I've been a milspouse long enough that we have the traveling routine down pat. This works for PCSing, and it works for the trips we take as a family. We've learned where we can cut corners without feeling deprived, and a few tricks to make things a little easier without spending a boat-load more money.
One way we do this is with Groupons. I love Groupons. I get them for where I live (and I currently have seven that I haven't yet used. All food), of course. In fact, I think I might be addicted to Groupons in a way that is completely and totally unacceptable. My mornings usually start this way:
- Wake up
- Check email via iPhone before getting out of bed.
- Check news headlines via iPhone before getting out of bed.
- Check MMA Junkie via iPhone
- Peruse Groupons via iPhone app prior to getting out of bed. Store credit card number in Groupon app in case there is Indian food featured. Text husband at work about various Groupons. Buy Groupons before husband can text back. Have husband threaten to send a child up to take away the iPhone if I don't "step away from the Groupons."
It's an addiction. I'll own it. I have it. I hope there's a Twelve Step Program for that.
In any case, when we decided to make a trip overseas with our children (for travel, not for PCS), I thought it would be an excellent idea to sign up for the Groupons of the city we were planning to visit. After all, food is significantly more expensive there, and we are a family of foodies. And Groupon has a distinct history of introducing us to some incredible places to eat with very little cost to us.
At first this went well. I noticed that the Groupons for our vacation city tended to be things like spa days or medical procedures rather than restaurants, but there were eateries in the mix as well. I haven't yet had a chance to buy a food Groupon for the area, however, because they tended to (a) expire quickly, and (b) still be pricier than our budget was hoping. I held up hope that my brain-storm would bear fruit in time for our trip, however,
I gave that hope up last night.
And please let's be fair to my ability to be happy and think positively - the event that ended my faith in the perfect travel Groupons would have shaken even PollyAnna to her ever-so-bright core.
Because it was last night when the area featured Groupon sent to me was for a Vajazzle session.
Now, I've rolled my eyes many a time at my Grandfather's statements that the world was going to Hell in a Handbasket. However, I will admit to some feelings of trepidation as to our collective future in the last few years. Things are harsh. This is not a Golden Age. If we are not in the middle of another Great Depression right now, I still think that there's an argument to be made that the 90s sure felt like we were repeating the Roaring Twenties (except for the hair. However much more fun things were then, I have no desire to revisit that hair).
Given this Groupon, I might rethink my position on the current state of affairs. Not only do we have the idea of a vajazzle session, we also have trained professionals to administer said vajazzle. And not only that, but we also have a Groupon for them.
Either things are far worse than we think, and we are vajazzling while Rome burns around us, or we're totally over-reacting because society is prosperous enough that the vajazzle even exists.
Whichever it is, I would really appreciate a Groupon for some Indian food.
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