HEB sent me a coupon for a free steak, up to a $10 value. And as the steak aficionado that I am, I could hardly resist such an offer. The only catch is that you have to spend at least $25 at the store, and since I like HEB better than Kroger, it’s a great deal.
So I go to HEB with plans to spend between $25 and $30, get my steak, and get out of there. No big deal, right?
As I was walking through the store, I thought, “What shall I eat with my free steak?”
“Surely I need some mushrooms to sautee along with the steak. Oh and a potato, with cheese and butter and sour cream. And oh, a vegetable too. And some sauce to marinade it in so that I can bring out the flavor and tenderness. Ooh, this is going to be great.”
And then I checked out. And I spent $50. But I got free steak!
I constantly remind myself (by personal actions specifically) how easily swayed we are. I wouldn’t have spent that money without the coupon. Period. But I did because I was getting a “great” deal. It certainly brings to mind the importance of coupons and advertising in letting the public know that they really “need” something.
And by the way, my steak was great. So were the baked potato, mushrooms and green beans. They were all worth every penny!
Monthly Archives: December 2005
Yet Another Ending
As I sat down to watch a little TV before I headed out for the evening, I heard a dreaded sound–a sound frought with seriousness and danger. It was no more than a subtle pop, but I knew it was bad and I prayed that it wasn’t.
I started to recline the chair and I heard another pop. And nothing happened. And I knew the end was upon us.
Yes, after 21 years, my brown recliner (formerly it was my parents) had slipped into a non-recoverable coma…the vestiges of it’s existence would live on, but it’s functioning was over.
I pushed the chair over and examined its guts, whereupon learning that it had suffered a massive and non-repairable stroke. You see, a metal plate had snapped on its right side. The lean that I had lived with for so many years was now exacerbated to the point that it leans to the right by several inches. And it no longer reclines.
I will do my best to nurse it along over the next few months. To all who knew it and sat in its glory, please stop by, sit and pay your last respects to the chair.
Death
Wednesday marked the third funeral I’ve attended this year. Mrs. Maxcine Sanders died in her sleep on Thanksgiving. She was 63.
All three of the people that died were Christians. Every funeral was filled with unabashed proclamation of Jesus Christ followed by a confident assertion that we know where they are. We are sorrowful that they died, but we know they are now alive. The vestiges of humanity have been stripped…
But it makes me think: what is it like going to a funeral of an atheist? Hope? I doubt it. Peace? No way. Assurance? Not so much. What is the content of the funeral? Happy memories of their life and the realization of that they are gone. Forever.
What a sad way to live. And a sadder way to die.
Recent Web Projects
I haven’t posted about the sites / project that I have recently finished. But here are the highlights:
1) Two Twenty Four
Check this site soon because it will be disappearing before too long! Originally conceived as a boost for the Young Married Ministry at Champion Forest, this site is simple and thematic, using every day elements to help the ministry.
2) Aim Digital Media
This is my “official” work site, and it needed to be refreshed using standards-compliant XHTML / CSS. Bla bla bla.
3) Life to Years Coaching
A site for a small company in Dallas / Ft. Worth, this site was co-conceived with LEKS Creative in Dallas. Simple, nice, and simple.
4) Hello at In Your Element
Hello is a miniature Facebook and directory for the Student Ministry at Champion Forest. It’s a nice system to login and update your information (including pictures). I think this will be a great base for building more user-centric applications for the church.
5) Freedom Weekend – Element
The Freedom Weekend is Element’s yearly Disciple Now. This is a small Flash piece that I crafted entirely with ActionScript. The purpose of building this was to improve my knowledge of ActionScript, and I did. Oh yea, and I think it turned out well.