Dagmar, glad your appointment went well. What happened with DH?
Saef, fingers crossed they get it done in six months!
Michele, I hope you have time to get some rest soon.
Hi everyone else!
Last night we picked up BooBoo for her two week dogsit with us. This morning was kind of a disaster of trying to remind her that in THIS house, she has to behave herself on walks. I nearly lost it when she was freaking out too much for me to put her harness on. On the one hand, I know that the way to train her out of it is to NOT take her on a walk until she calms down. On the other hand, I only have 30 minutes allotted for walk time and if she doesn't get a walk, she's nuts all day.
Oh well. Things will resolve into a normal pattern in a day or two once the doggies adapt. By the end of the walk Boo was actually behaving better than Carter. OTOH poor Carter's foot got scraped up again (which is probably why he was pulling at the leash to go home).
Oh yeah, and I saw BooBoo ambling this morning too. I think the difference is that Carter thinks he's trotting when he's really ambling, so he does this goofy hop thing and his tail swings around like a balancing bar or something.
I was out in the pouring rain (pouring, pouring rain) almost all day today. It started about 10 minutes after I came home for lunch and took my rain pants off - ironic or what? (a nod to William Shatner there). I was able to come home (wet right down to and including my undies) and change. Was wet through for a second time by the time I got to the cat sit so took the gortex off. It's really hard to put cold, wet clothes back on. Their dryer didin't work for my socks either.
No plan with DH tonite - it was for him to go for a walk and he's definitely not in the mood. He's had a very frustrating week job hunting and I think he's going to try to rip my head off tonite. All signs point to that. Maybe I'll cry. I never do so maybe that will shut him up.
I know he's very depressed about all of the CMA stuff but he can't take it out on me anymore. I've had 2 years of it and that's more than enough.
Good evening all - I'm keeping my head down and fingers crossed that DH will restrain himself.
About 10 years ago I got addicted to Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia....not a problem to put down a pint 5 nights a week! I don't think I have had any in almost 10 years though...had to go cold
MICHELE a little FYI...my brother and sister in-laws own a condo within walking distance of UofA....my niece went there a few years ago...they rent it out to college girls each year....so....if ever the need maybe I can put in a good word if needed they are good people.
I saw about 500 children today. I really enjoyed the beer I had after work. Wow, those of you who work with kids all day really have my respect. Many of them were polite and nice, but a few were just rude little... ahem. I worked late, but bc I knew that I went into work late this AM. I actually took a little jog with Emma before work and it didn't feel too bad. I need to jog more! Challenging myself is good. I've got plans to go scalloping tomorrow and am hoping to go Sunday too! I bought some veggies to make scallop ceviche. Mmm. And healthy, too.
Ok, just one more funny dog story... tonight Emma got to play with my coworker's dog Sophie. Sophie's mouth was open and her tongue hanging out a little bit. Emma walked up to her and started licking Sophie's tongue. She did it repeatedly. And then Sophie started doing it back. It was so funny, we were all rolling! The closest human description I can come up with is a French kiss. I've never seen dogs do anything like that before. I tried to get it on video on my camera but of course they wanted to know what my camera was, and then didn't keep doing it.
Jessica, I've had similar thoughts when dogsitting. It's irritating that a dog isn't trained, but how much time do you want to spend to train them when their owner's ideas are obviously different than your own? I'm sure it will be fine though! It's nice you and your family can dog sit for each other. Sorry Carter's foot got scraped again. Poor guy just can't catch a break.
Shannon, I hope you get some sleep and that DSS behaves this weekend.
Jen, it's amazing how one's body can react to any substance it's not used to ingesting in large quantities. I have trouble when I go to Italian restaurants (a rare occurrence) bc of how much oil is used... it's not pretty!
Saef, as you said it must be nice to have a time frame in your head after this uncertainty. 6 months! You can hang in there! Glad you're keeping in touch w your therapist, too.
Dagmar, I'm glad you like this therapist and they're willing to work with you about the cost. It must be nice to have someone to air out your feelings.
Michele, hang in there! I hope you get some sleep.
Neurodoc, at least you won't have to deal with more bat mitzvah stress for a while. Congratulations to your family for the event!
I spent yesterday buying things and buying things. There's a thrill to this, for me anyway, such a thrill that it sends up a warning sign within me. I understand why people get addicted to it.
But also, I feel a little pang each time I spend money. I was brought up thinking this was to be avoided at all costs.
As an example of how I was brought up: I went to a grocery store wholesaler yesterday morning & got my mother an opened, expired package of Little Debbie Nutty Bars, which are chocolate-covered peanut butter wafers. The package cost $1.75 for five. I gave these bars to my mother, because she'd been nearly moaning over how good they were the other day. Her first remark: Not a thank-you, but: "What did you pay for that?" I told her $2.75, having forgotten the exact price, and she said sharply: "I can get them for less than that. You shouldn't have bought them." And then she didn't seem interested in them. Which hurt: I'd imagined this small gift would please her. Anyway, I'm telling the story not just to share a little pinprick of pain & disappointment at a gesture toward amity gone wrong, but also to show you that I have a conscience about spending money sitting up on my shoulder always, formed by growing up under my mother's bargain-hunting training.
So yesterday I went into about six different stores. They were all overstock or close-out stores, with a church's charity thrift shop & an antique shop thrown in for good measure. As the day went on, I experienced "thing fatigue." There were just too many things, and I was seeing some of them over & over again in the closeout stores. When I get Thing Fatigue, I think there's just too much stuff in the world and the plenitude somehow cheapens it all, making none of it desirable, turning all of it into overwhelming clutter. I become desensitized & don't want to buy anything at all. Clothes shopping in too many consecutive outlet stores can do that to me, and so did shopping for other stuff yesterday.
But anyway, I did get some stuff that was lost in the flood & that I actually used daily or almost daily, like baking trays (for roasting vegetables) and a blowdryer and a big stock pot and a steam iron and a used George Foreman mini grill.
Things I've learned from T.J. Maxx (having been to three of their stores locally in as many days): 1) They always have blow dryers for about $17 or slightly less; 2) Never pay full price for scented soap of good quality, since they have tons of it; 3) When buying Calphalon, Le Creuset or Cuisinart cookware, check here first.
Signed, a New Maxximista
(I have always shopped there, but am now shopping INTENSIVELY at TJ Maxx with a list in hand.)
Interesting about TJ Maxx. I have never found anything there that I would want. Maybe it is the location of the stores, do they just carry different merchandise in California than they do in New York ? I usually have good luck at Target for small appliances. I get really tired on a big shopping day and want to go home and take nap.
I've found some good deals on exercise clothes at TJ Maxx, and got some socks there. Never spent much time fully exploring one though.
Saef - I have the spending angel (or devil depending) on my shoulder too, but for different reasons. My mom overspent when I was a kid and I used to watch my dad work multiple jobs and long hours to pay for it. And listening to him fuss at her for spending it while working those hours and enabling it in othe ways. So I flip between 'can't buy this, can't afford it' and 'I deserve this so I'm getting it'.
Dagmar - sorry it didn't go well with DH last night.
Megan - cute dog story.
I'm tired - DH has the flu so I've been on DSS duty solo this weekend. He was good yesterday, slept until 6, got a haircut with no fuss and we went to visit granny. This mornin he decided he wanted to get up at 4:30, got up three times between 4:30 and 5:45 fussing. Fell back asleep until 7, but by then I was wide awake. At least daddy was able to fall back asleep, too. He is up and around a little, but still seems under the weather.
saef and Shannon I can identify with both your moms' spending patterns. My mother was a "for show" shopper. She would get gifts for others that were always very expensive and impressive (Christmas, birthday, etc. got to be a real chore because of this) but she always shopped at the discount outlets for herself.
And she loudly announced this to all. "Poor little me, I can't afford anything nice, my shoes are plastic, my jewellery fakes," etc. etc.
So when I started making enough to have some discretionary income I bought her a couple of really nice dresses for Christmas and for her birthday. Leather shoes and bags to go with (not ridiculously expensive but reasonable quality).
Her response was "Oh, these are too expensive - I can't wear these".
I was about 30 years old at the time and finally realized that she had been manipulating me all those years. DUUUH!!!
I like to "window shop" in places like Vogue magazine but I could never bring myself to spend $700 on a pair of shoes. Or $4000 on a dress. Even if I won the lottery and had the income I could do much better things with it. I am squarely in the middle when it comes to expensive vs cheap.
Although my last night's viewing of "Top Gear" did make me yearn for the used luxury car (pain in the *ss though it is).
We came home early by 2 days from our sailing vacation because it was pouring rain all day Friday and it was predicted to be the same on Sat & Sun - but since we came home, it was fair skies. At least it gave me time to wash loads of laundry and repack before I head out to Colorado.
Only at one "bad thing" on vacation - a fat free Coconut yogurt desert from Red Mango. I think of it as bad because I've been doing the no sugar thing for a year. But DH talked me into it.
Ate very cleanly the rest of the time. Did my floor exercises on the narrow floor of the boat, biked and hiked a few days. Weighed myself this morning and I'm the same as when I left. So feeling pretty good about that.
The last two days I've been doing new stabilizing ball exercises to really strengthen my core. Worked extra hard today. As soon as DH is done with a Sci Fi show he's watching, we'll go out and do yard work. Oh fun. Not.
On the shopping front, I just hate to do it and spend money. DH was really sweet to me and really wanted to buy me something to commemorate the trip and our upcoming 20th Anniversary (which I'll be away for) but I just couldn't settle on anything I really liked in the Villages we visited on Long Island except for a $6 Junior Sized tie died t-shirt. He wanted me to try on a $530 dollar dress that the shop owner basically said she'd give us 50% off, but it was way to fancy for our lifestyle and I would have do where to wear it. In another village, we found a beautiful Navaho bracelet that we both admired but it was $780 and that's about $700 more then I would ever spend on something that would have l would have few clothes to wear with it.
TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross. And Home something-or-other (owned by one of the above mentioned) are stores that I go to with my DD. She's taught me the value of a bargain (especially purses which you can get for a steal). When looking for a dress (which I know I won't wear much) that is the first place to look so I don't spend a lot.
I'm sure I've shared this before, but it bears repeating. My Mom was a bargain shopper. She found a great pair of shoes, size 8 wide, but they were a STEAL so she bought them, despite the fact that she was a 9.5 narrow, I am a 9 and my sister a 7.....And then there was the time she found the PERFECT comforter for her bedroom at JC Penney, on SALE. Well, that purchase required new sheets, pillows, bed skirt, curtains, wallpaper, etc. That $10 comforter cost several hundred dollars once she was done. Bargains are one thing, but that was another.
I found a bargain this weekend. I went to Soma to bet some new panties, had a coupon for $20 off if I spent $100, which could be easy to obtain, but I AND just for making a purchase, you get one for free...So 6 pair of $14 panties for $45 with tax. Ok, so not Target prices, but a bargain in the upscale world.
And did I tell you of the last pair of jeans I bought? I wanted to be able to wear them with flip-flops. The sales girl said to go to the petite department. I'm 5'8"--clearly not petite, yet the petite were perfect. But it was a bit difficult to shell out $170 for a pair of jeans (twice, as I had done similar the month before to get some that I had to alter to wear with boots). I like, however, that they really camouflage some of my shortcomings.
I LOVE Marshalls. I'm kinda addicted. My purchases (last night) were a Jones of New York sweater for 19.99, a pair of boots (Chinese Laundry) for 39.99 and adorable grey corduroy Joe's Jeans for 59.99 (a splurge but a great deal and they are comfy and cute!). I already wore the boots and pants to work today.
I think that no one ever flirts with me, but perhaps I'm oblivious. I was on the freeway this morning and glanced over-- the guy next to me smiled AND waved! I smiled shyly and looked away. He got off at the next exit, but it made me smile!
Last edited by traveling michele; 09-25-2011 at 10:29 PM.
Reason: couldn't figure out how to spell corduroy!
tonite. All signs point to that. Maybe I'll cry. I never do so maybe that will shut him up.
they are good people.
(pain in the *ss though it is).
