I'm number 2!

Just a little note to announce to the world that I'm hooking tomorrow (in the Gryphons' rugby match.) Get your minds out of the gutter.

Info about the game: http://www.phillygryphons.org/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=2062B2D8-E7B3-D73B-AA411BF4BBC7EA63

Directions: http://www.phillygryphons.org/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=45A66906-B094-45CD-EE0EA62C8689EC05

Quotes from Philly Wonka

Tsk, tsk, tsk, the Mayor of Chocolate City, Ray Nagin, insulted Philadelphia this weekend. Not one to shy away from putting his foot in his mouth, Nagin addressed a group of New Orleans residents and tried to motivate them with an unfair comparison with Philadelphia which was based on his experience during his visit earlier this month:

Let me tell you something. I want you to go to Philly, and you will appreciate how clean New Orleans is. Just go and walk around Philly a little bit. You will appreciate – am I lying? You will appreciate New Orleans. We still have work to do but we definitely beat them by a long shot.

After his infamous Chocolate City remarks, I would have expected Nagin to have more couth.

Frequently Flier Miles without Flying

ShopRite has partnered with Continental Airlines to offer PricePlus club customers a way to earn Continental Airlines OnePass miles.

All you have to do is enroll in the PricePlus club and provide your OnePass number, either in person or online at www.shoprite.com. If you’re already a PricePlus club member, stop at the courtesy counter for more details.

Then start shopping; accumulate purchases toward the $250 minimum to qualify for miles. For each $2 spent, you earn 1 mile. Miles will be credited to your OnePass account each month in 125 mile increments for each $250 spent in qualifying purchases.

This partnership was originally slated to end in 2005, but it has been extended to December 31, 2007. I assume that both ShopRite and Continental reevaluate the relationship often. So, start shopping.

I know that I won’t be spending $20,000 in food which would top off my miles (currently have 15,069), However at a rate of $60 a week for groceries, I could be earning over 1,000 additional miles during this year.

A moment for random humor

I'm trying to clean out my work e-mail and follow up on messages which I flagged as important in Microsoft Office. While doing all this dilligent work, I rediscover some of the best humorous e-mail that my friends and co-workers have shared.

To that end, I share with you: www.thingsmyboyfriendsays.com

The Boyfriend, E, had me at this touching moment:

While snuggling:
The Girlfriend: Who loves you?
E: Megatron.

I wish he had a brother.

If you really appreciate this humor, you can friend The Girlfriend at myspace: www.myspace.com/thingsmyboyfriendsays

There's a silver lining in every unfriendly sky

As I lament the lose of my elite status, I stumbled upon a new way to earn frequent flier miles - e-Miles.

According to the website, e-Miles Members can earn miles in minutes a day simply for time spent viewing and responding to marketing messages that are relevant to them. Members can earn miles on the following airlines: Continental, Delta, Northwest or US Airways.

I thought that I would focus on Continental with this program. Since of the 4 charter member airlines, I'm closest to a reward on Continental. E-Miles is a survey site that rewards your participation with miles. I love it.

Surveys run about a few minutes and paid out anywhere from 10 - 25 points, and every quarter e-Miles will add miles to your frequent flier account in 500 mile increments. It's pure bliss.

I might be flying in the back of the bus, but I'll be earning as many free flights as possible now.

The Sun has set on the Empire

I was going through my mail today, reviewing non-urgent letters that I haven't had the time to open before now. That's when I got the letter from United, announcing to arrival of my new Mileage Plus card.
I lost my silver status.

I didn't fly the required 25,000 miles last year to stay at the first level of elite status. In addition to losing access to Ecomony plus, I will eek out one Mileage Plus mile per mile flown. My "free" trip to Australia is looking farther and farther in the future since I only have 39,747 miles in my cache and the award amount for Ecomony to Australia is now 80,000. It sucks to lose the few perks that silver status afforded me.

Granted I have enough miles to get a domestic round trip, but United is the best pick for award travel to Australia. United is the only airline on which I could have the possibility to change planes once. Since United is the only US airline that has landing rights in Australia, I would only have to get to LAX or SFO from Philadelphia and both of those flights could direct on United or codeshared USAirways.

So I thought I'd review my frequent flier miles and see how many I have and what I could get or how far I am from getting something...

American, AAdvantage: 24,604. 396 points away from a trip to Alaska.
Continental, OnePass: 15,069. 9,931 points away from a domestic round trip ticket.
Delta, Sky Miles: 10,246. More than 14,000 points away from anything.

I have Marriott rewards, Amtrak, NWA, USAirways (though I only have 560 miles. I got the 500 for using the kiosks once. I don't know where the 60 came from) but I don't watch over them as vigilantly. For more information on ways to earn more miles or discover new means to earn frequently flier points, I recommend Smarter Travel.

My Heritage's My Celebrity Look-alikes, part II

Xander Harris? I never even watched Buffy. Though I always thought I looked more like Kelly Donovan.

My Heritage's My Celebrity Look-alikes, part I

I think that My Heritage is too kind to me. Not that I wouldn't take looking like Paul Walker or Clive Owen. I'm just saying...