We're really not beating around the bush here. We could sing it, or do a little dance, but the bottom line is this: your Zipcar should be nestled snug in its spot when your reservation is over. Starting soon, not returning your Zipcar when you say you will could put your membership in jeopardy. (And no one wants to have a carload of presents to haul and no Zipcar to haul them in.)

The good news is that you now have an online snapshot of your recent reservations. Check to see when you've been on time (thank you), and when you've been late. View your reservations here.

And don't forget about text alerts, the easiest way to know when it's time to head back or whether or not you can extend your reservation. Learn more and sign up here.

No matter what, always call Member Services at 866.494.7227 if you're going to be late. It gives us the opportunity to make other arrangements for the next member.

We're sprucing up zipcar.com! As we grow, car sharing becomes available to more and more people. When new people come to our site, we want to make sure that they feel welcome. We also want to be sure they're getting the best information and a feel for who we are.

As it turns out, who we are is you. It sounds really deep, but all we mean is that the Zipcar community is made up of real people who use Zipcars to do real things. If you've got a story or photo to share, we'd love for you to do just that. We'd like to do more than tell people about the benefits of Zipcar; we'd like to show them. (Or rather, we'd like for you to show them.) Send your stuff (in .gif or .jpg format) to share@zipcar.com and we'll send you some driving credit if we use it on our website.

You'll soon see that the member website is also getting a little makeover. Don't worry, everything (i.e. making a reservation, checking your invoice, etc.) will still work exactly the same way. We're just doing this to create a more consistent experience across the site as a whole. Very soon we'll be reaching out for your ideas on how we can continue to make things better. If you have something you want to tell us now, just email share@zipcar.com.

Stay tuned for next month's newsletter where we're planning to give you a sneak preview of the website before anyone else (shhhhhh...).

Say what? Gotanother. If you've "got another" family member or housemate who mooches rides in your Zipcar, you should know that it's a cinch to add people to your household account. Send them here to begin the application process. We'll walk them through it.

When it's that easy to add new peeps to your account, there is no reason for anyone but you to ever be using your Zipcard or driving your Zipcar. Think of it like a sacred experience that should only be shared between you and your chosen Zipcars. Break the covenant and you could lose your membership forever. Not worth it for a mooch!

Important note: adding someone to your account means liking them enough to be responsible for THEIR charges on YOUR credit card bill. If you don't like them that much, you can always refer them instead and earn some driving credit.

• Franklin Center Garage—Prius Pritzger
• 835 S. Wabash—Mazda 3 Montauk, Versa Vandercook

après-ski anyone?

Time to dust off your boots and poles. The snow is already flying for the 2008/2009 ski season.  Zipcar has partnered with Ski Vermont to give all our ski bum Zipsters savings on the slopes of Vermont this season.  Vermont's ski resorts boast 4,000 acres of terrain served by more than 600 miles of snowmaking pipes and guns — that's enough capacity to fill Soldier Field with more than 40 feet of snow in one hour. The only problem you'll have is deciding which resort to go to. You can find all the updated deals for Zipsters here (we'll be updating these throughout the season).  For opening dates and up-to-date resort information and conditions, check out http://www.skivermont.com.