Did You Hear About How I Could Not Use My Frequent Flier Miles?

I just called to try to use my frequent flier miles for a trip in August. I was told that all the award seats are booked, so I cannot use them even though I was willing to move the date of my trip up to two weeks either side of my preferred dates. It is the first time I have tried to use my miles, now over 80,000. I am wondering what is the point of having the miles if they cannot be used!

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Did You Hear About How I Graduated With Honors?

Following his return to college after dropping out for seven years, Archie Brown became a good student. His company would reimburse one hundred per cent if he made A’s in his course work, so Archie did not see any reason to let his grades drop. The fact that those grades replaced the F’s he had received for goofing off in his first experience at college allowed him to graduate with honors. He had learned much, and some of it was not taught in a class room!

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Did You Hear About How My Grades Improved When I Returned To School?

After laying out of college for seven years; following his embarrassment at scholastic ineligibility, Archie Brown found he wanted to get an education. He was offered the opportunity by his employer to get an Associate Degree in Laboratory Science. He found an unexpected benefit of taking some of the basics required for the degree was that the new grades, A’s, replaced those grades he had in the courses when he was 18. The F’s disappeared from his transcript!

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Did You Hear About My Plan To Get A Degree?

When Archie Brown proposed to his boss that he would like to work toward an Associate Degree in Laboratory Science that was offered by the local junior college, and for the company to continue to pay his tuition as they had for the chemistry courses he had completed. To his joy, the company agreed.

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Did You Hear About How My Attitude Toward School Changed?

When Archie Brown decided to go back to school, after dropping out seven years earlier, his whole attitude changed. The company for which he worked would pay for his tuition, based on his grades. If he made A’s in the courses they would pay one hundred percent! For B’s he would receive eighty percent reimbursement, and only fifty percent for C’s. But Archie found that those incentives were not the only motives for making good grades. He was not a student, the wanted to learn. He did not simply want to go to school, he wanted to be get educated!

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Did You Hear About My Decision To Go Back To School 7 Years Later?

The decision to go back to school was not an easy one for Archie Brown, even though he had been told by his boss that he could get raises as he completed courses in science that would improve his abilities in the lab where he was employed. The problem for Archie was that he had really messed up his grades as an 18 year old freshman. He was embarrassed, afraid he would not be accepted into the junior college in town. But Arch had matured a bit by the time he was 25, and after some soul searching, he swallowed his pride and submitted the papers required for admission, including the transcript that showed his overall GPA was now 0.63!

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Did You Hear About How I Had a Chance to Improve My Job?

When he was 25 Archie Brown had a job in a lab at a chemical plant. He like the work and was good at it. It looked like he might be able to advance his position. One draw back was his limited education. He had frittered away his first year at college. He thought he would never go back. But his boss told Arch that the company would increase his pay if he took some courses in chemistry or science. And they would pay for the school on a prorated basis, depending on his grades.

Archie had some things to think about.

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Did You Hear About How I Did Not Care About Bad Grades?

When Archie Brown was 18 years old, he did not care that his irresponsibility had led to his grades being so bad. His first semester grade point average was 1.57 and cost him his eligibility to play baseball in the NCAA. His second semester he did not attend classes for the last six weeks of the semester, nor take any finals, so he received five F’s and a B. The B was in Physical Education and it was a gift from the graduate assistant who was in charge of the class.

Archie did not care at 18, but there was a bit of a change of heart when he was 25!

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Did You Hear About How My Second Semester Ended?

After Archie and Ronda were married, she continued to attend class and finished the semester. But Archie was to immature to swallow his pride and go rectify his situation; opening the door again to play ball for the school in a future season. Instead he took a menial job and joined a local semi-pro team. He did not finish the semester; he did not care about the report card that indicated his grades were incomplete. He did not care when they turned to F’s three months.

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Did You Hear About My Marriage Proposal?

It was not so much that Archie thought about the decision not to go back to class after he was declared academically ineligible to play baseball. He was just angry. In his exasperation, he called the girl he was dating. He asked her to marry him, to leave the next day and go to the courthouse in the county seat and be married. To his surprise, Ronda said yes!

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Did You Hear About My Decision Not to Finish the Second Semester?

Archie Brown had really made a mess of his grades in his first semester of college. His 1.57 grade point average left him academically ineligible to play baseball, according to NCAA rules. And he compounded the mess when he decided not to attend classes for the last six weeks of the semester. He was angry, and besides, he had other plans.

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Did You Hear About My Reaction To Academic Ineligibility?

When Archie Brown learned that he was ineligible to play baseball under NCAA rules, because his grades were so poor, he got angry. But he did not get angry at the one responsible for the situation. He was mad at the school, the coach, everyone but himself. He soon compounded his blunders.

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Did You Hear About My Starting Job on College Baseball Team?

Archie Brown was a pretty good ball player. He had a good fall season in his freshman year. He believed he had a good chance to win a starting job at third base in the spring semester.

His spring work on the diamond was even better. On the last Saturday before the season was to begin, the team played an exhibition double header against a Southwest Conference school. Archie started at third in both games. He was elated, until the team arrived home that night. The eligibility list was up, and Archie’s name was not on it!

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Did You Hear About My First Semester at College?

Archie Brown turned 18 about two weeks before he left home for college four hundred miles from home. He had led something of a sheltered life. When he arrived at school, away from the constant accountability to his parents, he was less than responsible about being a good student.

In fact Archie was all about having some fun. He played ball in the afternoon, dated in the evening and played poker most of the night. That left little time to sleep. He decided the best time for a bit of shut eye was during class time. At the end of the first semester, his grade demonstrated Archie had played too hard. His grade point average was 1.57 in a 4 point grading system.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Hot Air Balloon Plans?

The plans for the mutual anniversary celebration by Archie & Ronda Brown and Larry & Barbara Searcy included an ride in a hot air balloon! Archie had found a place outside of Houston that offered rides for four people for $100 per person. It was more than they really wanted to pay, but the idea of sharing the adventure won out and the reservation was made. Sadly, Larry had a heart attack and was in the hospital for surgery a week before the flight was to take place. The balloonist was considerate in canceling the reservation and refunding the deposit. But the balloon ride never took place.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Dinner Cruise?

For another mutual anniversary celebration Archie and Ronda Brown met Larry and Barbara Searcy in Galveston for a dinner cruise on the bay! The boat ride lasted around four hours. That allowed the couples plenty of time to enjoy a fabulous seafood meal, the musical entertainment provided for the guests, and still have time to stroll on the deck under the spring time moon!

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Did You Hear About The Time My Daughter Called About Naming Her New Baby

Archie Brown’s daughter called to announce her pregnancy. She wanted her mom and dad to have a say in the name of their next grand baby. Archie searched online for the meaning of the names before submitting them for Beth's consideration. He and his wife, Ronda, had selected names that sounded nice to them, without considering what the names meant. Archie was able to discover that his name means “athletic”. He called Andy back to give him the information.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Train Ride?

One of the first mutual anniversary adventures the Browns and Searcys embarked on, following the Searcys’ move to the country, was a train ride. A train made a dinner excursion out of San Antonio. The Browns and Searcys met in San Antone and boarded the train. They were shown to a compartment for four. It had a table set with elegant china and silver, with a yellow rose in a silver vase at each of the ladies’ place. There was a small stair case up to an observation deck where the couples could sit and enjoy a view and some conversation till dinner was served. The train made its way to Hondo station, and then headed back to San Antonio. The meal was great and the trip was wonderful.

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Did You Hear About Our Mutual Anniversary Friends Moving Away?

Archie and Ronda Brown shared many anniversary celebrations with Larry and Barbara Searcy over at least two decades. It was not always as easy as the first one when they were neighbors, because The Searcys moved away to the countryside near Gonzalez, Texas, which was several hours drive away from the Browns. But they enjoyed each other and the adventures they embarked on so much that they always worked out a way to meet.

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Did You Hear About My Friend's Discomfort At The Elegant Restaurant?

Everything was going so beautifully on the double date by Larry and Barbara Searcy and Archie and Ronda Brown in celebration of their respective anniversaries. The restaurant was elegant and service was very accommodating. It was so good that Larry had never seen anything like the moment the waiter unfolded Larry’s linen napkin and placed it on Larry’s lap. That was a bit uncomfortable for a farm boy.

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