Confessions of a One-Track Mind

Today I did something I've never done before. I commented on a post at fatshionxchange solely to review a dress someone was selling. The community is for sales of plus size clothing. I've bought there a few times (although I know, I *ought* to be selling there instead).

Anyway, someone was selling a dress I got a couple of months ago from Fashion Bug. It's a basic, versatile dress, good to throw on and go, with easy-care fabric that never wrinkles. It drapes well, flatters the waistline, and I said that it was a very good value for the amount the seller is asking.

This is it:

What is irksome is, there have been no comments/sales for that or anything else the seller has listed, even though she's got some nice stuff at reasonable prices. I feel really bad for her; hopefully sales will pick up.

The community is on my friends page, and I check any post that looks like it might have something my size. However, I usually find that what's up isn't what I want/need. (There's no frackin way I'd pay $10 for someone's old tee shirt.) There arespecific things I prefer, certain skirts, shrugs, light jackets. I have to remind myself that my style now isn't everyone's, and for that matter, what I wear at 50+ isn't what I wore 10, 20 or 30 years ago.

I've cut way back on online purchases. Part of it is surfeit of stuff, another part is cost, but mostly it's because I'm tired of hit-or-miss results. I'd rather try it on first; I can try it on and not buy it---it satisfies my desire to shop while still preserving my bank balance.

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Why doesn't ASOS have this dress in something a little closer to my size?! *pout*

I'm lusting after it, all navy and white and summery-fresh looking. I'm tall enough to pull it off, and I have The Perfect Hat to wear with it. And some cute little shoes in red or yellow. I'd be even more awesome than usual!

However. The biggest size they have it in is the equivalent of a US 16, and I'm pretty damn far from a 16. Currently, more like size 26. If they had it in US 22, or even 20, I'd snag it for motivation---it's a sweet deal at that price!---but NOT 16. (ETA, The UK site has it in US20, but I hate to imagine what the shipping would be, even if I *could* finagle it.) I know my personal sizing; I'm at least 50 pounds away from that.

Damn and double damn.

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I just got in from church, after not going for three weeks in a row---it's been YEARS since that last happened---and it was very nice.

When she was down last spring, GK gave me a sleeveless solid black dress, microfiber/chiffon. I hadn't worn it, thinking it was a bit dressy for church: I had to pin up the neckline, for one thing! but finally bit the bullet, otherwise I'd never have worn it before I outgrew it. It would benefit from a little taking in, but I thought it looked nice with a blue shrug and blue shoes for a color-block effect.

We had a guest speaker, the Reverend Ann Fuller, who is an actual Unitarian Universalist minister, as opposed to our usual Speaker Potluck. Her talk was "Antidote for Idolatry", defining "idolatry" as anything that comes between us and God, the Universe and Everything.

There was definitely food for thought there. By that definition, I suppose my clutter could be considered idolatry. Or my wardrobe---and I really have to go through that again; I *know* a lot of it---especially tops---is too big for me.

She also referenced "Whitethorn Woods", a novel by Maeve Binchy, which I own but haven't actually read yet. I'll be rectifying that soon, as I know where it is. It was nice to have someone to author-squee with! I recommended "Scarlett Feather" as my favorite of Binchy's---she's never read it, and I hope she does so we can squee some more next time she comes.

Sadly, we're going to be losing the Happy family. RHappy has gotten a job offer in Tampa that pays $20K a year better than what he's doing here, so they'll be departing soon. It's good that they have such a teriffic opportunity, but they were the young blood of the congregation, and it'll be hard to see them go.

I went to WalMart afterward, as is my wont. Got several packs of bug foggers (almost typed "bug floggers"---yikes!); I figure I'll bomb the whole house, give it a week to allow for any potential hatchings, then bomb it again. KILL ALL THE (evil) SPIDERS!!!

And maybe do some more laundry. I got a load done last week, so I've got basics, but I need to do bedding and towels and darks, so---laundry ahoy!

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I just got in from running around. I went out this morning, and by 9 AM, had my battery charged and was at the library with my woefully* overdue books shortly thereafter. Snagged Elmore Leonard's Raylan, which should be fun.

After the library, I went by Publix and did some knee-jerk shopping, the kind where we've been running out of things and craving other things and making the occasional impulse buy.

I'm going to do laundry later, honestly I am. Meanwhile, I still feel a certain sense of accomplishment for today.

The toe hasn't grumbled at all, despite shoes and no bandage.

And tomorrow, Jason the Lawn Guy is coming out to mow.

o=o=o==o=o=o=o=o

* "Woefully", in this case, being $8.40. I got a discount for my tale of toe, er, woe, and because they know me there.

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After church yesterday, I went to J's for more LOST (We've seen the first 12 eps) and side-tripped by way of Fashion Bug for some browsing.

I didn't got home to change first, so I had on what I wore to church: A brown tank top with brown bugle bead embellishment around the softly ruched neckline above a print shirt. This skirt---



From the pic, it looks pink flowers and a brown background, right? When I slid it out of its envelope (it's from eBay) I was nonplused to find that it has, in fact, coral flowers and the background is black. Nevertheless, there are shades of brown and tan in the leaves, so it worked nicely with the tank.

I had it accessorized with an Indian patchwork bag, courtesy of AI, a faux amber and ivory necklace, I forget where I got it, Goodwill, I think...and some basic black flats. no clue where the flats are from; I rediscovered them a few weeks ago while shifting things in the middle room.

When I entered the store, I was greeted warmly by the sales associate (No one I know---they have a lot of turnover), who said I was rocking the outfit, and she'd been watching me cross the parking lot because it looked so good.

I'm not vain, I don't think. The reason I post and tag compliments is for those occasions when I don't feel good about myself, when I feel old and fat and discouraged. And on days like those, when I go out, I am even more careful to dress well. It helps.

Last week, I also got a few compliments on my favorite spring-summer hat. ( (This one) ) I've had it for at least five years; it's a simple neutral and it suits me, so I'll keep it for as long as it lasts.

Anyway, browsing. I didn't try on a lot of stuff and didn't buy anything. One top, a bright geometric print that I thought was fun, had no shape. A tailored pair of herringbone print trousers with half a million (okay, four) buttons---no go. They were 28s and fit nicely, but the pattern was all over the place and made my ass look a mile wide. And finally, a pair of basic black stretch pants, size 26/28 on clearance. They were, however, MILES TOO BIG. The tailored 28s fit fine, but these were completely baggy. Pardon me while I do Snoopy dances at the thought of an alledged 28 being TOO BIG.

I have a basic white shrug coming soon...that's something I've wanted for quite a while, and finally found a gently used one in my price range ($11 including shipping). I'm a little trepidacious---is that really a word? It is now!---because it's labeled 22/24, but I'm smaller on top, so fingers crossed---!

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Got a couple things done today. Three FULL cans of trash at the curb for tomorrow's pickup, the stove and counter mostly cleared. Baby steps.

Mb called around 6:30, wanting company for a WalMart run. Okay, I said, as long as I'm home by nine.
Picked up a few things, light bulbs and trash bags and raspberry Hershy's kisses. Also made Mb laugh her ass off when I wandered toward an aisle full of brightly colored packages murmuring, "Ooooh, snacky things!" only to discover that they were pet treats. I turned to her and said solemnly, "Have I mentioned that I'm waiting for new glasses?" Yes, it IS that bad....

Being ten years older than Mb, we occasionally don't have the same frame of reference. I mentioned Mr. Magoo to her, and asked if she knew who had voiced him, thinking of course she would, but no. Jim Backus, the actor who was Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island was also the hapless Magoo. But why am I surprised? J, who's the same age as Mb, hadn't known the FDR is on dimes because of the March of Dimes...which I knew, but then again, I have that bent for epidemics, and read up on the history of polio. But I digress.

Movie night at church tomorrow, hooray!

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Right now, I'm all fizzy with happiness. A couple hours ago, I discovered that today is the last day of Lane Bryant's "Buy 2, get 2 free" bra sale. Mind you, this is Lane Bryant we're talking about; their bras are not cheap. The kind I favor are $28 a pop, so I was looking at a minimum of $56.

But a good, well-fitting bra? Is like a hug. It lifts and separates and improves your posture and the fit of your tops and you can breathe better. (At least, I find that's so.)

So I went running down to The Avenue---I don't go there often, because my car is always the crappiest one in sight, and it makes me feel self-conscious. Nonetheless, the prospect of a supply of decent bras lured me in.

I got four: ivory, pink, heather blue and black. And thanks to the sale price, a discount for applying for a Lane Bryant card (which I know damn well they're not going to give me, but it was 25% off), some coupon the clerk rang up when I checked out, etc, my total for FOUR bras was $37 and change.

Damn, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. I think this is one of those times!

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Yesterday, I ran around with Mb. Long day! Lunch, the ASPCA thrift store, Home Depot, followed by Target, WalMart (where Mb was looking for a new coffeepot---one of her cats killed her glass carafe) and Aldi. Then back to her place, and I hit my WalMart on my way home.

The ASPCA thrift is one I've been wanting to visit for quite a while. Being a Saturday, it was fairly busy, but I liked it and will go again. I got a great piece of fabric, 3 yards of a sturdy cotton with a classic red and white Hawaiian hibiscus print. Not sure what I'm gonna DO with it, but I'll think of something! Also got a couple bits of bling---two brooches and a bracelet. One pin was a leaping gazelle or impala, the other is an abstract thing that looks like Liberace's boomerang. The bracelet is plain chain and destined to be an extender for a necklace that's much too short. (I don't do choakers, but I got one with a pretty charm for Christmas.)

At Home Depot, I made my first investments from the card pwcorgigirl gifted me with for Xmas: I got a box of Mr Clean Magic Erasers, a tube of Super Glue, and a bag of concrete. Had a bear of a time with the bag---60 pounds of concrete is surprisingly dense and heavier that it seems.

I think what I'm going to end up doing is digging out the old mailbox, getting the hole to a size where it will accomodate the new one, putting it in there and shoveling the concrete powder into the hole a little at a time and wetting it down. Because frankly, I can't lift the damn thing out of my trunk, so that's the only way I can think of to do it.

It did get frosty last night, but I managed to stay comfy. Wore the ensemble I'd planned to church, and got some bad news: There's been a rash of thefts among area churches, and somebody pilfered our heating and a/c unit. We're insured, but it's still going to be a major pain, although as AI pointed out, "That's going to earn somebody some butt-ugly kharma."

Our guest speaker didn't show up---we figure he must've gotten his weeks mixed up---so a couple of the Buddhists pinch hit. Which was very nice of them...although one gal drove me to distraction---if I had ten cents for every time she said, "You know", I could've gone out for a steak dinner. It was a persistant verbal tic. Sometimes, she'd say it two or three times in a row. Arrrgh!

Movie night is next Friday. I'm really looking forward to it, partly because we haven't had movie night in a few months, partly because it's a Bogart classic, We're No Angels. Ah, Bogie!

Next month's discussion topic for CUUPs is suppossedly going to be "Dead Mothers", which wasn't what I expected when it was brought up. I *thought* they meant IRL, since most of the group is 50+ and is of an age to have lost a parent or two. They were talking about TV moms...okay, I can do that, too.

Now I'm home. And it's a funny thing; since I spent a few months having to make special trips to check my email/look things up/etcetera, I thought I'd be online contantly making up for lost time. Instead, I'm NOT checking my email every fifteen minutes. In fact, yesterday, I didn't turn my computer on at all! But it's so nice to have the option.

Glory be, I'm writing! I finally jumped in and started work on the idea I've had for Person of Interest fic. It's around the thousand-word mark and just getting started. Heaven knows how long it'll wind up---but I'm just happy that I have a plot taking root.

Have a good week, y'all! (I know I'm going to! Alcatraz debut Monday, Justified season premiere Tuesday, Royal Pains, White Collar and fresh PoI on Thursday. Yay!)

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I had to leave the laptop over at J's so she could deal with a virus that was keeping me off the internet. Smart friends are a good thing to have! All's well now!

The fence business is becoming annoying; the individuals who've come out to estimate are either dumb or unhelpful. Either they're claiming they can't measure because the yard needs mowed first, or they're telling me I need a survey, a site plan and a permit, or their estimates are twice my budget. Grr. Still very much a situation in progress.

In happier news, I have pillows! Thanks to thru_the_blinds and my trusty Target gift card, I now have FOUR new pillows: One firm, one extra firm and two feather. Lovely! Also a Sunbeam electric kettle, some page protectors and a bag of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt. Much squee!

I ran into Hancock Fabrics and actually for once came out with ONLY the item I went in there for, namely, a square of hot pink felt---I already had suitable thread. I have a vintage hot pink Nicole Miller bag that I'm very fond of, but the lining's seams were unravelling. I managed to sew one of them up---hopefully it will stay---but the other side was worse, and I needed something to patch it with. I considered ribbon, but it occurred to me that I wouldn't have to worry about hemming felt and wouldn't be restricted to a specific width.. It worked a treat. Fixed! So it should be good for a few more years, and I have leftover felt if anything else comes apart.

Speaking of sewing, I need some new living room curtains. The ones I have are ten years old---GK gave them to me before her move to MA, and they're staring to get pinholes from sunlight, in addition to being decidedly dusty. I need something that will unify an assortment of patterns. I have a mostly cranberry loveseat with matching ottoman, a wicker chair and ottoman with a striped pattern that includes cranberry, olive, goldenrod and rust, and now the new area rug (which isn't down yet) that's mostly light gold, with rust, slate blue and black.

I'm thinking goldenrod/soft gold for the curtains, especially since when I paint, eventually, I want a light golden yellow n three walls and something in an olive/Wedgewood green for the long accent wall. (I wouldn't rule old something with a stripe.) To complicate matters, I also think it would be nice to replace the drapes on the sliding glass doors at the same time. Either I need a lot (4-6) of sheets bought on clearance, or a really cheap bolt of something....

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I'm waiting for laundry to dry...J and I have a dog at noon tomorrow, and I needed a clean black shirt.

I emailed the company I'd ordered my fabulous glasses from and cancelled the order today. I didn't want to, but they emailed me saying they couldn't fill my prescription as ordered unless I altered one of the lens indexes AND went with a more expensive lens material. To which I responded that I wasn't comfortable with substiting something other than my shiny new prescription, so thanks but no thanks.

Back to the drawing board. This afternoon, Mb and I went to Eyeglass World, where I had the exam done, BJ's Wholesale Club and Sears optical. BJ's outright said they couldn't do it, Sears was helpful, but both they and EW are pricing two pairs at +$200. Yikes. I know I'm nearsighted and astigmatic, but holy cannoli, I didn't realize it was this bad!

Current plan, before heading back to Sears, is for us to run up to visit a church member who has an optical practice. (She's at the other end of the county, which is one reason I haven't seen her already.) I'm getting increasingly annoyed by the time this is taking; I'm tired of squinting like a mole!

Saw an excellent 1948 Ford wagon this morning while picking up Mb at the garage. Magnificent cherry red, with a baroque pinstripe motif on the trunk.*sigh*

It's supposed to approach freezing tonight, and Mb wanted to get some cheap bedding for her outdoor cats. (Feral colony in her backyard.) We went to the new Goodwill location on Merritt Island, where I found a nice knit top that'll go well with my low-low price skirt from Lane Bryant AND a swimsuit. It's a one-piece of watercolor blues---I won't have to worry about the bottoms going south on me. I know, I know---but I'll wash it with bleach, it'll be fine.

And now, I really hope the clothes are dry, because I only had about four hours sleep last night and I'm over it....

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In addition to paying some bills---I have an $89 credit with the water department, go me!---I went shopping online for glasses. I have my 'scrip, I was on the "Glasses start at $6.95!" site, had three pairs picked out, readers, drivers and *cringe* bifocals. I was all ready to order; I'd joined the site, had a code for an additional 15% off---and then the bottom dropped out, because they don't offer the level of correction that I need. My right eye is -12.75, and they only go to a -10. Grr.

I've investigated a few other sites, but either they don't go past -10, they only carry designer frames that cost more than I was ready to pay for THREE pairs, or they're out of the US, which makes me a wee bit nervous.

So I figure I'll check out WalMart, as they're about as cheap as bricks and mortar retail gets, although Eyeglass World (where I got my exam done) has a pair of frames that I am totally in love with, never mind that they're WAY over my hypothetical budget. Although there IS a BOGO going on....


I'll keep you posted...because I can!

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I've barely slept in the last few days, thanks to those damned neighbors and their damned dogs. I love dogs, y'all know I do, but seriously, I want to grab this bunch and tear their throats out. Anything to shut them up. Ditto the kids running around with their kazoos all afternoon, the football game that was going on---it used to be such a nice, quiet neighborhood! Finally settled down around 8:30---the silence WAS deafening---and of course, then I had insomnia and coundn't fall asleep til 4...and the dogs started in again around 8...HATE THEM.

On the other hand, I was all wrought-up and got a helluva lot done yesterday. One load of laundry, which doesn't sound like much, but while I had that in the works, I worked in the garage and made decent progress. I found the hose for my shop-vac, yay! (Only vac I have, but all I have are area rugs.) Winnowed a fair amount of stuff from out there, then went into my bedroom closet and really started pitching things. Faded, stretched out, snagged, too big, too short---bagged for departure. Moving things from the garage to my closet,, well, that's still in progress---but there IS progress.

What is a reasonable amount of clothing, gals? Summer is 2/3rds of the year, here, but things like pants and skirts can be worn year round. Have a 2-1 ratio of short-sleeved or sleeveless tops? How many? How many pairs of pants, skirts, long or short-sleeved dresses? Jackets? I have a ridiculous number of jackets, considering how brief our winters are, but they vary in length, fit, pattern, etc. Really, what's "reasonable"?

Thursday evening at Mb's, we went to WalMart in Titusville and wandered around getting necessaries like caffeine for me and cat food for her. She talked me out of a pair of black pants I was eyeing--But look! They're on sale!---and she was right, of course. Saw a great floor/reading lamp on sale for $10, which I really do need for the black hole that is my bedroom, but it's still out of my price range, and their return-of-layaway policy doesn't help a bit. *sigh*

Their Christmas stuff is being set up, and Mb is trying to decide what her decor is going to be this year. I don't have that problem; my pink tree is still up from last year, although I never actually got it decorated. This year, I think I'm going to be doing a lot of baking as gifts---it's about the only thing I can do.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday, karaokegal---I hope you had a great day, I hope you have a wonderful year, and that all is well in the city by the bay. I'd bake you a cake, but I don't think it would ship well.

I didn't make it to ang5fam's garage sale, either---no money and too much crap of my own---but the weather was excellent and hopefully the bargainistas came out in droves and spent lots.

Spent6 three hours last night picking apart a pillow for at least the second time, trying to restore it to a firmness that wasn't quite as hard as cork.

Uh...I know there's more I wanted to say. That's the problem with not being able to post as the spirit moves me, things escape my brain and don't return until I'm away from the keyboard. Perverse little things, thoughts.

The weather is, as I mentioned, gorgeous. Sunny, crisp---and I've been able to sleep with a comforter and no fan, which is divine. I'm rediscovering the delight of 3/4 length sleeves or a jacket in the morning over shorter sleeves, because it tends to warm up by the afternoon. After the juicyness that is Florida summer, I'm loving our version of autumn.

TTFN.


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I've been wanting to get a binder for couponing, and I had a little windfall that gave me a couple dollars of discretionary income. I had a tip from Bunny that Target had their school supplies on half-off clearance, so I went up there this afternoon.

Most of the ones they had were cheap, didn't have handles or carry-straps, not very sturdy---I was underwhelmed. I saw one I liked in a deep teal blue with all the bells and whistles---BUT. It was marked at $19.99, no signs to indicate it was on sale.

That was double what I was prepared to pay, but being a cock-eyed optimist at times (the same urge that makes me check coin-return slots on pay phones), I figured it wouldn't hurt to scan the price, just in case.

I'm so glad I did! It was marked down to $5.99!

Woohoo! I grabbed it, then went spelunking for card sleeves to put coupons in. Those were $9.99 for a package of 65---but the gal who gave the coupon class I took a few weeks ago said those are the heavy-duty ones and worth the extra cost---apparently the ones from WalMart are flimsier and fall apart after a few months. I said what the hell, since the binder was less than I had budgeted, it all evened out.

On the way back, I saw a red car. Shiny new lipstick red, probably with an extra layer of clear-coat, it was that shiny. It was a Pacer. I'm sure most of you are old enough to remember THEM. If not, do a Google Image search for AMC Pacer. My cousin Eddie used to call them pregnant car; this was a few years before the CB craze that dubbed VW Bugs "pregnant roller skates". I haven't seen one in ages, and I don't think I've EVER seen one that color, even new.

Tomorrow being Sunday, I figure I'll snag the paper for coupons on my way to church. I have a few sections set aside already, which will give me something to do this evening.

Caught the pilot of "Ringer" last night and was intrigued. Since it's on a channel I'll get with the converter box when I get home, I'll probably follow it. I wasn't a huge Buffy fan---I watched it, but not obsessively---but SMG is okay, and they've set up some interesting drama. And again, once I get home, I'm going to be sans cable and internet, so any diversions are welcome.


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Along about 8:30-ish, Mb rang me and wanted to know if I was up for some running around. She was determined to find a white purse to carry to go with her Easter ensemble.

I'm generally always up for running around with Mb, and tonight was no exception. First stop was the Super Target in Viera...this is the second time in recent weeks we've been in there at closing time. There were a couple bags that *I* thought were nice, but she claimed that they were *not* true white.

Once upon a time, Mb went with me to every WalMart in the county to find the exact right shade of green fabric for a Statue of Liberty costume for Halloween. So at no point in the proceedings did I urge her to settle for other than what she wanted.

She didn't get anything at Target. I, on the other hand, got ( two pairs of shoes.  )

On the way out, we bumped into a former coworker from the medical billing office. "Hello, I must be going!" was about the size of it, since the store was closing in 5 minutes.

Next came the Viera WalMart, which was a freaking ZOO, being the Saturday of a holiday weekend. No purse there either, but I got six pairs of socks and a four-pack of panties for under $5. I did *not* get the very cute top I was drooling over. (No pic online, or I'd show you how cute it really was.)

Onward to the Island WalMart, where Mb found a white tote (woven out of some kind of plastic strips, more beachy than churchy, but at the 11th hour, ya take what you can get).

Before church, I need to shower, make deviled eggs for potluck and sleep---not necessarily in that order.

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While the rest of the country shops (or prepares to shop), I've been out and back. My resources are exhausted, but I feel a warm glow of satisfaction. Mb very kindly got me a paper of my own yesterday, so that I could peruse the sale ads, which I did after the feast. I was *hoping* to find a full-size microwave: No such luck, the only ones in my price range were the same size as the dinky little thing I've got. (Yes, I know it was free, and free is good, but half my dishes don't fit in it!)

However, I *did* run across some 4GB flash drives on sale at Office Depot. I gave this some thought; I had a 2GB drive that's MIA, which does me no good, and this I could actually afford.

Came home, TRIED to sleep, couldn't. Sat up and reread the WalMart ads, and noticed they had the same flash drive going on sale at 5 AM...did I mention that the Office Depot drive was $1.01 cheaper? And that WalMart WILL match competitor's prices if you have the ad? So I took both ads and zoomed down the road---and may I just say the place is a freaking ZOO?!---ascertained that yes, they ARE the exact same item.

The very nice lady at the checkout didn't give me any trouble, didn't point out that Office Depot isn't even open at 3 AM, not even today---she just did a price override as she rang up my stuff, and I scampered home, where I'll try to sleep again in a little bit.

I have just about enough left to keep me in caffeine for the week, so I won't be hitting Office Depot for their $2.97 USB hub, alas, or grabbing a box of nutcracker ornaments at Pier One. New pillows at Macy's aren't happening either---although with the January white sales coming up, that's not too traumatic. Nope, I'm going to be spending today or tomorrow making turkey soup, as MB also kindly gave me the carcass of the 25 pound turkey. (I took one look at the mammoth thing and told her I didn't know Butterball farmed ostriches.) I have carrots, celery and onions, rice, and a stockpot that might actually be big enough if I do some judicious dismemberment.

Happy Black Friday, y'all!


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I spent the weekend house-sitting for the Cs. One thing about being over there, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can always find something to read. For instance, AI had the latest copy of the Pyramid Collection catalog lying around...read through it and fell in love with their Coral Reef dress.

While I was in the neighborhood, I visited Hancock Fabrics+---no, I *didn't* buy any!---for some thread to match some green fabric I've been meaning to make a skirt from. And, thinking of that dress I was pining for, I browsed their pattern books.

This is the Pyramid dress I fell in love with:


and this is Simplicity #2947:



Not exactly the same, but close enough! I think the Simplicity version will be easier to sew, since it doesn't have the skirt fitted to the bottom of the bodice. (What?! It's about time I did something with the sewing machine I inherited!)

I also like that #2947 includes patterns for a pair of wide-legged pants and a shrug. Pants are the most difficult item to find, for me, at least, and a shrug will help move some items to year-round wear---or keep me from being chilled on the rare occasions when an establishment's A/C is too cold.

I have oodles of fabric I can make a trial run dress from. Which is a Good Thing, because Jiminy Christmas, the price of fabric, wtf?! And WHEN did the standard width go from 45" to 60"? I totally missed the memo on that!

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+ Originally, when I went in there, I had the ulterior motive of wanting to snag something cheap to make curtains with. The ones in the living room are 10 years old and look it, and I'm not overfond of the tab tops I have on the sliding glass doors.

I found an awesome cotton print I would have LOVED to grab to recover my ottoman and love seat and hide the fugly fish forever. However, enough to cover those two pieces---even at the ridiculously low Clearance price---would run me more than my biweekly tank of gas, bathroom tissue and assorted necessities and bills. No can do.

Said print had a brown background sprinkled with little ivory dots all over and punctuated with bigger dots in yellow, pink and green. Very Fiestaware! Hmm, maybe I could get just enough to make a tablecloth and some chair covers...?

It's true: When you have TIME, you have no MONEY. When you have money, you have no time.

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Had a grand day out with Mb...she swung by 11ish, first place we hit was Target on the Island. She was looking for sneakers, I saw some shoes I liked, but it was womenswear where I got into trouble. A whole $5 worth---found the most adorable microfiber jersey zebra print skirt! Just the right length---to a smidge below the knee---nice and drapey. I think I know what I'll be wearing this Sunday! I just need to make some decisions about what to pair with it.

Then we headed up to her place to snag her SO, who took us out to lunch. Have now tried the Chinese buffet at Fiske and Barton that sbjb and ang5fam both recommended. I'm giving the place the benefit of the doubt: It was around 2 PM by then, and a lot of the selections had probably been sitting there for a while. And there wasn't much of a veg selection, not even the ever-popular sauteed green beans. New Century on M.I. is still my favorite, but again, free lunch, free is good.

From there, we went to Viera, namely Super Target! Where they had a much larger and more tempting variety of shoes and a slightly larger selection of womenswear. For a mere $8, I got a black microfiber jersey wrap dress. (Yes, you are seeing a theme here.) It's a good basic dress, flatters my figure, and the fact is, none of the other black dresses I own can say that.

(Wait a minute, Fluffy---how many black dresses do you own? *counts on fingers* Before today, four. #1, sleeveless cotton jersey from LB, at least 15 years old, not a whole lot of shape to it and it's faded to that un-black shade of black, IYWIM. I don't wear it past the mailbox these days. #2 short sleeved faux turtleneck, don't remember the source, but I've had it for about 10 years...it was lost in the garage for about half that time, is in okay shape but that freaking neckline makes it hot and itchy so even after I rediscovered it, I've hardly ever worn it. #3 black cotton gauze from Goodwill a couple years ago, short sleeves, tiered and full-skirted, makes me look like a supermassive black hole, so I don't wear it much. Occasionally when I'm feeling fat and don't want to have anything clinging to me. And #4, a long black velvet halter dress, bought from LB in 1999; it was going to be my Millennium Eve dress, except I could barely get into it---well, that and we ended up staying home on NYE---I'm 30 pounds lighter these days, and while I can get into it, sitting down is NOT an option. Hmm, maybe I can sell it online: Prom season is starting up soon....)

I stayed in the car at the next stop, Super WalMart, and made the acquaintance of Froggy, a darling little black and white Boston Terrier. My Aunt Ruth and Uncle Tom had a BT named Butch when I was growing up, although in those days, I don't think "butch" had quite the same connotation it does today.

Finally back to Mb's, where she loaded me down with a bunch of frozen stuff. I took a padded cooler and a milk crate with me and came back with those full, *plus* another grocery bag of frozen stuff and a grocery bag of pantry shelf mixes and munchies. I haz Fig Newtons!

She brought me home, and I gave her a plaque that I got from Kat's---cute kitties being playful with a cylinder of bathroom tissue. It's headed: LET'S POTTY! and captioned "Let the good times roll!" Mb loved it, and I'm glad to know someone Kat knew and liked will enjoy it.

Watched "Justified", which I love like pie, and now I'm thinking reluctant but necessary thoughts about doing dishes so I can actually cook some of my largesse.
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