Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A dreary dismal day missing one tooth

My only consolation is pain pills, some really good ones. Plus I got my nails done. New color is by OPI - called "Color to diner for". It is a sparkly red.

Full planets, empty plates : the new geopolitics of food scarcity (book), by Lester R. Brown. Given to me by his brother-in-law, it is a nice thin book, detailing many of his thoughts which I have heard before. How the balance of the planet is off, how eating up the food chain contributes to food scarcity, how the increasing population numbers put a strain on our food resources, how political unrest contributes to food insecurity, how water shortages make it difficult to grow crops in the places where the food is needed. Food is the new oil, land is the new gold. One of our best environmental theorists comes from our area.

OK, so it is ONLY December 1st. But I have missed Black Friday, Small business Saturday, Cyber Monday AND Giving Tuesday. The fact of the matter is, I am totally uninspired as far as Christmas gifts go. On my list of things to do today was to make my Christmas list, both what I want, and all the names of all the people I should/want to get gifts for. Shopping isn't much fun for me. Deciding isn't much fun for me.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The only thing I ever bought on Black Friday

It was a car. I detest Black Friday. Am more fond of Small Business Saturday. Cyber-Monday is Ok too. Now there is Charitable giving Tuesday. Just realized I have given something each month all year. Perhaps I should not be content with that, however. That could be my minimum, not necessarily my maximum.

Shoprite was a madhouse today. Too many people! The poor cashier was complaining about all the people, some of them being rude. I think they were all trying to get points so they could get a free turkey. It seemed like Thanksgiving was going to be TOMORROW, not 9 days away. I prefer going to Acme and paying more just for some peace and quiet. It is so confusing to have the Salvation army people out there ringing bells already. I gave last night at Boscov's. Can't give EVERY day from now until Christmas! Homes are starting to be all lit up already, too. Maybe this is the year I will just ignore the holidays. Thanksgiving traditions already messed up.

I meant to return the book, Barefoot in Baghdad to the Vineland Public Library yesterday. I can't believe how far down in the pile it got! The subtitle is : a story of identity - my own - and what it means to be a woman in chaos, by Manal M. Omar. At first I enjoyed the book, but then I got sort of annoyed at her blindness to danger. Horrible things occured in Iraq. Her goal was to help women. Some of the women were aggravating. There were no good options for them. So many of her friends got killed or kidnapped. None of the kidnapped people ever came back. This was an eye-opening book.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

More stupid things I have done lately

The other day I got freaked out when I could not get into my Google account. Since I have heard that hackers deter you from getting into your own account, I changed my password. (I must say that Google makes that process somewhat simple). Then I realized that I had forgotten something about my own password and that it was my own fault that I couldn't get in. Senility, here I come!

Yesterday, did not go on my excursion to New Brunswick due to obstacles such as SNOW. So I drove a few miles to shop at Peebles, since you can get a discount on Tuesdays. Stupidly and tragically, I locked my trunk and realized that in addition to my purse and my phone, which I MEANT to lock in there, I had left my KEYS in there. So, there I was, far from home, with only my Peebles credit card. I decided to WALK home. It was a ridiculously long distance and the day was dreary, frigid and windy. Boy, was I feeling sorry for myself...wishing that someone I knew would drive by and offer me a ride. After about an hour of walking, an old black man in a big black pickup rolled down his window and asked directions to the Manor. I said I would show him the way if he would drop me off downtown. He asked me if my husband would mind. Uh-oh, but it was fine. When I got to my house, I got the hide-a-key, where I hide a car key and a house key. Went inside for a rest and called three friends. Unable to reach anyone, as is par for the course these days. Did legs-up-the-wall for a bit. Then I realized that the day was waning and I had better get busy walking back before it got dark. So I bundled up some more and set out, hating the day. Was feeling sympathy for the poor, the homeless, the Phillipinos, etc. I heard a whimpering sound and thought, "What is a kid doing outside on a day like THIS?" I found a young black boy huddled between the storm door and the door of a house, crying. The school bus had dropped him off but his mother was not home or not opening the door. I knocked on the door, but the house looked buttoned up tight. Then a man came across the street and knew the kid and was partners with his dad. He started calling all around but got no response from anyone. But he offered to keep the kid and DRIVE ME up to Carll's Corner. My lucky day. I went in his house which was very warm and immaculate (not much furniture). There were three little boys and two women in there.

The weather is scaring me. I DETEST winter and can't believe that I used to live in Vermont! It is BREEZY in my home and I am too cheap (and cluttered) to get new windows. I thought I could stand it as long as it was over 32 degrees, but I hate the wind and the gloom and the rain and the snow. I MUST get down to planning some trips to escape. My plan at Peebles was to buy "something warm". All the clothes were quite unflattering so I ended up buying just some black tights.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Missing my playlist

Only have 29 songs saved on YouTube.  Missing my 127 songs that I can no longer access on Playlist.com.  Changes, changes....guess you can't ask for too much when stuff is FREE.  I'm too frugal to get itunes.  Had to put on the headphones to block out sound of woman typing VERY FAST.  I looked over to see what school work or other important thing she was accomplishing and it  is FACEBOOK.  What the hell can she be SAYING?!?!?  I am doing useful things such as updating my medications list so I can present it when I go to the doctor on Thursday. 

Doing unnecessary shopping errands today.  Like SPENDING money to SAVE money.  I know it doesn't make any sense, but at least I am trying to get stuff I NEED and stuff that is on SALE.

Did accomplish my daily exercise goal at least....got through aqua aerobics just as it started to rain.  Then stopped by a farmer's market and had my first PEACH.  YUM!  Stopped in to the South Vineland post office and found a wonderful variety of stamps and a man who didn't seem to mind showing them to me.  I had almost given up on brick and mortar post offices to shop for stamps.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Foiled again

Weather tomorrow getting in the way of my plans.  5 of us had planned to go up to Grounds for sculpture.  Do you know how hard it is to get 5 people to agree on a date and a plan? 

I am so close to finishing so many books.  Reading is my favorite activity (probably because it involves SITTING).  Still slogging through several books about Paris, and the book I found in the Newark airport and the book written by Jill McCorkle, who attended my college (Hollins), and the new David Sedaris book, and L'etranger in French, and a children's book about Monet in French.  And there are MORE...

Made a vow to get better about gifts.  Changed one of my money envelopes to be earmarked for such, since I never have extra spending money and thus am never prepared for birthdays, weddings, etc.
Everyone else is so generous and I am just BEHIND and lacking in inspiration.  I hate to shop and I hate to spend money, but I love cool gifts.  Had an urge to go back to Paris and SHOP which is dumb because it was so overpriced over there. 

Friday it rained all day and Monday it rained all day.  One weather guy said tomorrow was the most worrisome day of the weather year so far.  The nice thing about Paris is that even though it rained frequently, it didn't rain a lot and it didn't rain for long.


accu-rain.jpg

Friday, March 1, 2013

Walmart does have some good ideas

Although I am philosophically opposed to shopping at Walmart, I do go there occasionally to get cheap drugs.  I have to admit that they do have some good ideas...
- They have wet wipes for the carts
- The bathrooms are right near the front door and they are well maintained
- The whole entire curb out front is missing making ts really convenient for the passage of shopping carts and wheelchairs
Since my personal frugality rules dictate that I can buy only one thing per day that costs over $20, I just walked past all the temptation directly to the pharmacy and paid my $35 for my Clarinex.  I walked out without buying one additional thing. That isn't really so hard because I actually HATE shopping and kind of pride myself in my ability to get along without new stuff.  I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I took a shopping cart for this purchase because my PURSE is too heavy to lug around!

I was dreaming about a lake upon which my father lived.  Of course, it looked nothing like the lake where he really lived.  There was a lack of water and there were some boats in the lake sitting on the grass. There were three (red?) motorboats sitting together on a grassy knoll in the middle of the mud. The banks of this pond were really high, like mountains.  I thought to myself that I would invite my mother and father out for dinner one night.  Then I woke up and remembered that they were dead.

So many bad pens in the world.  I hate to throw them away.  Used to go downtown to the office supply store and get refills.  But that is just too difficult in the age of Staples with everything wrapped up in plastic.  Hard to get help.  So I guess we are just supposed to be wasteful and throw stuff away.
That is freally hard for me, being a hoarder.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Playing Sorry

Had a great night a few days ago hanging with two 6 year old twins.  They are very loving and within 5 minutes of seeing me, they are kissing me and saying "I love you".  We watched a really fun movie, the old Disney Swiss family Robinson.  Then I tried to entertain them during dinner preperations by playing Sorry with them.  It was somewhat of a struggle.  They thought they knew the rules, but they couldn't read the info on the cards and they had trouble counting the squares.  The other problem was that if anything bad happened to one of them he cried in frustration.  This did have somewhat of an inhibitory effect on my ability to play.  But we got through it.  I think it is a difficult age for games (losing).

Another cold and windy day.  I am SICK of it.

Went shoe shopping.  I really needed some Easy Spirit shoes.  They only had white in my size.  Oh well.  All the shoes seemed to be "on sale" but I think it is a racket.  An effective racket, at that.  I feel much better buying something if I think it is on sale, no matter what the actual price is.  I bought some other shoes, which I am not sure are really appropriate for someone 65 years old, but just for something different.  Now I need to go home and get rid of THREE pairs of shoes, all in the interest of cllutter control.  Plus, my women's group is recycling shoes.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Shoes or groceries?

I have some personal spending rules in order to be able to afford retirement.  I try to curtail my daily spending in a certain way.  So each day I have to decide, "Shoes or groceries today?"  I am desperately in need of some Easy spirit shoes of a certain kind.  I used to have four colors of this shoe.  Now I only have blue.  The black ones were accidentally left in a motel in Berkely, CA, the white ones are too awful to wear and the tan ones just came unglued so are also due for the trash.  I thought of going down to the outlets in AC tomorrow, but just found out that all of the "brick and mortar" stores in my area have closed.  Guess I will have to go online and try to find a deal.  I am too afraid to buy stuff online with which I am not familiar because I am not very good with the mailing back part of the equation.

Too much drama, not enough time - article about why some people are leaving Facebook.  So, I am feeling better about the fact that I cannot really get into it.  I do have the time ( not the skills) , but I don't like a lot of drama. 

Another lazy day - I seem to be sleeping later and later.  This is the problem with retirementl  If you can do NOTHING, you might do nothing.  (Not that there is anything wrong with that)

Monday, January 7, 2013

Guilty pleasures

Some of my "guilty pleasures" ( I know it is a cliche)...Walmart, Eminem, L'il Wayne.  Forced to go to Walmart to save money on drugs.  Even though I am "anti-Walmart:, sometimes I look around when I am there.  Did find some things I really needed today for a really good price.  They do have some good ideas.  I like the way the bathrooms are right near the front door and that they are well maintained.  In fact, if Walmart had a drive-through it would be just about perfect!

Note to self - things to look up - duties of the footman, Google play, Google phone (?), dates of the upcoming Downton Abbey episodes....

Just took a look at Facebook.  Couldn't even figure out how to logout of it.  Perhaps there is some happy medium between this blog which no one reads and Facebook, which is filled with messages from people I don't really care about.  There are some nice photographs on there, though.  I would like to copy them for my desktop.  Right now I have a photo of Matthew and Lady Mary on there. 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

You can't make this stuff up

Comment when I told the tale of my sister, who dropped her keys down the slit in the elevator on the way to her apartment in Soho on Christmas eve.  The next night she left her car unlocked and running.  No one noticed until we woke up in the morning.  Luckily, that was in someone's back driveway in New Jersey and not in Soho.

Returning this book to the library.  I didn't really enjoy Drift, by Rachel Maddow.  The subtitle is: the unmooring of American military power.  OK, so not too inviting.  I had gotten enthralled with her on TV around election time so I checked her book out of the library.  According to a blurb on the back, "she tells the epic story of how American warfare came to be both never-ending and practically invisible."

Had a nice trip (my annual) to the Reading Terminal market in Philadelphia today.  Got really busy and crowded.  Nice that it is all indoors, once you get there.  A panoply of mostly food stands...cheese, honey, spices, teas, breads, restaurants, meats, ice cream.  It was quite bright and festive.  Bought a few things until. I couldn't carry anything more.  Buying spices in bulk reminds me of when I lived in Barcelona and went to the market every day.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

In, out, nobody gets hurt

That is my philosophy of Christmas shopping. I only deal with the stores that are on the EDGE of the mall. What am I, NUTS, to be out at the mall today? Tried to go to BJ's but it was too overwhelming. So I went to my "predictable" stores, the bookstore and Marshalls and Starbucks, where I am now. Of course, the little red bag I came here to get is all sold out, thus reminding me that you need to BUY it when you SEE it.

So, I have gifts with no people and people with no gifts. The whole thing is approaching insanity. I put $20 in the Salvation Army kettle to make myself feel a LITTLE better about all of this conspicuous consumption. My God, even Starbucks is a madhouse today. And the traffic jams!

Finished up a book called My mother was nuts, by Penny Marshall. Was only vaguely familiar with her. I was really attracted to the book because of the title. I like reading memoirs because it reminds me of the history of MY life. She has sort of a deadpan presentation without much self reflection. She knew a lot of famous people and just fell into a lot of her activites. From starring in a TV show, Laverne and Shirley, to directing several movies, to getting cancer, she explained it all. She is good friends with Carrie Fisher, whose biographies I have also read.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Desperate for daylight

Seems like everything needs to be done in the daylight....exercise, stuff at home, errands. I am always rushing around trying to figure out what to do before it gets dark. Oh happy day, the librarian just gave me another hour on the computer. Don't know why I "insist" upon being so technologically deficient (like not having the Internet at home and having a lame phone).

America...the only country where we gather to be thankful for all that we have and then the next day go out and try to kill each other in order to get "deals" on more STUFF! I wouldn't be caught DEAD at Black Friday shopping. Of course, this is because I am a very "under control" (cheap) consumer and have no ideas for gifts for anyone else. Today is "Small business Saturday". I think I can get behind that and do have some plans for stopping by a few stores in Millville. No box stores for me today. Already spent my daily allowance on gas for a great price of $1.37 a gallon in Bridgeton.

Had a good day yesterday with family. And the weather was delightful and warm and gorgeous. We didn't actually WALK as much as stroll and hang out in Greenwich, admiring roof handiwork and boats and riverfront property. Then I spent some time at home, which I love to do when it is sunny. Next drove to Parvins State Park for a walk around the small lake. It should be about a twenty minute walk, which is my current goal for daily exercise ("BABY STEPS...") I hadn't been to Parvins since the derecho struck on June 30th (killing two young boys who were in a tent). The only people killed in New Jersey were there. Anyway, it was amazing the trees that were down, even now, four months later. The park was entirely closed for several months due to the extreme damage to the trees. It still looked pretty shockingly different. I took a bag to collect trash (my new idea for helping the world) but I only saw an occasional cigarette butt. About halfway around the pond, I looked in my bag and it was EMPTY. Then I decided to carry it more securely. I guess my trash blew right on out!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Small business Saturday

I think this is my favorite. I wouldn't be caught DEAD shopping on Black Friday. That is cause I am not much of a shopper and usually my family is hanging out and going for a walk on that day. Article on Yahoo today discussed a boycott of Cyber Monday due to sweat shop conditions in some of the online warehouses.

Happy National toilet day. It is also National peanut butter month.

I am sleeping later and later in the AM. Took a nap after church yesterday. Am getting slower and slower. Perhaps I am grinding to a halt? To inpspire myself, here is my quote of the week....Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. - M. K. Gandhi