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Okay, it’s great news! The highest national average was in July 2008, at $4.11 and now the national average is $2.10 per gallon.

I really, honestly swore that we were never going to see it drop below $3/gallon. I was convinced that since we were all going to be so used to paying that much, that the oil/gas companies weren’t going to let it drop. I mean, two whole dollars less over the course of less than six months?

Stupid thoughts (Or, things I think of as possibilities, but don’t necessarily hold any factual evidence):

1. Gas never needed to be that high in the first place. It was a scam. It was a ploy to get more of our money into the economy.
2. Automotive companies won’t need as much of (if any) bailout now, because they can go back to charging what they were for trucks and SUV’s.
3. People are going to continue to contribute to ruining the environment, now that gas is back down. Viva la Hummer! *eyeroll*
4. Americans aren’t going to learn a thing from this. Sure, there are hippies and frugalites abound, but for the most part, this country’s still going to keep wasting fossil fuels.
5. Uh, does this mean my home heating oil will get cheaper, too?

So yes, we know that the gas price drop is going to help us in the pockets (especially those of us who traded in gas hog vehicles for higher MPGs) but what does this really mean for the American economy? Everything else went up in cost because of the fuel costs, so now that they’re down, will everything else go back down too? Can we finally buy that box of Wheat Thins for less than two bucks?

Thoughts?

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CHICAGO, May 12 /PRNewswire/ — Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer, and whether aiming for a holiday weekend spent shopping in the big city, hiking the mountains or lounging on the beach, travelers have ample choices. Staying on budget is top-of-mind as summer approaches, and in response, CheapTickets.com is announcing their annual Summer Sale(1) and Memorial Day Cheapometer(SM) for 2008. A pricing guide that reviews where travelers can maximize their money, the Cheapometer suggests top alternatives to some of weekend’s most popular retreats, revealing savings upwards of 60 percent.

Offering $50-off qualifying flight + hotel packages of three or more nights using the promotional code SUNSALE50, CheapTickets’ Summer Sale allows for savings on top destinations such as Denver, Tucson and Chicago. Travelers must book by July 6, 2008 and travel through August 31, 2008.

“In the current economic climate, travelers are acutely aware of the bottom line for their summer travel plans,” said Heather Leisman, senior director of merchandising for CheapTickets. “While travelers will find good deals in many of these popular destinations, such as New York City, Los Angeles and Sedona, don’t discount some of these alternative picks that have similar appeal to their popular counterparts.”

Memorial Day 2008 Cheapometer:

CheapTickets focused on a range of popular travel regions — including big cities, mountain towns, Southwest hotspots and beach retreats. CheapTickets then identified top-notch alternatives offering significant savings this Memorial Day Weekend.

CheapTickets’ Top Alternatives for Memorial Day 2008

Destination \ Avg Daily Rate \ Alternative \ Avg Daily Rate \ Avg Savings

Sedona, AZ \ $208.64 \ Tucson, AZ \ $80.17 \ 62%
Jackson Hole, WY \ $164.94 \ Denver, CO \ $76.23 \ 52%
Los Angeles, CA \ $148.00 \ Orange County, CA \ $83.00 \ 45%
New York City \ $207.58 \ Chicago, IL \ $124.29 \ 40%
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico \ $116.32 \ Mazatlan, Mexico \ $69.24 \ 40%
Myrtle Beach, SC \ $154.61 \ Virginia Beach, VA \ $122.80 \ 20%

Top Memorial Day Alternatives:

For those flexible about their destination — but not their experience — CheapTickets’ top alternatives are a Memorial Day weekend must. Example packages (for travel May 23 – 26, 2008), utilizing CheapTickets’ Summer Sale, highlight the great summer deals to be had ($50 savings have been applied).(3):

Tucson, AZ – Late May is the perfect time to explore the Southwest. Prices have dropped for the season, but travelers can still beat the peak of summer’s heat. Tucson hotels are offering more than 60 percent savings compared to their Sedona counterparts, and the Tucson Pops are hosting a free Memorial Day concert as a beautiful tribute to servicemen past and present.

Fly from Seattle to Tucson and stay 3 nights at the 3-star Palo Verde Inn & Suites from $483 per person.

Denver, CO – For fresh mountain air, Memorial Day travelers should head to Denver, where prices are 52 percent less than in Jackson Hole, WY. At the 10th Annual Downtown Denver Arts Festival this Memorial Day weekend, travelers can enjoy a free peek at the works of Colorado’s best artists.

Fly from Chicago to Denver and stay 3 nights at the 3-star Red Lion Denver Central from $211 per person.

Orange County, CA – Hitting the best beach retreats can also be a hit to the wallet during summer months. However, hotel costs in California’s Orange County are 45 percent less than in Los Angeles. Newport Beach is hosting a Food & Wine Festival Memorial Day Weekend, and visitors can toast summer tasting a variety the world’s best wines, ports and cognacs.

Fly from Chicago to Orange County and stay 3 nights at the 4-star Costa Mesa Marriott from $497 per person.

Chicago, IL – For big city splendor without a big price tag, travelers should consider Chicago over New York, where they can find a 40 percent savings on hotel stays this Memorial Day. The Chicago Memorial Day Parade is a must — considered among the largest of its kind in the United States — featuring marching bands, drum and bugle corps and beyond.

Fly from Minneapolis to Chicago and stay 3 nights at the 3-star Allerton Hotel from $314 per person.

Mazatlan, Mexico – Heading south of the border for Memorial Day? Mazatlan is offering 40 percent savings compared to Puerto Vallarta, which makes for a convincing argument. Explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau declared the Sea of Cortes the “world’s aquarium,” and travelers can experience the region’s best during a sailing eco tour around Mazatlan’s islands.

Fly from Dallas to Mazatlan and stay 3 nights at the 3-star Las Flores Beach Resort from $656 per person.

Virginia Beach, VA – Families will find Virginia Beach offers a little bit of everything: beautiful beaches, countryside and discounts (20 percent hotel savings compared to Myrtle Beach, SC). Virginia Beach’s Pungo Strawberry Festival, held Memorial Day Weekend, features 50 different ways to eat summer’s sweet treat. Kids will delight in the pie eating competitions featuring, yes — strawberries.

Fly from New York City to Virginia Beach and stay 3 nights at the 4-star Cavalier Hotel- On the Hill from $436 per person.

For more information on CheapTickets’ Summer Sale, visit: http://www.cheaptickets.com/

Terms & Conditions:
(1) Book a qualifying flight + hotel vacation package between May 12,
2008 and July 6, 2008, for 3 nights for travel between May 12, 2008
and August 31, 2008, via CheapTickets and instantly receive $50 off
your purchase through the use of the promotion code. To display
qualifying vacation packages, click “I have a promotion code” and
enter the promotion code, then look for vacation packages marked with
the icon “COUPON.” Limit one discount per hotel room and one
promotion code per purchase. Discounts are not redeemable for cash
for any reason. Any attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law. Void where prohibited, taxed or
restricted. CheapTickets reserves the right to change or limit the
promotion in its sole discretion.
Promo code: SUNSALE50
(2) Percentage savings were calculated on 4/30/2008 by taking the average
price for all 3-star hotel bookings in the listed city purchased on
CheapTickets.com for travel over Memorial Day Weekend 2008 (arrivals
5/22-5/24) and comparing them with the average price for all 3-star
hotel bookings in the listed alternative destination purchased on
CheapTickets.com during the same time period.
(3) Sample rates shown were accurate and available on CheapTickets.com on
5/7/2008 on the dates specified and may not represent current prices
because our real-time pricing booking engine is constantly updating
prices and availability. Vacation package prices shown are for one
adult, based on double-occupancy, include applicable taxes and fees,
and will vary by selected day of departure, departure city, length of
stay, hotel selected, hotel room category, and availability. $50
promo code savings have been applied to package costs.

Source: CheapTickets.com

We’re in the process of getting all new windows and siding on our house!

Let me give a little background. This house was built in 1979, with 2-pane Andersen casement windows, and this MDF type “siding”. I’ll get to that in a minute, but plant this seed in your mind now: MDF SUCKS.

In fact, so do casement (crank-out, vertical) windows. The only air conditioner we could find for that type of window was made by Montgomery Ward, and was likely made in the mid-70s! We had to put up that pink insulation board stuff to fill in the rest of the huge window, and it was just awful looking (and nevermind so very NOT cost/energy efficient!)

The outside of the house has been looking pretty shabby for a number of years now. It’s been in dire need of stain, protection, new decorative cross boards, you name it. It was rotting out at the bottom (because MDF, if not completely sealed and re-sealed, absorbs water like a sponge) and just was so completely awful. I was getting worried about insects and pests being able to get in, but moreso that the siding was simply just going to fall off the side of the house.

Allow me to illustrate in photos:

Now, you may have gotten a glimpse of the new windows in there, but I’m going to save that for tomorrow’s post. Yep, I’m sneaky like that.

The thing here is that the outside of this house is clearly in dire need of some new siding and windows. You can’t deny it. And the best part of the whole project is that we WILL be saving on energy/heating costs, because the house is going to literally have another layer of insulation (behind the new siding) as well as the fact that it’s all going up OVER the MDF (after they clear away the really rotted stuff) so that too will help with insulation since it will be protected by the new siding.

We chose form-fitted insulation for the siding, as we didn’t want the air gaps between the siding and the insulation. Pardon the crude illustration, but here’s what I’m talking about (The insulation is grey, the house wall is the black block, and the siding, well, that’s the curvy lines. The air and moisture is the blue sprinkly dots. I’m such a great artist on the fly!)

So there you have the “before” photos. As of this writing, I’ve got all new windows, new siding, and the masons are putting up some cultured stone. No, this isn’t a “cheap” project by any means, but it’s so worth it. We’ve already had two people pull into the driveway to ask about the colors and everything, it’s really become an eye-catching home!

All you do is click on the samples you want, fill out a shipping form, and that’s that! They also ask that you review the product, and being that I’m just a pretty cool chick, I agreed to let them email me a survey about the products.

Make sure you refresh the page a couple times, because I noticed that you don’t see everything on the first shot (something they likely rely on) and the only way to get everything is to refresh the page.

I’m not sure when they update this, but I’m definitely adding it to my weekly “to do” list!

credit: xtopalopaquetl

The patches irritated my skin, and made my arm feel weird. It didn’t absorb my desire to actually smoke, though it did help curb the nicotine fits I thought I’d have had. But for me, it was seriously my need for the act of smoking a cigarette that needed help.

I broke down and went up to the store and bought cigarettes.

I think I need Chantix. I’m going to try to save my money up so I can get it.

I may try to use the patches again, and combine it with the attempt to cut back on alternate days or something, but alone, it’s just not working for me.