The Big, Bad City

I just got back from a business trip to our nation's capital.  I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't expect what I experienced at all.  Everyone always says how dangerous it is in Washington.  "Are you sure you want to go there?"  "It's kinda scary."  "What if you get shot?"  Huh???  I armed myself with a brand new pepper spray and boarded my flight with a great deal of trepidation.  Even more scary was the fact that I was renting a car and driving through downtown Washington DC all by myself.  What if I got lost in a 'bad' area?  What if I got carjacked?

So it was anticlimatic when I made it all the way up New York Avenue to my hotel just north of Dupont Circle without any mishaps.  I'd seen scarier things in Deland, FL.  Actually, the worst part of the drive was trying to navigate the traffic circles, but even that wasn't bad.

It turns out my hotel was quite charming!  A little jewel amidst all the little embassies of countries I'd never heard of or long forgotten since high school geography.  Just a metro stop away from the rest of Washington, which it turns out was not very big.  I even found a quaint neighborhood restaurant - Rosemary's Thyme Bistro - where I had dinner twice, and I would highly recommend the spinach ravioli if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood.

http://rosemarysthyme.com/

I experienced new things while in Washington, mostly surrounding food.  I had my first food truck experience, and while it was interesting, I have to admit I didn't quite find the food I got from the 'mojo' truck as magical as the long lines led me to believe it would be.  Maybe next time I'll stick to pizza or Italian sausage.  But I wanted to try something new.  The concept was interesting, and the place - Truckaroo - was really neat with over 20 food trucks and a big "beer garden," for lack of a better term.  Really, it reminded me of the Towsontowne Festival on a grander scale.  Meanwhile, Truckaroo happened to be right next to the baseball stadium - home of the Washington Nationals - really? When did that happen? I guess I stopped following baseball when Mike Mussina went off to the Yankees. Traitor.

I discovered a wonderful restaurant - Poste Moderne Brasserie - at the Hotel Monaco that I can't wait to revisit. I think I would make a special trip to DC just to enjoy their food and wine. My plate was so pretty, it was almost a shame I had to eat what was on it.

http://www.postebrasserie.com/

Of course I shopped the Capital Grille while I was there, because how could I pass up all that meat? But really it was my least favorite meal (except the mojo) the entire time I was there. Perhaps I'm becoming a little spoiled, or maybe the competition in Washington is just THAT fierce.  Good wine, though, and better company.

Oh, forgot to mention I did go to Sprinkles in Georgetown - yup, it was a shop - for a dozen free cupcakes. And I hate to say it, but I think I'd rather eat Publix vanilla cupcakes. Sprinkles' cupcakes were pretty, and they had some interesting flavors, but I guess when I think of a cupcake, I want what I want, and it isn't there.

I learned how to ride the metro, how to hail a cab, and I learned three things about Washington in five minutes while enjoying a margarita at a sidewalk cafe. First, no one just walks in Washington. They must be texting, listening to their iPod, talking on the phone, or whatever. It is truly a city of multi-taskers. Second, no one makes eye contact. Period. Third, there are more cabs than people. Oh, and the pepper spray? I never needed it. It was safer walking around Washington at 10:00 at night then it is walking around Astor, Florida, population 2,098.

Can't wait to go back!

P.S. Never saw the White House, but wasn't looking for it, either.

Woe is Me!

I try not to complain.  After all, I am incredibly blessed.  I have my health, my family and a great job working from home OR out and about, depending on what I feel like doing.  I get to buy things on other peoples' dimes, eat extravagent meals that I don't have to pay for, and stay at nice hotels and resorts free of charge.  (Still no cruise, though!)  So, really, what do I have to complain about?

If something bad would happen and that would be the end of it, I probably wouldn't complain.  But it's this snowball effect that's got me singing the blues right now.  First of all, I prepared my taxes.  That was my first mistake, but it was a necessary evil.  I don't know why I expected a refund; perhaps it's those rose-colored glasses everyone says I'm always wearing.  Or maybe it was because we got a refund last year.  Of course last year, we still had the last of our dependents, and this past year I doubled my editing load which meant double the money with no withholding.  Yay.  So not only do I have this massive tax bill, but I don't have the refund I thought I was getting in order to pay the massive property tax bill.  Yay again.  Still, if that was the end of it, I would be smiling.

After I filed my taxes, I got into my car to go run some errands.  Turned the key, and nothing happened.  Nothing.  Nada.  Not a click, not a hum.  Yay.  Still, if it could have been something ultra simple (and inexpensive) like say, the battery, I could still be smiling.  But it wasn't, and I waved goodbye to my beloved car as it departed the driveway on the back of a flatbed this morning, headed to the garage for yet unidentified and surely ultra-expensive repairs.  Yippee.

Now if that was all that happened, I still might not complain.  Well, maybe a little.  But not in public.  Not a whiny, prolonged, "Woe is me."  I mean, really.  My life has been going great.  The stuff of fairy tales even (almost).  So what has got my feathers ruffled?  Fleas!  Yes, fleas.  The bane of my current existence.  With five cats, I have managed to avoid fleas for the last ten years.  I was so good, so diligent about topical flea solutions and keeping those little buggers out of my house.  Unfortunately, time got away from me, and I skipped one measly little month.  That, combined with the lack of winter in Florida, was all it took.  Now I will be bathing cats, combing cats, vacuuming rugs, washing sheets, blankets, area rugs and more several times a week for who knows how long.  Have I mentioned how much I hate housework?  Yay.

So yes, woe is me, at least for now.  I'm sure "this, too, shall pass," and I was reminded that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound (or a ton) of cure."  I'm sure there are countless other proverbs that apply to my situation.  That's why the proverbs are there, to teach, instruct, comfort and remind.  I get it.  So now I'm looking forward to, "All's well that ends well."

It's All About The Cupcakes

This post has absolutely nothing to do with mystery shopping and everything to do with my love for sugar, or cupcakes in particular.  Everyone knows I love cupcakes.  Friends post cupcake pictures on my Facebook wall and message me pictures of particularly appetizing cupcakes on my phone.  My favorite editor trainee sent me an awesome cupcake calendar for Christmas with recipes for each month that I still have not found time to make yet.  Some people even bribe me with cupcakes when they want something from me (yes, it works)!  So EVERYONE knows I love cupcakes.  Or almost everyone.

Which is why I received a phone call from my husband this morning asking me what type of chocolates I prefer.  Hello?  First of all, we've been married for eleven years.  You should know what type of chocolates I prefer.  But really, chocolate?  Even in cupcakes, I prefer vanilla.  I might be more forgiving if he skipped the cupcakes in favor of diamonds.  Or a trip to Aruba for the weekend.  Or dinner at Ruth's Chris.  But chocolates?

So while he is deciding between Lindt, Russell Stover and Whitman's, I am scouring the internet and a year's worth of Better Homes and Gardens back issues for pictures of cupcakes.  Next year, I'll be prepared.  I will hide pictures of cupcakes in the nightstand, in the medicine cabinet and under the coffee maker lid.  I will hang my cupcake calendar in a prominent position next to the refrigerator.  Maybe then he'll get the message!

So for this year, I will abandon my hopes for cupcakes and mentally prepare myself for a box of chocolates.  Unlike Forrest Gump, I know what I'm gonna get.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Airport Shops

Since I had to travel to Wisconsin this week, I decided to venture into the realm of post-security airport shops.  I always seem to get to the airport early anyway, and this way I can grab a bite to eat, a cup of coffee and perhaps something to read on the plane, all on someone else's dime. 

The first thing I found out is that if you're going to do (post-security) airport shops, you need to know what areas of the airport you will actually have access to.  In some airports, you can go anywhere once you have a ticket.  In other airports, there might be separate security checkpoints for different terminals.

After signing up for three airport shops at Orlando International Airport, I quickly learned when I arrived that while I could access "Airside 2 and Airside 4," I could not get anywhere near "Airside 1."  It was only by sheer luck that all three shops I had accepted were in Airside 4.  Phew!  In this case, I was lucky enough to grab my caffeine, something to eat, a bottle of water, a puzzle magazine and a new pack of batteries without spending a dime.  I received generous payments on top of the goodies I was able to buy.  I think I'm going to like this airport shopping!

Since the company I'm consulting with has decided to send me to Baltimore (yay!) instead of back to Orlando on Thursday, I quickly signed up for some more airport shops ... but not before checking the airport map this time.  I was able to score another cup of coffee and a dining shop.  Needless to say, if you are a frequent traveler, this is a gold mine.  The competition is scarce since only ticketed passengers or those shoppers with permanent access can complete the shops.  Even if you are traveling for pleasure rather than business, depending on where you are going, it is completely feasible for airport shops to pay a substantial portion of your travel expenses.

So check it out, travelers!  Sign up for some airport shops at http://www.ishopforyou.com/ (Ann Michaels and Associates), http://www.bareinternational.com/,  http://www.intellishop.com/,  http://www.marketforce.com/.  I am sure there are other companies offering airport shops, so feel free to add to the list if you are reading this!

Happy New Year! And the answer is "NO!"

Welcome to 2012!  I learned a long time ago not to make resolutions, but I do have some goals for the new year.  Many of my goals revolve around greater organization and less procrastination, but I'm also going to focus on "me time."  After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right?  Or at least that's what it said in The Shining, and I don't think anyone wants me to turn out like Jack.

Everyone knows I'm a work-a-holic.  What some people do not realize is that on top of my editing, training, coordinating and other responsibilities at A Closer Look, I also took a second editing job at Sentry Marketing.  I've been doing this since July.  As if that wasn't enough, I recently added a third job as a Care Partner Consultant with Baird Group, the same company I do medical mystery shopping for.  I am also holding an editing and recruitment workshop at the Chicago IMSC Conference and will speak at this year's conferences in Reno and Las Vegas, as well.  Which leads me to the point of this post.  I will learn to say, "No," a word clearly left out of my vocabulary prior to 2012.

So, unless the question involves a beach, warm tropical waters, a hammock and a fruity cocktail, the answer this year is, "No."  Enough said.

Happy New Year!

Let's Talk Turkey (and Ham)

I love Thanksgiving.  First, it is no secret that I love food.  But I also love holidays and tradition.  It did not hurt that I was able to prepare a feast without spending a dime of my own money.  If you had to pay for your Thanksgiving meal this year, perhaps you are not yet registered with the right companies.

My first score was a delicious honey-glazed, spiral-sliced ham.  This year the ham company went with a new mystery shopping provider, but I had gotten so used to my free holiday ham that I went through every shopper site I could think of until I found them.  The good news is that the report was basically all yes/no answers and took all of three minutes to complete.  I'm not really sure how the ham company gets any value from that, but that's not really my concern - I got a great ham with minimal effort.

I was also lucky enough to happen upon one of my favorite providers' web site the day they released all of their grocery shops, which means I was able to choose up to ten shops.  Each shop paid $7 with a $10 reimbursement for groceries.  So I was able to get the turkey and all the trimmings with plenty left over to feed the cats and pick up a few household staples.  With a little practice, I've learned to get through these shops in 30 minutes or less, and the report is painless.  Since we all have to go to the grocery store anyway, I hardly think this qualifies as work.  The only negative was that I had to visit the stores between 4 and 7 PM on Thanksgiving week.  I crammed in as many as I could on Monday, but I still had to go back on Tuesday to do the rest.  It was crowded, and I had to park far, far away from the grocery store, but I tried to think of it as burning some of those extra calories in advance.  Besides, shopping amongst a crowd sort of gets me in the mood for the holidays.

If you missed out on the bounty of shops available for Thanksgiving, you still have time to take advantage of what will come available for Christmas.  Some companies that offer grocery and specialty food shops in my area include: www.marketforceshopper.com (Market Force), www.serviceintelligence.com (Service Intelligence), and www.msishopper.net (TrendSource).

Happy shopping!



To iPad or Not to iPad

I recently won an iPad2 in an editing contest at A Closer Look.  This was super exciting, and I looked forward to my new toy until I realized that they (at the last minute) decided to offer a cash option, as well.  And so the dilemma unfolded.  When the editing contest began, we had no idea what the prizes would be, but we were told they would be "fantastic" and that we definitely wanted to win.  We were also told the prizes would be something we would want but would likely not buy for ourselves.  All those things turned out to be true (the prizes for second and third place were an iPod Touch and a Kindle + Amazon gift card, respectively).

I pondered my decision and broadcast a call for advice to all my Facebook friends.  Naturally, all the Apple fans out there said I should take the iPad, and I was somehow inclined to agree.  After all, it was an awesome piece of technology that I would never put out the money for on my own, and it would be great for traveling.  I've never been overly practical, so the thought did not first occur to me that I did not actually need the iPad2 and could buy several other things with the cash option.  I also conveniently forgot that I had never been a big fan of Apple products.  Funny how that tidbit of information was forgotten when the machine was dangled in front of me.

When I remembered all those things, I started to compare the iPad with other tablets.  I was impressed with the new Kindle Fire.  Though obviously not on the same level as iPad as far as quality and certain features, it is still a pretty amazing machine.  A lot of the iPad features I have no use for since I have no other Mac products and only know two other people who utilize Mac products (no "Facetime" for me).  There would also be compatibility issues between my devices.  The Kindle Fire would serve my purposes for wanting a tablet (e-Reader capabilities, email and impromptu web surfing in a machine bigger than a phone but that would still fit my purse) at less than one third the cost.  I could still pick up a Netbook for editing on the run with money left over.  Even after all of that sound reasoning, I was just about convinced to take the iPad.

As it turned out, just when I had made the decision to take the iPad, I learned I could not work on it.  The ACL website apparently has incompatibility issues, and I would not be able to edit.  Since the majority of my waking hours are used for editing, and if not editing then mystery shopping, the iPad for me would have become only a glorified e-Reader and movie streaming machine.  Still a great toy but not at all practical since it would get very little use over the course of a year.

I feel good about my decision, and in a way, I'm glad that I could not work on the iPad, thus forcing me to come to this conclusion.  I will still have a toy and a mini work machine, and I will still have some money left over for small extra goodies - like taking a friend to tea ;-)

As for the rest of you, if you're trying to decide whether or not to buy an iPad2, the way I see it, you either are or you are not an Apple fan.  If you are, I guess nothing else will do.  If you can live with the so-called "lesser brands" like the rest of us mere mortals, my guess is you're probably getting a better value.