Month of February , 2009

* Today's Costco shopping: 10th time this year, 4th time this month

Again, I managed to keep it under $100.00.

This is the second time I'm buying Wings of Fire & M&M in one month.  I am going crazy on these bad food.  This is not good.  I should make them last more than 2 month.

My last jumbo shrimps lasted me almost 5 months.  They are special treat.  Sometimes I chop them up in pasta.

My craving for chocolate is not going away. I need to watch my chocolate intake.  My waist is definitely wider than 6 months ago.  I know I will lose the size.  Losing size is very difficult, but I just do it anyway.  It's either working hard to move up or stay at the bottom.  That's life.

Anyway, I spent under $100.00

Get this - I spent only $25.00 on Gas in February.  And my gas tank is almost full right now.

Check your mail box.  Check online.

We had 2 planned power outages scheduled.  Tonight was the first planned power outage.  Next power outage is coming up next Sunday.

Power was shut off Sunday night 10:30pm and came back on 7am Monday morning.

Ideally I should have gone to sleep during that hours.  But I was wide awake until 2am.  So I set on my bed and read a book.

The whole world was dark and quiet.

I was chilling on my Costco mattress, between Costco sheets, and under the Costco comforter.  The light was from Costco as well.

* Today's Costco shopping: 9th time this year, 3nd time this month

I just bought normal stuff.  I didn't get anything special.  I arrived at Costco around 8:10pm, so I didn't have much time to relax in there.  There was absolutely no line at the gas pump.  I like coming to Costco late at this hour.  It messes up my dinner schedule, but it's OK.

After hot dog and gas, I still spent less than $100.00. Ha...

Cashew chicken & beef ribs will be my weekend treat. 

Check out that wicked huge bag of toilet papers.  It's a thousand wipes in one. 

* 14th package this year. 

This is the Fuzzy Tweety Bird key-chain I am going to give to my neighbor along with the other Tweety Bird key-chain.

*14th package of the year (no picture)

Not much went on today.

1. A caster on my TV stand had been broken for some time. So, I went to Home Depot on my lunch time looking for it. What do you know, they had my replacement casters. I was very happy.
   • Now I can roll my TV between kitchen & living room like I used to do. I gotta have entertainment when I work around the house.
2. I had Double Double for lunch.

That's it, not much going on... ZZzz...

Broken caster on left - new casters on right (at Home Depot)

In'n Out baby... gotta have onion.
It's not like I'm going to kiss anybody

* Related Story: 2010: Costco American Express - $170.63 Rebate

I've been using Costco's American Express card for 6 months now.  In 6 months, I spent $2,868.97.  I don't normally spend this much money at Costco.  I bought a bed & tires, that's why...

Anyway, I received a rebate check of $36.20 along with my monthly statement. 

This encourages me to use my Costco/American Express card more often.  Of course, I will pay off my credit card in full amount every month.  I have absolutely no credit card debt. 

*** Chit Chat ****

I've used my Costco/American Express card for only 6 months because my original card was lost for first 6 months.  I called Costco 6 months ago to see what was going on with my Costco credit card application.  It turned out that they sent the credit card to my old address (Same apartment complex, same building).  So I know exactly who received my Costco/American Express card by mistake. 

I cannot believe she didn't relay the mail to me.  I bet she opened my mail, and tried to use it a few times.  She's a poor lady.  And I no longer feel sorry that she's poor.  Now I know she has a lower mental standard, so she's naturally poor. 

If you want to be rich and enjoy higher standard of living, you must behave according to it.  I try to be nice to everyone (even to my sub-standard neighbors).

My neighbors disappoint me..  it was not too long ago that another one of my neighbors didn't bother to tell me about my flat tire.

LogMeIn.com is a life-saver.  I use their free version all the time..

With LogMeIn, I can access all 5 of my computers from one machine (4 at home & 1 at work).  I must have internet access, of course.

As soon as I go to my parents' house, I'm going to add their computer on the list, so I will maintain their computer for them. 

Yesterday, I took care of a major project by accessing my work computer from home.  I love logmein.  Check it out www.logmein.com

Bernard Ashley was a founder of Laura Ashley 

I guess a lot of people know the name in the US.  But, I would have never known about Laura Ashley if it wasn't for Costco. 

I bought a goose down comforter from Costco last year as a part of "Shopping for a Bed" project.  My new comforter was from Laura Ashley.

I didn't know my comforter was British.  I just knew my comforter was from Costco.

Anyway, he died on Valentine's day. 
Somehow it sounds right.

###

Sir Bernard Ashley (August 11, 1926 - February 14, 2009) was a Welsh businessman and engineer. He was the widower of Laura Ashley, and was her business partner from the founding of their fashion-textiles-centred business.

My coworker and I went to Souplantation for lunch.  I even gave him my coupon so he would save $.80.

What shocked me was that he ordered a soda ($2.29 extra).  Who drinks soda with salad?  I guess a lot of people do.  He later explained that he must have soda with salad.  Hm~! 

If I didn't give him my coupon, he might have spent $3.25 more than me on this lunch.  $3.25 is a lot of money to save on a work day's lunch.  A lot of people spend $3.00 for entire lunch.

These are two guys I thought they were pretty annoying at first.

But they grew on me.  I like Flo & Shamwow guy.

I also like 1800 Dentist girl.

* 13th package this year.

There is an old lady in my neighborhood. She's a lot older than my mother.  She used to carry a big fuzzy Tweety Bird key chain.

I say "Hi" whenever I see her.  
Her tweety bird was getting dirty.

Then, one day, she stopped carrying her Tweety Bird.  She lost the bird, she said.

So I went online and ordered a fuzzy Tweety Key-chain.  Fuzzy Tweety is in the mail.  This key-chain is something extra I am going to give her.

I hope I will give them to her on Valentine's day, but I don't think the Fuzzy one will make it on time.  Mm.. It's OK.

* Today's Costco shopping: 8th time this year, 2nd time this month

I was so busy and tired, that was not going to make it to Costco after work.  So I decided to go to Costco on my lunch hour.

I started my stop watch and headed out to Oxnard Costco.  It took me exactly 10 minutes to get to Costco.  Then I was pushing my cart inside Costco like Tony Stewart at Watkins Glen (a little NASCAR humor there)

I spent $140.00 in a record breaking time.

I did good with time.  I even ate a hotdog for lunch.

Costco Hotdog was my lunch.
Costco Hotdog, stop watch approaching 46 minutes

Check out my Calculator watch.  I like that watch so much that I own a second watch as a backup (just in case I lose this one...)

Brita filter is for work.  Now I can drink cold, tasty water at work.

Today... 

I went to work.
I went to Costco.
I did 3 loads of laundry.
I ironed 11 pants & 12 shirts (took 3 hours)
I fixed dinner, ate, & did the dishes.
I did more work.
etc, etc...

I have been up since 10:30pm last night.
So, I've been up and working 26+ hours straight.

It's 12:30am, but I cannot go to sleep.
There is a police chase going on (online).. I must watch the chase..
They were showing the chase on TV at first.
But, after 11:30pm all TV stations had to move on.  But I still have access to two internet channels where I can watch the chase.

Chase is over, but now it's a stand up.
The suspect is in a Bentley, a $150,000.00 car.

I just cannot stop watching car chases

Oh my God~!!  the guy killed himself.
They are gonna get the body out.
Oh, boy... there he goes... he's dead.
Now it's 1:14am but there are people everywhere on the street.
This has to be a top news tomorrow.  Wow..

This is why I watch car chases.  It's a real human drama.   You never know what's going to happen.

###

Costco shopping story coming up tomorrow... I am very tired.

I cannot believe I've been up 27 hours straight.  So stupid...

Good night.

I am getting ready for a BBQ day tomorrow (Saturday). I will be eating alone, but it's OK. I manage to keep myself busy and entertained.

I need to work on my web projects.

I plan to take a nap, practice guitar, watch The Lakers, drink coffee, keep working... I should visit my parents too... hm. I am so busy.

Anyway, I have chicken and steak ready for tomorrow. Chicken is from July 2008 shopping, steak is from the Glorious Thanksgiving Steak Sale.

I need to pick out some movies for this weekend. Out of my movie collection there are about 150 movies that I haven't watched.

Lunch at Del Taco today

I used a "Buy one, get one Free" coupon and got two Macho Tacos for $1.71.  I saved over $3.00 by using a coupon and skipping on a drink.

I popped a can of diet Pepsi when I got back to work.

My co-worker spent over $5 on his lunch.  It's not easy to convert him into a coupon clipper.  It's not easy to persuade him when he doesn't feel the need to save.  To me, clipping coupons is a fun game.

How I like my eggs.

If I take eggs to work, I make them soft boiled for easy handling.
If I eat at home, I scramble.

When I scramble eggs, use 3 whites and 2 yolks.

Update 2010: I eat 4 eggs a day now.  Every morning I boil 4 eggs.  I eat 2 whites and 1 yolk for breakfast.  I eat 2 whites and 1 yolk for lunch.  Then I may eat more eggs (for dinner, or if I feel like more eggs)

My Typical Breakfast: Orange colored drink is juice (apple, pear, carrots)

* Today's Costco Shopping: 8th time this year, 2nd time this month

My coworker wanted Costco hotdog and pizza for lunch, so I gladly took him to Oxnard Costco.  He doesn't have a membership, see.  My coworker was like a kid in the candy store... He checked out the prices on a lot of TV's and other electronics.

Then we ate hotdogs and pizzas.  I am normally full after one hotdog, but I tend to eat a lot when I'm eating with a company.  Eating is more enjoyable with a company.  Especially, when I'm with my coworker, we play a little game to see how much we can eat.

Costco Hotdog and Pizza.  What you don't see under the relish is a massive amount of onion.  You can see red shade from the red umbrella.

* Today's Costco Shopping: 7th time this year, 1st time this month

It's Sunday. I went to Costco at 11am, before the church people start packing the house. I bought some basic stuff. I didn't buy anything special today.

I am going to Los Angeles. I will get you a picture of the Hollywood sign.

Oh boy.. long drive...

Here we go... it was hazy today

I am tired...