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Top 5 for 2009

Posted on January 19, 2010 by auburnchick

My friend, Rebecca, tagged me for a fun post about my top five favorite things in 2009.

This was really hard for me because I’m a gal who finds inexpressible joy in the most everyday things.  Plus, I take LOADS of pictures, so narrowing them down to five was really an injustice to the rest of them.

Forgive me if my favorite five are not what you might have predicted if you read my blog all last year.

I think I’ll start with Chicky’s high school season last year.  Watching the way that team grew and bonded ever so closely from the beginning to the end of the season.  Well, it just put a huge smile on my face and made watching the season end a bit sad…

I didn’t work last summer, so I had plenty of time to spend outside working in my yard.  I carefully watered and weeded my flower gardens and was extremely pleased with the way my sunflowers grew and grew and grew…

The next picture takes me back to the couple of months I spent working at the Attendance Desk with Ms. Donna.  From Day 1, the staff made me feel like a permanent part of the family.  The principal’s secretary asked me to try on the bracelet in the picture…just to see how it looked as she was planning on gifting it to her mom (if I remember correctly).  Upon seeing how it looked on me, she said it was mine.  Plain and simple.  This was the first week I started working there.  I felt loved by people who hadn’t even had a chance to get to know me all that well…

The next picture was either the first or second football game of the new school year.  Rooster joined the band, and he’s playing on the Drum Line.  He looks incredibly handsome in his uniform.  Ahhhh…

And who could forget Chicky’s prom last Spring?  Oy, but the girl looked GORGEOUS!

Now, this is where I get to tag five people to spill the beans about their own Top 5’s.

Dustina
Bethany
Coggie
Nancy
Kate

Filed under: This-n-That | 3 Comments »

Beware: Couponer on the Warpath

Posted on January 19, 2010 by auburnchick

In the words of a clerk I encountered today, “This must have been internet coupon printing day.”

Yes, it sure was.  At least in the AuburnChick home (and that of anyone who keeps up with couponing blogs).

Before I get any farther in this post, please allow me to pause a moment and give thanks that my mail arrives late in the day.  I checked my mailbox as I headed out to do some shopping, and I found this…

I wondered what free thing I had signed up for, until I opened the note…

Then I remembered.

A couple of weeks ago, I had read this post by Linda.  The next day, Linda offered a drawing for five people to receive their own “Thanks, Not Cranks” bracelets, and I signed up (to give to Chicky, of course.  Just kidding.  Sort of.).

Then, something neat happened.  Linda’s pastor offered bracelets to everyone who had commented on the above-mentioned posts, so we were all winners!

As evidenced by the photos you’ve already seen, I received mine today.

Here’s a close-up…

Ok…so back to the original point of this post.

As I said, I was headed out to take advantage of some sales I’d read about today.  I figured I’d start wearing the bracelet tomorrow.

Good thing, too.  You’ll find out why shortly.

First, I visited Target, where I picked up these…for free…only having to pay tax (read about the deal here)…

Next, I drove to Walgreens, where I picked up the two, taller bottles in the center, only paying $.50 + tax for each (read about this deal here)…

Ignore the other four bottles.  They come into play in the next part of my story.

So, the Walgreens I visited only had two bottles left, which I bought.  Determined not to let some other savvy couponer beat me to the punch, I proceeded to drive to another Walgreens across town.

I entered and was happy to discover plenty of Soft Scrub bottles.  Picking up four, I went to the cash register, where the clerk made the comment I quoted at the beginning of this post.

She took a look at my coupons (I had two sets that included a B1G1 and a $1.50/1) and seemed at a loss as to what to do.  She called over a manager who closely eyed the coupons and said I could only use one per set of bottles.

Excuse me, I said.  I am the Coupon Princess, specially trained by the Coupon Queen, and you are trying to tell me I can’t use these coupons?  Apparently you didn’t pass Couponing 101.

I heard the male customer behind me gasp.

There we were, two young-ish (I’m still young at almost 40, right), petite females squaring off over coupons.

She was insistent, but I refused to give up my stance.  I am honest (although I do make mistakes now and again, but not this time), and I wasn’t trying to get away with coupon fraud.

She stood her ground.

Whatever happened to the adage, “The customer is always right?”  Guess it went south along with the economy.

Anyhoo, she told me that she would have to check with her manager, who would be in tomorrow.

Yeah, right.  Meanwhile, you’re going to sell those bottles to someone who doesn’t have coupons and make more money.

I

Don’t

Think

So.

I asked for the number of Walgreen’s Corporate Office.

I was going to the top…Customer Service, anyhoo.

I called right there from the store and reached one of the nicest representatives I’ve ever talked to.

I unbiasedly (yeah, right) explained the situation, and she agreed that the manager should have allowed me to use all of my coupons.

I wanted to stick out my tongue like a toddler.  Maybe I kind of did…in my head anyhow.

I offered to hand the phone over to the gal (Super Sis would be mortified as she is so much nicer than me and would never push such an issue).

The rep said she had no control over how managers ran their store, but she offered to file a complaint.

Uh oh.

There’s that word.  The one that’s similar to the one on the bracelet I received in the mail.

Guess what?

The bracelet wasn’t on my wrist.

“FILE THE COMPLAINT!” I said in a rush.

I asked the manager for the address of the store, and she tartly provided it.

The rep heard it all.  She promised that I would receive a call within two days.

Meanwhile, the manager said she would put the bottles in the back…to save them for me.

I left, still fuming.

I called Coupon Queen to COMPLAIN about what had just happened.

And then I had an idea.  It was as if a light illuminated the interior of the car, even though it was now almost 6pm, and I had been shopping for over two hours.

Wanna know what I did?

Of course you do.  This is AuburnChick’s life…full of drama but true to every detail except the part of the conversation where I said I am a Coupon Princess (I wouldn’t be so bold as to admit that in public).

I decided to carry the Walgreens weekly ad I had picked up in the first store into Target, get them to price-match (Walmart does this too, by the way), AND use my coupons.

Sometimes I can’t believe how smart I am, cause it worked like a charm!

I walked out of one of my favorite stores with four, $.50 bottles of Soft Scrub (minus the $.05 credit for using my own reusable bag).

Cha Ching.

I’m happy, except that now I’m going to have to figure out what I’m going to say when the Walgreens manager calls me back.  See, I’ll be wearing the bracelet by then, and the whole point of it is to watch what I say…try not to complain…be thankful for all things.

I think I’m going to be switching that bracelet back and forth a lot!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

A New Member of the Family

Posted on January 18, 2010 by auburnchick

I’d like to present the newest member of the AuburnChick family…

Bet you expected an animal of some sort, eh?

Heehee.

Seriously, though, I did get your attention, didn’t I?

Heehee.

But seriously, you guys know how distraught I was at the demise of my former crock pot.  I even sang a funeral dirge about it.

After much pondering, consulting, and shopping around, I finally decided on the Hamilton Beach crock pot…

For one thing, this is a 6 quart pot.  My other one was only three quarts.

It’s technology-fancy too.  Just look at the control panel…

It even has an Enter button!  LOL

It came with a meat probe, so if recipe directions say to cook something to a particular temperature, I can, and the crock pot will automatically turn to warm when the meat reaches the temperature I set…

This pot also came with a nifty little spoon/spoon rest built into the lid.  Don’t you just love that?!

Plus, and this might be my favorite little bonus thing about it…it has clamps so that I can secure the lid if I want to travel with it!!

Can you say, NO MORE SPILLED CHILI?!!  Hence, no more car mats that resemble someone’s having puked on them.

Oh, and did I mention that the ceramic pot lifts out for easier cleaning?  Tres cool!

Now, I have to tell you that I have really missed having a crock pot.  Every time I tried to plan a meal, I had to throw out my ideas because everything required my much-loved appliance.

It was with much enthusiasm that I pulled the newest member out of the cabinet today.  I don’t believe in waiting to use new gadgets.  Open them and use them, for heaven’s sake!!

Tonight’s dinner was Spicy Asian Chicken…one of Rooster’s favorite meals.

Using the instruction manual (I am so nerdy that I actually enjoy reading techno mumbo jumbo), I set the cooking mode to manual, which allowed me to select High, Lo, or Warm (I set it to Lo and changed it to Warm when I was making final dinner preparations)…

Then, it made the loveliest sound…

A three-second beep.

Music to my ears!  My old crock pot didn’t ever sing to me, except to go Plop when it busted.

Oh yeah, I’m happy.  My family appears to be happy as well, as evidenced by the way they chomped down their dinner!

Welcome to the family, Big C (i.e. Big Crock Pot).  May we enjoy a long and joyful relationship.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

Back to Shopping!

Posted on January 17, 2010 by auburnchick

I know I haven’t been blogging about my shopping excursions. Quite honestly, I haven’t been shopping that often since Christmas. We’ve been so busy that, although I’m still keeping up with my couponing sites, I haven’t been doing a lot of big grocery trips.

Today I actually purchased four bags of goodies though.

Wanna see what I got for $39.98?

Oh yeah, Baby!

The chips and salsa were my favorite deal of the day.  I got both bags and jars for $3.19, the price of one jar of salsa!  I combined several coupons to maximize the BOGO sale on the dip and the 2 for $6 chip deal.

The frozen dinners were also a great deal.  I wound up, after coupons, paying $.67 per box!  Woo Hoo!

I couldn’t have done it without the help of my friend, Susan, who read my coupon rant and offered to send me the coupons from her paper.  I am still trying to compare what she gets in her paper versus what I get in mine, but she did have a coupon on Crackerfuls (which I used and which Rooster is most thankful for) that didn’t exist in my paper.  Thanks, Susan!  You’re one of those friends who always goes the extra mile without ever being asked.

I could not have done the chips deal without coupons from my favorite magazine, All You…

I can’t speak highly enough about this magazine.  The number of coupons (they’re listed on one of the first pages) is amazing, and the articles are clean (hence AuburnChick-approved) and relevant for everyday women.

I have a subscription, but I did walk into Walmart and purchase a second copy of the January issue because coupons vary slightly between newsstand and subscription issues (not fair, in my not-so-humble opinion, but that’s life).  My Walmart rings up the magazines at a cheaper price than what’s on the cover (an unexpected surprise the first time!).  This magazine pays for itself…that’s how good the coupons are!

One other tip that I just had to share (maybe I’ve shared this before, but I can’t remember).

If you ever want to see if there’s a coupon available for a product you want to buy, check out this site.  It’s got a lot of neat tools, but one of my favorites is the coupon database.  I use it almost daily…that’s how good it is…and no, I’m not getting paid to promote anything that I’ve written about today.  It’s just friendly little me sharing what’s I’ve found useful.  😉

So now, let me ask…have any of you been couponing lately?  What are some sites you’ve discovered lately?

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Running the Gamut

Posted on January 15, 2010 by auburnchick

Boy, have I run the gamut of experiences this week!

Monday was a day off for me. I had to take Rooster to the orthodontist.

He drove.

I prayed.

We made it there and back in one piece.

I think the car floated on air a bit, because we had just scheduled a tentative appointment for his braces to be removed. Everything depends on his next appointment, in which he’ll get one final check of his teeth and have molds made (for retainers, I imagine).

Tuesday and Wednesday, I resumed my subbing assignment for a history/psychology teacher.

I went from watching The Patriot to an A&E video on the French Revolution. What a violent group those French were, eh?

Then, in Psychology, we watched videos on Schizophrenia and criminal profiling.

Thursday, I began a two-week assignment for an English teacher. I have two Freshmen honors classes and two 11th grade AP classes.

Good stuff, people, good stuff!

In between, Chicky’s team played three games in as many days.

Um, yeah. Are you feeling exhausted after reading that list?

Oh, and how can I forget that another stressful thing happened.

One of my students got into quite a bit of trouble…serious trouble…the kind you don’t get out of.

Sigh.

But not only did I have all of the above going on, but I also had a wee little thing called an INTERVIEW scheduled for today.

For an 11th grade history teaching position.

At a good school.

My friend, Ms. D (the Attendance Lady) encouraged me to talk to one of the assistant principals…the one who was my supervisor when I worked at the Attendance Desk last Spring. She’s been in the system for a long time and is very knowledgeable.

She was very honest and direct, telling me that the main thing I needed to focus on was classroom management.

She told me that because I’m so small (i.e. petite), administrators need to be reassured that I can handle classrooms full of taller-than-me students. She told me to be assertive and “big.”

Ahhh…

A light bulb went on.

I entered the interview prepped and confident.

I really liked the gal who interviewed me.

The position is at a school that is up the road…kind of in the country (which is saying a lot because I already live in Podunk, USA). But interestingly enough, I got a cozy feeling while I was there. It quickly became obvious how much the staff cares about its students. Small school=everyone knows everyone=close-knit family.

My kind of thing.

I left feeling hopeful, even though I had learned that the position involves teaching a dual-enrolled class…which requires the teacher to hold a Master’s degree…which I don’t have.

Sigh.

Because the position is set to start on the 25th of this month, the school was looking to hire ASAP.

I got my answer a hour later.

The gal who interviewed me was kind enough to personally call and let me know that another person had been selected. She told me she had enjoyed the interview and encouraged me to apply for a position at the school, should one become available.

Sigh.

What a crazy week.

My heart is broken for my student whose life has been irrevocably changed by the choices she’s made. I don’t know what else I can do but pray for her.

I’m thankful for the subbing jobs that God continues to provide. They are paying the bills, albeit barely. But still, He’s providing.

I so desperately want a classroom of my own, but I continue to trust the Lord. I know He has a plan for my life. What that involves, I’m not really sure. But, I accept it and continue to wait, doing my best, in the meantime, to make decisions that honor Him.

Running the gamut is exhausting. Thank goodness for a three-day weekend and days to sleep in!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Senior Soccer Night for Chicky!

Posted on January 13, 2010 by auburnchick

Seems like it was only yesterday when Chicky was dressing out for the first time in her high school soccer uniform.

The colors were completely different from the uniform she had worn at her middle school the previous two years.

I remember the first time she wore the new colors. It was an exhibition game with the members of the JV and Varsity teams being mixed up into two different teams. They scrimmaged each other for a little fun.

Chicky had made the Varsity team as a freshman. She was nervous. Especially because she would be playing with older girls, whose talents she had admired in years past.

She came off of the field hard on herself, but we assured her that she had made a good first showing.

That is typical of Chicky, though. She’s very critical of herself. She doesn’t like making mistakes on the field.

Chicky continued to make an impression that first season and the others that followed.

Although she was not a captain her first three years on the squad, she led the team by example…through her hard work, competitive nature, and determination to constantly get better.

This year, her peers recognized her leadership skills by voting her as captain. I realize it’s only a title, but it really means a lot to her. It validates her efforts these last few years.

During halftime of last night’s game, we recognized the seniors on the team…giving each player her time in the spotlight. Parents of the players greeted them after they had walked past the other players on the team…high and low-fiving them as they moved down the line. An announcer (a dad on the team) used a microphone to announce each girl’s college plans.

Each girl received a bag of goodies and a collection of roses and carnations…one rose for each year playing soccer at the school, and one carnation for senior on this year’s squad.

Sigh.

Four years.

It can seem like such a long time but how quickly it flies by.

Another milestone in Chicky’s life. It’s one I’ll tuck away with the others.

Filed under: children, soccer | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Random Dozen

Posted on January 12, 2010 by auburnchick

This is getting to be a habit, isn’t it?  Hop on over to 2nd Cup of Coffee tomorrow to see the answers that Linda will post.

1. When was the last time you craved a food–what was it, and did you cave?

Probably chocolate…because I always crave chocolate.  And yes, I caved.  I almost always cave (but I haven’t had a Mt. Dew since New Year’s Eve, thank you very much…even after I accidentally bought one at school…by habit hit the wrong button on the machine…but I threw it AWAY in the garbage before leaving the building, thank you very much).

I digress…on to #2

2. M & M’s or Skittles?

Definitely M & M’s (see answer #1)…plain ones, not dark chocolate.
3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?

Yes…a couple of years ago.  I am attempting to do it again, via this link.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?

Maybe 10 minutes.  Jumping into a hot shower helps A LOT with this…especially since I don’t drink coffee. 😉

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?

I have been on three cruises…the last of which you read about around Thanksgiving.

6. Who is your favorite actress?

Hmmm…tough question for me because I invariably will dislike an actress when she picks a less-than-admirable role (i.e. she shows more of her body than is ladylike or curses up a storm…blech).  Ok.  Got it.  Jennifer Garner.  LOVED her in Alias, but my favorite thing she’s been in is 13 Going on 30.  Her facial expressions rival Jim Carrey’s, and her All-American look is easy on the eyes.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.

Why is there only one blank here?  C’mon people!  I want lots of blanks that will form a soap box!  Ok…nudity/sex scenes in movies is something I will never understand.  What’s the point?  Besides burning un-erasable images into my mind.  Gag me with a spoon.

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?

If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll know that technology RULES!  I mean, what almost-40-year-old mom buys herself a hot pink Nintendo DSi with her Christmas money?  If I loads of money, I would make sure I had the latest phone and computer software.  In fact, my entire house would operate by voice command.  Oh yeah, baby!  Now that’s what I’m talking about!

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural “have to” for you?

I could take them or leave them.  I guess it’s fun to pick one out when you know the person.  Greeting cards tend to have their own personalities that should reflect the personalities of the people giving them in addition to those receiving them. Sounds like too much work for my wee little brain.  I’d rather just call a person and say Happy Birthday or whatever.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?

Christmas Eve, while visiting the in-law’s!  It’s gonna be sad when I have to drive an hour and a half to get the same girl to cut it, eh?

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?

Technology stuff/office supplies.  Call me weird, but at least I’m honest.  Nothing makes me happier than eyeballing the newest post-it note gizmo’s, fountain pens, and whatnot.  Best Buy, you are my friend.  But I don’t want to look at stinking TV’s.  Give me hand-held devices, cameras, or whatnot, and I’m a happy girl!

12. What’s the last thing you think of before you leave the house?

“What am I forgetting?”

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

It Was a Cold and Blustery Day

Posted on January 11, 2010 by auburnchick

No, this isn’t the beginning of a new Winnie the Pooh book, but it sure could have been!

Folks, let me first say that I live in the south for a reason…the warmth.

Many years ago, when the Mr. and I were just dating, I told him that when I got married, I wanted to live where it was warm all the time.  Cold weather and AuburnChick do not get along.  In fact, anything below 75 degrees, and I’m best friends with a sweater.

Well, the Mr. and I have lived in Florida for most of our married lives, and, for the most part, I’ve been warm most of the time (except for stupid soccer tournaments that are played in the rain and freezing cold).

Enter in the latest cold snap, which decided to dip way down in my area.

When I got up this morning, the temperature was in the 20’s.

Now, you Northerners, don’t you dare say one word.  I know how you suffer, and that you would win the contest of who has it colder.  But you see, everything is relative.  I’m sure y’all  think you are gonna die of heat exhaustion if temperatures reach 70 degrees.

Folks, it’s all about what you’re used to, and I’m used to heat.

Bring it on, baby.  You’ll rarely hear me complain about 90-degree days.  I live for them!

So this cold snap thing…

On a Monday to boot…

Ugh.

I should have known something was amiss when the power flickered on and off several times around 6am.  Still, I dragged myself out of bed and enjoyed a hot shower.

The power went off again while the kids and I were reading devotions.  We kept on reading, and eventually it came back on…

Until they left for school.

I wasn’t subbing today because Rooster had an orthodontist appointment, so I stayed behind.

And the power shut off again.

No biggie, I thought.  It will come right back on, just like before.

Five minutes later, and my power was still off.

Old Miser Lady that I am had gotten used to the heat I have had turned on since January 3rd, and I started to feel shivers.

Yeah.  Only five minutes later.

Sad, eh?

Ten minutes later and still no power.

I started FaceBooking…from my phone…thank goodness for the all-inclusive data plan!

My friends started commiserating with me.

I started growing concerned because I had to take the boy to get his braces tightened.  How was I going to get out of the garage?

My mind flashed back almost 20 years to the first house the Mr. and I bought.  We didn’t have enough money to spring for an electric garage door opener, so rain or shine, we were out there doing the heave-ho to get our car in and out of the garage.

So I heaved and ho’d and lifted my door when it was time to leave.

I should have checked the mirror after that, though (you’ll find out why in a sec).

When I got to school, Chicky had followed Rooster to the office to tell me, in her anything-but-innocent-way, “You know, Mama, if Rooster’s teeth are sore, and you take him by Tropical Smoothie for a treat to ease the pain, you can bring me a smoothie back to school.  I’ll take a Cool Breeze.”

Gotcha.  I am a sucker, after all.

After making that announcement, she looked closely at my face and laughed while telling me I had black stuff on my forehead and in my hair.

Say what?

Sure enough, when I got to the car, I not only had black stuff on my face, but it was streaked!  And none of the ladies working in the office, friends of mine you know, had said a word.  They had been too busy doing their thing to notice.

Anyhoo…I digress, yet again.

Rooster drove the car to his appointment with me hanging on for dear life as it had been months since he’d driven, and I’m determined to get him trained in time for him to get his license when Chicky leaves for college because the days of chauffeuring are quickly coming to an end.

We got him back to school after, three smoothies in hand – one for him, one for Chicky, as promised (and for being such a sensitive child, concerned about her brother), and one for me (reward for surviving the drive without throttling my child).

I ran a few more errands fully expecting the power to be back on when I got home.

Nada.

It was dark and cold.

It was at this point that I really realized how much for granted I take the electricity.

Simply entering my home was a reminder as I had to use a key to enter the front door of my home.  I tried to turn on a light and got nothing.  I checked the clock to see how much longer I had until lunch…nada.

Forget checking Google Reader for blog posts.

Nada.

No blogging for me either, and no FaceBooking.

I did clip coupons I had previously printed and filed all loose coupons.

I straightened the house while FaceBooking from my phone.

I called the electric company from my cell phone and requested an update.  Apparently Southerners are not used to this cold thing, because all of us were demanding so much power that we overloaded the system!  Imagine that!

And then I headed to the high school to sit in the office, which was quite toasty, and worked on my Super Secret Project (which is almost finished and will maybe be revealed soon).

Someone from the electric company called to see if my power was on.  She seemed shocked and informed me that it should have come back on hours ago.

No duh!  Ya think?

I put in another call to the electric company when I got home, and an hour later, Voila!  The power came on!  Woo Hoo!

Eight full hours of no power.  Oy, but I was concerned about the $1.99/lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts I had purchased this weekend.  But, all was well.

Rooster and I warmed ourselves up with some hot chocolate (made in my Cocomotion), and the house has heated up to my standards.

Rooster and I had to run back to the school to grab one of his books.  It was then that I heard it.

One of my favorite sounds.

That of the garage door opening.

It was a sign that all was well.  The power was on, and I had heat again.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Evolution of a Coffee Drinker

Posted on January 10, 2010 by auburnchick

When I became a parent, I never imagined the fun I would have watching my children develop new skills and interests.  One of neatest things that I have observed is my children tasting something that is absolutely divine.  BTW, this has never happened during one of my dinners.

I remember the first time my children tasted Shirley Temples.  Chicky’s eyes lit up (I mean this quite literally as if a lamp had just been turned on), and I’m telling you…I think I heard angels singing because of the look of surprise and joy that reflected from her face.

I saw this same look when she tried a Godiva Caramel Chocolixer.  It was a new, non-coffee drink experience for both of us, and I’m absolutely positive that my face reflected her’s.

Some tastes, however, are acquired.  Some, I’ve completely rebelled against.

One such thing is coffee.

I’m 39 years old, and to this day, I cannot stand coffee.  I don’t like the taste of it, but I really cannot stand the smell of it.

Ugh, but sometimes walking into a Starbucks is torture.  I know that the drink I’m getting is going to be good, but I simply don’t understand why I have to be subjected to a smell I abhor in order to obtain it.  It’s like walking to a restaurant’s bar to pick up a take-out order.  You walk through the smoky haze that usually surrounds that part of the eatery to pick up your dinner, but you leave with that stank on you.

Blech.

I think I developed my disgust of all coffee items while I was in elementary school.  We had to sit around those itsy bitsy tables, with the teacher joining us as we performed whatever lessons she had planned for us.

For some reason, my teacher ALWAYS sat beside me, coffee cup right beside her.

And then she would inevitably look down and say, “AuburnChick, what do you think about so-and-so,” and while asking this question breathe her repugnant, sour coffee breath into my sweet little face.

N-A-S-T-Y.

I can still remember that smell as if it was yesterday.

Anyhoo…I digress…sort of.

For years, I never spoke of this thing to my children.  However, I remember standing up straight with a bit of pride when Chicky, around the age of 10, announced, while we passed a coffee stand in the mall, “Ewww…what is that terrible smell?”

It was coffee, and she, like me, decided that she wanted no part of something that smelled as yucky as that.

Well, things change, and people mature.

Over the last few years, Chicky has tried, with all of her might, to develop a taste for this so that she could be cool and carry around a Coco Latte or something fancy like that.

Inevitably, the drinks have not pleased her taste buds, and she’s reverted to plain old chocolate concoctions (the best choice, in my not-so-humble opinion).

Anyhoo…I’m getting way off track again…

I don’t know if I mentioned that when we got home from Christmas, the Mr. decided that since I wasn’t turning on the heat (I’m a miser, and I’m not ashamed to admit it), he needed something to warm up his innards, so he bought himself a coffee maker…

His mother, Coupon Queen, was on the phone with me when I walked into the house to find this mess of a disaster on the kitchen table and a horrible smell in my house…COFFEE.

Not only did my house stink, but he had left a mess.  I was fit to be tied.

Up to this point, we had never owned a coffee maker.  It was a fact I was proud of.

Ugh.

Well, to make matters worse, Guy Friend (home for Christmas) and the Mr. began experimenting with the coffee…tweaking it just so to get it tasting just so.

Blech.

All of this coffee drinking made Chicky want to try again.

After Guy Friend suggested that she might like a French Vanilla Latte, she tried one from Starbucks over New Year’s weekend and loved it.

Great.

I found this creamer at Walmart and decided to see if Chicky would like it in her homemade coffee…

So, the other morning, I heard her get up and begin making coffee.

I got up and went to shower and get ready for my day.  When I emerged, I asked how her coffee was.  She declared that after a packet of the creamer, more sugar, and some milk, it was good.

Lovely.

Another coffee drinker in my house.

You know what that means…

More stinky smell.

I don’t know if my nostrils will ever recover.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

Coupon Rant

Posted on January 9, 2010 by auburnchick

As I sit here preparing to grocery shop for my first “real” trip in 2010, I thought I would take a moment to rant.

Not the best way to start, but people, I am FRUSTRATED!

I went down the list of coupon deals on Southern Savers, and how many coupons do I have?

Six.

This stinks.

Is this my fault?

Kind of.

Why?

Because I decided to live in Podunk, USA, where, apparently, I’m not supposed to be eating what the rest of the country eats.

Kellogg’s Special K bars are apparently not suitable for Small Town USA, hence the Red Plum people (or is it the manufacturer?) decided not to include a coupon in my newspaper’s supplement.

Thanks a lot.

I guess the “Powers That Be” would also like to see us country bumpkins be more green as they chose not to include the Solo paper plate coupon in my paper.

You know, we get tired of doing dishes.  Eventually the kids do grow up, and then who do we have to wash them for us?

I wanted some Chow Mein noodles, but apparently I’m only supposed to eat Southern food, such as chitlins and Brunswick Stew.  So, no free noodles for AuburnChick.

Now hear this, oh Powers That Be in the Coupon World:

Please start considering your smaller markets.  We’re people too.  We like to eat.  We want ice cream, potato chips, and ketchup (especially after crock pot disasters that wasted entire bottles of the stuff).

We have families to feed, and we usually have less money than those who live in bigger cities.  Why punish us just because we either cannot afford to live in Big City, USA or choose the peace and quiet of country living.

Either way, we still grocery shop, and we like (and need) to save money.  We can’t afford to drive four hours to buy papers in larger regional areas, nor can we afford the subscription to have them mailed to us (did you know it would cost $6 per week to get Sunday papers mailed to me from across the state?).

Rant is over…until tomorrow, that is, when I check out the coupon selection…

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

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