Category Archives: Off Topic

Some Interesting Google Maps App Updates

Off Topic, Travel Articles, ,

photo

Considering how bad my sense of direction can be, I used to get lots of use out of my Garmin GPS. However, I haven’t had much need to turn it on over the past few years. Besides using it during our Quick Euro-Roadtrip (back in February), I can’t remember the last time that I’ve actually powered my Garmin on!

If you put aside the slow response from the touch screen and long waits for finding satellites, my Garmin works just fine.

The thing is, I found a much easier and more convenient GPS- the Google Maps app on my iPhone. (The Google Maps app is also available for Android.)

Continue reading Some Interesting Google Maps App Updates →

National Train Day- Saturday, May 10 + Amtrak Sweepstakes

Off Topic, Sweepstakes,

a train on the tracks

The 7th annual National Train Day will take place this Saturday, May 10.

Events will be held around the country in hundreds of locations to celebrate the day.

Amtrak “invites you and your family to join us at an event near you to celebrate trains and train travel, and to share why Trains Matter to us all.”

Continue reading National Train Day- Saturday, May 10 + Amtrak Sweepstakes →

Donate & Earn Up To 5,000 SkyMiles

Miles, Off Topic, ,

a woman holding a child and a balloon

This month you can earn up to 5,000 Delta SkyMiles by making a donation to the American Cancer Society. While this isn’t really a way to manufacture spend, it is a way to get a small reward for donating towards a good cause.

Here is how it works:

The first 5,000 SkyMiles members to contribute will earn:

Quiz: How Well Do You Know U.S. Geography

Off Topic, Travel Articles,

a map of a state

Many of you may have noticed that I’m a sucker for Buzzfeed (and other) travel-related quizzes.

Most of these quizzes are silly and don’t even ask legitimate travel questions but they are fun to take part in regardless.

Check out some of my “Quiz” posts:

Boston Marathon Victims Connect On French River Cruise

Off Topic,
a man standing next to another man
Image from Esquire

With the 2014 Boston Marathon ending without incident and an American winning for the first time since 1983 it was a great comeback for the race which was struck by terror just a year back.

In 2013 many lives were affected by the cowardly bombings which occurred at the finish line. Three people lost their lives and hundreds were injured but most seemed to come out of the situation in good spirits.

I came across an amazing article in Esquire back in January that I wanted to wait to share until after the 2014 Boston Marathon took place.

Continue reading Boston Marathon Victims Connect On French River Cruise →

33 Useful Websites You Never Knew Existed

Off Topic, ,

a close-up of a computerIt’s always great to find new websites that can help out and be useful in one way or another. When I think of sites that fit this description, a site that I used to get a lot of use out of but no longer use comes to mind.

For most items on Amazon you need to spend $35 or more to get free shipping. It always annoyed me when I’d make  a shopping cart and find that my total was just pennies away from the required spend. This is where the Amazon Filler Item Finder would come in really handy. The way it works is, you enter in the amount you need to spend to get free shipping and a list of products close to that amount will come up. (The site can even be fun to type in random $ amounts to see what products will be suggested.)

Luckily I now have Amazon Prime so I never really have the need to use this site but for those of you who don’t pay for Prime or haven’t been luckily enough to have had it gifted to you, definitely check out Amazon Filler Item Finder.

Buzzfeed has a post with 33 Amazingly Useful Websites You Never Knew Existed.

Continue reading 33 Useful Websites You Never Knew Existed →

SOS In The Sand Helps Save 5 Snorkelers

Off Topic, ,
a small island in the water
image from Yahoo-ABC News article

When I first saw the headline for this story- “Giant SOS Message Saves Marooned Snorkelers” I thought about Tom Hanks in Castaway and the television show Survivor.

A group of 5 snorkeling near the Whitsunday Islands in Australia were left stranded on a rocky island without food, water or cellphones after their anchored boat drifted away.

Continue reading SOS In The Sand Helps Save 5 Snorkelers →

London Salon’s Trouble Over Kim Jong Un Haircut Sale

Off Topic,
a man waving with his hand up
image from USA Today article

Last month there was lots of talk in the media that North Korea would be requiring men to get the same haircut as leader Kim Jong Un. A couple of days after hearing about this, USA Today reported that these stories were most likely not true.

With little known about Kim Jong Un and North Korea, it’s relatively easy to make silly jokes and references about them.

Continue reading London Salon’s Trouble Over Kim Jong Un Haircut Sale →

32 Things You Always Believed That Aren’t True

Off Topic

Screen Shot 2014-01-31 at 12.37.17 AMThere are many things that we’re told/ taught over time which we come to believe however many just aren’t true. These kinds of things are usually passed on through word of mouth or maybe even through e-mails these days.

Buzzfeed shares 32 Things You Always Believed That Aren’t True.

While looking over the list, I definitely learned some new things. Some of the facts were really interesting while others I had never even heard of before.

Continue reading 32 Things You Always Believed That Aren’t True →

I Won A Free Flight At JFK Runway Run & I’m Not Excited

Off Topic, Runway Run, , ,

Screen Shot 2013-12-10 at 11.21.41 PMBack in January I wrote about registration being open for the 2014 JFK Runway Run.

I had planned to write another post about it as a reminder but it slipped my mind and the race has passed- it was this past Sunday.

Runway runs are probably my favorite kind of races to participate in. They are a unique kind of race and offer access and views  at the airport that are usually not possible.

The JFK Runway Run has become an annual race for me, running in it the past 3 years now!

Continue reading I Won A Free Flight At JFK Runway Run & I’m Not Excited →