A Valued Business Relationship - NOT!

I got a check in the mail today, from a company (Company A) whose online catalog I have enjoyed browsing, and from whom I have happily ordered. It was a check for $8.25.
The explanation along with it was that they "valued our relationship" - and therefore had asked an unaffiliated company (Company B) to attempt to rip me off.
OK, that's not exactly the way they put it, but that's what it is.
If I were to cash the check without reading - or perhaps understanding - the information on the back of the page, doing so would enroll me as a member of said unaffiliated company B, for $15 a month for which they would debit my card on file with Company A. The fine print gives permission for Company A to "securely" transfer my information to Company B. And for Company B to debit my card monthly for the $14.99 or the then current rate (wild card!) unless I CALL them to cancel.
For this $160/year, I become eligible to receive 2% refund on all my credit card purchases up to $5,000. Cool - I can get $100 back, if I spend $5,000 on a credit card - if I pay $160 a year for the privelege??? I can do that math! Oh, and get this: it doesn't happen automatically. After a year of membership, you have to gather up all your credit card receipts and send them in. You have a full 90 days to do it. Then they have even more of your information. If you remember to send it in. If they are even still in business by then.

I think if Company A "valued our relationship" they would not have sic'd Company B on me.

Handling Cold Weather

With all this "global warming" going around, even people in Texas want to know how to stay warm. I wish I WERE in Texas. Cold here in Virginia constitutes sub-freezing weather.
Each winter before that happens, I let the fresh water tank get empty and drain the hot water heater. I use gallon jugs until I'm sure we've had the last hard freeze, because I hate fixing plumbing. Then I don't have to run the furnace when I'm not home, or asleep, just to keep the pipes warm. This makes my batteries last enough longer to be worth the aggravation.
When I have shore power, I preheat the bed with the electric blanket under the bottom sheet. 2 layers of feather comforter over top will keep you warm in most coldness. If it gets cold enough out I'll hook up the portable generator to do the electric blanket thing, but normally I wouldn't go to that much trouble because I wouldn't want to go out to turn it off. Hot water bottles work well for pre-heating cold beds, too.
Another winter comfort trick is, since the bathroom warms up the fastest and gets the warmest, I hang my pj's and tomorrow's clothes in the bathroom. I turn the heat on a bit before I get up in the morning, and by the time it's warm enough to get out of bed I have warm comfy clothes to put on.
While I seek shade in the summer, this time of year I look for sunny spots and try to park so my curb side faces south. Then I have solar heat through the big living room window.
I have a Mr. Heater for supplemental heat, which uses the one pound propane tanks. It's great for not using battery power, and for that "sitting by the fireplace" feeling. Someone tell me why Food Lion charges twice as much as Wal*Mart for those tanks??? I also have a little electric heater on board, but I rarely use it because so many places I plug in, it's too much for the incoming circuit.

I do not have any tricks to make cold stiff electric hookup cords cooperate, though.

Today's Yard Dec. 19th

It's STILL snowing. First the new-to-me van had mud. Now, snow. Why am I not far south???

Today's Yard 12/19/09

Snow. I'm at the home base and wondering why am I not in, like, South Texas. Of course, I know why: I'm addicted to paychecks. I'm just glad I don't need to drive in it. No working Christmas Week. I can stay put & stay warm.

Today's Yard, December 14 2009

Up by the Chamber of Commerce, the old train depot, overlooking Altavista, VA. This is the first warm sunny weather I've seen in a while.
I used to have a job in this town, working nights, and friends and I would walk in the mornings after work at the park in this picture.
Now I'm finished with today's work and headed to NC for tomorrow's. Holiday shopping's done. When this work week is over, I'll decorate the motorhome.