Free Megabus tickets from Detroit to Chicago

The Detroit News is reporting that Megabus.com is currently offering free tickets from Detroit to Chicago. The dates these free tickets are available is Jan. 17 through March 20 of next year. You can reserve your seats today for a $.50 fee. According to the Detroit News:

The promotional seats are limited to two per booking and must be booked at least four weeks in advance.

I previously wrote about Megabus back in April of this year when they were launching this new bus service. Has anyone tried this service out and have any comments on it?

Michigan gas prices are rising

The temperatures are falling and gas prices are rising. Just in time for Christmas - the highest Michigan gas prices since early September (Sept. prices hovered around $2.45 per gallon). Today's average price of gas across Michigan is $2.322. We have only inched up about $.08 from the average one month ago of $2.246. However, one year ago at this time we were only paying $2.10 per gallon. Remember that was in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

I think we are getting the Big Oil/OPEC squeeze.

Gas price data courtesy of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.

Why we ship most gift baskets via Priority Mail

Priority Mail is our shipping service of choice for a couple of reasons. Number one, your baskets will get to your destination within 3 Days (if ordered by 1pm EST for Same Day Shipping) of ordering. Number two, except for two or three of our heavier and larger baskets - it's just plain cheaper than UPS and the like (not to mention faster). Oh, one more bonus over UPS (who until the last year or so we exclusively used) - the USPS offers free pickup (UPS has a surcharge or you pay for daily pickups - either way, you pay) for Priority Mail. Not to mention all of the free supplies the USPS offers in order to get our gift baskets shipped properly.

View our 2006 Christmas Shipping Calendar - it's the deadlines so you know how late you can order your Christmas gift baskets and still have them get to their destinations in time for Christmas.

Did you know you can place your Christmas gift basket orders now and we will hold them for shipment on December 18th? We guarantee delivery just before Christmas! Just choose "Ship December 18th" during the checkout process when you are filling out the billing and shipping information.

View Christmas light displays around the world at Bronner's website

Visit Bronner's Christmas Wonderland website for a cool Google map that shows different light displays at individual houses around the world. Titled, "Christmas Lights in Your Neighborhood," the interactive map allows you to zoom in on individual light displays by clicking on star icons across the map. I initially thought that the map only encompassed North America, but a there are a few listings from England as well at the time of this post. You can post your own house display or a favorite in your area. You just need an address and a photo (of course ;) ).

There are not very many houses from Michigan just yet. I'll have see about posting a couple of the better displays that are around here.

Check it out at Christmas.Bronners.com.

Watch the trailer for 'It's A Wonderful Life'

[EDIT] - this post is from 2006 and the video mentioned below no longer works. A short video of the trailer is included instead. This is one of my favorite Christmas movies (I'll have to make a top ten list of my favorites sometime) and not a year goes by that I don't watch it. Of course I have it on DVD so I can watch it whenever I like and away from the computer. Pop some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Don't have high-speed internet? Here is the trailer for the film (1 min 46 sec.) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXsu5XArEUw

Mild Michigan weather is going to blow out of here by the weekend

We had measurable snowfall in October. November was rainy and downright balmy. December is lurking just around the corner and with it some winter weather. The Mining Journal showed a picture of a man surfing (yes surfing) yesterday in Lake Superior near Marquette. Alas, all of this is simply a mirage for those of us familiar with Michigan weather. You know there is that saying that only in Michigan will you have to run the air conditioner and furnace in the course of one day.

Over here on the western side of the state they are calling for a 70% chance of snow on Friday and temperatures in the 30s with more chances of snow over the weekend.

I need to wrap up one last outdoor project on the house today before the weather turns. This will most likely be the last warm day we'll see for a long while. Better enjoy it!