new small things

27 Mar 2007 at 11:37 pm

It’s beginning to become uncomfortably warm upstairs. It went from cold to the high 70s in less than two weeks it seems, which is a little ridiculous. The heating and air system here doesn’t really do either very well, so it might be a warm summer, my first back in the south in three years.

The heat reminded me of a tomato consommé we made my first year at NECI. Chef Dina served it chilled in shooter glasses with diced heirloom tomatoes. It was cold and refreshing. I’m thinking about making it this summer when tomatoes are in season, if only for an excuse to make a consommé.

Katie and I are looking for savory treats to keep around: we’re tired of having nothing but sweets, so we picked up some fresh-ground peanut butter and some crackers as a start. I picked up some whole milk Stonyfield yogurt, which I’ve decided is absolutely delicious. I remember trying Stonyfield years ago but not liking it. I don’t know if my tastes have changed or I just prefer the whole milk varieties to the skim milk ones.

While that’s exciting, it doesn’t hold a candle to the most exciting thing for me right now: my new American Express card. I’m actually disturbed with how excited I am over it. For years now, I’ve had one credit card, and over those years, I’ve thrown away hundreds of card offers in the mail.

I never felt as though I needed a second card, and quite frankly, I never fully understood American Express cards. I mean, what’s the point of having a card you have to pay off at the end of the month? Why not just use a debit card?

That’s the line of reasoning I had until I received four unique offers from AMEX in a single week. I started to investigate them, and I realized that AMEX’s cards are geared toward travel, dining, shopping, and a general life of financial privilege. There are marked benefits for being a cardmember, and since I’ve been thinking about my financial future, I decided to take them up on their offer.

An interesting side note: in my research, I discovered there’s a technical difference between a charge card and a credit card. Although AMEX is best known for their charge cards—cards that must be paid in full at the end of the month—they offer plenty of credit cards, cards that are designed to carry a balance over time.

The most demented part is I want to spend money with it. It’s a shiny, new toy I want to use as much as possible. I can’t say why. It’s not like I received any money or credit. I have the exact same resources I did last week; I just have a new way to access them.

I’m hoping the rewards and benefits justify the annual fee. I have no fear it will pay for itself in years to come; it just might take a little time to work up to that point.