Saturday, May 31, 2008

I'm the Coupon Queen!

I just got back from a trip to the local Ralph's Grocery store where I saved over $32 on my bill, and I ended up paying about $36. That almost a savings of 50%! I was so proud of myself that I called my mom and reported my success. She thought it was funny and commented on the extra work that I had to do to save money. But the truth is that it wasn't that much extra work and it isn't rocket science.

My system is as follows. I leave the coupon section from the Sunday paper and other ads on the dining room table with a pair of scissors. When I am eating breakfast, I go through the coupons and clip out the ones for items that I expect to purchase within the coupon expiration period. Then I file the coupons in a small plastic envelope with divisions that have labels like 'dairy/cheese' and 'paper products'. Before I go to the grocery store I make of list of things that I need to buy and go through the coupon folder to see what coupons I have that match the things on my list. I also bring the coupon envelope with me to the grocery store just in case I see something that is on sale that I could store and have a coupon for--like toilet paper. Ralph's has double coupons everyday so I tend to go there because the coupons go further.

It just happens that there were a bunch of coupons for organic foods about a month ago to celebrate Earth Day. These same foods are on sale right now because I think the store stock-piled for people who would use the coupons the same week they came out in the newspaper. Now they are selling the excess inventory.

Yes, it is sort of silly to be happy over saving money using coupons. In all honesty, it isn't just about the money savings-- though that's a big incentive. I think a lot of coupon people enjoy 'beating the system' with their coupons. I'm not a religious coupon clipper. I go through periods where I clip them, but most of the time I'm too lazy or don't bring the coupons with me. But I just have to say that a friend told me that his mom paid for his first two years of college by setting aside the money that she saved using coupons and investing that money elsewhere. Coupon money is money afterall! I just wish they had coupons for gasoline...

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ray Bradbury!!!


My general reaction when I see a celebrity/famous person is something like, "Oooh, I just saw [insert name here]." Sometimes it registers in my memory long enough for me to want to post it in my blog, but most of the time it doesn't rate at all. Thus, the infrequent updates on celebrity sightings.

Yesterday I saw a play of 'Farenheit 451' at the Fremont Center Theater in South Pasadena, and Ray Bradbury happened to show up and speak a couple of words for the show and sign books and playbills afterwards. I was over-the-top excited to meet him! I wanted to get this blog up a.s.a.p.!

Mr. Bradbury is 87 years old and still writing. Before the play, he introduced his friend Forrest Ackerman (who is 91 years old). Mr. Bradbury credited Mr. Ackerman with starting his career as a science fiction writer by asking him to join the 'Clifton's Cafeteria Science Fiction Club' and with giving Bradbury money to start a weekly and go to the Worlds Fair in New York. It was from essays and stories written during this time that got Bradbury noticed. To true hard-core science fiction fans, seeing Mr. Ackerman would be just as (or even more) exciting than seeing Mr. Bradbury since Ackerman is the original sci-fi fan and has the ultimate sci-fi collection in his house in L.A.

Mr. Bradbury also wanted to note that he was wearing a medal that he got recently from the French-- The French Order of Arts and Letters Honor. You can see it in the picture above where he is signing a copy of a book that I brought from home, "The Toynbee Convector". He was surprised to see the book because it wasn't one of the books on sale at the playhouse, and he said that the book was the first book that Ted Turner had ever published 30 years ago and that Turner was still rich ;) My book is actually a first edition published in 1992 story copyright in 1983, but I wasn't about to correct him.

I was intimidated by him-- not because he is scary-- because I have known his name for a big hunk of my life. I read Farenheit 451 in junior high school and really respected him for his ideas and writing. The people at the playhouse told me to stand next to him for the picture, and my sister said that I was really shy about it. I admit, I was shy, but I got the picture anyways:


I got a picture with RAY BRADBURY and me! OMG! I was giddy and happy in the car afterwards.

Who cares about those other famous actors, I met RAY BRADBURY!!!

Of course, not everybody would care about this as much as me. Apparently somebody showed up at the theater last night expecting to see the film, Farenheit 451. When they heard that it was a play and that the playwright was there, they left because they wanted to see a movie.

Monday, May 12, 2008

My silly mom

I had the following conversation with my mom yesterday (on Mother's Day):

Mom: Your daddy says these lemons are dried and we have to use them. They look okay. (Starts to peel the lemon and break it into sections) I wonder if they are good.

Me: Are you really going to eat the lemon ?!?!

Mom: Why not? It looks okay. (Puts a lemon section in her mouth)

Me: What are you doing?!?!

Mom: (Face scrunches up and lips pucker a lot)

Me: I'm taking a picture of this! (Runs to get camera)

and voila:


My sister and dad came into the kitchen to see what was going on and started laughing when they saw my mom eating the lemon. She only had one section and decided that it was too sour to eat.

That's my mom! She's silly and I love her for it :)

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Are you impressed?

When my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were in L.A. for a visit a few weeks ago, we went to Hollywood to see the walk of fame. Predictably, there were characters trying to make money off of the tourists, a la:


The guy charged a dollar for the picture. There was also a really sad looking Superman and Spiderman on the street. Do you think these guys pay royalties to DC or Marvel Comics? I'm guessing not.

Two weeks before they came, I spent a few hours up in the Antelope Valley Poppy Fields (about an hour north of my house) and saw the following:


I posted more pictures on my photosite if you want to see more pictures of the flowers. They were gorgeous and worth every penny I spent ($5 for parking and gas to get there).

The Hulk on the other hand-- worth the kitsch? You decide.