Thanks eBay for the $10.00 #Free #Coupon!

Yesterday, eBay ran a very short-lived Facebook promotion which offered a free $10.00 coupon (Save $10.00 Off any purchase of $10.01+) for watching a simple video advertising the service and clicking a link to "Get your offer." The promotion was limited to the first 50,000 redemptions, but luckily, I was able to get in on the deal before it expired.

Keurig Hot 2.0 My K-Cup (eBay Vendor Image)

I was able to get a NIB Keurig Hot 2.0 My K-Cup ($7.99) and a miniature white 18" Doll Scale toy iPad ($2.49). The order total was $10.48 as both items included free shipping. The coupon brought this down to $0.48. Also, I happened to have $1.17 left on an old eBay eGC that I'd earned via another promotion long ago. (I don't shop on eBay very often, so this poor e-gift certificate was merely sitting in the cloud idly holding its balance.) So I used this eGC to pay the $0.48 balance. I got two nifty items totally free! This little interlude made for a fun lunchtime.

I originally purchased some cheap plastic, made in China, My K-Cup knock-offs --- also on eBay --- so that I could brew my own coffee in my Keurig 2.0 machine, but unfortunately, as is generally the case with cheap shit, these lasted barely a few months. I drink a lot of coffee. So I decided to buy the official Keurig item and had been looking for a good deal on one. Deal done!

The 18" Doll iPad was just a fun filler item to reach the $10.01 threshold needed to use the promotional coupon, as the 2.0 My K-Cup turned out to be on sale (from the vendor I purchased it). The iPad is only a cute little toy, so the fact that it's cheap plastic, made in Hong Kong, won't matter much.

What did you do for lunch yesterday?

BTW, Alexa, enable the Rock 100.5 Skill. I'm rocking out today! (I'm actually listening to the radio right now as I type this.)

Get over Hump Day...
-- Θεα

The #SundayFunday: #Recap and #Unwind #Keurig #Coffee #VeggettiPro #Spiralizer #Zoodles #Drinkwell

Sunday is one of my favorite days, the true weekend, I use this day to catchup and reflect on the week past. Pup and I head out for a leisurely constitutional to kick things off and then I make coffee and turn on the morning news programs --- I regularly watch CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Psuley at 9:00a, but otherwise will flip channels between the different shows to find stories of interest --- when we return.

I might read a few magazines, do a little browsing online (often following up on news bits mentioned on the morning broadcasts), work in my garden (seasonally) and/or watch a movie or two. It's a day of rest, where I try NOT to set an agenda, but enjoy What Dreams May Come whenever they happen to arrive. (Sometimes I do work on a Sunday, but unlike Saturday, I aim for this to be the exception, rather than the rule.)

Spring Break is ending, which means my little niece is headed back home to prepare for school restarting. So we should have peace and quiet to contemplate and wallow. What's that sound? No thing. Not a creature is stirring --- exactly how we like it!

After a relaxing morning, we plan to play around with our new toys later today. The furbabies' Drinkwell® Multi Tier Pet Water Fountain arrived via post yesterday; while I've got my Veggetti Pro Vegetable Spiral Cutter and a Nifty Home Products K-Cup Storage Drawer for my Keurig 2.0. (As I don't generally buy the prefab K-Cups as a rule, preferring to use a refillable K-Cup filter --- less waste and I can grind my own coffee beans fresh --- I figure I can store other coffee ritual paraphernalia in the drawer, which also acts as an elevated stand for the Keurig brewing machine.)

I got the storage drawer for free at Sears using SYWR points and I only paid $3.77 OOP for the Veggetti Pro at Sears after deducting SYWR points. The pet water fountain is a reward (freebie) available through the Purina Catchow Perks program for which I redeemed 275,000 points that I'd earned over the last year or so. (It states to allow 4-6 weeks for Catchow Perks rewards to arrive in the order confirmation email I received and yesterday marked a few days shy of "4 weeks" from the date of my order.)

Perhaps, we'll make zoodles for dinner....

Ordered @MelissaaAndDoug Happy Giddy Bowling Set @Pampers #Rewards

I like Melissa & Doug Happy Giddy toys based on pictures that I've seen of various items in the series. Brightly colored, fun & whimsical toys that are meant to be played with... and that look durable enough to survive the playtime.

Pampers Rewards (formerly called Gifts to Grow) offers toys and other things as rewards. Browsing the Pampers Rewards catalog is how Melissa & Doug Happy Giddy toys first came to my attention some years ago. Recently, I redeemed 2300 Pampers Rewards points for a Melissa & Doug Happy Giddy Bowling Set --- six pins and a bowling ball that come with a custom carryall bag, which should provide countless hours of fun (and skill building). Rated for ages 2-4 years. MSRP $19.99.

Melissa & Doug Happy Giddy Bowling Set

Hopefully, it gets here by the end of the month. I've got a "second birthday" party to attend. (If not, thankfully I have a backup plan.)

#Skywatchers Delight: #Eclipse, #Comet and #FullMoon Last Night #Astronomy #HomeSecurity #StarGazing #SnowMoon #TheGreatOutdoors

I love astronomy. I grew up in a rural area where one could actually see the stars amid the pitch darkness of the night sky away from city lights. I spent countless nights gazing at the sky, with naked eyes, binoculars and telescopes (bought and made), tracking the passages of stars, planets, comets and other space phenomena. It was good fun in the cow pastures and open fields of my childhood! As an adult, I still camp out for celestial events, though my equipment is a bit more advanced. Sometimes, my friends and I will have sky watching parties for big events when visible from our area.

Last night and earlier this morning showcased a triple event for skywatchers like me. At 7:43p Friday evening a "penumbral" eclipse of the moon occurred. (Not as good as a total eclipse ...of the heart... but still neat to witness.) Of necessity, of course, there was also a Full Moon, called the Snow Moon due to its occurrence in the heart of our Winter when there is a high likelihood of powder on the ground --- it was a bright white ball. Then about an hour ago, Comet 45P was visible in the early morning sky streaking through the constellation The Rock Hercules. Beautiful!

It's a brisk morning, and in spite of the thermos of hot cider and the cozy blankets that kept me alert overnight, I am now turning in for a power nap before getting up to seize the (remainder of the) day! I've got more repairs to do from where my property was vandalized by some ignorant punks two weeks ago. I'm still smouldering about it, but am soldering on. (I'm also configuring a state of the art home security system, but more on this later as I test, build and adjust it.)

Though it's starting off cold today, it'll be quite warm by this afternoon, and temps will be back up to 70 over the next few days. (Our Winter/Spring yo-yo weather continues.) Enjoy the weekend!

#Democracy at Work? Help Decide the New #Monopoly Player Tokens #BoardGames #TokenMadness #VoteMonopoly #PopularVote

It seems the folks behind the family board game Monopoly are looking to give it a makeover of sorts by updating and/or replacing the iconic player tokens with a brand new set. We, the people, can go to votemonopoly.com and voice our opinions on what little player tokens should be included in an upcoming new release of the popular board game.

Not certain how I feel about this, I know there are various themed Monopoly game versions with specialized player tokens that have been put out over the years, but apparently, this is tampering with the original, which was practically my favorite board game as a child. (I haven't checked the website as yet in order to verify all the actual details, I merely saw a blurb about this promotion on the local morning news.) I still haven't gotten over the previous game alterations.

Will the popular vote be honored? (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Seen #RogueOne? Not I Said the Spider to the Fly... #MovieLover #StarWars #Leia #IMAX #MoviePosters

No, I haven't seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. After the recycled disappointment that is The Forces Awakens, I was afraid to give it a go, though it's helmed by a different director. (I've stated previously that I was very upset at the fact that JJ Abrams got to ruin not one, but two of my favorite childhood Sci-Fi series/franchises, Star Trek and Star Wars. I am NOT an Abrams fan.) I've heard and read both good and bad reviews of Rogue One and have decided to wait for the home video release. I felt it wasn't worth a theater trek. That said, I will give the production crew credit for creating appropriate imagery that gives me the feel of Star Wars.

I may or may not like the film once I see it, but I'll accept all the toys that come along with its launch. Cool posters, radio and/or app controlled drones, costumes, and action figures galore! (I spent quite a few years of my childhood playing with the action figures from the original movies. I constructed my own playsets from the movies and often created new story lines. A male first cousin and I once tried to recreate the Darth Vader funeral pyre scene by placing a Vader action figure on a stack of twigs and setting it afire. Let's just say burned plastic smells horrible!) Advances in technology and toymaking techniques has meant that some of today's Star Wars toys are cooler versions of yesteryear's. While I haven't run out to buy anything, I have kept abreast of what is being manufactured, and I may acquire a few choice items in the future.

IMAX Exclusive Rogue One Mini Poster

I have, however, entered a contest or two for the chance to win this or that. No skill contests unfortunately, these are merely drop your name into the hat, random chance sort of thing. But I won one of the IMAX Exclusive Rogue One Mini Posters. Yeah, could have gotten one by attending an early IMAX showing of the film, but that's the catch. This way I get the poster without leaving the house or having to sit through a (potentially) bad movie. Works for me. FedEx where are you?

NOTE: Thank you, Carrie Fisher being a fearless woman, a natural wit and a tireless mental health advocate ---- and for bringing Princess Leia, one of my favorite movie characters, to life onscreen. Rest in Peace.