Catching up

It's a busy week this week with (barring rain, which is expected back tomorrow) DD having 4 tennis matches. One yesterday to make up for the rainout on Friday. (Tennis in March is ridiculous!). They got yesterday's match in and while DD and her partner won their match, 3 out of the other 5 varsity singles/doubles teams did not, so they lost as a team. They have another match today and that looks like the weather will hold ok. It's been a bit frustrating to watch DD have to play doubles again this year. She is ranked #1 on the ladder for her team. In the past 2 years the #1 girl always got to play singles. DD worked her butt off all last summer and the rest of fall/winter with tennis camp and private lessons so that she could get better and play singles. I really don't understand the coach's "reasoning", but guess that's why I'm not much of a sports person. The varsity team consists of 2 singles players and 3 doubles teams. They have to win 3 out of the 5 singles/doubles matches to get the overall team win. Coach thinks putting DD and another girl together as doubles will be a strong doubles team and insure one of the 3 points to win....but my thinking is DD would also be very strong and probably just as good a chance to win at singles too, so what is the difference? I really don't get it, but as long as DD is having fun and doing well, we'll have to live with it. I can really see a difference in her playing since last season. Her serves are strong and she even aced one yesterday (that I was happy to get on video). She knows where to place the ball during play and scored quite a few of the points.

I bought a new vacuum at Lowes. I got a Bissell. The model I wanted and had researched online (and thought was in stock) wasn't when I got there. They double checked (because their scan showed it in stock too). I didn't want to spend anymore time on this vacuum situation, so I just got a different Bissell model. It wasn't as expensive as the one I wanted, but my other choice was to go to a vacuum (different brand) that was $100 more and that wasn't in the budget. I used my $50 Lowes gift card (that I got from the washing machine purchase) towards the total price, so with tax, I was $91 out of pocket with sales tax (our sales tax rate is almost 10%). I like the vacuum so far...has 3 features my old one didn't that I really like. The hose is already attached so when I need to use that I don't have to stop the machine and take off the hose and attach it, like I did with my old one. I also like the retractable cord! Push a button and it winds itself back in. It also has an attachment to use on upholstery and did quite a good job getting a lot of the cat hair off of the bar stool cushion our cat has claimed as his sleeping spot. Usually I take strips of packing tape (that I got free with coupons) to get all the hair off.

I am stocking up again on Beggin Strips dog treats at Target! 10 bags purchased Saturday that cost .12 each, not counting the $3 I spent purchasing the coupons on ebay. I still have enough coupons to get 18 more bags, which I will have to do this week, as the buy one get one free coupons expire on Sunday. I am combining buy one get one free coupons with $1 off coupons. I don't have as many $1 off coupons as the other coupons, but I do have a $1 off 2 and a $1 off 3, so I will pay a little more on those transactions.  The 6 oz. bags are $2.50 at Target, but when the cashiers scan the coupons through it takes off the full value of the coupon of $3.75 (I'm assuming Target gets this amount back, too). So, $5 for 2 bags, less $4.75 in coupons, less my 5% discount for using my Red debit card.  When I am done I will have 28 bags ($70 value) for a total cost of $7.40 (including cost of coupons). I am going to give some of them to my boss, who has a doggie and some to DD's friend, who volunteers at a dog shelter.  One of the coupon sellers also put in some extra buy one get one free coupons that say "Redeemable at Meijer". Do any of you coupon experts (Sluggy?) know if I can use these at any store? They look just like a mfg. coupon, not a store coupon. We don't have Meijer's in my area. I think I can use them, even though they say Meijer on them, but I'm not certain on that rule.

Our water well broke again yesterday, but the well owner seems to be doing better job now with responding quickly to it for repair. It was out for quite a few hours (right when DH had started laundry day, of course) and then she called last night that the repairman did a temporary fix and will come back out today to put in a permanent fix (so water will be off again for awhile).  At least she seems to have gotten the message that she has a responsibility to the water users and we cannot go for days without water just because she didn't manage the well money properly. She did up the rate to $20 per month at the beginning of the year and that was a smart move on her part too and we had no problem with that. Hopefully she is setting the extra money aside and will have it for repairs as needed. Usually they only come up every few years.