6/19 Expressions

Happy Father's Day edition.  My daughter made pancakes and oven baked potatoes for her dad.  Last night at the Charity auction - we "won" an acoustic guitar, gift certificate for pet lodging, and a custom-made cake.  The food was wonderful.  We will be going tomorrow night to our town's Festival/Charity event.  This one was a bit more difficult.  I purchased my ticket on-line.  Tried to buy my daughter's - just registered her - but would not pop the payment screen up.  So, I hope I can pay at the door for her.  The pet gift certificate is great - it is to the same one that we "won" a gift certificate to at another Charity.  When we go on vacation later this summer, we plan to let her stay there.  We are hoping they will let us combine the gift certificates so the dog can stay in the luxury room :) the entire time.  For less than the vet, more than staying with grandpa, she can have a great time too :)  We also discussed the economic and social effects of paying for luggage check-in on airlines.  We paid to check one bag on our last trip - to be honest - it wasn't worth the $50 - $25 up and $25 back.  For $50, we could have purchased something we really enjoyed.  Also, we have noticed most people don't check their luggage - so, storage space is tight because people are taking the biggest piece they can get on.  So, we are going to check the luggage check-in policy of our next airline and hope that the first piece is free - if not, we will not be checking in luggage.  Also, seems the price of luggage is dropping.  We even put a piece out in the "free" pile when my daughter had her yard sale - no one took it.  Also, I am starting to see people use luggage for something other than its original intent to "recycle" it.  I saw a piece of hard sided luggage used as a plant holder/container garden.  I also wonder if more people are taking advantage of those offers in hotel bathrooms - "if you forgot a toiletry - stop by the front desk" - and also, I wonder if more people are washing their clothes and hanging them up in the hotel bathroom?  I have noticed that there are more travel trial sizes available - and the prices aren't all that economical.  Just our thoughts on charging for luggage - which is a great deal for the airlines, trial sized products - but probably a bust for the luggage industry and the lost luggage (Unclaimed baggage) industry?