I believe this was a very lucky find on my part. I don't remember which Dollar Tree store I found the hat in. One annoying thing about the Dollar Tree chain is the inventory can vary from store to store. I remember this being true with a waiter's cork screw I searched for. You couldn't find one in the Laurel or Jessup, Maryland stores but, they had them at their South Lyon, Michigan store (I was visiting my Dad at the time).
The hat as far as I know, it does have a Peruvian design. A label on the hat says it's made in China. Annoyingly, I can't find a label saying what it's made out of. A true Peruvian (as far as I know) would be made out of baby alpaca or alpaca wool with baby alpaca being softer. I know this from when I did an absolutely awesome tour of the country years ago. I very much doubt the hat is made of alpaca wool though I can't prove that.
The hat does a good job of keeping my head warm and, it has flaps that come over my ears covering them as well. It had cords on the side that if need be, you could tie though you should't have to. The hat looks nice in my opinion.
Overall, I consider this hat to be a great find at whatever Dollar Tree I found it at. Sadly, I've been to 8 or 9 different Dollar Tree stores and, I only found this hat at 1 forgotten store. I wish this hat was more widely available as I think it's a really good deal for folks who want a good hat to keep their head warm during the winter. For a $1, it's an absolute steal. I give this product 2 big thumbs up! Stay warm all!
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Review of Dollar Tree's Battery Powered Tooth Brush
I saw one of these at Dollar Tree's Laurel, Maryland store and decided to try it. After all, it only costs a $1 so, if it turned out to be junk, no big deal.
I found out the tooth brush vibrates vice having the brush head swivel. I don't think that'll do as good a job cleaning your teeth vice if the brush head swiveled. I ran into a problem with the battery compartment. It kept coming out while I tried to brush my teeth with the brush causing it stop working. The last straw with this item was when bristles came out of the brush head while I was brushing. To me, this says the item is very poorly made.
Overall, I was very unimpressed with this item and definitely wouldn't recommend it. I give it 2 thumbs DOWN! The only consolation I can take is it cost me just a $1 which is very cheap in my opinion. In this case, I suspect I got what I paid for. Cheers all!
I found out the tooth brush vibrates vice having the brush head swivel. I don't think that'll do as good a job cleaning your teeth vice if the brush head swiveled. I ran into a problem with the battery compartment. It kept coming out while I tried to brush my teeth with the brush causing it stop working. The last straw with this item was when bristles came out of the brush head while I was brushing. To me, this says the item is very poorly made.
Overall, I was very unimpressed with this item and definitely wouldn't recommend it. I give it 2 thumbs DOWN! The only consolation I can take is it cost me just a $1 which is very cheap in my opinion. In this case, I suspect I got what I paid for. Cheers all!
Monday, January 02, 2017
Baltimore Washington International Airport Global Entry Interview Report
My apologies to my readers out there. I've been meaning to write this review for a while and just haven't gotten around to it till today. Hopefully, some of the information I'm going to post is still valid. It was October 2016 when I did the Global Entry interview with a U.S. Customs officer at Baltimore Washington International Airport. The main reason I'm posting this report on the interview is because when I was researching this, I found most of the posts on the interviews covered the New York City airports interviews. I don't remember seeing any for the Baltimore area so, I thought this would cover something that isn't as well known.
For those in the Baltimore, Maryland area, there are 2 airports you can fairly easily reach to do your Global Entry interview. They're Baltimore Washington International Airport and Dulles International Airport outside Washington D.C. Dulles from what I saw has more interview slots but, you have to travel farther to get to it. Also, you will have to pay for parking for your vehicle while doing the interview. I don't know how the parking rates stack up between the 2 airports.
Concerning how soon you can get in for your interview, from what I saw there is a considerable backlog of appointments. Back in October, Baltimore Washington International Airport was already scheduling interviews for February! You can check on the website for unexpected openings which happen sometimes or you can do a walk in like at other airports BUT, they warn you outside the interview office that walk ins are done on a case by case basis i.e. there's no guarantee they'll see you. In my case as well as another lady I met during this experience, we figured trying to do a walk in was worth the gamble. I had a November transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean and, I'd read I could use Global Entry at the cruise ship terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida so, I wanted to get my application approved before I went on my cruise (see my blog post about the cruise itself). The lady I met had the bad luck of having her tour changed to where the day she was scheduled for her interview was the day she was going to return from her tour.
Office time for the interviews state Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday to Saturday 1 to 6 p.m. The sign on the door of the interview room said interviews started at 1:15 on all days and, the officers that did the interviews did arrive at 1:15 the day I did mine. To reach the office where the interviews are held, you go to the "E" terminal (International Arrivals), look for the door marked E1716 (I believe it had a Department of Homeland Security seal on it), go down to the first hallway on the right, go down that hallway and, it's the first door on the left. The door number is E1709 and, there's a sign by it stating the hours interviews are given.
The interview itself is very short - no more than 10 minutes. They ask you questions like where do you live, why are you applying for the program, do you have a criminal record - all things you would've informed them of in your application. The officers were very no nonsense. The lady I mentioned and I chatted a little bit in the room and, one of the officers didn't hesitate to tell us to shut up or take it outside the room. We promptly shut up as we wanted to do the interview and get approved. The officer will tell you if your application is approved on the spot. If it is, they take your finger prints and a picture. They let you know when you can expect to receive an email saying you were approved with your trusted traveler number and when you'll get your Global Entry card (I got mine within a week of the interview) and to not lose it.
Overall, I found the interview process pretty painless barring the fact there is a long backlog as far as appointments. If you won't need the Global Entry for a while, you can wait for your scheduled appointment otherwise, you might want to take a gamble on being a walk in like I did. I was delighted I was approved and, I did use it sort of during my cruise. When I went through TSA security for my Baltimore flight, the TSA pre-check section was closed. I mentioned I had Global Entry and, it showed on my airplane ticket (make sure you give the airline your trusted traveler number so they'll automatically give you TSA pre-check) so, I got to do a semi TSA pre-check i.e. I didn't have to take off my shoes or belt BUT, I did have to pull my laptop out and, they told me to take my mobile printer out next time. At the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal I arrived at, they didn't have the kiosks for you to enter your Global Entry information however, the Customs line was so short, it didn't matter. Flying back from Miami, the TSA pre-check line was open which made security an absolute breeze. While I may not have gotten to use my Global Entry much so far, it is good for 5 years and, I'm certain I'll get to use it in the future (India November 2018). I do feel this program is worth it and would absolutely recommend it to any person in the United States of America who travels a good bit (at least 2 or 3 times a year). Happy travels all!
For those in the Baltimore, Maryland area, there are 2 airports you can fairly easily reach to do your Global Entry interview. They're Baltimore Washington International Airport and Dulles International Airport outside Washington D.C. Dulles from what I saw has more interview slots but, you have to travel farther to get to it. Also, you will have to pay for parking for your vehicle while doing the interview. I don't know how the parking rates stack up between the 2 airports.
Concerning how soon you can get in for your interview, from what I saw there is a considerable backlog of appointments. Back in October, Baltimore Washington International Airport was already scheduling interviews for February! You can check on the website for unexpected openings which happen sometimes or you can do a walk in like at other airports BUT, they warn you outside the interview office that walk ins are done on a case by case basis i.e. there's no guarantee they'll see you. In my case as well as another lady I met during this experience, we figured trying to do a walk in was worth the gamble. I had a November transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean and, I'd read I could use Global Entry at the cruise ship terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida so, I wanted to get my application approved before I went on my cruise (see my blog post about the cruise itself). The lady I met had the bad luck of having her tour changed to where the day she was scheduled for her interview was the day she was going to return from her tour.
Office time for the interviews state Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday to Saturday 1 to 6 p.m. The sign on the door of the interview room said interviews started at 1:15 on all days and, the officers that did the interviews did arrive at 1:15 the day I did mine. To reach the office where the interviews are held, you go to the "E" terminal (International Arrivals), look for the door marked E1716 (I believe it had a Department of Homeland Security seal on it), go down to the first hallway on the right, go down that hallway and, it's the first door on the left. The door number is E1709 and, there's a sign by it stating the hours interviews are given.
The interview itself is very short - no more than 10 minutes. They ask you questions like where do you live, why are you applying for the program, do you have a criminal record - all things you would've informed them of in your application. The officers were very no nonsense. The lady I mentioned and I chatted a little bit in the room and, one of the officers didn't hesitate to tell us to shut up or take it outside the room. We promptly shut up as we wanted to do the interview and get approved. The officer will tell you if your application is approved on the spot. If it is, they take your finger prints and a picture. They let you know when you can expect to receive an email saying you were approved with your trusted traveler number and when you'll get your Global Entry card (I got mine within a week of the interview) and to not lose it.
Overall, I found the interview process pretty painless barring the fact there is a long backlog as far as appointments. If you won't need the Global Entry for a while, you can wait for your scheduled appointment otherwise, you might want to take a gamble on being a walk in like I did. I was delighted I was approved and, I did use it sort of during my cruise. When I went through TSA security for my Baltimore flight, the TSA pre-check section was closed. I mentioned I had Global Entry and, it showed on my airplane ticket (make sure you give the airline your trusted traveler number so they'll automatically give you TSA pre-check) so, I got to do a semi TSA pre-check i.e. I didn't have to take off my shoes or belt BUT, I did have to pull my laptop out and, they told me to take my mobile printer out next time. At the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship terminal I arrived at, they didn't have the kiosks for you to enter your Global Entry information however, the Customs line was so short, it didn't matter. Flying back from Miami, the TSA pre-check line was open which made security an absolute breeze. While I may not have gotten to use my Global Entry much so far, it is good for 5 years and, I'm certain I'll get to use it in the future (India November 2018). I do feel this program is worth it and would absolutely recommend it to any person in the United States of America who travels a good bit (at least 2 or 3 times a year). Happy travels all!
Dollar Tree Four Pack Paring Knife Set Review
One product that Dollar Tree sells that I've been very pleased with is their Four Pack Color Paring Knife Set which they sell for $1. The stainless steel 5.9 inch knives are made by Royal Norfolk Cutlery in China. The blade part of the knives is approximately 2 inches long with the rest being a plastic handle that you may find in black or blue (like the set I bought). Royal Norfolk puts a really good edge on these knives so, they do a fine job of cutting. Being stainless steel, I don't know if you'd be able to sharpen these knives if they get dull. The only thing I can knock about this product is the fact they come in sets of 4. How many paring knives do you think you're going to need? More so since from using the knives, these knives seem to hold up. I've been using one for over a year and, it's still going strong so, the other 3 sit in storage.
Overall, I give this product a thumbs up. These are good knives at a great price. The only problem any of my readers may encounter is that not all Dollar Tree stores may carry them. Each stores inventory can vary as I've seen from personal experience. Still, if you seen them, you might want to pick up a pack of them. For a $1, they're a great deal. Happy shopping all!
Overall, I give this product a thumbs up. These are good knives at a great price. The only problem any of my readers may encounter is that not all Dollar Tree stores may carry them. Each stores inventory can vary as I've seen from personal experience. Still, if you seen them, you might want to pick up a pack of them. For a $1, they're a great deal. Happy shopping all!
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Maryland Lottery 100X The Cash Scratch Off Review
The Maryland Lottery has come out with a new scratch off game called 100X The Cash. The game was launched November 28, 2016. From what I can tell, the game has been offered in other states and, I wonder if that's where they got the idea from. It has to be challenging trying to come up with new games all the time to keep player's interest.
The game offers a $1,000,000 prize (paid over 20 years) and costs $20 (standard for $1,000,000 prize games). The game's overall odds of winning are 1 in 2.94 (Reference: the ticket I bought with my own money) which is normal for $1,000,000 prize games. Barring the instant win multipliers which I'll explain in this review further down, you try to match 1 or more of the 5 winning numbers at the top of the ticket (standard). Losing tickets do qualify for Maryland Lottery reward points (all the new games do as far as I know).
The game is noteworthy in 2 respects. First, it offers SIX $1,000,000 prizes vice the normal 3 though keep in mind there are going to be a lot more tickets for this game to make up for the increase in prizes. The game webpage (look for game 301 under $20 game scratch offs on the Maryland Lottery website: www.mdlottery.com) shows there are over 400,000 $20 prizes which proves this point.
The other noteworthy thing about this game is all the instant winners it offers. The game offers FIVE instant multiplier winners. The norm is 1 though sometimes you'll have 2. Also, ALL the instant winners are multipliers. What that means is that it multiplies the win amount example: you hit a 5X instant win multiplier and you have $20 underneath it, this means you've actually won $100 (5 times $20)! The instant win multiplier gets more impressive because this highest instant win multiplier is it's name sake i.e. 100X or 100 TIMES whatever the prize is. Looking at the prizes the game offers (ranges from $20 to $1,000,000), the minimum prize you'll win with the 100X symbol is $5,000 ($50 times 100) and, you could win $1,000,000 with this symbol ($10,000 times 100). The instant win multipliers are as follows:
5X (5 times the prize)
10X (10 times the prize)
20X (20 times the prize)
50X (50 times the prize)
100X (100 times the prize)
I bought 1 ticket with my own money so, I could write this review. I found the game nice (ok, whatever, I may becoming a bit jaded as I've played so many). I suspect the odds of hitting the $1,000,000 prize are in line with Maryland Lottery's other $1,000,000 games though I can't prove this as I haven't tried to compare the numbers. This game will run longer than their other games due to the increase in the top prizes (makes sense). For now, the game will be widely available due to the number of tickets out. I think those that like scratch off games (I do) will like this game as much as others. The numerous instant win multipliers does give little more excitement if you hit one because the prizes will be so much bigger (minimum $100 based on a $20 prize times 5). Please do remember to play responsibly and that the overall odds I stated (Reference: came from the ticket I bought) are the OVERALL odds. You can do better and you can do worse. Good luck!
Disclaimer: All opinions stated in this review are my own and are not in any way associated with the Maryland Lottery which I have no association with. The ticket I used as a reference for this review was bought with my OWN money. I haven't received any compensation from the Maryland Lottery for writing this review. I've tried to be factual in this review. If you discover an error in it, please leave a comment for me to review so, I can post a correction. My other source is the Maryland Lottery website: www.mdlottery.com.
The game offers a $1,000,000 prize (paid over 20 years) and costs $20 (standard for $1,000,000 prize games). The game's overall odds of winning are 1 in 2.94 (Reference: the ticket I bought with my own money) which is normal for $1,000,000 prize games. Barring the instant win multipliers which I'll explain in this review further down, you try to match 1 or more of the 5 winning numbers at the top of the ticket (standard). Losing tickets do qualify for Maryland Lottery reward points (all the new games do as far as I know).
The game is noteworthy in 2 respects. First, it offers SIX $1,000,000 prizes vice the normal 3 though keep in mind there are going to be a lot more tickets for this game to make up for the increase in prizes. The game webpage (look for game 301 under $20 game scratch offs on the Maryland Lottery website: www.mdlottery.com) shows there are over 400,000 $20 prizes which proves this point.
The other noteworthy thing about this game is all the instant winners it offers. The game offers FIVE instant multiplier winners. The norm is 1 though sometimes you'll have 2. Also, ALL the instant winners are multipliers. What that means is that it multiplies the win amount example: you hit a 5X instant win multiplier and you have $20 underneath it, this means you've actually won $100 (5 times $20)! The instant win multiplier gets more impressive because this highest instant win multiplier is it's name sake i.e. 100X or 100 TIMES whatever the prize is. Looking at the prizes the game offers (ranges from $20 to $1,000,000), the minimum prize you'll win with the 100X symbol is $5,000 ($50 times 100) and, you could win $1,000,000 with this symbol ($10,000 times 100). The instant win multipliers are as follows:
5X (5 times the prize)
10X (10 times the prize)
20X (20 times the prize)
50X (50 times the prize)
100X (100 times the prize)
I bought 1 ticket with my own money so, I could write this review. I found the game nice (ok, whatever, I may becoming a bit jaded as I've played so many). I suspect the odds of hitting the $1,000,000 prize are in line with Maryland Lottery's other $1,000,000 games though I can't prove this as I haven't tried to compare the numbers. This game will run longer than their other games due to the increase in the top prizes (makes sense). For now, the game will be widely available due to the number of tickets out. I think those that like scratch off games (I do) will like this game as much as others. The numerous instant win multipliers does give little more excitement if you hit one because the prizes will be so much bigger (minimum $100 based on a $20 prize times 5). Please do remember to play responsibly and that the overall odds I stated (Reference: came from the ticket I bought) are the OVERALL odds. You can do better and you can do worse. Good luck!
Disclaimer: All opinions stated in this review are my own and are not in any way associated with the Maryland Lottery which I have no association with. The ticket I used as a reference for this review was bought with my OWN money. I haven't received any compensation from the Maryland Lottery for writing this review. I've tried to be factual in this review. If you discover an error in it, please leave a comment for me to review so, I can post a correction. My other source is the Maryland Lottery website: www.mdlottery.com.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
November 2016 Independence of the Seas Cruise Review
I know I haven't been blogging much and, I tried to think of something I could do a nice quick blog entry about. The thing that comes to mind immediately is my recent cruise on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. The cruise was interesting in a number of ways. The cruise started in Southampton, England BUT, I joined the cruise at Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This was intentional i.e. I didn't miss the boat. If a cruise is open ended i.e. starts in one port and finishes in another, you can join the cruise at a later port as long as you get approval from Royal Caribbean's security at their headquarters. When the time comes, presumably, they'll notify the ship of your plans so, they know where to expect you. This was the second time I've done this. The first was on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The cruise started in San Diego, California, United States of America (U.S.A.) but, to make my then boss happy, I joined it at Cabo San Lucas to keep down the number of days off I needed.
Another interesting thing about the cruise was the itinerary. I know some people like days at sea. I don't even though I know the ship tries to have lots of things for people to do. In this case, once the ship set sail out of Southampton, it would sail non-stop for over 8 days to St. Maarten. Once it made St. Maarten, I felt it became an excellent cruise with additional stops at St. Kitts, St. Thomas, San Juan and Labadee, Haiti with 1 day at sea before pulling into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A.
For me, the main reason I did the cruise was for the cruise points though I did like the itinerary once the ship made port in St. Maarten. If you join a cruise late, you'll still get all the cruise points for the cruise you would've gotten otherwise. What that means for me is that I got 15 cruise points for it being a 15 night cruise even though I was only on the ship 6 nights AND, I got another 15 cruise points as I always cruise solo i.e. I always pay double for my cabin (I don't care for the solo cruiser cabins). This means, I can advance faster in Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program the Crown & Anchor. I'm Diamond Plus thanks to a Baltic cruise I did with them last summer and now, I'm shooting for the ultimate - Pinnacle. At it requires 700 nights, even with me getting double cruise points, it's going to take a while to reach it.
The cruise itself had a number of mishaps from beginning to end which took away from the experience for me. Royal Caribbean normally does a better job in my opinion. I don't know why there were so many mis-steps. The first was when I arrived at the Dr. Mathey Cruise Ship Terminal. As I previously mentioned, I'd had approval to join the ship in St. Maarten months before and, they should've known I was going to be arriving that day. Yet, when I checked in that the cruise ship terminal, I wasn't on the list to proceed to the ship. St. Maarten security had to send someone to the ship to confirm I was supposed to be admitted. I waited for at least 20 minutes wondering if I was going to get on a ship I had a paid reservation for.
When I got to the Independence of the Seas, Andrew Evans from Guest Relations met me, subsequently took me on board and did my in-processing. It should've been a normal cruise at that point but, it wasn't. I was supposed to get my 2nd crystal block but someone forgot to tell the Loyalty representative I was supposed to get one. I had to see her to get this straightened out. I was supposed to get a $200 shipboard credit but, I wasn't able to get this fixed until the very day I was supposed to leave the ship! The Voom WiFi Royal Caribbean raves about crashed though they did give me a refund for the days it was down. I was supposed to get luggage tags for my bags but, someone forgot to put me on the departure list so, I had to ask my cabin steward for them. People were sent to the Alhambra Theater to wait till their number was called to leave the ship but, the announcements didn't come over the theater speaker system. I was supposed to leave the ship at 7:15 but, they fell 30 minutes behind. They had 500 people going to Miami International Airport but, they were only able to board 3 buses at a time and got behind because of number of people in wheel chairs didn't tell them they were going to be in wheel chairs (that was the excuse they gave).
There were some good points to the cruise. I got to do the scenic train ride in St. Kitts which was pretty cool barring some unexplained technical difficulties which delayed the train. I did the jet boat ride in St. Thomas which was really fun, interesting and did wonders for cooling you off (you will get wet!). It was 103F when we made port at Crown Bay. I got to visit the only tropical rain forest in the U.S.A.'s National Park System, the El Yunque National Park. The La Coca falls were very pretty. Lastly, I got to do a scenic cruise out of Labadee where I learned more about Haiti and some some stunning scenery. Sadly, thanks to the first medical emergency I've ever heard happening on a cruise I've been on (someone supposedly had a heart attack and we had to turn around and return to San Juan to send them on their way to the hospital), we arrived late to Labadee though Captain Iv Vidos did his best to make up the lost time. Also, thanks to the loyalty representative, I was able to do 2 behind the scenes tours Diamond Plus and Pinnacle are allowed to do for free. I particularly enjoyed the bridge tour and have a neat picture of myself with an officer's hat in a command chair on the bridge presumably making sure the ship sailed smoothly and safely to Ft. Lauderdale.
I accomplished what I wanted to do on the cruise but, I wasn't very pleased with Royal Caribbean. I can't wait to give them feedback on it. Incredibly, I'll be doing the same cruise on the same ship at the same time next year. Hopefully, it'll go smoother next time. We'll see. Happy travels all!
Another interesting thing about the cruise was the itinerary. I know some people like days at sea. I don't even though I know the ship tries to have lots of things for people to do. In this case, once the ship set sail out of Southampton, it would sail non-stop for over 8 days to St. Maarten. Once it made St. Maarten, I felt it became an excellent cruise with additional stops at St. Kitts, St. Thomas, San Juan and Labadee, Haiti with 1 day at sea before pulling into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A.
For me, the main reason I did the cruise was for the cruise points though I did like the itinerary once the ship made port in St. Maarten. If you join a cruise late, you'll still get all the cruise points for the cruise you would've gotten otherwise. What that means for me is that I got 15 cruise points for it being a 15 night cruise even though I was only on the ship 6 nights AND, I got another 15 cruise points as I always cruise solo i.e. I always pay double for my cabin (I don't care for the solo cruiser cabins). This means, I can advance faster in Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program the Crown & Anchor. I'm Diamond Plus thanks to a Baltic cruise I did with them last summer and now, I'm shooting for the ultimate - Pinnacle. At it requires 700 nights, even with me getting double cruise points, it's going to take a while to reach it.
The cruise itself had a number of mishaps from beginning to end which took away from the experience for me. Royal Caribbean normally does a better job in my opinion. I don't know why there were so many mis-steps. The first was when I arrived at the Dr. Mathey Cruise Ship Terminal. As I previously mentioned, I'd had approval to join the ship in St. Maarten months before and, they should've known I was going to be arriving that day. Yet, when I checked in that the cruise ship terminal, I wasn't on the list to proceed to the ship. St. Maarten security had to send someone to the ship to confirm I was supposed to be admitted. I waited for at least 20 minutes wondering if I was going to get on a ship I had a paid reservation for.
When I got to the Independence of the Seas, Andrew Evans from Guest Relations met me, subsequently took me on board and did my in-processing. It should've been a normal cruise at that point but, it wasn't. I was supposed to get my 2nd crystal block but someone forgot to tell the Loyalty representative I was supposed to get one. I had to see her to get this straightened out. I was supposed to get a $200 shipboard credit but, I wasn't able to get this fixed until the very day I was supposed to leave the ship! The Voom WiFi Royal Caribbean raves about crashed though they did give me a refund for the days it was down. I was supposed to get luggage tags for my bags but, someone forgot to put me on the departure list so, I had to ask my cabin steward for them. People were sent to the Alhambra Theater to wait till their number was called to leave the ship but, the announcements didn't come over the theater speaker system. I was supposed to leave the ship at 7:15 but, they fell 30 minutes behind. They had 500 people going to Miami International Airport but, they were only able to board 3 buses at a time and got behind because of number of people in wheel chairs didn't tell them they were going to be in wheel chairs (that was the excuse they gave).
There were some good points to the cruise. I got to do the scenic train ride in St. Kitts which was pretty cool barring some unexplained technical difficulties which delayed the train. I did the jet boat ride in St. Thomas which was really fun, interesting and did wonders for cooling you off (you will get wet!). It was 103F when we made port at Crown Bay. I got to visit the only tropical rain forest in the U.S.A.'s National Park System, the El Yunque National Park. The La Coca falls were very pretty. Lastly, I got to do a scenic cruise out of Labadee where I learned more about Haiti and some some stunning scenery. Sadly, thanks to the first medical emergency I've ever heard happening on a cruise I've been on (someone supposedly had a heart attack and we had to turn around and return to San Juan to send them on their way to the hospital), we arrived late to Labadee though Captain Iv Vidos did his best to make up the lost time. Also, thanks to the loyalty representative, I was able to do 2 behind the scenes tours Diamond Plus and Pinnacle are allowed to do for free. I particularly enjoyed the bridge tour and have a neat picture of myself with an officer's hat in a command chair on the bridge presumably making sure the ship sailed smoothly and safely to Ft. Lauderdale.
I accomplished what I wanted to do on the cruise but, I wasn't very pleased with Royal Caribbean. I can't wait to give them feedback on it. Incredibly, I'll be doing the same cruise on the same ship at the same time next year. Hopefully, it'll go smoother next time. We'll see. Happy travels all!
Wednesday, October 05, 2016
Review of Maryland Lottery's $1,000,000 Platinum Play Scratch Off
The latest $1,000,000 prize scratch off lottery game that the Maryland Lottery has come out with is the $1,000,000 Platinum Play game. The game has been out since August 22, 2016. Surprisingly, none of the $1,000,000 or $50,000 prizes have been claimed as of the time of this post.
The game features prizes of $1,000,000, $50,000, $10,000, $5,000, $1,000 and lesser amounts down to $20. One difference in this game vice previous $1,000,000 game scratch offs is that the Maryland Lottery is offering four $1,000,000 vice the normal three such prizes. Also, there are nine $50,000 prizes though I don't know what the norm is for that. I suspect the Maryland Lottery will issue more tickets in this game to make up for the increased number of $1,000,000 prizes. I saw on the game's webpage that there will still over 250,000 $20 winners alone still out there.
Like all $1,000,000 scratch off games, the tickets cost $20. Overall odds of winning according the 2 tickets I bought with my own money are 1 in 2.94. Please remember those are the OVERALL odds i.e. you can do better and you can do worse.
Another noteworthy thing about the game is the Maryland Lottery doesn't mention on the FRONT of the ticket that the game has an instant win feature which is common enough with their scratch offs. If a star symbol pops up on the ticket, you win that prize automatically. Otherwise, you try to match 1 to 5 of the 5 numbers you get at the top of the ticket. The game states you have 30 chances to win though the number that really matters is the overall odds ration i.e. 1 in 2.94 which is normal for the $1,000,000 prize games.
Like all the recent games, losing tickets do qualify for Lottery Rewards points. There isn't any second chance drawing in this game for those who like that feature.
Overall, I found the $1,000,000 Platinum Play a decent enough game though I didn't find anything that makes it particularly noteworthy barring the fact the Maryland Lottery is offering four $1,000,000 prizes this time. I do wonder if this will be the new norm for all their $1,000,000 prize games. Time will tell. Best of luck to all players out there and please do remember to play responsibly.
One final comment: all opinions in this review are my own and aren't in any way reflective of the Maryland Lottery i.e. they didn't have anything to do with this game review. I bought the 2 tickets I played with my money i.e. I didn't receive any kind of compensation from the Maryland Lottery and, I never will. Any statistics that I stated for this game came either from the tickets I bought or from the game webpage on the Maryland Lottery website.
The game features prizes of $1,000,000, $50,000, $10,000, $5,000, $1,000 and lesser amounts down to $20. One difference in this game vice previous $1,000,000 game scratch offs is that the Maryland Lottery is offering four $1,000,000 vice the normal three such prizes. Also, there are nine $50,000 prizes though I don't know what the norm is for that. I suspect the Maryland Lottery will issue more tickets in this game to make up for the increased number of $1,000,000 prizes. I saw on the game's webpage that there will still over 250,000 $20 winners alone still out there.
Like all $1,000,000 scratch off games, the tickets cost $20. Overall odds of winning according the 2 tickets I bought with my own money are 1 in 2.94. Please remember those are the OVERALL odds i.e. you can do better and you can do worse.
Another noteworthy thing about the game is the Maryland Lottery doesn't mention on the FRONT of the ticket that the game has an instant win feature which is common enough with their scratch offs. If a star symbol pops up on the ticket, you win that prize automatically. Otherwise, you try to match 1 to 5 of the 5 numbers you get at the top of the ticket. The game states you have 30 chances to win though the number that really matters is the overall odds ration i.e. 1 in 2.94 which is normal for the $1,000,000 prize games.
Like all the recent games, losing tickets do qualify for Lottery Rewards points. There isn't any second chance drawing in this game for those who like that feature.
Overall, I found the $1,000,000 Platinum Play a decent enough game though I didn't find anything that makes it particularly noteworthy barring the fact the Maryland Lottery is offering four $1,000,000 prizes this time. I do wonder if this will be the new norm for all their $1,000,000 prize games. Time will tell. Best of luck to all players out there and please do remember to play responsibly.
One final comment: all opinions in this review are my own and aren't in any way reflective of the Maryland Lottery i.e. they didn't have anything to do with this game review. I bought the 2 tickets I played with my money i.e. I didn't receive any kind of compensation from the Maryland Lottery and, I never will. Any statistics that I stated for this game came either from the tickets I bought or from the game webpage on the Maryland Lottery website.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Jot Brush Pens Product Review
While checking out the Dollar Tree store at 2653 Annapolis Rd in Hanover, Maryland (not the one close to Arundel Mills Mall), I came upon some Jot Brush Pens. As I'd never heard of a "brush pen" before and, they're only a $1 like everything at Dollar Tree, I decided to buy a pack of them and try them out.
The pens come in 4 colors - blue, green, red and yellow. They do look something like a brush (from the long handle) though they have a long felt tip at the ink end (vice some brush bristles). The tip gives a very wide stroke which in my opinion causes this item to be misnamed. I think they should be called "Brush Markers" as you can't really write with these like you could with a pen except in very large script.
The "pens" would be good for use in making some kind of large signs but wouldn't be good for every day writing. As far as I know, the pens are available only in the 4 colors I found.
Overall, I wasn't really impressed with these so called pens though I'm not very disappointed as they only cost me a $1. If you want something to help make a large sign, you might find them useful. However, I give them a thumbs down as I'm not really impressed with them and feel they are misnamed. They really should be called "Brush Markers." Happy writing all!
The pens come in 4 colors - blue, green, red and yellow. They do look something like a brush (from the long handle) though they have a long felt tip at the ink end (vice some brush bristles). The tip gives a very wide stroke which in my opinion causes this item to be misnamed. I think they should be called "Brush Markers" as you can't really write with these like you could with a pen except in very large script.
The "pens" would be good for use in making some kind of large signs but wouldn't be good for every day writing. As far as I know, the pens are available only in the 4 colors I found.
Overall, I wasn't really impressed with these so called pens though I'm not very disappointed as they only cost me a $1. If you want something to help make a large sign, you might find them useful. However, I give them a thumbs down as I'm not really impressed with them and feel they are misnamed. They really should be called "Brush Markers." Happy writing all!
South Lyon Dollar Tree Store Review
This is the store that started me liking the Dollar Tree chain. My Filipino step-mother Geroncia (also known as Jane) loves this place. To help my Dad who doesn't like to drive for various reasons, I always offer to take Geroncia where ever she wants to go when I visit. This past Labor Day weekend was one such occasion. One of the places she always wants to go was the South Lyon, Michigan Dollar Tree store.
The store is located in the Glenwood Plaza at 21835 Pontiac Trail in South Lyon. It's open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is plenty of parking at this shopping center. As Pontiac Trail is the main drag/street in South Lyon, it's easy enough to get to.
The store is of good size, has a refrigerated section (a plus in my book), is well stocked and well kept up. The store's staff do an excellent job maintaining and running this store.
Overall, I've visited and shopped at a number of Dollar Tree stores since I first visited this store 3 or 4 years ago so, I tell if a store is a good one or a bad one. This one is a very good one for the reasons I've mentioned. If you like Dollar Tree in general, you'll like this store if you live in this area. I give it a 2 thumbs up. Happy shopping all!
The store is located in the Glenwood Plaza at 21835 Pontiac Trail in South Lyon. It's open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is plenty of parking at this shopping center. As Pontiac Trail is the main drag/street in South Lyon, it's easy enough to get to.
The store is of good size, has a refrigerated section (a plus in my book), is well stocked and well kept up. The store's staff do an excellent job maintaining and running this store.
Overall, I've visited and shopped at a number of Dollar Tree stores since I first visited this store 3 or 4 years ago so, I tell if a store is a good one or a bad one. This one is a very good one for the reasons I've mentioned. If you like Dollar Tree in general, you'll like this store if you live in this area. I give it a 2 thumbs up. Happy shopping all!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Phileas Kultur Fountain Pen Review
According to Montgomery Pens (www.montgomerypens.com), this pen's name varies. Some call the Phileas pen while others call it the Kultur pen. The package my pen came in didn't have a name on it and merely called it translucent which is what it is (in this case translucent blue). Also, according to them, the pen was never offered for sale in the United States which is too bad as this is an excellent and very affordable fountain pen by Waterman. According to Pen Boutique in Columbia, Maryland this pen isn't for sale any more barring Ebay or maybe Amazon.
As far as I'm able to tell, the pen comes in 3 translucent colors - red, blue and purple. Also, it comes in a clear version. The pens I've seen offered on Ebay have all been fine point stainless steel nib pens which is what I prefer anyway. The pen can use the standard cartridge adapter so, you can use bottled ink and save money or you can use Waterman cartridges.
Prices on Ebay vary ($21 to $30) for the pen depending on what's included though usually the cartridge adapter isn't so, you'll have to shell out another $8 or $9 for that. Montgomery Pens have offered auctions on the clear pen (I lost one of those by 50 cents not that I cared much). Another pen seller called Pens N More on Ebay is offering a 3 pen set of these pens for $62.99 which I think is a really good price per pen as long as you don't mind getting 3 of them (and why I didn't care about losing the auction the Montgomery Pens pen I'd bid on).
Normally, I don't like stainless steel nibs with the rare exceptions like Pilot's Varsity disposable fountain pen. Also, this pen has a large nib. But, this pen writes really well for a stainless steel nib. Other steel nibs I've tried have scratched the paper when I've tried writing with them. This is why my preference is for 18 karat gold nibs which always glide across the paper. However, in the case of this pen, the nib does a good job on various papers and, the price is awesome for a Waterman fountain pen. In my opinion, Waterman is a really good maker of pens. I had 4 of theirs including 2 with 18 karat nibs (and if I had $220 lying around, I'd be getting another one) until I bought this one which I've been surprisingly pleased with.
Another plus of these pens is the fact their translucent or clear. This makes really easy to see how much ink you have left in the cartridge or cartridge adapter. I had a real problem with a Pilot retractable fountain pen I tried recently because of this. I didn't know if it was working when I tried to draw ink into the cartridge adapter via the nib. The only way to be certain with that pen was to pull the adapter out which can get messy and see.
Overall, I'm really pleased with this fountain pen and would recommend it. It writes well, is affordable and translucency (or clear) is an added plus with it. If you like fountain pens, you might want to check out the 2 sellers I mentioned or see what others are selling these fine pens for. I don't think you'll be disappointed with them. Happy writing all!
As far as I'm able to tell, the pen comes in 3 translucent colors - red, blue and purple. Also, it comes in a clear version. The pens I've seen offered on Ebay have all been fine point stainless steel nib pens which is what I prefer anyway. The pen can use the standard cartridge adapter so, you can use bottled ink and save money or you can use Waterman cartridges.
Prices on Ebay vary ($21 to $30) for the pen depending on what's included though usually the cartridge adapter isn't so, you'll have to shell out another $8 or $9 for that. Montgomery Pens have offered auctions on the clear pen (I lost one of those by 50 cents not that I cared much). Another pen seller called Pens N More on Ebay is offering a 3 pen set of these pens for $62.99 which I think is a really good price per pen as long as you don't mind getting 3 of them (and why I didn't care about losing the auction the Montgomery Pens pen I'd bid on).
Normally, I don't like stainless steel nibs with the rare exceptions like Pilot's Varsity disposable fountain pen. Also, this pen has a large nib. But, this pen writes really well for a stainless steel nib. Other steel nibs I've tried have scratched the paper when I've tried writing with them. This is why my preference is for 18 karat gold nibs which always glide across the paper. However, in the case of this pen, the nib does a good job on various papers and, the price is awesome for a Waterman fountain pen. In my opinion, Waterman is a really good maker of pens. I had 4 of theirs including 2 with 18 karat nibs (and if I had $220 lying around, I'd be getting another one) until I bought this one which I've been surprisingly pleased with.
Another plus of these pens is the fact their translucent or clear. This makes really easy to see how much ink you have left in the cartridge or cartridge adapter. I had a real problem with a Pilot retractable fountain pen I tried recently because of this. I didn't know if it was working when I tried to draw ink into the cartridge adapter via the nib. The only way to be certain with that pen was to pull the adapter out which can get messy and see.
Overall, I'm really pleased with this fountain pen and would recommend it. It writes well, is affordable and translucency (or clear) is an added plus with it. If you like fountain pens, you might want to check out the 2 sellers I mentioned or see what others are selling these fine pens for. I don't think you'll be disappointed with them. Happy writing all!
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Silver Spring Dollar Tree Store Review
Last Sunday, a friend at the Extended Stay where I live asked me to get him some hand sanitizer. Dollar Tree Stores are one of the best places I know to get cheap hand sanitizer lotion. They sell it in 8 ounce bottles or slightly smaller bottles if you want it with aloe vera or they have multi-pack 2 ounce bottles. Per the Dollar Tree name, they all cost $1. I've bought a number of bottles of the stuff myself there and, it's worked fine. I promised to get my friend some while my friend Kathryn and I did some shopping.
After we'd finished our shopping at the Kings Contrivance Harris Teeter supermarket, I remembered my promise and called up the various nearby Dollar Tree stores on my Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS). The closest Dollar Tree store was the one in Columbia, but as my readers know, I'm very unimpressed with that store. It doesn't have refrigerated or freezer sections and, it's very small which means it has a limited selection of merchandise. While it might've had hand sanitizer, I wanted to try some place else. I saw on the list of stores there was one in Silver Spring, Maryland that I'd never been to. I asked Kathryn if she'd mind checking that one out. She said she didn't so off we went. The store isn't far from Maryland Route 29 and, it's address is 13837 Outlet Drive (phone number 301-847-7865). It's located in the corner of what I'd call your standard strip mall. The only problem I had with its location is it is in the corner and, you have look for it to find it. Interestingly, there's a Family Dollar store within 40 feet or less of it. Kathryn and I thought initially the Dollar Tree might've been bought out by Family Dollar and so, we checked that store out first. We were UNIMPRESSED by Family Dollar and, we're delighted when a shopper there told there was a Dollar Tree store further down.
The Silver Spring, Maryland Dollar Tree store is large which means it has a lot of merchandise - give them 1 point for that. They score points for also having refrigerated and frozen sections. Lastly, they have decent parking. Kathryn and I found ourselves very pleased with this store vice some others I've been to.
Overall, I was really pleased with this store and would happily shop here again except for the fact that it's a bit far from where I live. However, for those who live in Silver Spring or close by, this is a Dollar Tree store worth checking out. I'd happily give this store 2 thumbs up! It's an excellent store with some very good Dollar Tree bargains (they had some cans of soup where I thought were particularly good price wise though I haven't tried them yet). Happy Shopping all!
After we'd finished our shopping at the Kings Contrivance Harris Teeter supermarket, I remembered my promise and called up the various nearby Dollar Tree stores on my Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS). The closest Dollar Tree store was the one in Columbia, but as my readers know, I'm very unimpressed with that store. It doesn't have refrigerated or freezer sections and, it's very small which means it has a limited selection of merchandise. While it might've had hand sanitizer, I wanted to try some place else. I saw on the list of stores there was one in Silver Spring, Maryland that I'd never been to. I asked Kathryn if she'd mind checking that one out. She said she didn't so off we went. The store isn't far from Maryland Route 29 and, it's address is 13837 Outlet Drive (phone number 301-847-7865). It's located in the corner of what I'd call your standard strip mall. The only problem I had with its location is it is in the corner and, you have look for it to find it. Interestingly, there's a Family Dollar store within 40 feet or less of it. Kathryn and I thought initially the Dollar Tree might've been bought out by Family Dollar and so, we checked that store out first. We were UNIMPRESSED by Family Dollar and, we're delighted when a shopper there told there was a Dollar Tree store further down.
The Silver Spring, Maryland Dollar Tree store is large which means it has a lot of merchandise - give them 1 point for that. They score points for also having refrigerated and frozen sections. Lastly, they have decent parking. Kathryn and I found ourselves very pleased with this store vice some others I've been to.
Overall, I was really pleased with this store and would happily shop here again except for the fact that it's a bit far from where I live. However, for those who live in Silver Spring or close by, this is a Dollar Tree store worth checking out. I'd happily give this store 2 thumbs up! It's an excellent store with some very good Dollar Tree bargains (they had some cans of soup where I thought were particularly good price wise though I haven't tried them yet). Happy Shopping all!
Monday, June 06, 2016
Birra Moretti Beer Review
While shopping for foreign (anything made out of United States of America (USA)) beers, I came upon some Birra Moretti beer. The beer is a lager with 4.6% alcohol and is brewed by Heineken Italia in Comun Nuovo, Italy. Total Wine & More in Laurel, Maryland sells a 6 pack of 11.2 fluid ounce bottles for $7.99.
One thing I liked about this lager is that it's a genuine Italian beer i.e. it's brewed IN Italy. I've seen a number of foreign beers that are actually brewed in the USA. To me, they're not legitimately foreign though they may have a different taste to what we're used to in the USA. This lager tasted like a standard lager. It wasn't harsh tasting like some German beers can be though it wasn't super smooth like some Hawaiian ale I've tried. Basically, it's a decent lager at a reasonable price for a genuinely foreign beer.
Tip: Total Wine & More has a frequent shopper club called Total Discovery where they'll send you coupons for their stores that'll save you money on beer or other spirits. In this case, thanks to the coupon, I saved a $1 off this 6 pack. If you drink a fair amount of beer or other spirits, it could be worth it to you to look into it.
Overall, I thought this was a nice beer. I very much liked that it's genuinely Italian. I do question the claim on the bottle about Italian passion for brewing. I think Italy is known more for its wine then its beer. Still, it was fun to try this brew. Happy responsible drinking all!
One thing I liked about this lager is that it's a genuine Italian beer i.e. it's brewed IN Italy. I've seen a number of foreign beers that are actually brewed in the USA. To me, they're not legitimately foreign though they may have a different taste to what we're used to in the USA. This lager tasted like a standard lager. It wasn't harsh tasting like some German beers can be though it wasn't super smooth like some Hawaiian ale I've tried. Basically, it's a decent lager at a reasonable price for a genuinely foreign beer.
Tip: Total Wine & More has a frequent shopper club called Total Discovery where they'll send you coupons for their stores that'll save you money on beer or other spirits. In this case, thanks to the coupon, I saved a $1 off this 6 pack. If you drink a fair amount of beer or other spirits, it could be worth it to you to look into it.
Overall, I thought this was a nice beer. I very much liked that it's genuinely Italian. I do question the claim on the bottle about Italian passion for brewing. I think Italy is known more for its wine then its beer. Still, it was fun to try this brew. Happy responsible drinking all!
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Trader Joe's Old World Rye Bread With Caraway Seeds Review
I like rye bread and, I like caraway seeds. To me, rye bread isn't rye bread without caraway seeds which add a nice flavor to the bread. So, I was delighted to see Trader Joe's had what looked like some very good rye bread for sale at its store in Elkridge, Maryland.
The bread comes sliced in 1 pound packages, 12 slices to the pound. It sells for $2.49. It has 80 calories per slice as well as 3 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of dietary fiber per slice (Source: the loaf I bought at the Elkridge Trader Joe's). Each slice does have 160 milligrams of sodium for those who have to watch their sodium intake.
The bread has an excellent texture and does well in a sandwich or as a flavorful toast. I found this to be an excellent all around bread with a really nice flavor.
Overall, I was really pleased with this bread, would buy it again and definitely recommend it. The bread does contain wheat, soy and possible traces of sesame seeds (according to the package) for those who have health issues with those. Barring that, if you like a hearty and solid rye bread, this bread is for you. Bon Appetit!
Before, I had to mention that at the time, I had a sister who worked for Trader Joe's even though it didn't influence my reviews of their products. My sister no longer works for them so, there isn't the slightest possibility of conflict with my reviews of their products. If I think the product sucks, I'll tell you so!
The bread comes sliced in 1 pound packages, 12 slices to the pound. It sells for $2.49. It has 80 calories per slice as well as 3 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of dietary fiber per slice (Source: the loaf I bought at the Elkridge Trader Joe's). Each slice does have 160 milligrams of sodium for those who have to watch their sodium intake.
The bread has an excellent texture and does well in a sandwich or as a flavorful toast. I found this to be an excellent all around bread with a really nice flavor.
Overall, I was really pleased with this bread, would buy it again and definitely recommend it. The bread does contain wheat, soy and possible traces of sesame seeds (according to the package) for those who have health issues with those. Barring that, if you like a hearty and solid rye bread, this bread is for you. Bon Appetit!
Before, I had to mention that at the time, I had a sister who worked for Trader Joe's even though it didn't influence my reviews of their products. My sister no longer works for them so, there isn't the slightest possibility of conflict with my reviews of their products. If I think the product sucks, I'll tell you so!
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Goya Coconut Soda Review
When I saw Goya's Coconut Soda at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I had to try it. I like coconut water and, I enjoyed drinking fresh coconut water out of a coconut at St. Martin (French side of St. Maarten) The soda goes for $1.59 for a 2 liter bottle at Wegmans. The soda is artificially flavored (and honest about it, it says it on the front of the bottle) which is a downer though a plus is it does have a coconut taste. Another downer is that Goya uses high fructose corn syrup. I prefer cane sugar which I think is better for you. The soda is somewhat unique as its the only coconut soda I've seen on the market in the United States.
Overall, I think Goya's coconut soda is ok. I think if you want a real coconut drink, you should try one of the coconut water brands that are for sale in the United States (I don't know what is available elsewhere). Still, if you want coconut soda, this is the main producer of it here. Happy drinking all!
Update May 29, 2016: I forgot to include calorie information on this soda. An 8 ounce glass of the soda has 130 calories (Source: the bottle I bought at Wegmans). Of that, 32 grams are sugar. The soda contains absolutely NO fruit juice. It is entirely artificially flavored. Also, it contains 105 milligrams of potassium in each glass which is a plus in my book.
Overall, I think Goya's coconut soda is ok. I think if you want a real coconut drink, you should try one of the coconut water brands that are for sale in the United States (I don't know what is available elsewhere). Still, if you want coconut soda, this is the main producer of it here. Happy drinking all!
Update May 29, 2016: I forgot to include calorie information on this soda. An 8 ounce glass of the soda has 130 calories (Source: the bottle I bought at Wegmans). Of that, 32 grams are sugar. The soda contains absolutely NO fruit juice. It is entirely artificially flavored. Also, it contains 105 milligrams of potassium in each glass which is a plus in my book.
Sunday, May 08, 2016
Woodbine Maryland Dollar Tree Store Review
Today, I visited the Dollar Tree store at 712 Lisbon Center Drive in Woodbine, Maryland. I thought I'd write a store review on it. Here goes:
The store has ample parking and is of good size. The size is important as some Dollar Tree stores can be pretty small like the one in Columbia, Maryland. Having plenty of good priced merchandise can make them worth the trip. This one does though it does have one drawback in my opinion - it doesn't have a refrigerated section like other Dollar Tree stores do. This is important me as Dollar Tree offers some nice deals that way like Sunny Acres Swiss Slices or Bar S Bun Length Franks which Dollar Tree sells for a $1 at the stores that have a refrigerated section.
Note: If you do a search for this store on your smart phone and find it's mobile page, you may see it has the symbol for a refrigerated section. This is wrong. The main web page shows correctly that it doesn't have one though I wish it did.
Hours for the store are: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
I think the store hours are convenient. Also, the store is easy to get to. I exited Interstate 70 heading west (exit 32 I think) , took a right turn toward Woodbine, took the 2nd exit on the roundabout and first right after that. You'll see it on your right and a supermarket on your left.
The store can be reached at phone number 410-489-2653.
Overall, I thought it a nice Dollar Tree store. The staff were helpful and courteous, parking was ample, they have convenient hours but, they don't have a refrigerated section. Because of that, if you could, I recommend you find one that does have a refrigerated section. I think I saw they have a store in Eldersburg that does. I'll have to check that one out some time and get back to my readers and let them know what I think of it. Happy shopping all!
The store has ample parking and is of good size. The size is important as some Dollar Tree stores can be pretty small like the one in Columbia, Maryland. Having plenty of good priced merchandise can make them worth the trip. This one does though it does have one drawback in my opinion - it doesn't have a refrigerated section like other Dollar Tree stores do. This is important me as Dollar Tree offers some nice deals that way like Sunny Acres Swiss Slices or Bar S Bun Length Franks which Dollar Tree sells for a $1 at the stores that have a refrigerated section.
Note: If you do a search for this store on your smart phone and find it's mobile page, you may see it has the symbol for a refrigerated section. This is wrong. The main web page shows correctly that it doesn't have one though I wish it did.
Hours for the store are: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
I think the store hours are convenient. Also, the store is easy to get to. I exited Interstate 70 heading west (exit 32 I think) , took a right turn toward Woodbine, took the 2nd exit on the roundabout and first right after that. You'll see it on your right and a supermarket on your left.
The store can be reached at phone number 410-489-2653.
Overall, I thought it a nice Dollar Tree store. The staff were helpful and courteous, parking was ample, they have convenient hours but, they don't have a refrigerated section. Because of that, if you could, I recommend you find one that does have a refrigerated section. I think I saw they have a store in Eldersburg that does. I'll have to check that one out some time and get back to my readers and let them know what I think of it. Happy shopping all!
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Laurel (Maryland) Main Street Travel Inc. Closed
I saw in Yelp and Yellowpages.com that they're reporting that Laurel (Maryland, I don't know if there's a Laurel Main Street Travel in some other state so I'm specifying what state) Main Street Travel Incorporated as open. They're not. They're permanently closed and didn't move to another location. I visited their former office yesterday personally and spoke with a very nice lady from the Laurel Board of Trade that now occupies the site. Also, I can personally testify that number 410-792-4438 has been disconnected i.e. I called it myself and got a recording saying that.
I don't know why the business closed. I saw on one webpage that I don't remember that they'd been in the travel business for 35 years. I was saddened by their closure. I think travel agencies are having a tough time with all the competition they have now and various travel companies trying to cut their agent's commissions. Personally, I like working with a travel agent vice trying to do it myself. My travel agent Joel Mills has been priceless at times.
Anyway, to repeat one final time - Laurel Main Street Travel Incorporated (Inc.) is permanently closed. Happy travels all!
I don't know why the business closed. I saw on one webpage that I don't remember that they'd been in the travel business for 35 years. I was saddened by their closure. I think travel agencies are having a tough time with all the competition they have now and various travel companies trying to cut their agent's commissions. Personally, I like working with a travel agent vice trying to do it myself. My travel agent Joel Mills has been priceless at times.
Anyway, to repeat one final time - Laurel Main Street Travel Incorporated (Inc.) is permanently closed. Happy travels all!
Friday, April 29, 2016
Pilot Frixion Pen Review
While visiting the Bed, Bath and Beyond store at 9021 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia, Maryland, I stumbled upon some Pilot Frixion gel pens. The pens are special in that they're erasable whereas other gel pens aren't. The store sells the pens for $2.99 which is apparently high compared to other stores but, I bought five of the .7mm retractable pens to try out. Later, I did some research on the pens and found out how the ink works.
The gel ink is thermo sensitive which means it's sensitive to heat. According to the jetpens.com website I visited, if you have the pens out in 140 degree heat or higher, the ink will become colorless. It's this same sensitivity to heat that enables users to erase their mistakes with these pens. The friction from rubbing the ink with a regular eraser causes the ink to become colorless. This makes these pens pretty handy.
Specifications wise, the pens come in 7 colors:
Black
Blue
Turquoise
Red
Purple
Green
Pink
They come in fine (.7mm) and extra fine (.5mm) nib sizes. Also, there are retractable and non-retractable pens. The retractable pens are interesting that as there is a small eraser at the end of these pens, you have to press the clip down on them to cause the nib to come out or retract.
Prices can vary. Walmart.com offers a 5 pack of the .5mm (extra fine nib) pens for $9.75 while Staples.com offers 7 pack of the .7 (fine nib) pens for $14.99. Officeworld.com sells the pens singly and in multi-pen packs. In some of the stores I visited looking for these pens, I found the selection of them very limited compared to the very popular Pilot G2 pens.
Overall, I've been very pleased with these pens. I do wish Pilot offered them in more colors and, they were more widely available. Pilot's G2 gel pens come in 15 colors (there are more colors than this though some aren't offered in the United States such as their pastel color G2 pens) vice the 7 they offer in their Frixion line. These pens definitely can be handy in certain cases. I definitely recommend them. Happy writing all!
Update May 4, 2016: Yesterday, I checked the Walmart next to the Sam's Club at 3535 Russett Green East in Laurel, Maryland. They don't have these pens (no shock that). However, the Sam's Club offers an 8 pack of the retractable pens for $6.81. The pack is missing the turquoise pen and has 3 of the black pens.
The gel ink is thermo sensitive which means it's sensitive to heat. According to the jetpens.com website I visited, if you have the pens out in 140 degree heat or higher, the ink will become colorless. It's this same sensitivity to heat that enables users to erase their mistakes with these pens. The friction from rubbing the ink with a regular eraser causes the ink to become colorless. This makes these pens pretty handy.
Specifications wise, the pens come in 7 colors:
Black
Blue
Turquoise
Red
Purple
Green
Pink
They come in fine (.7mm) and extra fine (.5mm) nib sizes. Also, there are retractable and non-retractable pens. The retractable pens are interesting that as there is a small eraser at the end of these pens, you have to press the clip down on them to cause the nib to come out or retract.
Prices can vary. Walmart.com offers a 5 pack of the .5mm (extra fine nib) pens for $9.75 while Staples.com offers 7 pack of the .7 (fine nib) pens for $14.99. Officeworld.com sells the pens singly and in multi-pen packs. In some of the stores I visited looking for these pens, I found the selection of them very limited compared to the very popular Pilot G2 pens.
Overall, I've been very pleased with these pens. I do wish Pilot offered them in more colors and, they were more widely available. Pilot's G2 gel pens come in 15 colors (there are more colors than this though some aren't offered in the United States such as their pastel color G2 pens) vice the 7 they offer in their Frixion line. These pens definitely can be handy in certain cases. I definitely recommend them. Happy writing all!
Update May 4, 2016: Yesterday, I checked the Walmart next to the Sam's Club at 3535 Russett Green East in Laurel, Maryland. They don't have these pens (no shock that). However, the Sam's Club offers an 8 pack of the retractable pens for $6.81. The pack is missing the turquoise pen and has 3 of the black pens.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Tokyoairporter.com Review
Recently, I did a Globus tour of Japan. I'd never toured Japan before and while I was looking forward to visiting it for the first time, I was a bit daunted by it as well. Their language is hugely different from English and, their culture is very different too. Still, one of the great things about Globus is your tour director is with you from the start of the tour till it's end. The tour director knows the language, the culture and their way around. So, I felt at ease until I got a notice from Globus that there wasn't going to be anyone to meet me at Tokyo Narita Airport and, I'd have to take a bus (ticket provided) from the airport to the Tokyo Hilton where my tour group would stay for the first two nights of the tour. (Globus claimed this was the most efficient way to get their travelers from the airport to the hotel.) So, for my first 2 hours in Japan, I was going to be on my own trying to make my way to my hotel. Crap!
That's when I got the idea of using a private car and driver. As some of my readers may remember, I used one in Stockholm, Sweden to get me from the airport to their cruise ship terminal for my Baltic cruise on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. By hiring a car and driver, someone would be waiting for me at the airport who knew their way around and would be able to get me to my hotel.
I checked various companies. Viator gave me a price of $394 which was the highest I found. Another company I requested a quote from told me $340 with an extra $35 for an English speaker. Tokyoairporter.com came in at the cheapest with a flat price of 19,000 yen which with the current exchange rate broke out to about $160. Twice during the quote request and when I confirmed my request reservation, I said the driver must speak English. I haven't forgotten my misadventure in Cartagena, Colombia and, I didn't want to subject my travel friend Harvey who was going on the tour with me to that.
Tokyoairporter.com requests prepayment via Paypal which surprised me. Also, they will hit you with a 7.2% charge if you use a credit card. As I was determined to use one, that brought the price up to roughly $180.
On April 5, 2016, after flying over 14 hours non-stop from Washington Dulles International, I arrived at Tokyo Narita International Airport. To my dismay, they had a HUGE line to get through customs. It ended up taking me over an hour and a half to get through the line. My travel friend and I both wondered if our driver would still be waiting for us when we finally got our suitcases and exited the arrival area. To our delight, there was a driver with my last name on her sign.
We quickly realized our driver's understanding of English was iffy at best. Still, she seemed to know what she was doing. She directed us outside to a vehicle parking lot where she indicated we should wait while she got the vehicle. The vehicle turned out to be a mini-van which was fine with us. The lady apparently had been told somehow where we were to go and plugged it into her Japanese Global Positioning System i.e. GPS. Then, we took off for our hotel.
Along the way, we passed one of the buses we might've have taken otherwise so, Tokyoairporter.com is a faster way to get to downtown Tokyo. The driver knew what she was doing and took us directly to the Hilton. I think we got there in roughly an hour. While I wasn't pleased about her apparent lack of understanding of English, she did a fine job and got us where we had to go. My friend and I tipped her $5 each and thanked her as best we could.
Overall, I was very pleased with Tokyoairporter.com. They're cheaper than other services but, they're competent and give good service. I'd definitely use them again and would recommend them if you need a car and driver to take you to your hotel from the airport in Tokyo. Happy travels all!
That's when I got the idea of using a private car and driver. As some of my readers may remember, I used one in Stockholm, Sweden to get me from the airport to their cruise ship terminal for my Baltic cruise on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. By hiring a car and driver, someone would be waiting for me at the airport who knew their way around and would be able to get me to my hotel.
I checked various companies. Viator gave me a price of $394 which was the highest I found. Another company I requested a quote from told me $340 with an extra $35 for an English speaker. Tokyoairporter.com came in at the cheapest with a flat price of 19,000 yen which with the current exchange rate broke out to about $160. Twice during the quote request and when I confirmed my request reservation, I said the driver must speak English. I haven't forgotten my misadventure in Cartagena, Colombia and, I didn't want to subject my travel friend Harvey who was going on the tour with me to that.
Tokyoairporter.com requests prepayment via Paypal which surprised me. Also, they will hit you with a 7.2% charge if you use a credit card. As I was determined to use one, that brought the price up to roughly $180.
On April 5, 2016, after flying over 14 hours non-stop from Washington Dulles International, I arrived at Tokyo Narita International Airport. To my dismay, they had a HUGE line to get through customs. It ended up taking me over an hour and a half to get through the line. My travel friend and I both wondered if our driver would still be waiting for us when we finally got our suitcases and exited the arrival area. To our delight, there was a driver with my last name on her sign.
We quickly realized our driver's understanding of English was iffy at best. Still, she seemed to know what she was doing. She directed us outside to a vehicle parking lot where she indicated we should wait while she got the vehicle. The vehicle turned out to be a mini-van which was fine with us. The lady apparently had been told somehow where we were to go and plugged it into her Japanese Global Positioning System i.e. GPS. Then, we took off for our hotel.
Along the way, we passed one of the buses we might've have taken otherwise so, Tokyoairporter.com is a faster way to get to downtown Tokyo. The driver knew what she was doing and took us directly to the Hilton. I think we got there in roughly an hour. While I wasn't pleased about her apparent lack of understanding of English, she did a fine job and got us where we had to go. My friend and I tipped her $5 each and thanked her as best we could.
Overall, I was very pleased with Tokyoairporter.com. They're cheaper than other services but, they're competent and give good service. I'd definitely use them again and would recommend them if you need a car and driver to take you to your hotel from the airport in Tokyo. Happy travels all!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Maryland Lottery's Million Dollar Spectacular Game Review
While visiting a friend's liquor store, I discovered Maryland Lottery's newest $1,000,000 prize scratch off game called Million Dollar Spectacular. I remembered reading one big winner's strategy where he'd play the new games as he felt there would be a greater chance to hit a big prize initially. It worked for him but, it didn't work for me. I ended up with 4 losers in a row before I hit back to back small winners.
The game is your standard $1,000,000 prize scratch off game. There are three $1,000,000 (see note) prizes (all still available at the time of this post), six $50,000 prizes (all still available at the time of this post), twenty-four $10,000 prizes (all still available at the time of this post), thirty-seven $5,000 prizes (35 remaining at the time of this post) and 733 $1,000 prizes (701 remaining at the time of this post) as well as various smaller prizes starting with $20. You match 1 or more of the 5 numbers at the top of the ticket and you win that prize. The game does have 1 difference from other big prize games in that there is a box at the upper left of the ticket. The box contains 6 prize amounts. If you match 3 of the prize amounts, you win that prize instantly. I liked this feature though I had crummy luck with it. The game started December 28, 2015 so, it hasn't been out that long. Like all new games, losing tickets are eligible for lottery reward points. Overall (meaning overall for the ENTIRE game) odds are 1 in 2.97 of winning. You can do better or you can do worse like I did initially.
Overall, I thought it was a nice game though not a great one. I plan to try it again some time and see if I can a bit better luck with it. To me, it's a pretty standard $1,000,000 prize scratch off game. If you like playing the newest game out in Maryland, you might want to give it a go. Good luck!
Note: the $1,000,000 is paid out over 20 years in an annuity. The winner has 60 days after turning in the winning ticket to inform Maryland Lottery if they want a cash option i.e. all the money immediately. If they choose that option, the payout will be LESS than $1,000,000. If they don't inform them in time, they will automatically receive the annuity (source: one of the game tickets I bought).
Lastly, my source for the odds in the game was one of the tickets I bought. My source for how many prizes remained at the time of this post was the Maryland Lottery webpage for this game. That web page can be found under the $1,000,000 prize scratch off games.
The game is your standard $1,000,000 prize scratch off game. There are three $1,000,000 (see note) prizes (all still available at the time of this post), six $50,000 prizes (all still available at the time of this post), twenty-four $10,000 prizes (all still available at the time of this post), thirty-seven $5,000 prizes (35 remaining at the time of this post) and 733 $1,000 prizes (701 remaining at the time of this post) as well as various smaller prizes starting with $20. You match 1 or more of the 5 numbers at the top of the ticket and you win that prize. The game does have 1 difference from other big prize games in that there is a box at the upper left of the ticket. The box contains 6 prize amounts. If you match 3 of the prize amounts, you win that prize instantly. I liked this feature though I had crummy luck with it. The game started December 28, 2015 so, it hasn't been out that long. Like all new games, losing tickets are eligible for lottery reward points. Overall (meaning overall for the ENTIRE game) odds are 1 in 2.97 of winning. You can do better or you can do worse like I did initially.
Overall, I thought it was a nice game though not a great one. I plan to try it again some time and see if I can a bit better luck with it. To me, it's a pretty standard $1,000,000 prize scratch off game. If you like playing the newest game out in Maryland, you might want to give it a go. Good luck!
Note: the $1,000,000 is paid out over 20 years in an annuity. The winner has 60 days after turning in the winning ticket to inform Maryland Lottery if they want a cash option i.e. all the money immediately. If they choose that option, the payout will be LESS than $1,000,000. If they don't inform them in time, they will automatically receive the annuity (source: one of the game tickets I bought).
Lastly, my source for the odds in the game was one of the tickets I bought. My source for how many prizes remained at the time of this post was the Maryland Lottery webpage for this game. That web page can be found under the $1,000,000 prize scratch off games.
Sunday, January 03, 2016
Starbucks Dark Chocolate Peppermint Grahams Review
Last week, while trying to earn more Starbucks reward points so, I can keep my Gold status for another year (you have to earn 30 reward stars to do that), I saw some of their dark chocolate peppermint graham crackers on sale at one (there are 2 of them) of their Laurel, Maryland shops (store 7257 located at 929 Washington Boulevard). The grahams were 40% off and seemed a cheap way to earn another reward star. With the 40% off, it cost me $4.77 for 3 of the grahams (they come 3 in a pack).
The grahams live up to their name in that they are coated with dark chocolate and have peppermint candy piece sprinkled on top of them and each comes individually wrapped in a very nice red box. They have a slight peppermint taste to them i.e. it isn't that strong. They normally cost $7.95 which I think makes them expensive. You're talking nearly $2.65 a graham at regular price!
Overall, I think the grahams are good BUT, in my opinion, they're NOT worth $2.65 a piece. So, if I had to buy them at regular price, I'd give them a big thumbs down. If you can find them at 40% off like I did then, they might be worth buying. However, you may have to search some stores to find the remaining ones as I think they are a holiday item and won't be on the shelves much longer. I like a lot of Starbucks stuff but, I wasn't wowed by this one. Bon Appetit all!
The grahams live up to their name in that they are coated with dark chocolate and have peppermint candy piece sprinkled on top of them and each comes individually wrapped in a very nice red box. They have a slight peppermint taste to them i.e. it isn't that strong. They normally cost $7.95 which I think makes them expensive. You're talking nearly $2.65 a graham at regular price!
Overall, I think the grahams are good BUT, in my opinion, they're NOT worth $2.65 a piece. So, if I had to buy them at regular price, I'd give them a big thumbs down. If you can find them at 40% off like I did then, they might be worth buying. However, you may have to search some stores to find the remaining ones as I think they are a holiday item and won't be on the shelves much longer. I like a lot of Starbucks stuff but, I wasn't wowed by this one. Bon Appetit all!
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