I am a crazy person and just booked a day trip to the airport in order to keep my airline status for another year (not the highest status, but still a status with bennies...if I fly...).

Did you hear the Judge John Hodgeman about a couple who did this (or, one half of the couple was super into gettting/maintaining airline status so he dragged his partner along on the same kind of crazy trips as yours)? Ever since hearing that we joke about maintaining status by "watching Archer in a hotel conference room" (something that couple did once)

We have not made any of those kinds of trips but did buy things we probably didn't really need to get points to push us over the edge for companion status on Southwest. Worth it, though. I'll fly free for a year every time we fly together on Southwest. (Like to Costa Rica in January)

I am a crazy person and just booked a day trip to the airport in order to keep my airline status for another year

meara, no you're not. I've done that before. Multiple times. If you can't find your guest pass, spring for a day pass. Yes, you're spending money, but it will be worth it.

We just got our passports and it was faster than expected. They came in 3 weeks and we just got back our very expired old ones that we had sent with the application for new ones.

even though the reforms are badly needed, these specific reforms are a mess and could lead to an Italian version of BREXIT

I've been following that a bit. It is indeed a mess but really unclear which direction the frustrated masses will go on it.

We have not made any of those kinds of trips but did buy things we probably didn't really need to get points to push us over the edge for companion status on Southwest. Worth it, though. I'll fly free for a year every time we fly together on Southwest. (Like to Costa Rica in January)

Oh wow, that's worth a lot!

If you can't find your guest pass, spring for a day pass. Yes, you're spending money, but it will be worth it.

Yeah, that's basically my plan.

push us over the edge for companion status on Southwest. Worth it, though. I'll fly free for a year every time we fly together on Southwest. (Like to Costa Rica in January)

Ooh, totally worth it!

I am a crazy person and just booked a day trip to the airport in order to keep my airline status for another year (not the highest status, but still a status with bennies...if I fly...). $125 to leave hella early, fly to LAX, spend all day at the airport working (at least, that's my plan--hoping I can find my guest pass to the lounge) and then fly home. But the only time it was cheap was on Tuesday or Wednesdays, otherwise I might've tried weekend in LA!

I went to St. Louis for lunch. This year I'm not close enough (sob).

I should probably change the rewards cards I have that give me airline miles since I hardly every fly. Or maybe fly more. I've never had any status that needed maintaining, though.

I didn't know about all that, Maria, good luck to Italy.

Dictionary.com announced their Word of the Year for 2016: Xenophobia. Wonder who what could have brought that on?

easy to do really unwise things on that drug because it makes you feel so good.

Like go swimming? Because if I feel this normal tomorrow after I take it when I get home, I just might. Because honestly, this is the most like myself I've felt in 3 days. (But also, flighty enough that no way can I work or drive on this shit. )