Variety is the Spice of Life; or, Sad but True

I varied the routine this week by visiting Walmart on Friday night instead of Saturday night. I'm sorry to say that this change passes for excitement in my life.

Be Prepared

This is the reason for keeping a plastic spoon in the car: impromptu visit to the antipasto bar at Fresh Market.

Merry Christmas to Me

What's Christmas without a little self love? 

I swore I'd never buy another bag with a black interior, but this is just what I've been wanting--a slouchy hobo (the bag is actually a pefect rectangle) with a short single strap. Think of how many things could get lost in a bag of this size!

Like many cases of true love, it came when I wasn't looking. I walked into TJ Maxx just to "check things out" before heading to my real destination next door (Target). And voila! 

Even better is the fact that it was priced 60% off retail, because there is no way I could have paid full price for it. As it is, this should serve as a gift for several Christmases to come.

You Get What You Pay For

I took the three oldest ARW children to the dollar store on Saturday. I didn't think we would ever get three year old L out of there. He kept wandering each aisle picking up and discarding things, and no matter what we suggested to him, he rejected it.

Seven year old A couldn't decide between a toy pony and an art kit to make a crown, but she ended up with a kite kit instead. I tried to point out she might like something that would last a bit longer, but my advice wasn't heeded.

So how long do you think a kite (actually two kites) from the dollar store lasts? That kite was the source of many tears and arguments (some violent) the rest of the day, as it broke right away and the second kite couldn't even be put together. Five year old J bought a bow and arrow he was quite pleased with, but not inclined to share. It was ugly! Eight month old J, however, was happy to chew on the cutlass that accompanied the bow and arrow set, so he benefited from the trip without even spending any money.

Back to L, he had a jump rope in his hands until he saw trading cards on the way to the check stand. I managed to get those out of his hands, and then IN the check stand aisle he saw batteries, and that was it. L insisted he needed batteries for his frog, and I knew we'd have an argument if I pushed it, so he bought four AA batteries and I bought the jump rope as a backup.

When we arrived home it turned out that L does indeed have a frog, Tad, who talks and sings and counts. Unfortunately, Tad requires AAA batteries, but Dad produced some without L knowing the difference. I gave L the jump rope since I have no need of a dollar jump rope, and he was happy (he broke the handles, with his teeth, a couple of hours later). Tad is still talking and singing and counting, as far as I know. His batteries are too well hidden for L to reach them, unless he learns how to remove a screw with his teeth.

A was not interested in learning the meaning of the title phrase, You Get What You Pay For, something that especially applies to kites.


ps - A later hung up each kite as a wall hanging, and she was fairly pleased with that, though I'm not sure it completely erased the earlier sting.

The Impossible Dream--A Shoe Story

Like my eternal quest for the perfect foundation makeup, I am also on a quest for a pair of neutral colored comfortable heels I can wear with bare legs. I would say the color I'm looking for is camel, though the names are all over the spectrum. The idea is a close-to-skin-color shade that will elongate the leg.

This is quite a feat, considering I have very wide feet and bunions, and that I also find most heels unbearably uncomfortable. I recently renewed my search efforts in light of my upcoming work commitments.

Here is what I have learned:

1. I should have kept a list of the shoes I've already tried and returned. If I had, I wouldn't have ordered the exact same pair of VANELi pumps two years apart (these are actually a lovely color, though not quite what I want, and I'm kind of sad to have to return them. And they are quite a bit cheaper than they were two years ago).

2. Just because I tried a pair of Stuart Weitzmans in the store doesn't mean the same size in another SW style will remotely compare in fit. Yes, I should have shelled out the $325 two years ago for the exact pair I wanted when they were available, because that size and color and style appears not to be had now at any price.*  Thankfully, I was able to quickly return the $600 order of SW shoes I tried last week (Zappos is the best thing ever invented). Of course, after I made that purchase my credit card company put a security hold on my card!

3. See lesson 1 above. I've ordered so many different combinations of styles and sizes that I'm no longer even being logical about what I try.

For those who care (that is, if you're still reading this), I'm currently holding on to two pairs of Naturalizers, one of which could work (but I'm disappointed in the quality and they maybe aren't comfortable enough), still have the VANELis mentioned above, though they ought to go back, and am waiting on yet another pair of SW to arrive Monday (I'm guessing they won't work either, but I can't stop trying).

Two questions:

• Will I ever succeed?
• Will Zappos cut me off soon for buying and returning SO MANY shoes?

*Yes, even I am a bit shocked at paying so much money for a pair of shoes, but this is an extraordinary case and if I can find exactly what I want, I'm willing to pay that much. My problem is that I usually end up settling, and we all know that often backfires in the end.


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photo: [Three young children sitting and one standing in a grassy area on Shoe Day, with the standing child holding a new, large shoe]. 1908.  DN-0006513, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum. Available from American Memory at http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n006513))

Priorities

I love visiting in Utah with my mom and aunt (Auntie lives there, Moth visits at the same time I do).

The reasons I love this trip are plentiful, but include my aunt's arctic basement, being able to legitimately listen to all the "adult" talk and being able to ask questions (can't do that when you're an eavesdropping child), perusing the cookbook collection, and doing the crossword puzzle every day (everyone gets her own photocopy).

One of the other reasons the trip is so enjoyable is that these two women have their priorities straight. The agenda above proves my point.

I must mention that the written list is missing several things we did while I was there (root canal, burnt sugar marshmallows, sugared peanuts, See's Candies, Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House, Sundance, Hires Big H, Rubio's) as well as a few things the other two have done since I left (Julie and Julia, bookclub, Fleming's). But the list gives you the general idea. Can't wait for next year!

Mecca

I just discovered Tractor Supply Company. Where have I been all these years?

I first knew of TSC when I lived in prisontown. TSC was next door to a barbecue joint I frequented, but I don't think I ever ventured inside TSC. I was too busy eating barbecue. Too bad for me.

TSC is close to the new house, so I stopped in after work Friday. I found several items for which I have been hunting lately, including:

• foam drink koozie that doesn't advertise an acoholic beverage
• large metal dustpan for shop and yard work
• sturdy handheld dustbroom for same
• weed pulling tool (I actually hadn't hunted for that yet, but while in TSC I remembered I wanted one)

I'm not too interested in TSC's clothing, equestrian, or livestock supplies, but you never know when you might need to repair a fence, put a new fender on a trailer, or pick up more blasting grit for your sandblaster.

It Pays to be Lazy

Instead of going to the track after work yesterday, as I should have, I went to Ulta instead. I bought what I believe to be my first prestige cosmetics purchase--stila lip glaze (in berry). I'm trying to not think about the fact that I just paid $22 for lip gloss, but it is very nice lip gloss.

Anyway, it turns out that skipping the track was the right move. Sometime between 5 and 10 pm last night, the water in my apartment went out. I probably would not have jumped into the shower as soon as I got home from the track, and would have been very sorry later to have to spend the night and next day wearing my dried sweat. As it was, I "freshened up" this morning with moistened wipes, brushed my teeth with bottled water, and came to work early to wash my face and put on makeup (and use the toilet). So, I may be fat, but at least I'm not totally smelly!

Live to Shop, or Shop to Live?

Based on this week's purchases, I think I fall somewhere in between the two extremes of living to shop and shopping to live. What do you think?

MS Office 2007 Standard (we're switching over at work, so I really don't have a choice but to get a copy for home)

2GB flash drive, because you never know when you might need another one

USB hub, because I'm tired of fooling with ports at work that I can't see well

Numeric keypad for the laptop, probably not a necessity, but after paying for MS Office...

Two bras, because, well, I don't need to explain that

Multimeter, to test the watch batteries in the clickers at work (except I think the model I bought doesn't even test batteries. Dad?)

Telescoping magnetic pickup tool, because it was there, and I do love magnets

Various groceries from Kroger, all relatively nutritious, believe it or not, with the exception of one Cadbury Creme Egg

photo: Colville student, Walter McClung's account of shopping trip, Spokane, Washington, June 12, 1902. Eastern Washington State Historical Society. Available at http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/aipn:@field(DOCID+@lit(p1101))

Here for the Duration, or, Woe is Me

Monday I'm teaching three instruction classes between 9am and 12:45, and then I am on the desk from 6 to 9pm. (We won't discuss that fact that it's 6:40 in the middle of my 3-10pm Sunday night shift and I have nothing planned for tomorrow's seminary lesson, but I thought I'd would mention it in the interest of disclosure.)

I had planned to take a "split-day" Monday and go home between 12:45 and 5:45. After last night's trip to Costco, however, I think I'll try spending my split-day in the office. That way, I save the hour of driving back and forth, save electricity by not running the A/C at home, and if I plan carefully, I will have access to adequate food and drink. Because let's face it, if I go home, what will I do? The plan would be to work on seminary and eat and maybe nap for a bit, but the reality is that I would nap and maybe eat and probably not work on seminary at all.

At the office, however, I can work on my seminary lesson just as well as at home, and thanks to Costco, I can even nap in my office in relative comfort. Hey, if it worked for George, why can't it work for me?

Little Debbies? I Don't Think So!

Check out this super way to cut down on cost and time at the grocery store.

Taking Pleasure in Small Things

It's Saturday and I'm at work. But I'm going to happy about what I can:

Saw this morning that ULTA is coming to Murfreesboro! And I already knew about Barnes and Noble going into the same shopping center. How lucky that I just told ULTA to change my mailing address, even though I thought I had no current use for their coupons.

I may be at work, but I'm also tapping my toes to Sheryl Crow Radio on Pandora.com, radio from the Music Genome Project (thanks, Amy!). Check it out for yourself--you can build your own radio station starting with an artist or song you like, and Pandora will play music with similar characteristics. Here are the stations I loaded yesterday. Can you fill in the blanks?

Sheryl Crow Radio
G _ _ _ _ _ _ W_ _ _ _ Radio
C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Radio
L _ _ _ L _ _ _ _ _ Radio

They Don't Make Junk Like They Used To

I bought a $20 bookshelf at Target this weekend. Unfortunately, it made hardly a dent in the piles of unshelved books at home. I must comment, however, on the utterly abysmal quality of said $20 bookshelf. I have two others from Target, several years old, and while they were also only $20, they at least didn't have chips or torn (plastic) veneer when I opened them up to put them together. Not so with the new shelves. But, I was too tired and lazy to do anything about it, so the new shelves are in the living room with their slightly more reputable looking cousins.

How long until a Container Store shelving sale?