Time to Change

Early last month, my husband went to the tire service center to have our summer tires replaced with winter tires. The cold season was fast approaching then and it is here to stay for four more months. He went to the usual service center where he purchased the tires and asked the mechanic to have our tires changed. And the mechanic jokingly said that changing our tires is a lot of work. 

Why? Because we don't have spare tire rims, which means that with every tire change, the technicians will also need to remove the rims from each tire and replace it to the other tires, reinstall the sensors and all the other technical stuff that technicians do when replacing tires.They would also need to perform wheel balancing and alignment after putting the tires back.

We will definitely be needing a new set of tire rims in the summer. That way, our tires won't need to undergo stress from all the pulling when the rims need to be removed and the technicians will have an easier job at replacing them. Hubby wants premium alloy for the rims and I know just where to find them - on the Internet, of course!

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Duplicate and Distribute

Disaster struck us in the face last Sunday. We were about to leave for the Sunday mass. We wouldn't want to miss it because it was the second Sunday of Advent. We were already late and so we hurried out the door. Of all days, I forgot to ask my husband whether he has his keys before I closed the door. Our main door doesn't have a turnable knob on the outside so that when you get out, you won't be able to open it unless someone from the inside turns the knob and opens it. To make the story short, it meant that he left his keys. I usually bring my keys with me when I leave the house but coincidentally, I did not bring it along because I was thinking that my husband already had his keys with him.

With no keys and no one inside the house, we knew that it would be impossible to get inside unless we break in and damage the door, which would equate to hundreds of euros. We were already late and since we don't have any keys, we would need to take the train and by the time we arrive at the church, the mass would have already ended. So instead of going to church, we thought of what's best to do next. Good thing hubby did not forget his mobile phone inside the house so that we were able to ask our friends for help. They recommended that we call the Schlüsseldienst (Key Service), a company or individual who are licensed to "break into houses", with the homeowner as witness. It cost us a lot of money just so our door could be opened, and he did it only within minutes using a single spiral device. It was so easy but because we were desperate, we didn't really have any choice at that time.

So now I must make four more copies of our keys and leave them to our friends. So that when another incident like last Sunday happens again, (God forbid!), we wouldn't have to call the Schlüsseldienst again and just go to our friend's house to retrieve the keys. And yes, I wouldn't want to forget my keys in the house ever again because the cost is just too much!

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When Was the Last Time He Gave You Flowers?

Twelve years and four months ago today, a friendship blossomed into love. I can't believe it has been that long since I have known my husband. Every day, I discover something new in our relationship and grow to love and respect him more. 

But sometimes, if you are too comfortable with the relationship, you tend to forget to be sweet and thoughtful and you sometimes lose your romantic ways. However, the failure to be romantic does not necessarily mean that love is gone. Love is still there of course, but it has been put at the backseat to give way to other things like work and taking care of the children and raising a family. Many married couples go through that phase in their relationship and it is up to them to decide whether to rekindle the flame or continue where they are now.

A question then comes to mind. For those of you who have been married for a number of years now, do you remember the last time when he surprised you with a bouquet of flowers? Was it on your birthday? your anniversary, or two months ago? Do you remember if it were roses or tulips or sunflowers? 

If you do remember when and what kind, then consider yourself lucky because your husband still is the simpatico that you have known him to be. For those who don't recall, well you must be getting old or it could be that your husband is just not the type of person to do such things. When they fail to send you flowers, it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't love you or don't remember those special dates. It just means that they are not the type of persons who give flowers on just about every occasion.

As for me, the last time my husband gave me flowers was last year... and he only bought them because I told him to buy some roses because it was for a cause. Lol!

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Best Time to Shop

I have always considered myself a thrifty spender. Ever since I became an expat about four years ago, I have learned how to spend money well (or perhaps not). I always scour for shops that sell quality goods at a much lesser price. I ask around. I check the print ads, even the Internet. And if you are to ask me when is the best time to shop? I would immediately answer: the end of the year or better yet, Christmas!

It is during this time of the year where people are expected to spend more because of the gift giving season and so many stores offer lots of gift items at discounted prices. This makes it more attractive to Christmas shoppers especially if they see a price slash in the tag.

December is also the time when businesses perform their inventory and in preparation for the new stocks that will come in the next year, they usually hold clearance sales to empty their warehouses or stock rooms faster. Offering discounts as much as 70% is more than anyone can hope for right? 

We were planning to buy some carpets for our home when I chanced upon the newspaper ad that said Räumungsverkauf (Clearance Sale) and so we went last Saturday. It was a very big carpet warehouse that sells original, oriental handmade carpets from India. We actually got a couple of big carpets and some small floor rugs at a very good price and we went home smiling. No more cold floors in the living room then!

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