Random Tidbits ~ Project Complete

It was a high of 74°F here yesterday.  The wind kicked up, but boy it was the strangest and oddest weather for us.  Although I don't think it broke any weather records.  I honestly don't remember it ever being this warm in February. 

Woke up to find this fella laying near the driveway.  It's not an odd thing.  Every year we find one there for some reason.  Usually after a rain storm too.  He is far from the river that runs behind us, but he may be on his way there from the ditch too.  We left him alone, but King wanted to eat him.

Checking this project off the "projects in progress" list!  Ta-da!  The granny square hand towel for the bathroom is now finished.  And I made about 4-5 too many squares.  Tip:  Don't drink wine while crocheting, ha ha!   


I made too many of the pink yarn squares, so I accidentally started another towel in the making.  Hubby got a laugh out of that, but loves the towel.  They last longer than hand towels from the store.

 

Last weeks snack food - pumpkin cake (but tastes like pumpkin bread.  I swapped out half the flour for the all-purpose einkorn wheat flour.  I also swapped out half the oil with home canned applesauce.  Delicous! (recipe is online with Taste of Home as Moist Pumpkin Bundt Cake)
 
We got our thunderstorm last night.  Boy did we.  The winds were predicted at 60 mph, but that didn't happen around us.  

I now know that thunder and lightning, while riding on a motorcycle, is extremely loud.  After missing out on a ride the day before, Hubby insisted despite weather predictions.  We got wet, but honestly, it was fun.  We got back and laughed and laughed, and our 15 year-old was trying to scold us without laughing too.  We dried it off and put our wet clothes to dry too. 

My soapbox moment on debit cards:

I'm going back to cash and checks.  I have had my debit card hacked twice recently.  The new card hacked less than 30 days from the replacing the card.  It boggled the fraud department and us.  How in the heck could this happen?!  

We narrowed it down to a few possibilities, only because I hardly used it.  Army daughter's was hacked recently from a gas station skimmer and she too said even chipped cards can be hacked (and is going back to cash).  I knew those cards were giving off a bad vibe when the banks invented them.  I asked if there was a time limit to break in the 3rd newly issued card.  She said 6 months.  So, I'm not using it, watching the account, and I think we'll have less headaches.  I have been holding the role of secretary/investigator/billing clerk.  It paid off.  We got the stolen money back.

It's a good feeling when you succeed.

While in the hospital, my emails piled up at home.  At the end of the year, if we get enough points with the health plan at Hubby's work (we have to earn points to keep our insurance plan and price, which involves using a fitbit, watching videos that waste my time, and having a health coach call etc.).  

I got my points, but never got my $100 gift card.  I called finally and inquired.  They had sent me the email to get my card, the same day I left the hospital.  They re-sent it, and I now have $100 to spend at Bass Pro shop.  They have very few choices that we can benefit from (gift cards to choose), so I picked Bass Pro.  They have mostly clothing and restaurant choices and one hotel chain.  Bass Pro sells hunting, camping, and even other clothing.  One year we used the card to buy a very good pair of all weather muck boots (very much needed).  Succeeding with this made my day too.