Thursday, June 20, 2013

The sort of thing I fritter away time on.

When I logged on to pay my credit card balance, there was a notice that I could personalize my credit card. For free! I like free. Free works for me. Free and I are buddies. You could choose an image from their photo gallery or upload one of your own. But why in the world would I want to use someone else's photo? The notice said the company will make you a new card (free!) as often as every 60 days, so I didn't obsess about which photo to chose. I went with this Great Blue Heron I took while I was walking by the lake. Their editing program let me reverse the photo so that the bird's beak wouldn't be obscured by the writing. So now, no one in this world will have a card exactly like this one. And best of all? It was free.

41 comments:

  1. I don’t get the personalised credit card, but that’s just me. Credit cards are utilitarian and fit for one purpose only: to spend my hard-earned.

    I get the urge to save; I was poor not just once but twice, really poor, and can’t bear the thought of ever being hard-up again. Money is a wonderful cushion, although it can’t bring happiness (yeah, right, only a rich man would say that) but being miserable while nicely cushioned is easier that being miserable and poor.

    Hope your holiday plans work out, the world is your oyster.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same reason I wear clothing in colors and styles I like instead of potato sacks - both serve the purpose of covering my body, but one makes me happier when I look at it. WHy not see a photo that brings me joy every time I pull out my card?

      Delete
  2. I have traveled some recently ~ favorites were Barcelona and Buenos Aires! So much color, culture, art, architecture, and fantastic food. Not that Paris wasn't just amazing, but there was something about Spain (Barcelona was my favorite) ... maybe it was the Mediterranean, maybe the gelato, maybe the Gaudi, it just seemed to have something for everyone!

    More recently (last weekend) San Francisco. Also a great town! So much fun to investigate places to go and visit. I find that is half the fun, planning and anticipating :) Good luck and happy trails.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm leaning toward South America, because I've been to Central, but not South America. I'm up to five continents and want to at least hit the most accessible 6. I've been to parts of Europe (Switzerland, France, England & Wales, Greece), technically Asia (Turkey and whatever Saudi Arabia counts as), Africa (Tanzania) and Australia. Also West Indies/Caribbean and all ober the US and some Canada. I've yet to visit a place I haven't enjoyed.

      Delete
    2. I'm actually in a group that is trying to run a marathon or half-marathon on every continent. Great excuse to travel! I have two to go, and most recently ran in Antarctica. Now that was a trip of a lifetime :)

      Delete
  3. Hey, I have a credit card with Capital One as well but had no idea you could personalize your card.

    "For free! I like free. Free works for me. Free and I are buddies."

    Oh, meeeee too!

    And don't ya just love when something around the house breaks, and something else breaks and then something else breaks? I at one time had my DVD play, my alarm clock, and my computer all break at one time - OY!

    "I have $233 towards a big trip next summer. Not to mention 22,589 reward miles saved so far on my credit card."

    Faaaaaabulous! I can't wait to hear where go. And if you choose Italy, can I go with you?

    X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you do your account on line, check their site.

      I hate when things creak in waves like that. Most annoying!

      WHat about Patagonia? That appeals to me.

      Delete
  4. I like the idea of having a credit card unlike any other in the world :)
    I hope your grill issue is as easily resolved as your dishwasher issue. You've done fire, water...what's next? Maybe wind...something with the cooling system :) Not to borrow trouble or anything! Forget I said it!
    Looking forward to reading about your travels. Patagonia seems like it could be an extraordinary place to visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope not - I've had the AC replaced just a couple of years ago, so it should be in pretty good shape!

      The great thing is that there are no end of great places to visit, so I'm confidant that wherever I go, it's be a good trip.

      Delete
  5. that is pretty cool on the personalized card for free...and hey way to go on the vacay money....ugh on unexpected expenses though....i really need to do an overhaul on our grill...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The joys of home ownership - things break and you're the one who has to pay for it. But this one was pretty minor, fortunately.

      Delete
  6. thanks for NO butt crack repair guy pics.
    $99 sounds like a good deal for that. Spider/insect nests in the grill? Might try a shop vac on it.
    Suggest Slovenia and Croatia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I don't want to see that either!

      No problems I could see on the grill, but I'm not entirely sure I want to mess with it.

      Delete
  7. Perhaps spend a couple with the Guarani-Kaiowáeeks Tribe in the amazon? It is South America, and you'll come back with new recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Absolutely loved Panama. Mosquito free, water drinkable - thanks both to US influence, Canopy Tower an unbelievable place to breakfast in the canopy top amongst howler monkeys. The canal is stunning; watch a vast container ship being guided through while sipping a coffee. this isn't an ad - I did it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I sent a summer in Panama and have good memories of it, and also Costa Rica. .

      Delete
    2. We found not being able to speak Spanish very frustrating in South America, namely Cuba and Venezuela,because it was obvious we would have had an even better time. Patagonia sounds a very interesting option.

      Delete
  9. Deciding where to travel to is so much fun. Next week I plan to try to organise our next holiday (September hopefully) to Canada and a train across the Rockies. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Does India feature in those plans?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At the moment, no place features. I'll think about it when it's closer to next summer.

      Delete
  11. I would be heading to a villa with chef and pool in Italy, everything in South Africa including preserves, or South America. 0h and balize too :-)

    I love your vacation fund

    Love
    kj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure I won't have any trouble finding a good place.

      Delete
  12. LOL I get sucked into the same time of time takers!
    Oh but dreaming of Europe, never a waste of time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The funny thing is, I was really kidding. I don't let myself think about things until I'm ready to plan.

      Delete
  13. You are wise to avoid the Guarani peoples, not because of them, but because of Curupi, a legendary folkloric entity of the night.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's one awkward position the repair guy had to get into to fix your fault! They must curse the crazy manufacturers who make crucial parts so inaccessible!

    Have to say I've never felt the need to personalise my credit cards. It's only a bit of plastic for paying bills, after all.

    Yes, so many countries one could visit, and so little time. I must say I quite fancy visiting South America since I've never been there. Given the climate in Northern Ireland, I prefer to go somewhere hot!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was most perturbed by the fact that so much of my kitchen is black. He says it makes it hard to see.

      I am not asking any one else to follow suit - I did the photo on the credit card because it was a free bit of fun. "Need: had nothing to do with it.

      Delete
  15. Did he sign a release on that photo? Hahaha.

    Funny story on the credit card picture...my oldest got a new Discover Card and it has a photo of this really cool guitar on it.......except she never asked for a guitar (or any) picture. Now everytime she uses it, the cashier asks if she's in a band. And she's about the least musical person oin Earth. Irritates the crap out of her, but we find it amusing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made sure you couldn't really see his face in the reflection!

      WHen I got this computer, they assigned me a soccer ball as an icon. I hate sports! Fortunately, I was able to change it.

      Delete
  16. Often the dream is better than the event. It lasts longer, every piece of planning is exciting. We all need dreams, coloured by a personalized credit card maybe... :)

    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now me, I prefer the event - because then I've got memories rather than just fantasies.

      Delete
  17. I love free things too. I think its right up your alley with the photo. You have so many amazing photos and can change the card every 60 days. Sounds like fun to me.

    So is trip planning. I love the way you handle your vacation fund. Can't wait until it blooms and we see where you go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm looking forward to swapping the card out periodically. Maybe upload photos that fit the season.

      Delete
  18. Yeah, I like free too! It's a beautiful word and I love the new card! Now I'm wondering if my bank does the same thing. I like the color of my card right now, though.

    I'm glad the dishwasher is fixed now. I take mine for granted until it breaks down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's human nature to take things for granted until they ar broken or gone. So hard to remind yourself to appreciative in the now!

      Delete
  19. cheap is good, free is better. fun thing to play with. glad your dishwasher was cheap to fix. our car just gave us a gigantic ouch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mine, too - had to get four new tires put on that baby. Ugh.

      Delete
  20. Great photo of the blue heron!

    ReplyDelete