Wal*Mart Gift Card

Saturday, 28 June 2008

Finally I used the free Wal*Mart Gift Card this afternoon. I didn't ask the expiry date when I received it on the 31 May and I was beginning to worry. It was only a $5 card but it was still money. So I got myself (1) Hand and Body Lotion (2) Deep Cleansing Skin Cream. Including tax, the total amounted to $4.98! I was happy with the purchase.



How did I get the Wal*Mart gift card? I wanted to check if a 'scratch & win' flyer from a car dealer is genuine! It stated that if the number revealed, after the scratch, matches the winning numbers listed, we could claim the prizes without any obligations.

I told Michael I wanted to see if the car dealer is genuine about that statement. Michael didn't say anything. He said he would wait for me in the car and let me experience dealing with American businessmen. The car agent smiled when I told him I have come to test their flyer and claim my prize. He led me to the sales office, filled out a form and gave me the Wal*Mart card.

Panicking Seconds

Thursday, 26 June 2008

I thought I was going to die of suffocation! I wouldn't want to die this way!

Jimmy called that he needed to pick up the bee suit for a bees removal job. I thought I check in the bird van if the bee suit he last wore was still there and have it ready for him to collect.

I unlocked the sliding side door and climbed in. The door slammed shut behind me. I turned and pulled the handle but the side door remained shut. I couldn't open the back door as well.

It was middle of the afternoon and it was very uncomfortable and hot inside the van, having been parked under the summer sun since morning.

I had the car key with me but it couldn't open the doors from the inside. I had my cellphone with me. I could have call Jimmy or Michael and ask them for advice, but I didn’t. Michael was about 40 miles away and Jimmy was on his way here but didn't know how soon. I didn't know why I didn't call them.

The few seconds of panicking turned to the next few seconds of relief when I manage to open the door to the driver section.

What was going on with me this afternoon? I could neither open the door of the driver nor the passenger side! After starting the engine running, I tried the driver's door again and this time it opened!

Jimmy told me that I could open the back door from the inside. I tried the back door again. It opened when I pulled the handle!

Another incident of ignorance! When I told Michael that I might die that afternoon, he said he would buy the flowers!

Cracking Pecans

Saturday, 7 June 2008

I don't know how long it took us to crack all the pecans! We didn't have any kind of nut cracker so we used the only cracker we have - crab cracker. Mike cracked the shells while I struggled to take out the nuts!

The pecans were given by Aunt Onlee during our travel to Uncle Jim's funeral last month, collected from her own pecan tree in her backyard. We said we are going to retrieve all the nuts and freeze them but never got around doing it until this afternoon.




We ended up with majority of the nuts broken. But that don't matter at all because they are still edible.

Out of curiosity about pecans, I learnt from the Internet the following nutritional benefits of this particular nut:

(1) Pecans have more antioxidant capacity than walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, peanuts and cashews.

(2) Lowering total cholesterol by 11.3 percent and LDL cholesterol by 16.5 percent.

(3) Pecans may aid in weight loss and maintenance.
(4) The unsaturated fat in pecans is heart-healthy fat.
(5) Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals