I saw this one coming:

http://shortcuts.com/

Not too long ago, I was thinking a lot about coupons and the ways they could be improved. I understand the reasoning behind coupons as opposed to just lowering prices, for example, but I felt that there had to be a better way. Consumer habits and tolerances are changing. I'm a case in point: despite being a price sensitive shopper, I just don't clip coupons - I'm usually running through the grocery store on my way home from the gym, or I'm changing my mind about what I'd like for dinner at the last minute, or every once in a while, I'm carrying a coupon around until it expires without remembering to use it.

So along comes this website, which allows for the virtual "clipping" of coupons. The savings are then stored on the Valued Customer card (at this point, just for a select few grocery stores), and then automatically applied at checkout when the card is swiped. I love it.

I also love it from a marketer's standpoint. While playing around on the website (and attempting to register, only to be told that my Valued Customer account wasn't valid... but that's under investigation, and another topic altogether...), I was much more open to banner advertising and links to websites. There is such opportunity in linking advertising to coupon choices, for example.

The whole thing seems to me to be a step in an exciting direction...

Looking back over the last few posts on my blog, I fear that I come across as rather lazy and lacking in follow-through. While it may sound weak to protest: Such is not the case! What has happened, in fact, is that my goals are many, fairly ambitious, and diverse... and blogging simply hasn't been at the top of my priority list.

So.... I will continue to shoot for increased blogging frequency. I will strike the word "procrastinate" from my blogging vocabulary. And I will try not to shudder at how self-important this post sounds.

So obviously I haven't been blogging.

What have I been doing, you ask?

Well... let's see. There's school, and everything that goes with it. There's an independent project I've taken on which was probably a bit too ambitious for my own good. I begin to lose sleep over it. Then there's the job search and application process, which I'm trying to kick into high gear (ok... trying to kick into first gear, really). And of course, there are the races I'm training for (running), the hours and hours spent climbing (I'm addicted), and the dog who wants to go to the park whenever she sees me near the corner where her leash is stored.

As the weather warms, all indoor goals become more and more difficult to accomplish. In fact, I think the park is calling me now, and I bet Cuda will agree...

Wow, it's been a long time.

As part of my renewed vow to blog (which is part of a larger effort to conquer technology), here I am again...

actual posts to follow. Right now I'm off to have some fun with Geico and the local DMV. Apparently while I was Not Blogging I was also Not Registering My Car. oops.

Thanksgiving.

My friend Sharon came to visit me for Thanksgiving. We drank a little, giggled a fair amount, ate a whole heck of a lot, and talked even more. It was quite fabulous. (Muchas gracias, Sharon!)

A few insights (probably more entertaining to the two of us than to the general public, but...):

• For Ivy-league educated but domestically challenged women, cooking successfully actually feels empowering. Says Sharon, "We're fucking domestic, Bitch!" Mark my words: she will be receiving an apron monogrammed with that sentiment as her wedding gift from yours truly.
• Sometimes a somewhat removed third party is necessary for proper analysis of relationship entanglements. Alcohol makes analysis less proper but more spirited.
• It is wise to read the directions on the turkey immediately after purchase, so as to avoid the "how to thaw a turkey when you didn't take it out of the freezer 2-3 days ahead of time as specified" problem. The directions also help if you find yourself wondering aloud how the turkey's neck seems to be located closer to its legs than to its wings...
• While we had spent some time discussing the apparent improbability of our friendship, Sharon's mom hit the nail on the head in her analysis: "... so Liz is just a classier version of you..." The proof - after watching the same scene on a trashy reality tv show, Liz says, "Well, that was an awkward thing to say at a dinner party..." and Sharon simultaneously says, "What a dumb bitch!" At that point, Sharon's mom's comment comes to mind, and giggles ensue.
• and Stuffing is yummy.

www.freerice.com

This site was recently brought to my attention, and now it's my current favorite form of productive procrastination.

Play with vocabulary (fun) and do good (yay).

Random thoughts related to meeting people...

I'm a shy person. When I was little, I was the kid who hid behind my mother's skirt, buried my face in her leg, and didn't have to be told not to talk to (or take candy from) strangers. The telephone terrified me. My little brother was my polar opposite, a brown-haired force of goofy entertainment, and looking back through a psychological lens, I think I was jealous of him.

I still think of myself as the quiet, introverted, type. I've made peace with that fact, but I've also made an effort to be more comfortable meeting new people. As a result, there have been times I've claimed to be "shy" and been told that the idea was preposterous. But I digress... I was supposed to be talking about meeting people.

So I've met a large number of people since leaving college. The more comfortable I've grown with the process, the more fascinating and rewarding it has become. People-watching in airports is nothing compared to actually sitting and talking and asking and listening. I love the many differences - personality quirks, funny behaviors, interesting habits, speech patterns, etc. - just as much as I love finding the commonalities. And THAT is what makes marketing interesting. It starts with people-watching. Furthermore, increased interaction with people leads to increased confidence leads to increased ability to sell an idea. So really, we advertising students should all just be hanging out and chatting...