Random Thoughts on a Monday Morning

• There is money well-spent and money poorly spent.  The goal is to have more of the 1st category, less of the 2nd.  We had a blast in Chicago for our #24 Anniversary weekend, but for all the $ I saved on the hotel and air, I wasted on renting a car. 
• Rented a car for 2 days @ $84.  The hotel parking fee was......get this.....$42 a DAY!!!! So....we rent a car to get from the airport to the hotel, pay $84 for parking fees, plus $84 on rental......all to have the car sit til we drive back to the airport.  GRRRRHHHHH (angry at myself..).....:)...$170 spent, plus $5 to the valet to park it.....when we could have taken a cab for a roundtrip total of $60.  Again....DUMB-MONEY spent...!!
• Money WELL-spent??  Taking a cab when your feet are bone-tired and you have 10 blocks to go.  Spending $ 50 more for a truly MEMORABLE meal than a bit less for something just above average.  There is a time to skinch pennies, and a time to relax and not be a penny pincher.  This weekend was the later....!
• Ralph Lauren's Restaurant Ralph Lauren Restaurant - RLRestaurant.com was the BEST we have been to!  Great food, great atmosphere, great service, great location.  We went up to the top of the John Hancock tower (96th floor) afterward and enjoyed a great evening together......fun times!
• Went for breakfast to a great little Italian cafe called Caffe Baci.  Cheap, great food, great coffee.  The couple next to us was loudly discussing religion.  It was quite interesting and I ALMOST jumped in, but Deb held me back! :)  Bottom line:  We as 'Christians' are all lumped in with the money scamming televangelists, the sign carrying fundamentalists,......The message of JESUS and WHO HE REALLY WAS is definitely being lost out there.  People can't see the Message because of the MESSENGERS.  More on that later, as it stirred me......
• The economy is without question in major recession.  Talking to the waiters in Chicago where we ate, they are WAY OFF on business.  Businesses arent doing major conventions, people are cutting back on eating out.  Also, our flight back to Pcola got cancelled and we had to take a much earlier flight.  Seems the airlines are cutting back the number of flights, packing the planes full, doing all they can to not go under (3 airlines declared bankrupcy last week).  I will be talking about "Facing Fear in your Finances" this Sunday.  A VERY "NOW" TOPIC FOR SURE!!
• I heard Harvest @ The Rave was great Sunday morning, good crowd, great worship, excellent message.  We had a big "WIN" with the 1st Sunday Front Door, with 14 new people showing up, with lively conversation.  We are doing all we can to help people connect.  Kudos to our Staff for coming up with that idea....way to go guys!! :)
• I am LOVING my IPhone, now that I am getting the hang of it!  Emailing myself notes is the best part.  I MAY even be cutting down on writing on my hand now.......wow......just typing that makes me start to feel withdrawals..... :)

Have an EXCELLENT week...~

pb

Comments

[Robert Pooley]

Stop writing on your hand? Nah, that's not going to happen.

[britt]

aw dad you cant stop the note on the hand thing! then ill be the only one left in the family who does it. as im writing this, my hand is full of notes and reminders haha..people make fun of me for it here :) they just dont realize how convenient it is to have it right there in front of you!

[cory]

We did the same thing our first time in L.A. Parking cost us around $30, drinks were $16 and a little cheese plate with a few crackers was $18. But it was a beautiful view, and time well spent just the two of us together.

[Jim Mather]

$42 for parking makes sense if they provide a space for a tent and don't mandate check in at the hotel. That is pretty outrageous. Who gets the money? The hotel/ The city??? Probably everyone takes $5 and splits it up.