.  Also my family.  Nan’s granddaughters are 17, 10 and 8.

Pete and Angela, Nancy’s brother and sister in law, they live in Deltona Florida.  I also consider them family.   Age not required.

Margaret #1, my friend of 40 years who lives in Kansas.  We shared many an apartment together in New York City.  Actually they were Margaret’s apartments, she just put up with me for months at a time.

Margaret #2, Angela’s deceased Mother.  Her house is around the corner from Pete and Angela and Nan and I stay there when we come to visit.

Liz, Laurie’s significant other.  Another family member.

Kristen:  Pete and Angela’s oldest daughter, who helps me allllllll the time with my computer problems (of which there are usually many).

Katie and Glen, Pete and Angela’s daughter who will soon be married to Glen (November 12th)
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You will read about these people over and over, and except for the Margaret’s who you will only be able to differentiate  between by the  content of the sentence.
Vacations, vacations and more vacations…
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If you read my Blogs at all, you know that at your very kindest you would call me frugal.  If you want to be blatantly honest you would just say I’m just plain CHEAP!  I might add that Nancy is not what you would call cheap, she’s a  very good shopper, but definitely  not cheap.  She is however, in most cases, glad that I am.  As you well know I almost never buy anything that’s not on sale (at least 50% off) and I mean everything I buy has to be on sale.  I eat in restaurants that have early bird specials (this is only understood by people who actually live in Florida), give coupons and send me coupons for a free meal (with purchase of another) use my AARP card for 20% discount all the time.  My gas purchase is at the same station all the time and is ten cents off the regular price (and this station usually has the lowest price in town anyway).  I use every single Senior Citizen discount I can get my hands on.  Free always a wonderful word, Taco Bell gives free drinks to seniors, Village Inn has free pie day Wednesday with purchase of a drink.  I think I’ve established that I’m good, very good at pinching a penny or squeezing a nickel until the buffalo poops.  
That said, I’d like to talk about one of the things that  I ABSOLUTELY DO THE BEST.  That’s arranging vacations.  I DO LOVE TO VACATION!!  Thankfully  Nan does too.   Last year we squeezed in four cruises and three timeshare weeks, two of the cruises were free except for minimal port charges and taxes,  one was a Special T deal  and one was my triumph of the year an eight day cruise to Panama and Costa Rica on a Carnival ship for $500  We had changed from another cruise we had booked to this one and were charged an administrative free of $100, so our price when up to $550 each and when we added the insurance for another $90 (which turned out to be a good idea, since Nan go sick and we had to cancel).  The cost of the cruise was $500, the admin fee was $50 each and half the insurance was $45 each, so each of us paid $595 for an 8 day cruise.  They say if you can get a cruise for $100 a day, you’ve done really well.  With the extras ours was $74.00 a day, without the admin free change and the insurance it would have beenm$62.50 a day, BEAT THAT WITH A STICK  (by the way that’s the same stick I’ve mentioned in previous Blogs, I’m still using it, hope you are too!).

The timeshare stays were bought when RCI was running a special and they were $198 a week for a one,  two or three  bedroom condo (your choice, when available), with all the trimmings.
This year – I seem to be at my peak.  It’s only December and we’re booked up until April already.   This month we’re taking Shawna and the kids to a timeshare in St. Augustine (oldest city in the country) for the week before Christmas.  Again, 2 bedrooms, washer-dryer, full kitchen, on the beach, indoor pool, you name it.

When Nan found out she was going to be OFF DIALYSIS, the very first think we thought of was ‘WHERE CAN WE GO, GO, GO!”  I got right on the computer and as luck would have it, RCI was having another sale.  This time it was $189 per week, for a one, two or three bedroom timeshare in about 200 different cities and states.   Off  we went searching, searching, searching.  We decided on Westin, Florida (we’d never been there before) 2 bedroom.  We plan to attach this stay to a little cruise we have available to us to the Bahamas.  The cruise is three days, two nights on the Celebration a little ship we particularly like.  It has a nice walk-in pool, unlike the big ships where you have to go down a ladder attached to the side of the pool.

With the cruise package came a two night stay in a hotel, usually a Holiday Inn or Ramada or like that.  We also got food vouchers, 3 a day for each of us  for a total of twelve meals for the two days for the two of us.   So on this trip we’ll be gone eleven days. And the cost will be about $350 each.  This includes the timeshare, the two days in the hotel, the cruise and the food vouchers.  We’re able to break up the 2 night stay, so we can have a night before the cruise and one after.   No too shabby.

Then Nan suggested Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  She liked it there and thought I would and soooo off we go, in February.  Another timeshare, another 2 bedrooms, etc., etc., etc.   This time we have to include the cost of gas, probably $100.  I don’t include food because we eat there or we eat home, but we always eat where ever we are.  Basic vacation, after we factor in the kennel for the dogs $220 for each of us for the week.
Nobody likes to just sit around in March, so we’re off to Lake Lure, North Carolina.  Another timeshare, same old, same old,.  For several  years, now Nan has wanted to go to North Carolina to go gem mining, but RCI hadn’t come up with a timeshare in or around Lake Lure that was on sale, but here it was listed in this sale, so we booked it.  Add a little more gas, the dogs and the timeshare and we’re up to $250 each for the week.  We will have mining costs at this vacation, cost unknown right now.

Called my cruise agent at Carnival, Jackie just to keep up with what was going on cruise-wise.  We were trying to book that cruise to Panama and Costa Rica again that we missed earlier this year.  They have stopped that route and we are disappointed, but she mentioned that we still had a $250 (each) credit waiting for us.   I also had a certificate for $100 credit towards a cruise that I purchased on an earlier cruise.  When you purchase the $100 credit toward a future cruise you get as a bonus another $100 to use towards incidentals like tips and stuff to buy, we had $600 sitting there towards the actual price.  The extra $100 we use to pay the tips, that leaves us $40 needed for the balance of the tips ($20 each)..  We’re off on the Dream, Carnival’s newest ship, on April 28th, for seven days to the western Caribbean.    Total cost $325 each.  We soon stopped being disappointed.

We only due inside cabins, because we are rarely in them except to nap and to sleep at night so that’s just fine for us. I know, I know  you couldn’t possibly even consider a cruise unless you had a room with a porthole at least,  well that’s certainly up to you, but when you consider the actual square footage of the room is virtually the same  sometimes your porthole overlooks the life boats or some other obstruction,   as I said it’s certainly up to you.  The only real difference is if you want a balcony, those rooms are a little larger and sometimes you actually can sit on the balcony without being blown away from the wind, or being overcome by the people next door who also have a balcony and sit on it chain smoking and having the smoke blow  in your face but remember other than the room, we’re all eating in the same dining rooms and at the same tables (we usually request and get a table for two)  and certainly the very same food.  At dinner you order four lobster entrees and three orders of escargot (all for yourself) and I order six lobster entrees and 4 escargots (also for myself) and  the waiter (who doesn’t know that I’m in an inside cabin) doesn’t blink an eye at either of us.  We watch the very same shows and sit anyplace we want in the theatre.  The comedy shows – you sit where you want, I sit where I want.  No discrimination.  The English Tea on Wednesday at 3 p.m., if you go we’re probably at the same table, waiting for our tea and Death By Chocolate Cake.  I also get the very same champagne at the Art Gallery that you get.  You want to eat at one of the specialty restaurants, my reservation and $25 is just as good as yours.  And when we’re up on the Lido Deck at lunch, we both waiting on the same line for our pastrami on rye.  Room service—yours is 24 hours, so is mine.   Sheets, pillow cases, towels all the same.  I can call and order one or two of those “Dream Pillows” delivered to my cabin, too.

You’ll probably make more of a fool of yourself at the Karaoke Bar, than I will, possibly because I won’t be at the Karaoke Bar.  But – whatever!!  I get invited to the Captains cocktail party because I’m a frequent cruiser, in spite of your room, you won’t if you haven’t sailed before.

We also can go anywhere on the ship that you can go and we’re all going to the very same ports, so the only real difference in our cruise and yours is the room.  I can’t think of anything that you get for your $2,000 balcony, that I don’t get for my 178 sq. ft. interior (other than a little more space).  And being lower in the ship, we don’t have to worry about being next to, or underneath the disco.  We’re usually one or two cabins from the elevator, so no problem getting anywhere.

 We don’t drink alcohol and the ice tea, milk, and juice is free, so this cruise line makes no money on us.  Remember when you cruise you have no extra costs like food, it’s free (including 24 hour room service) and no additional gas (the ships using its own  propellant).  Okay, I know you do drink alcohol in moderation, I’m sure and the cost of drinks on a ship are astronomical (usually $12-14 a drink) and you don’t even get to keep the glass, sooooo  quite a lot of extra budgeting has to be done to cover the cost of the area the ship actually makes all its profit on.  Nancy occasionally has a Bloody Mary (sometimes two), so what kind of profit do you think their making on us?

Think I’m full of rationalizations?  Well, as Jeff Goldbloom  said in the Big Chill -  “Where would we be without a few good, juicy rationalizations each day”..  Love the Big Chill and still love (swaggers as he walks,) Jeff Goldbloom!!!  Saw him first about 30 years ago in a movie about two scientists in England who discovered DNA.  Don’t remember the name of the movie , but remembered I like it and Jeff.  I might add where exactly would I be without a good cliché or two, or three maybe even more.

What’s the $5.00 for?   We were looking for a way to get around the cost of parking the car at the Cape, or having Shawna come all the way to Titusville to bring us to and from the Cape.  Nancy noticed a sign on a local hotel,  that said cruise parking.  I called immediately and they were terrific people and we worked out a deal.  You park for free and a shuttle bus to the port for $5 (round trip).   Hence, $325. Get that sick out again and start beating.

We went to a vacation club talk last month (they find us  because we cruise and Nan has a timeshare, so they call and we go)  and for going and listening to 90 minutes of talk, we got:  an 8 day cruise (for 2) FREE and a round trip airfare (for 2) also FREE.  Jackie is now looking up dates for that cruise sometime between June and August.  We will pay port charges and taxes.   Probably around $180-90 each.

 The airfare has no additional fees.  We’re thinking of using the free airfare to go to Seattle, Washington in September.  I called the company and we can go anywhere in the continental USof A.  Nan wants to go to Washington and so do I.  If we can arrange a timeshare too, September’s covered.  One week on the cruise and  1  week later in Seattle  2 vacations  for about $300 each.

We have two more little Bahamas cruises from Caribbean Cruise Lines and Special T, they also have 2 night 3 day hotel stays, vouchers for food, etc.  These will be 5 day stays about $225 each.

Then there’s the 5 night 4 day cruise to the Bahamas on the Carnival ship, Sensation, or to Mexico  whatever  we choose.   Got that FREE too!  This one’s for a Carnival ship and the port charges and taxes  are a little higher and we’ll probably be spending about $200 each for that cruise
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I should also mention that all these packages from Special T,and Caribbean Cruise Lines.  These packages always come with a string of little 4/3 and 3/2 stays at hotels in Cocoa Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando.  These don’t have any extra costs associated with them.

So, even without the little 4/3’s and 3/2’s, we’ve  been talking about 9 vacations of a week or more in duration for approximately  $250 per person, per  vacation.  AM I GOOD OR AM I GOOOOOD!!
I do have to mention that the cruise ships do make a little money on us,  but  5/4 cruise comes with a $50 match play and Nan usually does the slots for about $50.  On this cruise they won’t make any money because they will match Nan’s fifty,  she’ll probably match my $50 too!!   But she does usually gamble on the other cruises.  I do buy lottery tickets, but I do not do slots.

The travel companies we deal with for all these short cruises and the free cruises for attending the talks come from the fact that we do cruise and that Nan owns a timeshare. The packages are pretty universal they usually include a short cruise, two 3/2 stays and one 4/3 stay and usually they throw in a 4/3 stay in Las Vegas, total for all $149.   The ones that require a talk usually have a longer cruise and some other kind of GIFT for attending.  We have one package outstanding where we have a 4/3 stay in Las Vegas and we get $50 in cash back.  The package is usually good for use within 18 months.

We don’t usually go to Las Vegas, but this year we’re thinking of trying to attach a timeshare stay to the 4/3.
At one point, caught up in the hoopla, we actually considered joining the Travel Club, when Nan brought us down to earth,  “why should we pay money for a travel club, when we have you?  You search and search until you come up with the very best bargains, usually cheaper than the Club.  And we go”  She was right,  I’m on the computer searching bargains all the time and we jump on the really good ones.  And usually I can finagle something to get a better room,  or more perks or a discount or something.  People I deal with usually like me,  I’m old and very nice and call them over and over to ask questions and get details and always remember their names and personal information they tell me.  How’s your kids, is your husband (wife) feeling better, do you have to work this weekend, etc. et c.  Most people I deal with recognize me by voice and always when I say “Hi, this is Normandie”. I   Always—always answer a survey (if available) about how good they are and often ask for a supervisor to tell them how helpful they were or even sometimes write a note. Even if there’s a glitch in the workings, I never mention it always GREAT SERVICE because the people I talk to are always trying their best for us, and sometimes shit just happens. Work it out and move on..    Keeps me in their minds and usually brings some type of better benefits.

 Didn’t talk to Jackie at Carnival for 6 months while Nan was on dialysis and when I called her yesterday all I said was  “Hi, hon, how are you doing?” no name, nothing,  and she immediately replied  “Miss Normandie where have you two been?”,  need I say more???  When people get to know you, they usually bend over backwards to be extra  helpful  and  we really appreciate it.  Of course, we wouldn’t think of booking with anyone else.  That takes in all the different travel services we deal with.  Found an old letter from one of the travel companies we dealt with eight or nine months ago.  I make notes on every letter about everything, on  one of the notes -- was Joe and his extension.  Well, I actually remembered Joe, so when I called, I was prepared to ask for him.  Surprise, surprise, he answered the phone.  This time I gave him my full name and he said “I remember you and your friend, right? “  Well he looked up the trip and we still had 3/2 left too use in Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale or Daytona Beach.   While we were talking,  (he had been promoted in that time, we of course were very happy for him,)   I asked if he had that little cruise available any more the one with the 3 nights in Ft. Lauderdale attached.   “No”,  he  said, “Where not doing that anymore but since I’m in a better position now, let me see what I can do”.  Off he went for a few minutes, when he came back he said “ I arranged it for you- you got it.  3/2 cruise with a room upgrade cause I know you guys don’t like the room they assign  and the 3 nights and food vouchers in Ft. Lauderdale”.  Thanks, Joe… We’re off again…  I believe that one was $149. Total.

Well, I guess you’ve read about all you want to.  So, have  a wonderful Christmas, and see you in the funny papers.

Just remember:  WHATEVER WORKS,

Normandie

WHATEVER WORKS...as long as it's CHEAP!

Blog # 3

WHATEVER WORKS as long as it’s CHEAP!.

Thought it might be time to tell the truth.  I’m cheap, not just  frugal, thrifty,  economic, cut rate, cost conscious,  or even  careful,  I’m  just plain, old, CHEAP!  Now, you got it- right?  I’ve tried  a lot to think of myself as financially challenged, , but no luck,  BOTTOM LINE  ,when it comes right down to it,  I’m just plain, ordinary CHEAP!

You remember those pocketbooks I talked about last Blog, well I have a monetary limit on what I will spend on pocketbooks.  Five bucks, that’s  it, less if at all possible.  Yes, yes, I know I said very clearly that I bought a bag that called to me for $10, if it hadn’t been for the additional Senior Citizen discount, it could have yelled its head off and I wouldn’t have taken it.

Today, I was in the Salvation Army and when I got to the counter the young girl behind it mentioned that Senior  Day was Thursday, so I put those bags back and came back Thursday..  Twenty-five  percent, is  twenty-five percent.   Why should I spend $9 (1 @ 4.99, 2 @ 1.99 each) when I can come back one day later and pay $6.75.  No, no!  I’m not driving miles and miles out of my way to get there and eating up gallons of gas.  The SA is right here in town and we pass it all the time in our travels.  Goodwill is on the other hand a little out of the way, about two towns down the road, and we only go there when we’re already going somewhere else in that neighborhood, but the day doesn’t matter since the Senior Discount is all the time. They always have a special tag color of the week,  yellow, blue, white, etc., for additional savings.  Seriously, we don’t  actually go to either of these places very often anyway, but we do once in a while so we go when sales and discounts apply.  Clothes are out at the thrift stores (mostly because of my size) BUT pocketbooks are definitely in.

I just have to interject here with another little thrift shop story.  About a month ago we were told about a thrift shop called Upscale Thrift, about two  towns south.  Well, in this case we did make a ‘spec ial’ trip to see it.  Naturally, it was closed when we got there, but we could look through the windows.  The stuff looked great and in one window was a single bed.  It had a wrought iron head board and foot board with wrought iron roses on the top, crème color.   Anyway I was in love, the cost of the bed, frame and mattress and box spring was $345.  I was in love,  I’ve been wanting to trade my queen in for a single (that’s another story, for another  time), but that’s what I wanted.  Nan  said it was just too overpriced and all but talked me out of it, anyway the place was closed.  I just couldn’t let this bed go.  When our friend, Cathy came down for a visit last week, she wanted to go thrifting, so one of the places we went was Upscale Thrift.  The first place I went was into the little room that had my bed, it had been marked down to $249,  one hundred bucks off.  I was very excited (needless to say)  and Cathy wanted to see my bed.  After she saw it, she said she would BUY IT FOR ME, if we could get it for $200.  She called the salesman over and we would take it today for $200 and SURPRISE!! SURPRISE!!  He said yes.   I did not have the money to buy it myself and would have had to borrow the money from Nan for it.   I GOT MY BED, head and foot boards as well as a brand new  pillow top mattress and box spring as a present.  Couldn’t thank Cathy enough.  Old bed out new bed in and I love it.... Even though I didn’t personally save the money it was  a BIG $150 savings and NO tax because the place is church run.  You know that stick I’m always referring to:  well use it to beat this!!

Bed, Bath and Beyond is another special  favorite.  When you sign up, they send you coupons for $5 off $15 or more or 20% off any one item.  Need I mention that I shop here a lot!!!  Besides I like the store and the stuff in it (especially their clearance section, got aVerado fan for $10.59 just today.  I have two Verado fans that I bought about 15 years ago.  They run almost all time and were not cheap.  They are a very good brand name in fans.  Anyway,  two days ago my little Verado in my bedroom died, just like that, died.  I was devastated, but after 15 years, I figured that had  a good run.  Nan and I went to BB&B in Deltona today and in there ‘clearance section’ lo’ and behold was the same size Verado that just died on me.  It was marked $19.99 (down from $39.99, floor model) .  When I got to the check out, the sales woman said “this has been marked down to $15 and I had my $5 coupon – wah la -- $10..I’m still beating with that same stick.

Let’s get right down to basics A FASHIONISTA  I’m  not!!  We shop at Bealls Outlet a lot, they have a dot system.  The dots are different colors and they move every month,  one month pink is 30% off, the next month it moves up to 50% off, then 70 – then 90 then back to the beginning of the line 30.  Usually  the dots have already been discounted, so the additional 30-90% becomes a big deal and then on Monday, my favorite 15% addition- Senior. Talk about  the possibility of big savings.   Where is that stick!!

The one area that I’m not able to have good savings is my clothing.  I’m a big girl and wear a size 3-4x.  3x if the piece of clothing comes from a good store, like Dillard’s.  They handle high quality merchandise or a 4x is it’s a store like Bealls or JC Penney’s or the like.   In my size there are very little good sales and even when there are, the starting prices are so high that even with the sale their not inexpensive.  So, I wear what I consider expensive clothing.

Want to talk about food, no?  Well tough, I do.  We buy the bulk of our food at BJ’s wholesale.  Sure, you  have to buy in bulk, but they also take manufacturer’s coupons as well as their own, so most of the time we save fifty dollars or so on a $120 bill.  Between Nan’s place and mine, we find places to put the bulk items.  We also buy, as needed during the month, at Wal-Mart and Ald even Big Lotsi.   I guess I don’t have to mention that I’m a coupon person. 

We buy most of our food to make at home at BJ’s, but we still eat out a lot.  Titusville is a small town but it has quite a few eating establishments.   We frequent Denny’s a lot.  Big menu and the prices are reasonable and I have an AARP card (which this year I renewed for $11 instead of the regular $15, so with all the times we eat at Denny’s it pays for itself)  20% off everything.  Village Inn, also reasonable and 10% off for seniors all the time.  To boot, on Wednesday it’s FREE PIE DAY.  Buy anything, even as little as a cup of coffee and you get your free piece of pie.  Small town, yes, but we do have a few FINE restaurants, too.  Most we don’t go to, but Portofino, a really good Italian, is our favorite.  Not only is the food exceptional, and the selection really good, but they send out coupons for a FREE meal worth  $`11.99 when you buy an additional entrée.   The coupons come with the arrival of spring, fall, your birthday, anniversary and a few times I don’t remember.  All you have to do is ‘sign-up’.  I did, Nan did too. They also have a $6 prix fix lunch (entre’, salad and drink), they often let us use the coupon for lunch even though it states very clearly for diner only.   Dixie Crossroads, known world-wide, and I do mean world-wide.  People come from absolutely everywhere to Dixie.  Prices usually well above my budget, but once a year they have a GRANDPARENTS WEEK.  Prices run from a high of $12.99 for a full lobster dinner to $5.99 for a full tilapia dinner.  Soft drinks are twenty-five cents.  Naturally we always show up for Grandparents Week, usually all week.  Also when you sign up for their emails –you get coupons  for your anniversary and birthday --$5 off for  two, $10 off for four.  We used the $10 off for four when Cathy and Kevin came down this month.

Travel, we love to travel, go anywhere, anytime at the drop of a hat.  Our traveling days have been cut down considerably since Nancy has been put on dialysis and has to go three times a week.  But this too will be worked out as soon as she is established with the dialysis schedule.  You must go to dialysis three times a week, but you can arrange to go anywhere in the world (except third world countries, because of possible sanitary problems).  Anyway, when her sessions get regulated, we’re back on the road.  Since her insurance only covers the United States and territories,  we now  into  ‘SEE AMERICA FIRST’.

 Nan has a timeshare (yes, it’s true you have heard horror stories about timeshares).  But Nan has owned hers for thirty years, she’s in partnership with our friend, Cathy they own it together.  When you join RCI the company that makes the arrangements and set the prices for your timeshare rentals, they have a department they refer to as:  LAST CALL.    Last Call units can be purchased up to  45 days before you want to go.  Now the kick is that  (although the prices have been going up recently) you can usually get an entire week, all seven days for $200 a week.   We go to Mexico for 5 or 6 weeks every other year and pay $200 a week for a total of $1,300, that’s  FIVE WEEKS in  an upscale condo type living space.  We split it in half $650 each.  We stay at Pueblo Bonito in Mazatlan an unbelievable place, the first time we stayed there it was $149 and the last time $200.   Have I mentioned that we first started going there for 5-6 weeks to get our teeth done.  We found, after much research, that we could go to a Mexican dentist, stay at a great condo, eat  and even with the airfare could have a 6 week vacation and still spend less to get our dental work done in Mexico than right here in the US for the cost of the dental work alone. We have a great dentist in Mazatlan, who speaks fluent English and is one of the best dentists around  and is also one of the  nicest people we have ever  come across.  Example, I needed a little surgery on my upper gum and he made the appointment with the surgeon, took us in his car to the surgeon, stayed with me , holding my hand, while the Doctor did his thing and brought us back to our condo. On other occasions he took us to Wal-Mart and to a mall.   Just find that kind of service in the US of A.

Speaking of timeshares, once you’re involved with them you get “offers”.  Offer after offer to their seminars.  The timeshare talk usually lasts about an hour and a half (some are horribly longer, but we usually get out in an hour and a half, we actually have a method) and ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a ‘GIFT’ attached to them. We’ve gotten everything from dinner for two in a swanky restaurant to $200 to a few Bahamas cruises.  Many years ago we went to Ixtapa, Mexico and really got into the swing of things.  We went to one timeshare talk, then another, then another and before you knew it we had hit every time share in town.  The people  on the street, called OPC’s (outside public consultants, I was one, once)  who talked you into the tour (and got money for it, of course) knew us by sight.  They would  call us over and say “ Senioritis, today, I have a new tour for you, this one gives you $50, or a local dinner cruise, or dinner  in a swanky restaurant,  Mexican Fiesta shows and I don’t even remember what else.   We would tour in the morning and then spend the rest of the day using whatever we had gotten as a ‘gift’ for doing the tour.  We did this for two weeks.  We purchased NOTHING.   

We did this not only in Mexico, but in Florida as well.  Finally we stopped touring about eight months ago.  Actually we’ve run out of places to go, you can’t go back and re-tour for a year sometimes more.  And we’ve hit them all.  Besides we’re tired of going to the Bahamas.

You have to keep in mind that we ARE RETIRED and have quite a lot of ‘free time’ on our hands.  So we use it to our best advantage.

I can’t for the life of me remember how we got involved with Travel Clubs, but somehow we did.  Example:  Special T travel, for $149 you get 2 nights, 3 days in a hotel on the beach in Daytona, or New Smyrna, or Ormand Beach, plus 3 nights, 4days in a hotel in Orlando (by Disney) and the same in Ft. Lauderdale, it usually has a Bahamas cruise for four days, too.   We usually connect the Ft. Lauderdale stay with the Bahamas cruise and make a week out of it.  On this trip we also got one dinner voucher for $50 for what we thought was a “swanky” restaurant, turned out we were dressed for swank and the place was a very casual seafood restaurant where you docked your boat.  Food was good and expensive and we were overdressed.

Just   the one we were going on, but it didn’t work out, soooo  we   made it for  the next weekend.  So in one month we went to the Bahamas twice.  We got dinner vouchers for the hotel. A two night stay, one night before and  one night after we returned.  Two dinner vouchers for each night, four in all.

We have gotten sooooooo many free trips over the last several years, I can’t begin to mention them all.  When it’s a hotel stay you pay nothing extra, but on the cruise you do have the port charges.

 We’re taking Nan’s grandchildren to a timeshare in St. Augustine, Florida,, for Christmas, again $200,  2 bedroom on the beach.  We went to three timeshares over the course of the summer and at one, we went to a talk and got a $100 gift, naturally bringing the cost of that stay down to $100 for the week. That place had a pool that was open 24/7, right up our alley..  All these places have full kitchens, washers and dryers  and we usually eat in to save a little money..

Cruises, are we cruisers you bet your life we are..  We’ve been on seven cruises  (maybe eight, I’m not sure) in the last five years.  We had one coming up to the Panama Canal and Costa Rica on October 22, but because of Nan’s dialysis we had to cancel.  We’re both very disappointed.  But that’s the way life goes, so we take it in stride and continue onward.  .  But I did the research on this cruise about 7 months ago and we got an early bird type of deal—8 days for $500.  Granted we take an inside cabin, but we find we are almost never in the cabin anyway and as far as sleeping goes  all the cabin beds are quite alike.  $500 for 8 days.   When we cruise I always make similar deals.  I will add, that we did have insurance on the Panama cruise, because it was so far in advance and are we glad we did,  because of Nan’s condition we were able to get every penny back.  We’ve been to Jamaica  (we especially liked Jamaica and would go back there again), Honduras, Grand Cayman,Cosumel , Belize  and other places and the Bahamas (Freeport and Grand Bahamas) three times.  Hot deals too good to pass up.   The last two Bahamas trips we didn’t even get off the ship.    Now I’m working on finding cruise ships that have dialysis available and that I can make affordable and believe me I’ll do it.  They say if you get a cruise that costs you $100 a day or less you’re doing really well.  We’ll Panama and Costa Rica was $62.50.  Got it – we did.   Get that stick out again.

Back to basics, shoes, not a priority with me.  I own about four pair of shoes, all of them cost me two bucks a piece (Family Dollar)  and they go everything.  Because I have wide feet that go with my bigger body, I have trouble buying shoes.  This is Florida so flip flop type shoes are except able footwear  everywhere.  Mine have plastic diamonds on the straps that hold them on my feet and go with everything.  When I see a good buy, I buy  lots, this time 4 pair, two black two white.    When I go to New York, I have to come up with some real shoes, but that’s not often and I worry about it when it happens.    I’m 67 and have Diabetes so I get a free pair of shoes (sneakers) each year, so that’s taken care of.  They are Dr. Comfort’s and about $150 a pair. How’s that for a deal.

I should say right now, that Nancy is not cheap, but she is an unbelievable shopper.  She’s a  bargain shopper but definitely not cheap.  We had a bad hurricane  a few years ago and Nan’s condo got flooded.  The condo was condemned and she had to move in with me for a few months.  All the furniture had to go and be replaced.  We shopped, shopped, shopped .until we dropped.    Nan is used to buying  (as most people do) a piece of furniture at a time as needed.  Well, now she had to shop for an entire house.  Normally, she would shop around, looking for the best buy for what she wanted, and buy when she got the price and the piece she wanted.  But now she had to blitz.  Everything at once to fill her home, so she could go home.  We shopped at all the local furniture stores (she likes to keep the money in and around Titusville)  and couldn’t always wait for the perfect  ‘SALE’.  She just couldn’t get OVER not finding the very  best deal.   All of us, her family, me, everyone just kept saying “Buy the damn thing, if you want it, regardless of the price.  You got the money from the insurance, so buy it”.   Eventually, she had to get into that ‘SPEND-MODE’ in order to get back into the house.  She was a trouper spent, spent, spent and got back into her house in record time.

Gas, since we’re  stuck on the home front these days, car travel is all we have.  We buy our gas at Murphy’s which is on the Wal-Mart property.  Use the Wal-Mart credit card-- ten cents off each and every gallon and  to boot their gas is usually a few cents cheaper than other stations in town anyway.   My car, Hyundai Elantra gets 29-31 miles to the gallon depending on how I  drive (which is usually 29) that’s the way things go.

The best for next to last-- absolutely…. My neighbor, downstairs and a few doors over, and good friend, Lorraine told me about an organization here in Brevard County that offers free services to those 60 and over.  They put those bars in the bathroom for you for FREE.  In Nan’s case they did all three of her bathrooms, in my place just one.  They also do some plumbing and electrical.  ALL FOR FREE.  Just make the phone call and make the appointment for Bob to come and o the work.

And the very last:  LIHeat, also part of Brevard County gives a certain amount of money each year to help defray your electric costs if you are low income. (they have several criteria that they use for determining your needs)   I received $200 deposited to my Florida Power and Light account to use against this year’s electric bills.

What can I say  FREE is always the best…

Think I’ve said enough for now.    As I always say:  WHATEVER WORKS!

Next saga:  THE WEDDING and how we got there.

Bargains Galore, humor, travel, Mexico, cruising (on ships), shoes?, flip flops, timeshare travels,  discounts,  cheap gas, a Katrina saga,  Retirement Tales,  FASHIONISTA?, Restaurant talk, Foreign Dentists,  Thrift store delights,  Coupons, Single bed saga,  free trips, Personal  glimpses,  Senior Citizen Stories, Dialysis’ Dilemmas, Free time possibilities, Free trips,  Retirement  Tales, Travel  tips,

Well, Blog #3 is finally on the stands.  It took more time than I originally planned, probably because of Cathy and Kevin’s coming down, Laurie and Liz’s upcoming visit and re-doing Nan’s house.  Also haven’t been feeling all that great (leg problems), but all is under control now.   #3 finally came gushing out of my head this weekend while we were in Deltona.  You know the Travelista’s we are, maybe I just need to GET AWAY to get back on track.  .I’m always happy when I can pack a bag.

At  5:30am this morning I got up because I just couldn’t stop thinking about possible categories to put my Blog under.  Well 26 came flowing out this early morning.   Everything from Retirement Tales to Timeshare Travels.   And last Blog I could only think of 4 (I think). 

By the way, it looks (if I’m reading things correctly) like 28 people looked at my last Blog and wrote comments.    You c an subscribe, like Angela did,  (for free of course) and get the next Blog announcement right on your e-mail,  sounds like a done deal to me 

WHATEVER WORKS ..this time about Normandie and the Fetish!

Thought I’d just take the time to mention the people I know and love and will be recurring characters (and I do mean characters) in the future blogs….

Nancy, my best friend of 60 years.  We grew up together and have known each other since 3^rd grade.  She claims that I’m several years older than she is.   We live about 2 miles from each other and see each other every day.  We live in Titusville, Florida, a small town a short distance from Cocoa Beach (home of I Dream of Jeannie).

Laurie, my niece, who lives in the Big Apple.  She has put up with her delusional Aunt for almost 49 years.    When I think of her  (which is often) she’s still  29 in my mind.

Cathy, another best friend, who Nancy and I also went to school with (since the 3^rd grade).  She’s also several years older than Nancy.  So I guess Cathy and I were left back several times in kindergarten.  She lives in Long Island, New York.

Shawna, Chris, Taylor, Nicole and Samantha, Nancy’s son, daughter in law, and grandchildren.  Also my family.  Nan’s granddaughters are 17, 10 and 8. 

Pete and Angela, Nancy’s brother and sister in law, they live in Deltona Florida.  I also consider them family.   Age not required.  We go there to visit and stay at Angela’s deceased Mother’s home (around the corner) often.

Margaret #1, my friend of 40 years-plus- who lives in Wichita,  Kansas.  We shared many an apartment together in New York City.  Actually they were Margaret’s apartments, she just put up with me for months at a time and still does –put up with me that is, only now it’s by e-mail...

Margaret #2, Angela’s deceased Mother.  Her house is around the corner from Pete and Angela and Nan and I stay there when we come to visit.

Liz, Laurie’s significant other.  Another family member and my computer guru.  I need all the help I can get, computer-wise.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Kristen:  Pete and Angela’s oldest daughter, who  also helps me allllllll the time with my computer problems (of which there are usually many).

Katie and Glen, Pete and Angela’s younger  daughter who will soon be married to Glen  Flores. (November 12^th).

You will read about these people over and over, and except for the Margaret’s who you will only be able to differentiate  between-- by the  content of the sentence, this should make everyone else’s  position  in my life easy to remember.

I’m sure by now, you’re glad I don’t have any more family or friends to write about!

Now, let’s actually get to the BLOG!

Blog #2 --WHATEVER WORKS ...this time about Normandie and the Fetish!

I wanted to write something about Fetishes.  In particular PAPER fetishes--my paper fetish, but, Nancy  (who I’ve mentioned, always knows best) said I should talk about something that even beats my Paper Fetish.  Doesn’t beat it by much, but it’s definitely #1 and that’s POCKETBOOKS.  I LOVE POCKETBOOKS, bags, purses,, POCKETBOOKS!!  Not all pocketbooks, but most (I usually don’t discriminate). . I carry a lot of “stuff” so I kinda prefer big pocketbooks  although  I might add, I am also particularly  partial to evening bags.    I’ve been on seven cruises in the last five years and have seven evening bags, one for each cruise.  Black sequin, black satin, red sequin (I like sequins), blue leather, beige silk with a large silk flower on the front, black and red silk with an oriental pattern and a plain brown silk (how that got in the group, I just don’t know.)  They were all $12, my absolute limit for a cruise purchase.

Back to big bags, OH, wait a minute,  did I mention those carry bags from Publix, or Winn Dixie?  You know the type, the ones that save the planet because you don’t use plastic or save a tree because you don’t use paper.  Well, for a buck, I can’t pass one of them up either.  My limit is $1.  So far I’m saving the earth (and/or trees) with Publix, Winn Dixie, Aldi,  Michaels Arts and Crafts, Joann’s Crafts and my HMO,  Wellcare.  I’m also fighting breast cancer. For a total of about 20 bags.

Big bags, I have a $5 limit.  Sounds impossible right?  WRONG!!  Anything’s possible when you set your mind to it. Came across BealIs having a tremendous after Christmas sale last year.  Almost everything was 90% off and to boot, it was Tuesday.  Need I say –Senior Day, take an additional 15% off.  The 90% was to be taken off the already reduced price.  Well, I went berserk.  I found six bags I couldn’t possibly live without.  With the original markdown, then the 90% and the additional 15% each pocketbook came to $4.80.Got that $4.80!!!  I’m not into “Names” or “Designer Originals” (obviously)  so that makes things a little easier for me when I’m making my choices.  The bags were Caribbean Joe’s, which were originally priced about $50.  With all the markdowns and  the discounts and adding  the sales tax the total I paid as I said was:-- $4.80.  Beat that with a stick!!

Let us not forget to mention some of our All Time Favorites:  THRIFT SHOPS.  We don’t go to them often, but when we do ------  We were in one a few months ago that’s just a short distance from Nan’s condo.  The owner was having a BLOW-OUT SALE,  POCKETBOOKS  $.25, that’s right $.25.  I was like a pig in  sh…..  Came out with eight bags that I just absolutely had to have – no tax added – for $2.  She didn’t have a Senior Day, but I guess you can’t have everything.

Goodwill,  one of my particular favorites.  Very often they have their regular $5.99 or less bags on sale for a buck that’s right a BUCK! . That coupled with my Senior Discount, 10%,  well, DO THE MATH!!

Last month, while browsing at Marshalls,I found a white leather pocketbook that CALLED to me.  After all the mark downs it was $10, well over my limit, so I passed it by.  Needless to say, after walking out of the store and getting into my car, that bag let out one last yell and I just had to go back and buy it.  The Senior Discount  15% did help.

I own at least 40 bags, at least one bag in every color you can think of and do  I use all of these bags regularly?  You bet your life I do!  I change my bag and earrings (that’s another story, for another time.  I have about 100 pair of earrings that I made) every day.  

At some point in the future you’ll probably hear about my second favorite Fetish, my love of PAPER!!  Not newsprint, or magazines, or pamphlets or such, but writing paper, stationary,  bound journals, note paper, composition books,  spiral notebooks and pads , pads glued together at the top, to mention  only a few.   As I said, that’s for another time. Bet you just can’t wait!

I might add that I’m only pocketbook and earring FASHIONISTA.  This Fashionista only owns  four pair of shoes all  four  are wedge, flip flop types (you know the kind that has a little piece of leather that goes thru your toes)  Two pairs-- white, two  pairs-- black. The white ones have rhinestones on the straps that hold them on to your feet, and the black ones have black stones.   They go everywhere and with everything as far as I’m concerned.   I don’t think anyone looks at my shoes anyway and even if they do – WHO REALLY CARES!!  Not me!!… Besides they were two bucks a piece. Can’t beat that with the same stick you used earlier.

My Fashionista style has to suit me and nobody else.

WHATEVER WORKS!      Normandie

  

WHATEVER WORKS..this time about Normandie and Blog #1

Blog #1   Getting Old Ain’t Funny…or is it?    

I woke up one morning and found to my astonishment  that I was a Senior Citizen.  I don’t know how or when it actually happened, but there it was the blaring fact that I was ‘old’. I usually refer to myself a”middle aged”, but that would mean I plan to live to be one hundred thirty seven years old.  Right now I don’t think that’s one of my possibilities.

I find as the years go on that more and more, like Don Q, I’m constantly fighting  windmills.  I find as the years pass that I put up with less and less.  I no longer except mistakes on bills, or ignorant people, or situations that I just don’t want to deal with.  I’m constantly fighting with banks, communication companies, stores that overcharge and just anyone that annoys the hell out of me.  I live on a very limited budget and absolutely NO BODY takes advantage of me any more. I do however take most things with a ‘grain of salt’ and always try to find the humor in the situation.  That’s basically what I write about, the absurdness of the situations I seem to get my self into.  I find that almost anything can be written about with a sense of humor.

I love to write, write and write.  I especially like to give my view of what’s happening in my life, with regard to my friends, acquaintances and even strangers I meet.  I write about my never ending battles with the companies I have to deal with and the ridiculousness of the situations I seem to get into.

Life is a “Ball” and I am having the best time of my life.  There’s just one thing going on after another and either you laugh or you slit your wrists.  At this moment, I still laugh!

I have a best friend, Nancy.  I’ve known her since 3rd grade, that’s about 60 years now.  She tells everyone that I’m much older then she is, so I guess the only way that would be possible would be is if I were left back several times in kindergarten.  What can I say, she’ll  be the first to tell you, she always knows best. We have and still do get into alllll kinds of situations, sometimes things get ‘dicy’ but when we, by the skin of our teeth, get out of it, we always have a good laugh,.  And although I do sometimes take a little “artistic license”, I write about them.  Trust me, she doesn’t usually like what I write.

We like to travel and cruise whenever we can and our trips are always and experience. Whether it’s in our everyday life or in  our travels, as they say “If it can go wrong”, with us “it usually does”.

After every thing is said and done,  I hope you like the way I write and  what I have to say!  I have, obviously, no formal training in writing and whatever I’m experiencing goes into my mind and down to my fingers and right out onto the page.  I do a lot of re-reading, re-writing,  a lot of adding and very little subtracting, but, no matter how I try it always, comes out the same way all the time.

I take my philosophy on life from and old Woody Allen movie ‘‘WHATEVER WORKS!”

Normandie