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A Storm and a story…..

 
Photo by Ben Prepelka,source

A few weeks ago we took our two girls on a road trip.  It was an excursion that we had been planning for months and we were so excited.  We planned out everything…the food, the clothes, the activities…and when the day came we were all set.

The van was packed, the girls were loaded and we set off for an adventure…and adventure we found.  We left before lunch and planned on reaching our destination before sundown but mother nature had other plans.

As we approached a long and winding canyon pass the sky began to darken and rain began to fall.  Throughout the canyon the storm became progressively worse but we continued on or way.  Slowing down and driving carefully through all the twists and turns.  Once we exited the canyon we breathed a sigh of relief…the worst was over we thought.  But little did we know.

The rain continued to pour and now as we headed out across a long stretch of desert highway we were in an incredible (and terrible) electrical storm.  Our girls were worried but we set them to the task of watching and counting the lighting strikes as we drove along.  But things went from bad to worse.  The rain, wind, and lighting suddenly concentrated and we could no longer see the sky, the landscape or even the road ahead.  The water was coming down in sheets, the highway was flooded, and as our pace slowed down to a crawl we could see out our side windows all the cars and trucks off the road on each side of us.

It was scary.  Everyone was silent.  The only sound was the thunder and the rain beating across our vehicle.  We didn’t know what to do.  All of our options seemed dangerous.  We decided to keep going at our slow pace and hope to find an exit soon and a refuge from the storm.

Finally we found an exit…as we pulled off the highway we could see the mud and water pouring down the off ramp and across the road.  The storm continued but we had found shelter and were safe.  We sat with our girls and watched the water run and the lightning strike.  We wouldn’t make it to our destination before sundown….our plans had changes but we were safe and together.

After the storm passed we again loaded our girls back into the van and started again on our journey.  As we left our little haven we were thankful to have had a safe place to shelter our precious cargo.  It wasn’t the journey we intended and we ended up arriving late…but it didn’t matter.

Lateness happens, life changes plans and that’s why Citi is partnering with us to share some time-tested strategies, including using the Citi Simplicity credit card, to help save dollars and daylight hours, and conquer lateness so people have more time to enjoy the things in life that really matter.

We had the opportunity to read about the Citi Simplicity card which is the only credit card with no late fees, no penalty rate or no annual fee. EVER! Citi Simplicity also offers money-saving features like Citi Price Rewind, and no liability on unauthorized charges.

And now Citi wants to know:  How do you conquer lateness?  Add your idea to the comment section and you will be entered for a chance to win!

Sweepstakes
The Conquering Lateness Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) is open to legal US Residents, age 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends 5pm (PST) on October 24, 2013. The Official Rules are available here. No purchase necessary.
 
Only two entries per participating blog per household; if the same or substantially similar comment (as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion) is posted twice, it may only count as one Entry. Eligible persons may enter this Promotion by taking any of the following actions, each of which counts as one entry:

1.     Leave a comment in response to the Promotion prompt on this post.
2.     Tweet (public message) about this Promotion, including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that Tweet in a comment on this post.
3.     Blog about this Promotion (including a disclosure that you have received a sweepstakes entry in exchange for blogging about this Promotion), and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
4.     To enter without commenting, follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt.

Be sure to visit the Citi brand page on BlogHer.com where you can learn more about conquering lateness!

 

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Comments

  2. Laura J. says

    I don’t conquer either. But I do try to remind myself that, one way or another, everything always works out in the end. There are very few situations in life where you are really, actually, honestly hurt by being late.

  4. Angie Henderson says

    It’s sometimes just impossible, with unexpected diaper changes, traffic jams, and other things to be on time. In general though, I have had to make it a priority for me and mine. If someone paid me $100 every morning to have my kids to school on time, you’d better believe we would never be late. It just has to matter enough. I’m forgiving when things get in the way, and just today I was late to an appointment I had been squeezed into anyway, but I knew that the lateness wasn’t because I was unprepared, just because life happened. I guess the best way for me is to conquer the things I can control, so I don’t have to face the guilt when I had no choice.

  5. kellyr78 says

    I conquer lateness by setting my phone’s alarm and keeping lists of everything I need to get done, so I don’t get distracted. I always give myself extra time when possible, in case I get delayed.
    kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

  7. Lisa Brown says

    Well, I am rarely late for anything. If I am, it is because of very bad traffic and not because I leave the house too late. Just have to make sure to leave plenty of time for driving.
    jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

  13. Janice says

    I always prepare my clothes the night before and set out anything additional- make-up pouch, tea cup, etc…I also use post-it notes to keep me organized.

  18. Emerson Lane Originals says

    I use my timer/alarm on my smart phone to keep me on task. That way I don’t get carried away or caught up in any one thing…I know when it’s time to move on, leave the house, meet for playgroup, leave the grocery store, etc. It definitely comes in handy!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!

  23. April G says

    I keep a schedule of events, and of course I try to watch the clock! I leave 10 minutes early anyway, because I know my kids will slow things down. 🙂

  26. Kerry says

    I always set a reminder on my phone to pay each bill that is due. I set it about a week ahead of the date suggested to mail on the bill. I have only been late once in all my years of having credit cards.
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

  27. susan1215 says

    I use my timer/alarm on my smart phone to keep me on task and remind me if I have an appointment. I also set my clocks ahead of time so I know I won’t be late.

    s2s2 at Comcast dot net

  29. ms-texas says

    i schedule my bill payments ahead of time using internet banking bill pay or automatic payments

    debbiebellows (at) gmail (dot) com

  32. Amy says

    I conquer lateness by utilizing my calender and email. I set multiple reminder for myself to make sure I pay bills on time. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips and the wonderful features of the Citi card! I need one for sure.

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  36. Zafarani says

    I always keep a bag ready of everything we need in it, and we have a calendar hung up on the wall that has everything written on it. I have a separate one for all of my sewing stuff, pattern tests deadlines, blog stuff. lol And my dayplanner! I have calendars everywhere!

  39. Anne says

    I hate to be late and in fact, it causes me a bit if anxiety. So my goal is to never be late (and anxiety free). If I have things to bring along to my destination, I get them together early, including making a list of what I need. I always leave for a destination early and build in extra time for things I can’t predict, like traffic. Often, this means I have extra time at my destination, which is fine (and preferred) by me. I bring along a book and enjoy the quiet time to read. My mother is the exact same as me so when we are meeting up, the process of leaving early gives us some extra time to enjoy each others company.
    (majesticjenkinsATgmailDOTcom)

  40. Terra Sews says

    One way is by having my daughter pick out her clothes the night before. Sometimes it takes her about 15 minutes just to choose an outfit, so that really sets us back if she does that on a rushed morning! mama.says.sew1 at gmail dot com

  41. Nicole Larsen says

    I put reminders on my phone one and two days ahead of time for events. I also leave the house 10 mins earlier than I should leave so that way in case I hit traffic or something comes up i’m still on time or early. My dad taught me it was always better to be early than late or on time!

    pittsy82@hotmail.com

  54. Robin Wilson says

    I am a huge list maker, they help keep me on track and on time. I also set alarms and reminders on my cell phone to help keep me on time.

    zuzu.wilson(at)yahoo(dot)com

  58. Emily N. says

    I try to have a regular routine for recurring tasks so I’m consistent on when I pay things, when I leave the house, etc. so I’m not late.

  60. ape2016 says

    I conquer lateness by marking the appointment time on my calendar as 15 minutes earlier than the appointment and then I always give myself 15 minutes extra drive time. Basically, I arrive everywhere about 20 minutes early instead of 10 minutes late.

  61. Betty C says

    I hate being late. My solution is to be early for everything. I’m usually 20 to 30 minutes early so I use that time to catch up on my reading or to do a little knitting or crocheting.

    willitara [at] gmail [dot] com

  67. Carolina Dhabolt - One Tech-loving mom. says

    With my boys’ birthdays this fall and everything else I am trying to kee up. I like setting up alerts and reminders on my phone to conquer lateness. I also like to write everything down on my monthly calendar in my kitchen so that I’m often reminded because I have such a terrible memory. I also like to get my husband’s lunch and clothes, same with my kids’, ready the night before so that we are not late in the mornings.

  68. Carolina Dhabolt - One Tech-loving mom. says

    With my boys’ birthdays this fall and everything else I am trying to kee up. I like setting up alerts and reminders on my phone to conquer lateness. I also like to write everything down on my monthly calendar in my kitchen so that I’m often reminded because I have such a terrible memory. I also like to get my husband’s lunch and clothes, same with my kids’, ready the night before so that we are not late in the mornings.

  71. angie lilly says

    I don’t do this anymore, but I used to set my husbands clocks/watches 5 minutes fast. Isn’t that horrible? But it worked! We always had that 5 minute cushion and that was often all we needed to arrive on time! I don’t have to do that anymore, as he has gotten much better at being on time over the years. LOL
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

  73. Evelyn D. says

    I use alarm clocks and wake up at least an hour and half early. I just hurry so I can have time after I finish doing all i need to do
    shopgurl101 at gmail dot com