Confessions of a Non-Shopper

 

   I’ll confess:  I went Black Friday shopping once, many, many years ago, and I can’t say I have any desire to ever do it again.

  And, though I will almost surely do the vast majority of my shopping online, the only thing I purchased today was a pair of exercise pants for myself.  (Don’t judge; these things are expensive, and they were 40% off!)

  I think maybe it’s another of those sneaky little signs of growing old, that I no longer have any sense of fun and excitement when it comes to the actual execution of the holiday shopping.  I just want to find nice gifts, and do it without a bunch hassles—no crowds, no slow page loads.  That might make me something of an old grouch, but I think maybe I can live with that. 

Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fun with Amazon

 

So, the other day, there were a couple of books Brian wanted to order from Amazon.  I’m the online shopper of the family, so he always sends me his wish lists and I go in and place the order.  Sometimes I can be strong and not buy anything for myself while I’m there, but often times I find something that strikes my fancy. 

Currently I’m wanting to purchase some sort of kitty condo type thing to put out on my porch for our cats.  As I’ve likely mentioned, our cats are barely a step away from being feral, but I still count them as my pets.  Or my friends, as I usually call them.  Still, the condos I liked were sort of expensive for something to buy on a whim, so I put that thought aside for a while.

Then I decided to browse around and see what Stephen King might have to offer these days.  I mean, it’s been at least a year—and maybe two—since I read 11/22/63, and since I’m pretty sure he puts out a book in about the time it takes me to need a haircut, so I figured surely there was something interesting to find.  And I was right; I selected something called Doctor Sleep, which seems to be a follow up of sorts to The Shining.  Should be interesting.

But, I’m actually more excited about finally picking up a copy of On Writing.  Part autobiography, part how-to guide, I’ve read excerpts from this book over the years and never failed to be just a little bit inspired.  Seriously, the man is prolific, and perennially successful, so, yeah, I’m interested in the tidbits he has to offer about the craft.  I’m very excited for it to arrive.

Oh, and I also picked up a copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.  I am not nearly so excited about that, but my Little, Brown guide is hopelessly our of date and my capstone professor says Strunk and White is the official reference for the paralegal certification exam, so I guess it’s important. 

And, that’s how it goes.  I drop by Amazon to pick up two books for Brian and end up leaving with another three for myself.  And I still don’t have that kitty condo.

How’s your willpower when you visit Amazon?

A Note to A&E

 

   Only a few short months ago, I was telling you about The Glades and how much I enjoy it as perfect summertime viewing.  And only a few months before that, I mentioned that I’m not typically a fan of a season-ending cliffhanger.

  But over the weekend, I had a chance to get caught up on some of my DVR stockpile, including the last month or so of The Glades that I hadn’t yet seen, including the season finale.  And I have to say, though it ended with a cliffhanger, I didn’t get that normal feeling of annoyance that usually comes along, because I was totally unprepared for the cliffhanger we got.  Seriously, I gasped.  Now, let’s be honest: it was a season finale and the main characters were getting married; anyone who really thought everything would go off without a hitch hasn’t been watching enough television.  I know the score.  There was going to be trouble in paradise, and we were destined not to see a blushing bride walk down the aisle just yet.  But, the trouble I envisioned most certainly was not the trouble we got.  I was impressed.  As much as I truly love TV, it doesn’t surprise me much, so when it does, I hold those moments in a special place in my heart.   I’ll even forgive the cliffhanger; it was that good.

But I quit singing their praises today when I found out that A&E has cancelled the program.  WHAT?  First of all, I thought the show was getting pretty solid ratings.  I mean, not like blockbuster numbers or anything, but I thought it held its own.  Besides, it’s a really good show.  And have you looked at some of the other stuff that’s available on the network?  Trust me, The Glades really shines. 

But even if you’re not going to renew a show for a full season, and even if you can’t make that decision before airing a such a non-resolved episode, as a  network, you still have a responsibility to get your fans what they want.  And, in this case, what the fans want is not to leave poor Jim in his current predicament for all of eternity; we want at least a conclusion.  In a perfect world, A&E would change their mind and the show would come back for season five, but at the very least, they need to authorize a movie or a few episodes or something, that not only resolves the cliffhanger, but adequately wraps up the show as a whole. 

And I’m not alone; browse around the web and you’ll see that there a quite a few folks who are equally disappointed/frustrated/shocked that A&E would cancel a show on such a note.  There’s even been a petition started to bring it back to the air.  I don’t sign a lot of internet petitions, but I signed this one.   As spectacular as that cliffhanger was, it certainly is not the way I want to remember the show; I do not want to be left wondering.  Please, A&E, do the right thing.

Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes

 

  Maybe it’s because I’ve never been much of a girly girl.  Or because I don’t think  buying a pair of shoes should be like paying off the national debt of a small country.  Or maybe just because I’m old and cantankerous.  Whatever the reason, I don’t like shoe shopping.

  There, I said it.  Alert the fashion police and I’ll go quietly.

Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Maybe the real problem is not so much that I don’t like shoe shopping as it is that I just don’t particularly like shoes.  So many of them are less than attractive and absolutely uncomfortable.  I’d live in sneakers, if it was up to me.

So it was with this frame of reference that I came upon a sponsored post on Facebook.  (You know those things, right?  They’re the advertisements you see while scrolling through your newsfeed.)  Anyway, it was a post for tieks, “luxurious ballet flats”.  As the name implies, they were simple, flexible flats, which is definitely my kind of footwear.  And, they came in a whole palette of colors, which is handy.  If shoes really are comfortable, I’d like to have several pair and maybe minimize the shopping ordeal next time around.  So score one for the marketing team:  I clicked the link. 

I should’ve known I was in trouble when the shopping area of the website was called a “boutiek”, but I kept browsing.  The shoes did look mighty comfortable, and the choice of color was astounding.  To be so promising this far along in the process, I was starting to get a little bit excited.  I’m currently in need of some navy shoes, so I decided to take a look, and this pair seemed perfect.  Right up until the $165 price tag. 

What?  Almost two hundred bucks?  For shoes?  I don’t spend that much on my sneakers, and as I said, I could live in them.   Ridiculous.  And, yes, I’m well aware that there are plenty of shoes with much higher price tags than that, but that’s just exponentially more ridiculous.  And besides, none of those really high-end options have shown up in my Facebook feed trying to pass themselves off as comfortable footwear for daily wear. 

I don’t know how this pricing trend got started, but I’m pretty sure that no matter how luxurious these particular flats are, they can’t be worth that kind of money.  Of course, the problem is that you can’t not have shoes, and I think the shoemakers are well aware of that, so they’ve begun a “whatever the market will bear” type of attitude.  Again, ridiculous. 

Instead of some sort of sticker shock reaction, I’d much rather this post be about successfully finding—and enjoying—a new pair of navy flats.  Maybe even a review of a new shoe, and how it compares to others in its category.  But the truth is, those tieks were the best ones I’ve run across as yet, so instead, all I can do is tell you that my search continues.  And in the meantime, the tieks ad is still showing up in my newsfeed, and my subconscious just keeps trying to come up with reasons a shoe is worth $165.  But I don’t think the marketing folks are going to win this one. 

Have I mentioned that I really don’t like shoe shopping?

 

 

A Day in Search of a Theme

 

First, a little blog business:  it’s time to put Snapshot Sunday to rest, at least for a while.  I seem to have lost my photographic mojo for the moment, and there’s just no sense trying to force these things.  Interestingly, Brian and I were talking just this evening about finding a photography class at the vo-tech or someplace, somewhere I could learn some actual skills to go along with my interest.  It’s certainly not anything I’m giving up on completely.  But for now, it doesn’t need to hold a regular place here on the blog.  Doesn’t mean pictures might not pop up from time to time, but it’ll be sporadic, as the spirit moves me.

  In the meantime, Sunday is in search of a topic.  I’ve grown sort of fond of the idea of theme days here, and I’d like to find one for Sunday.  If not, goodness knows I can ramble on about something, but a little direction can never be a bad thing. 

So, if anyone has any grand ideas, this would be an excellent time to share them.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For today, though, let me tell you about a little incident that had me shaking my head . . .

Since I’ve been working, I’ve been relying pretty heavily on the slow cooker for dinner time, because who wants to walk in the door at sixish and start preparing a meal?  Especially given that Brian goes to bed at nine, that wouldn’t give us a very large window of opportunity for eating.  Anyway, the problem is, my cooker is just a plain old fashioned one, not one of those newfangled programmable ones, which means the food cooks from the time I put it on at roughly 7:00am until Brian gets home at about 5:00pm and turns it to warm for another hour or so until I get home.  As you might imagine, ten hours is a long time for food to cook, and some of it hasn’t fared so well from the extra time.  (As an aside, chicken was the worst; that stuff dries out fast.)

So, I finally went today to buy one that switches automatically to a warming setting to see if that could make a difference in the palatability of our meals.  I spent quite a long time in the small appliances section, trying to decide just which one I wanted.  In fact, I spent enough time there that I also decided to pick up a breakfast sandwich maker, even though I didn’t know such a thing existed.  I’ll be trying that puppy out tomorrow morning.  But I digress.

After looking over the slow cookers for longer than strictly necessary, and browsing the rest of the store just for fun, I selected a nice six quart Crock-Pot model and carted it and my new sandwich maker up to the register.  Then I tossed my purchases into the trunk of my car and went about the rest of my errands for the day.

Hours later when I returned home, Brian was actually the first one to open up the box, and he stuck his head out into the garage (I was still carrying in some other purchases; it was tax-free weekend here and I needed some shoes!) and said “there’s no crock pot in that box.”  Well, Brian has been known to be a prankster, so I just figured he was being silly and went about my business.  When he repeated himself firmly, I realized he wasn’t joking around, so I went into the kitchen to see what he was talking about.  This is what was in my Crock-Pot box:

 

Oh, and there was also a set of bowls and a strainer in there, but Brian had been digging through the stuff and had some of it sitting out when I took this picture. 

Anyway, about half of the stuff was brand new, the rest various stages of used, but none of these things are going to slow cook my roast.  If I can paraphrase Colonel Sherman T. Potter, I ordered a Crock-Pot and got a box of kitchen gadgets; both highly useful items, but hardly interchangeable. 

The chain of events leading to this seems very clear cut to me, and here’s how I think it played out:  Someone got a slow cooker for a wedding gift, which they wanted to keep.  They also got a bunch of kitchen gadgets that they were not so fond of.  Deciding they could keep the cooker, get rid of the unwanted gadgets (and some other random crap already lying around their kitchen), and even make a few bucks on the deal, they took the Crock Pot from its box, stuffed it full of various gadgetry to reach the appropriate heft, and then packaged it all back up nice and neat.  Then they took it to the unsuspecting store and returned it.  Likely for store credit, but you never know, someone might’ve given them a gift receipt just in case they got two Crock Pots, so they might’ve even gotten a free sixty bucks out of the deal.  All of this definitely causes me to shake my head. 

It didn’t have to happen just that way, of course.  There might not be some soon-to-be-wed couple starting their life together by trying to turn a profit on the gifts of well-meaning friends and family.  But however that box of stuff ended up in my kitchen, it wasn’t accidental.  Someone got a free slow cooker out of the deal in some way, shape, or form, meaning the store is out the cost of the item (because they have agreed to replace it) and the inconvenience of an extra trip to the store for us.  Seriously, what’s with people?  If it truly was a wedding gift scam, do you really want that sort of negative energy hanging over your new life?  And even if it wasn’t, could you ever really enjoy a meal that came from that cooker, knowing you’d stolen it?

Typically, when people steal, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and think that there’s some set of circumstances that made it almost a necessity; I try to think that they must have needed the item more than the rightful owner.  And maybe that’s the case here, but this just seems so deliberate and deceitful, that I’m having a hard time cutting the thief too much slack. 

Still, I don’t wish them a lot of ill will; it is only a slow cooker, after all.  But I do hope their chicken turns out dry.

Five Questions and One Confession

 

I spent a few hours out and about this afternoon, trying to get some Christmas shopping done, along with some errands.  I got about half of the things done that I intended.  The one thing I forget every year is how you cannot do anything quickly this time of year.  There’s too much traffic, and too many people in every store you set foot into.  Lines, lines, lines.  And then you’ve got people with absolutely no sense of the frustration they’re causing for others.  The lady in the toy store who wanted to use coupons from the flyer but had no idea if she’d actually purchased anything that qualified, so she’s standing there, flipping pages and comparing items, while the cashier tries to do what he can to help and everyone else just waits.  Or the lady picking up her layaway gift items who—for reasons I will never understand—brought the gift recipients along for the ride, so had to have the cashier dig around for a box to put them in so they could stay hidden as she carried them out to the car.  Or, the most annoying of all, the cashier who didn’t say a single word to me until he handed me my receipt, and then it was a mumbled and insincere, “have a nice day”.  It’s no wonder some people turn into such Scrooges during December.

But, enough of that.  Let’s check in for this week’s questions from Mama M and see what’s going on.

1. How many times have you moved and do you have any tips?

Well, I know I moved at least a few times in my pre-memory days, but I’m not sure that counts.  So, starting during my childhood, but since I can actually recall, six times. (But all in the same town.)  My best advice?  Find a place you want to stay the first time.

2. Do you have a budget for the holidays, or just keep sliding the credit card and have a heart attack in Jan?

Not exactly a budget, but I try to have a rough idea of how much I think I’ll spend on each person.  I don’t usually stick to it very closely, but I try.

3. What is the one medical thing you avoid like the plague?

Nothing, really, though like most people, there are a lot of things I’d rather be doing than seeing any medical professional.  I’ve been needing to see my GYN for a while, but I have been putting that off to just sort of lump it together with my annual visit.  Mostly it’s just because it’s inconvenient to make multiple visits, but, really, why see that guy any more than you have to?

4. What your least favorite Christmas song?

Funny you should ask, as I was thinking just today that there’s probably a special circle of Hell for folks like me who dislike some of the classics.  In truth, I love Christmas music, but it wouldn’t break my heart if I never heard Silent Night again, and I can’t get to the button fast enough when The Christmas Song comes on.  Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have admitted that.  I feel the flames already.

5. This Christmas are you spending more, less or about the same? Why?

Definitely less, though probably not as much less as I should be.  We’re a single income household this year, so I have to be a little more frugal.  And, I also started my shopping a little earlier than I normally do (it’s really not possible to start much later than I normally do), so that I could spread out the expenses a bit.

 

And that, as they say, is that.  Have a good weekend, and try not to let the Scrooges get you down.

And Now a Word From Our Sponsors

I have a confession to make:  I don’t hate commercials.  In fact, I really like a lot of them.  Not all of them, of course.  Screaming car salesmen?  Yuck.  Ads with loud, obnoxious music, lots of flashing images, and you’re not even sure what’s being advertise?  Nope.  Trendy, seductive fragrance commercials?  Not so much.  All of those things leave me cold. 

But, give me an ad that makes me feel good, has a peppy (but not overwhelming) tune, or just plain makes me smile and I’ll watch that every time.  In fact, it makes my husband a little crazy, because even when I’m watching stuff on the DVR, it’s not unusual for me to watch commercials.  I’m weird that way.

So, tonight, I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorites, and maybe you can be weird like me and watch commercials just for the sheer joy of it.  (And you know it has to be just for the joy of it, because most of these advertisers will never see a dime from me, though I do love their work!)

  I’m a big fan of the Budweiser horses in general, and this is one of my favorites.

 

I’ve been enjoying commercials a long time, and in terms of a feel good ad, this one is the real thing.

 

  This one’s pretty recent, but it’s already a classic.

 

 

My favorite soft drink combined with adorable animated bears—what more could you want?  This is the first of the Coca Cola polar bear ads, and I’ve enjoyed every one that’s followed since.

  Those of you not from Oklahoma have likely never seen this commercial or heard this jingle, but it’s a holiday tradition in these parts.  You can visit the official jingle page to learn all about the history of the ad, and you can watch Megan Mullally sing it to Jay Leno.  I have to say though that I’ve never liked the way she describes my favorite jingle ever, and she does get the words just a tiny bit wrong, but at least she’s representing!

 

 

And, it’s a hat trick for Coca Cola, checking in with what is quite possibly the Best.Commercial.Ever.

What about you?  Got any commercial favorites?

Five Questions, One Grown Baby

 

Happy Friday, everyone.  This time next week, I will be in Branson, MO, enjoying a long-awaited girls’ getaway with my BFF, Kim.  Right now, I’m watching football with hubby.  (Technically, he’s watching; I’m blogging.)

But, it is actually a big day in the household.  Today, our one and only baby, my sweet boy Billy, is officially grown up.  He celebrated his 21st birthday today.  It was pretty low-key.  Out to dinner with the three of us, then cake and ice cream back at home, and now he’s out with friends. (Being careful, I hope.)  Hard to believe, since it still seems like just yesterday when we were first bringing him home, worried about every little move we’d make and hoping we were doing things right.  Time really does fly. 

But, now, before I get all nostalgic and weepy, I suppose I ought to get down to the business of 5 Question Friday.  As always, linking up with Mama M; many thanks to her for hosting the fun.

1. What is one grammar issue you cannot let go without correction?

Really, there aren’t any.  Not that there aren’t plenty of grammar issues that make me crazy on a fairly regular basis, because there are.  In fact, while I freely admit that I’m far from perfect, I’m still a tiny bit of a grammar snob.  Try as I might, it is one thing that still causes me to judge people quickly, especially if we’re talking about written communication.  I tend to be more forgiving of the spoken word, because I figure just about everybody is more lax about the things they say, even when they know it’s not quite right.  But, at any rate, the question is what do I have to correct, and the truth is that I correct people very rarely.  It isn’t my job to be the grammar police, and, honestly, it’s a good thing.  With the advent of communication avenues like email, texting, Twitter, and Facebook, I’d constantly be working overtime trying to keep up with all the offenders.  Easier just to grit my teeth and move on.

But what things make me grit my teeth really hard?  “I got my hair did.” comes readily to mind, as does the entire there/their/they’re confusion.  One of the things that really makes me crazy, though, is truly atrocious spelling.  In this day and age, there are spell check programs on just about any form of electronic communication you choose to use (including Facebook, which is where I see the most egregious infractions), so why wouldn’t you use them?  If your message is riddled with red squiggly underlines, for God’s sake, take a minute to figure out why.  I should not be forced to read your words aloud to try and figure out phonetically what you might have been trying to say.   </rant>

2. What's your favorite thing about fall?

I think I just did an entire post about this very topic.  In a nutshell: the new television season.  Cool fall weather is fine, but, really, we don’t get a lot of the in-between seasons here, moving pretty quickly from hot to cold and back again, so any really nice weather isn’t around long enough to really enjoy.  Football is is also fine, but I don’t go into withdrawal during the spring/summer like my husband.  And, while Thanksgiving is really spectacular and I love getting the family together, due to that weather situation I was just talking about, it often feels more like winter than fall by the time turkey day rolls around, so, for me, it’s a fall tradition in name only.  But fall always brings fresh new television shows and returning favorites, and I don’t think you can go wrong with that.

3. What's your favourite dish to take to a potluck?

If I can get away with it, anything I can pick up at the grocery store deli or bakery. If people are insistent I make something, I typically opt for ham and cheese pinwheels.  I don’t like them myself, but they’re easy-peasy, so there you go. 

4. When do you start Christmas (Holiday) shopping?

I’m not organized enough to have a consistent answer to this.  It’s whenever I see something I think someone would like, which might be October or might be March.  I start making dedicated gift-buying trips sometime early in December, and am often still shopping in the final few days.

5. Did you move homes a lot growing up?

Not really, at least not within my memory.  Realistically, I know that in my earliest days there were likely several homes that I don’t recall at all.  But from about age five or so (which means almost 45 years), I’ve lived in a total of 7 different places.  My mom, sister, and I lived in an apartment (I think; could’ve been a tiny house) before “we” married my (step)dad.  Then we moved into Daddy’s house and lived there for several years.  When I was in 4th grade, we moved to the home where I’d spend the rest of my childhood.  In my early 20s, I moved into an apartment with my BFF, but during those six months, her grandmother died and my dad; we both were ready to move back home and be with our families.  Then the next year Brian and I were married; we spent our first year together in my grandmother’s house (she was living with my mom), then bought our first home, where we stayed for about 10 years, and, finally, we’ve been in our current home for the past 14.  My instinct is that this is the last home I will have, barring a spectacular lottery win.

Don’t forget, I’d love to hear your answers, too.  So join the link up (be sure to let me know, please) or answer any/all in the comments.  And I hope you all have a great weekend. 

5 Question Friday—The Birthday Edition

 

Welcome to Friday, folks!  In today’s news, it’s my birthday; I’ve got one more year until I hit the big 50.  I’m wondering what sort of major life events I can chalk up in the next 365 days, to complete my list of Things Accomplished in the First Half Century of My Life.  I hope you’ll stay with me on the journey, just to see what’s going on.

Tonight, Brian and I will be going to dinner with my sister to celebrate (I haven’t decided where yet; any suggestions?).  I’m recovering from a drippy head cold, so Brian has already texted to see if I’m up to going out this evening.  I doped up on some nighttime medicine to sleep last night, so I think I am now sufficiently dried up to be seen in public.  I was hoping Billy would be able to join us, but turns out he beat me in the finding a job department.  He used to be a server at Zio’s (if they’re near you, check them out; they’re pretty yummy!) before he went to California, and he’s returning to work there, starting today.  He’s not thrilled with the idea, but at least he recognizes the importance of bringing in an income.  I wish the timing could’ve been better, but employment is more critical than a birthday dinner.

But, the very next thing on the agenda is this week’s round of Five Question Friday, hosted, as always, by Mama M.  Okay, so it’s not exactly earth shattering, or waiting to be marked off of any kind of list, but life should also be filled with the simple things that are just sort of fun, right?  Right.  So let’s see what we can find out today.

1. What's the one thing you buy every time you walk into the store?

Well, I’ve thought and thought, but I really don’t think there’s anything. I’ll admit that I don’t mind strolling around a big mall every now and again just to browse, but I’m not really all that much of a shopper, and not any sort of trinket that I simply can’t pass by, or anything that I’m so addicted to that I never leave a shop without it. 

2. If you had a day all to yourself how would you spend it?

I actually have a bunch of days all to myself pretty routinely, and it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be.  But, if you mean a whole day with literally no responsibilities to do whatever I wanted . . . I might see if I could find a spa for a massage, walk around a pretty park to take some pictures, have lunch at my favorite restaurant, and make sure I left time for a nap.

3. Are you a speed limit driver? If not, over or under?

As long as we’re off the record, I’ll admit that I’m usually going 3-5 miles over the limit when I’m on my local highways.  I do try to stay at the limit on city streets, though sometimes the limit is just ridiculous for the area, and I still go a little fast.  But I tend to drive the limit religiously if I’m in unfamiliar places. 

4. What's your favorite dessert to make, homemade or from a mix?

I’m not really much of a dessert maker cook, but I’m awfully fond of Mrs. Smith’s Deep Dish Apple Pie.  Years ago, my friend Gary told me how much better they are if you sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top for the last 10-15 minutes, and he was right.  I’ve been doing it that way ever since.

5. Would you rather have a spider or a mouse scurry across your face (no copping out and saying "neither!!")?

Neither prospect fills me with warm thoughts, but I’d pick the mouse.  Spiders just really give me the heebie jeebies, and besides, some of them are poisonous.  At least mice are sort of cute.

So, having read back over this week’s queries, I’m not sure that too many secrets have been revealed.  I don’t particularly like to cook or shop, but if you’ve spent much time here, you probably knew that already.  But I did admit to mild speeding, and confess my preference for a rodent.  Hey, now that I think about it, I have always been awfully fond of Speedy Gonzales!  I guess you really never know what you’ll discover during 5QF.

What about you?  What questions might explain your childhood cartoon favorites?  Or tell us a little bit more about you?  You can leave your answers in the comments below.  (Mama M is on a getaway this weekend, which [I assume] is why there’s no blog hop code, but if you’re blogging along, you can still link up on her site; just be sure to let me know so I can go by and visit.)

Thanks for sharing your Friday with me, and have a good weekend, everybody. 

More Pear than Hourglass (June Photos, Day 26)

 

The swim suit saga continues.  Went shopping today (handy, since that was the basis of the photo prompt) ,and tried on more suits than I care to remember.  Too small.  Too big.  Too SI Swimsuit Edition.  All too something.  Now, I gave up on the idea of having a perfect body almost four decades ago, so I wasn’t surprised by this difficulty, but I was annoyed. 

Anyway, I finally found a suit I thought I could live with, though I can admit it may have been mostly that I was just getting worn down.  I knew it was a tiny bit too loose, but figured better that than the opposite.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take into consideration the fact that I was trying on while wearing my own undergarments, which were providing an extra layer.  Once I got home and didn’t have my bra on, too loose.  Not as potentially revealing as my old one, and in much better shape—and much cuter—, so I guess it’s still a win.  But I just can’t believe that after all of that rigmarole, I still may have to consider alterations.  Ugh.

Also (and this is a little bit of a complaint), I hate that so much of the weight I’ve lost had to come off the top.  I mean, seriously, as much butt as I have left, you’d think I could trade at least a little bit of that for just a tiny bit more boob!

On the other hand, at least the results of the shopping expedition made for a decent photo.

June Photos, Day 21—Where You Slept

 

You know the best part of today’s prompt?  I figured it didn’t matter if I hadn’t made my bed yet, and anything that lets me be my usual sloppy self is okay by me!

 

 Oh, and one other thing:  these sheets are really comfortable.  I’ve only had them a few weeks, but they’re nice and soft, and they come in other colors/sizes, if you happen to be in the market.

May Photos, Day 25—Unusual

 

Well, I started the day—at 8:30am, which is unusual in its own right—helping Brian plant a new tree and then helping get rid of some wayward branches.  He snapped a pic of me pruning twigs off one of the things, and, really, me doing yard work is just about as unusual as it gets.

But then we went to Lowe’s in search of a replacement patio umbrella (no luck there, but we did finally find one at Wal-Mart.  Go figure.), so we were wandering around the garden area.  Seems there are plenty of unusual things for folks to sit around out in their yards/gardens.  Some are cute, some sort of ugly, and some are pretty close to incomprehensible.  I’ll let you decide for yourself to which category this guy belongs. 

I love it when a plan comes together. (Dec., 23, 2005)

I did my holiday shopping almost entirely online this year. It was very convenient. Of course, it did make browsing for the right gift a bit more of a challenge, but it was mostly okay. And, just today, on my front porch when I returned from the grocery store, was the very last item that I needed to wrap and place under my tree. Cutting it a little close? Well, yeah, and I was getting a bit worried. But all those little elves at retail and shipping establishments everywhere are working overtime right about now, and they got it done. I really do love it when a plan comes together.

On the other hand . . .(Dec. 14, 2005)

When I took the DVDs back to Wal-Mart today (because I found them cheaper elsewhere), they didn’t ask a single question. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am; here’s your sixty bucks. You gotta love that sort of service, even from a place that shanghais me into spending far too much to begin with.

What is it with Wal-Mart? (Dec. 13, 2005)

Really, what kind of hold do these super centers have over people? Or at least, what hold do they have over me? I went in there today needing only some blank DVDs and a few trinkets for my son’s stocking. So how is it that I walked out with $300 worth of stuff? Now, granted, that was a cart full of things, but my DVDs were only $60 and the stocking stuffers were maybe $20, so that’s over two hundred dollars worth of impulse shopping. How does that happen? Even if it was a lot of stuff—and a lot of gifts, I might add—that still seems a bit crazy, even to me. I’m pretty sure that there’s some kind of subliminal, hypnotic type message that plays from their PA system continually, and that they really crank up the dosage during the holidays. That’s really the only thing that explains it, don’t you think?

Oh, the Possibilities (Dec. 9, 2005)

I love bookstores. Seriously; is there any other place simply brimming with such a variety of ideas? Well, maybe a library, and they’re good, too, but the whole feel is different. Maybe it’s the idea that you could actually own some of these ideas, instead of just borrowing them for a while. Or, maybe it’s because spending money can be so much fun; that’s probably closer to the truth.

Anyway, I stepped in to a Borders store yesterday. My sister works there, and I was dropping her off from lunch. I didn’t particularly have anything I definitely intended to buy, and certainly nothing I needed. But I was still there an hour later, with a couple of things in my hands—holiday gift finds, what joy! And, twenty minutes or so after that, I realized there wasn’t really time to get all the way home and then back to the school to pick up my son, so I figured I might as well browse a little more just to kill the time. And, oh, the things I saw.

Dr. Phil has another bestseller; no surprise there, I suppose. And, it appears I am woefully out of touch with the current Sudoku craze, but there must have been at least a dozen books, and a dedicated end cap. There was an intriguing title called A Short History of Nearly Everything. Oh, and there was this book, five hundred pages if it was one, containing nothing but names. Names of every origin you could imagine. It was a reference for writers to help choose character names. Wow.

So, when it was finally time to leave, two hours after I walked in needing nothing, I had maybe six things in my hands, and a whole list of things to look into more closely next time around. Of course, I’m proud of myself; the things I bought were gifts. Well, except maybe for this one collection of short stories that sounds pretty interesting; it might end up being a present to myself. I’d never heard of it until yesterday; I found it in my browsing, but sometimes the best things come to your attention unexpectedly. That’s what I love about bookstores.