'Tis the Season......

It seems to me that the Christmas commercials begin earlier every year.

Bah humbug.

I heard my first Christmas jingle (I think - I try to block them out) last weekend. Or was it the weekend before that?

I've noted in my blog before that Hubby and I don't do much gift-giving anymore. Sometimes we settle on a mutual gift and share in the expense, like the year we bought new leather recliners. Not very romantic, but very practical. A couple of years ago we went to Jamaica the week before Christmas, one of those all-inclusive resort deals, and that was a FABULOUS gift to each other. Except for the tense moments associated with ONE OF US not being able to produce the voucher for the shuttle service back to the airport at the end of the stay, but they still let us out of the country. One year we left right after Christmas dinner, drove for six hours, and were at the poker table in our favorite casino before bedtime.

We don't buy each other gifts mostly because we buy our OWN gifts throughout the year. Hubby needs a new golf club? He gets on eBay. I want some shoes? I buy them...in brown AND black. New gadget for me? I ain't waitin' for no stinkin' holiday to get it.

Sweet Girl is past the age of toys, of course, but there are still things she wants. I have given up on trying to surprise her. I ask her for a list, then I get however many items on her list I can afford. We open our gifts to each other on Christmas morning via computer.

I like making homemade treats to give as gifts. I like to give our mail carrier a little something, along with my hairdresser, and I used to make little things to give to co-workers. Crock Pot Candy is always a favorite of mine, along with banana bread. This year I bought a set of 6 small ceramic (?) loaf pans, so if I make banana bread, the pan becomes part of the gift. I like that idea. I want to take gifts to my former co-workers, but there's the awkwardness of what to do about the two new folks. I've met them, and they are very sweet ladies, but I don't KNOW them. Do I take them a treat also? Or just give gifts to my friends without making a big deal out of it? (This is, of course, assuming I don't run out of steam/energy/time/ingredients before they get out of school for the Christmas holidays.)

I get bombarded with catalogs throughout the year, but especially at Christmas time. I go through them (sometimes) and see things I think would make good gifts. I don't always have a particular person in mind; I just like the gift itself. Is that wrong? Is it less of a gift if I bought the item without having a particular person in mind? Does proper shopping start with the person and end with something that was purchased especially for him or her? Hmmmm... I'll have to think about that one.

'Tis the season... to be wrong about SOMETHING. Maybe multiple somethings.

Bah humbug.

Shoe Blitz......

I have never thought of myself as a high-maintenance woman, at least not compared to some women I know. I tend toward clothing that is serviceable and comfortable, and I wear things long after they stop being fashionable. (I had a former co-worker who felt duty-bound to point out to me when something was outdated. And she wonders why we aren't friends anymore?)

I don't consider myself much of a shoe person either. (I know, Maggie, it's scandalous. Sorry!) I don't set out to go shoe shopping as a rule; it occurs naturally as a tangential activity to other shopping.

Because I don't shop for shoes very often, I don't usually buy just ONE pair of shoes. That was the case today when I went shopping with both sisters, my mother, and my niece. I bought FOUR pairs of shoes, but the store was having such a good sale that I couldn't pass them up. They will all be called into service, I promise.

(Please overlook the fact that I really need a pedicure. I've been trying to save that hunk of money by doing them myself, and I haven't taken the time to do it lately.)

These may be my favorite out of the new shoes. They were labeled black, but to me they appear more navy in color. And they're Crocs. As a rule I'm not a big fan of Crocs, mainly because they tend to be big and clunky-looking. My sister the nurse will wear nothing else, and I do have a knock-off pair that I wear when I go kayaking, but I don't consider most Crocs worthy of wearing out in public. I really like these, though. They're comfortable (Crocs' main selling point, I think), and they're cute enough to wear with skirts and shorts. Plus they're made of trademark Crocs material (rubber?), so they should be easy to keep clean. And it won't matter if I have to wear them in the rain.

I wanted a new pair of white sandals. The two I had already are in pretty bad shape, and they don't have a strap around the back of my foot. Sometimes I need that strap to keep my shoes from flopping against the bottom of my foot when I walk. And sometimes I need it to keep from walking right out of my shoes. It doesn't show up well in the photo, but these are "shiny," sort of a fake patent-leather look.

I also wanted a pair of brown sandals to wear with khaki shorts and skirts (not that I have many of THOSE). Like my white ones, I have a pair of brown sandals, but not only have they seen their better days, they have become dangerous. They are so slippery that some floor surfaces are precarious. I call these new ones my Roman sandals. Now we just need to go to Rome.

And now for the piece de...... I don't know.

I didn't get a very good shot of the platform portion of these shoes, and the flash makes the color not show up very well. They are sort of a PINK. Maggie, does that get me bonus points? I have two occasions coming up for which I need to dress up a little: one of Hubby's golfing buddies and his wife are renewing their marriage vows, and we are invited. I have a sort of burgundy (or wine) colored dress that I wore to my niece's wedding last August, so I think these shoes will go nicely. They aren't nearly as uncomfortable as it would appear. The platform part has a lot of padding in it, so it's kind of squishy. To be sure, I won't be running any 10K races (or races of any length, to be precise) in them, but I think I'll be able to master walking in them before the event. The week after this ceremony Hubby and I are leaving on a cruise, and I enjoy dressing up for the "formal" evenings on the ship. Hubby does not. I will win.

In addition to the shoes, I bought a cute skirt (what's up with THAT?) and a top that do not go together. So now I will need a top to go with the skirt and a bottom something to go with the top. Sigh. I guess I will have to force myself to go on another shopping spree.

Shopaholic.....

I promise you I am NOT one of those high-maintenance women. I typically dress for comfort (but try to look nice at the same time) rather than paying much attention to fashion. If I'm not careful, I will continue wearing the same articles of clothing for years, completely oblivious of the fact that they have long gone out of fashion. (Aside: Did you know that the correct expression is "oblivious of...." and not "oblivious to....."? I learned that in my doctoral program. Money well spent, I should think.)

I had a co-worker several years ago who was known for making some of the tackiest comments known to man. I don't THINK she was deliberately trying to be mean; she just didn't think before the words came out of her mouth. Example: One morning we were both getting out of our cars at the same time, and she said to me, "Oh, I used to have a dress like that. Every now and then I start to wear it, and then I tell myself, 'Susan, that dress is way out of style now.'"

I had three or four dresses in the same style, and I went home and put them ALL in the goodwill pile. And I liked them! But I could never wear them again without thinking of her thoughtless remark.

And that's another thing. When I find something I like, it's not unheard of for me to have two (or more) of the same item in different colors. I may not even buy them all at the same time. When I was shopping for clothes at the beginning of the school year, I didn't intentionally buy three satin-looking tunic-length blouses that are only slightly different in the design. One is purple, one is red, and one is brown. Yesterday there was a wonderful sale at the ONLY department store our little bitty town has, so I stopped in after school with my additional 25% off elite shopping pass. Yes, I realize I was suckered. I found some adorable boots (can't figure out why I've been on a boot kick lately, but there it is...sorry, pun not intended) and couldn't decide whether to buy them in brown or black. I stood there for the longest time, considering my wardrobe and what would look good with the boots. I have some new brown slacks, so I eventually bought them in brown, and I wore them to school today.

After school I stopped in the same store and bought the same boots. In black. And a pink sweater with sequins on it. I am neither a pink girl nor a sequin girl, but there you have it. Perhaps I am trying to transform myself?

The good news is that once this binge is over, I am unlikely to buy any more clothes until the spring. Good thing...my credit card thinks a nuclear meltdown has occurred.

Red Wednesday......

If Friday the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, then I guess if you get dragged to the freakin' MALL the day BEFORE Thanksgiving so you can pre-shop for Black Friday, it might as well be called Red Wednesday. (Sweet Girl suggested White Wednesday, but it sounded too racist.) Red works just as well, since my checking account was in danger of being that color, thus precluding any need to go Black Friday shopping in the first place, if we didn't get the heck out of the mall.

I don't have any real need to go shopping on Black Friday, since the only person I have to buy for this year is Sweet Girl, and her gifts are already bought and almost wrapped. "Almost" meaning I have the boxes and the wrapping paper and may even be able to put my hands on some tape. This way I will save the expense of shipping them to Florida. She can take them home with her, taped up in a bigger box, and open them on Christmas Day. She won't peek either; she was never a kid to sniff out her Christmas gifts. I don't think.

We only went to the mall today (supposedly) to see the Muppets movie. It won't win an Oscar, but it was entertaining. And I didn't go to sleep. I didn't even text during the movie.

The best thing about Red Wednesday/Pre-Black Friday shopping is that since it's not technically Christmas shopping, it's okay to buy things for myself.

I bought the one vital garment missing from my UGA-themed clothing to wear to the SEC Championship game, only to arrive home and get an email that I don't have the trillion points necessary to earn the privilege of buying tickets to the game. BUT I guess I can wear the newly acquired vital garment at home while we watch the game on television, saving, in Hubby's words, "AT LEAST $500" by NOT going to the game in person.

Dang it. I really wanted to go. Every time UGA has played in that game and I've attended in person..... they've won.

If Mark Richt hears that, he may send me tickets himself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Fool and Her Money......

I am afraid I have been known to waste money from time to time. I go through spells where I'm very careful with money, obsessively (there's that word again) careful. I won't spend 99 cents to download a song. I'll only download **FREE** books to my Kindle. I wash paper plates. Just kidding on that last one.

I have been known to spend impulsively, though. I don't usually REGRET my purchases, like a few weeks ago when I went shopping with two friends from high school. Susan kept bringing me clothes to try on, and I kept liking them. When it came time to ring them up, Susan said, "Uh.......don't you want her to see how much the total is before you decide to buy it all?"

"Nah," I said.

The total wasn't that scary, and Susan has more money than Amanda and I do put together, so I don't know why she was so nervous. Maybe she thought I didn't have the money, or maybe she felt guilty for urging me to try on so many things. But that is pretty typical of the way I shop. I only go clothes shopping a couple times a year, and I buy a LOT at one time. Then I'm done for six months or so. This time it was doubly necessary - I needed the usual back-to-school clothes, but I had also lost 35 pounds. And I bought a LOT of nice things for the money I spent. Money well spent, I figure, if it means I don't have to stand in front of the closet every morning and agonize over putting an outfit together that I haven't already worn to death.

Back when I was skydiving, one of my jumpmasters said his sister was selling a rig, and he thought it would be perfect for me. I had never had my own rig, so I jumped at the chance. (Pun intended.) This was in a previous wifetime, and my ex won some money playing the lottery, so he gave it to me to buy the parachute rig. Apparently I had misunderstood, though, because when I took him the $500, I learned that the asking price was $800. He said he would hold the money until I had the other $300, and I trusted him because I knew where to find him every weekend. Back then it would take me weeks, months to raise $300. We lived pretty much (my) paycheck to (my) paycheck, and there were more important things to pay for. Then I got a divorce and subsequently stopped jumping (not necessarily connected, but maybe), and I never paid the rest for the parachute. I also never went back to get my (his) $500 back. I don't even remember the guy's name now! The jump school closed (it has since reopened, but I have no idea if it's the same folks), and I just never bothered. I wonder if it ever bothered that guy that he had my money and the parachute too. I don't mean to suggest he was dishonest; I was the one who didn't pursue it. We were pretty casual around the drop zone; there were lots of folks I knew by face but never knew their names.

Tonight I made a pretty foolish purchase, but I can comfort myself with the fact that it was substantially less than $500. My friend Amanda had these cool drink tumblers at her house, plastic, double-walled, and nearly indestructible. She said they came with lids and straws, or you could also get them with the Starbucks-type travel lids for hot beverages. I decided I had to have one for school. The one I use for my water at school sweats and leaves water rings on my desk. And papers. And calendar. And anything else that happens to be on my desk.

Amanda told me the specialty store they were sold in, the one where they sell things for the bedroom, bathroom, and beyond room. Hubby and I stopped in on our way home from dinner tonight, and sure enough, they were right inside the door. That should have been a clue.

Note to self: Going to this type of store - any type of store, really - in a college town on the weekend that students move in for fall semester is NOT a good time.

Not only did they have a vast array of these wonderful tumblers, many of them were adorned with the UGA logo.

They weren't sold as you see in the picture above. Oh no..... I had to buy the straw and the handle separately. Yes, I am an idiot. This particular one came with the lid, but you could also buy THOSE separately, just in case you wanted a different color. At least the straws came in a pack of 6, so when it turns black and nasty, I don't have to soak it in bleach to make it usable again. Or cut off the end and turn it upside down. Not that I've ever done THAT, and you can't prove I have.

By the time I bought the cup (with lid), the handle, and the package of straws, I had spent...... the equivalent of a manicure AND pedicure. Fast food for a family of six. Two cases of beer. A month of internet service. Two bottles of really good wine. A decent pair of sneakers (on sale).

I fully expected Hubby to castigate me, or at least roll his eyes, but he was uncharacteristically generous. Not generous enough to PAY for it, but in a noncritical way. He said, "I can't say anything, I've got golf clubs in the basement I spent $50 or $100 for and hit once. Or never."

Or maybe he was just relieved that when we went to the Harley place this morning, I didn't buy the new bike I was drooling over.

Yet.

A Shopper's Rationale.....

I'm not a huge shopaholic, but boy can I justify buying something I want. Or just buying sometimes for the sake of buying.

When we were at the casino last weekend, I was up at one point to the tune of $800. That felt pretty good, and we still had two more days to go.

Guess how casinos make their money?

By lunchtime the next day, I was only up $100. I was feeling a little depressed, like I had lost $700, when I still had more money than I brought with me.

The casino we frequent is actually TWO casinos, across the street from each other, joined by an over-the-street walkway. Between the two casinos are some shops, and I can't resist ducking into one (or two or three) of them every trip. One sells all kinds of apparel and other merchandise with college logos on it, but I don't stay in there very long because UGA merchandise is definitely in the minority.

Another store, however, is a jewelry store.

When I was feeling a little down because I wasn't making money hand-over-fist anymore, I decided to try out the OTHER casino. But there was that jewelry store, "sitting there just like a spider..." [Name that movie].

I went in and browsed, looking mainly at earrings. I like different colored stones, and my eye naturally fell on some topaz earrings, because yellow is my favorite color. Topaz isn't my birthstone, but you can only justify buying so many pairs of diamond earrings. I picked out some lovely oval studs that were well within my price range.

"There's a beautiful pear-shaped pair in our 50% off display case," the clerk said.

Fifty percent off! What a bargain!

The earrings that were fifty percent off were still way more than the first pair. But in my mind, I was saving WAY more money than I was going to spend at first.

So I bought them. Don't you love that rationale?

I'll post a picture when I'm not so lazy.

Do You Have an Alternate Form of Payment?......

Imagine my embarrassment at the post office today, when my debit card was declined for a $3.02 purchase. Embarrassing enough that I didn't have that much cash on my person. Who CARRIES cash anymore? Actually, I had a $20 bill in my purse, but I don't take my purse to school. For obvious reasons when one deals with teenagers all day. Sorry, but that's the sad fact of life. I carry my driver's license and credit cards in a plastic case on a lanyard that I can wear around my neck in an emergency.

I was about to run out to the car for $3.02 in loose change that I throw into the console when I go through a drive-through (not that I do that much, mind you) when the person behind the counter suggested she swipe my card as a credit card instead of debit. It worked, and it didn't ask for a PIN or a signature or anything.

[Bluebird: I hate it when people say PIN Number. The "N" STANDS for number, people. It's like saying Personal Identification Number Number.]

I was thinking this was all related to our debit card troubles of the past weekend. We stopped at the mall to get Sullen Teenager a gift card for Christmas, but Hubby was nervous about leaving a flat-screen t.v. in the car unattended. [Our favorite kind of Christmas shopping is for ourselves.] Hubby offered me his debit card to buy the gift card with, but I was afraid they wouldn't let me use it without him present. He stayed in the car to baby-sit the t.v. There was no line, and I sauntered right up to the counter and gave them my debit card. And Hubby's PIN. Crap. It gave me another chance, and the transaction was completed.

We stopped to buy groceries on the way home, and I presented my debit card as usual. Declined. Declined again. Thankful that Hubby was along, I looked at him helplessly, and he gave me his debit card to pay for groceries. Declined. Declined again.

We stopped at the ATM [ditto saying ATM MACHINE] and used both cards with success. I figured it was just a fluke at the grocery store.

Then the embarrassment at the post office. For $3.02.

After the post office, I stopped by Target. Because I'm a slow learner when it comes to some things, I presented my debit card again for $236.59 in purchases. Approved immediately.

Seriously?

Calling All Christians.....

I (sort of) witnessed a rather bizarre exchange between two women this morning.

I parked at the grocery store but decided to walk down to Tar-zhay in search of a water pitcher with a filter. It was one of those rare days when I just felt like walking, and I didn't have to rush home or anything. And by walking I could put off, if even for just a couple of minutes, the dreaded trip to the grocery store.

I heard loud voices behind me as I walked down the sidewalk, but I didn't really pay any attention to what they were saying. I actually thought they were friends greeting each other in the parking lot in that loud, (some) Southern women, obnoxious, don't-care-whose-ears-we-violate kind of way.

As I neared the Tar-zhay, however, there were two women screaming at each other, one in a van and one walking down the sidewalk. Apparently their roles had been reversed a few minutes earlier at the grocery store end of the shopping center, and the woman in the van was accusing the walking woman of nearly running over her.

Driver: You didn't stop at that stop sign!

Walker: Yes, I did! You walked out in front of me!

Driver: No, you didn't stop!

Walker: Yes, I did!

Driver: No, you didn't!

Walker: Yes, I did!

[Unintelligible gibberish while they both screamed at each other. The woman walking down the sidewalk was dragging a small girl with her, probably about 3 or 4 years old. Thankfully probably too young to be humiliated by her mother's behavior.]

This is how the exchange culminated:

Driver: I'll pray for you!

Walker: I'll do the same for you!

.
.
.
.
.

Here's an idea:

Why not just be nice to each other in the first place, forgiving if a transgression DID occur, whether it be pedestrian or driver, and leave out the middle man?

That would free God up to handle some more pressing issues.

Gotta Love a Two-Day Week....

My favorite kind of work week: a Monday and a Friday. Well, not really, but it seemed like it. We even got to wear jeans today, since it was the last day before the long Thanksgiving weekend. We didn't actually get permission to wear jeans, but we did and we're still employed, so there.

I am definitely NOT a day-after-Thanksgiving shopper. I just saw a commercial on television that I could have saved $50 on the GPS I got for Sweet Girl's Christmas present (don't worry, even though she has the link, she wouldn't be caught dead reading her mom's blog) if only I were willing to show up at 5:00 AM Friday morning. That ain't happening. Oh I don't mind getting up that early. I frequently get up earlier than I have to on days when I don't have to go to school. Last Friday, when I played hooky? I was up at 5:45.

And Friday I will be in a state of high excitement, looking forward to the wealth of college football games from which to choose over the weekend. But I am not going to battle the traffic, the crowds, and the crazies just to save $50. Or $100. I apologize if I just called you a crazy. I'm just sayin'.

I don't have any more refills on my blood pressure medicine, so it's time for my twice-yearly visit to my friendly GP, whom I like a lot even if she DOES appear to be about 12 years old. And she keeps going on maternity leave, which means I have to see the doctor in that practice whom hubby is fond of but I CAN'T STAND. I called the office today for an appointment, expecting to make an appointment for early in December. The friendly receptionist asked if I could come in on November 28th at 11:40. Glancing at my calendar, I realized I wouldn't be in school that day, so that would be perfect.

Only after I hung up did I realize what I had done. Scheduled a doctor's appointment for the day after Thanksgiving. The day when I try very hard not to leave the house. I usually put up the Christmas tree and decorate it while I overdose on college football. Hubby either works or plays golf (or both, he's extremely talented that way), so the day is mine. I don't have to put on a bra or make-up or anything other than sweats.

Usually.

A doctor's appointment the day after Thanksgiving. What was I thinking? Hop right up here on this scale, lady.

Motorcycling and Shopping

It's a wonderful thing when I can combine a motorcycle ride with a shopping trip. Riding the motorcycle to the outlet malls is a great self-discipline tool. There's only so much I can buy, because there's only so much a bungee cord will hold on the back of a motorcycle. Of course, taking hubby to the outlet malls wasn't such a brilliant idea.

Hubby: What did you say you were shopping for?

Me: Plum colored pants, olive green pants, off-white pants, white shirt.

Hubby (watching me look at a billion different tops): Didn't you say you were looking for pants?

I managed to buy one blouse, all the while muttering to myself, "I'm coming back up here by myself.......or with another woman."

I couldn't help it if olive green slacks and plum colored slacks were not to be had. But come on...off white? What's up with THAT?

Still, an afternoon on the bikes was worth the trip. We meandered through the countryside (I really like meandering, almost as much as I like the word). I feel so much more confident on the bike now. I don't always keep up with him, but I don't freak out if he makes a right-hand turn. If only he would use his turn signals every now and then to let me know which way we're going, if for no other reason than I would like to inform the folks behind us. Can't have it all, I guess. At least he went with me.