Lessons learned on a solo trip to Christiana Mall today:
1. If at all possible, go to the mall in the middle of the morning on a weekday. The staff is way more attentive and cheerful. The stores are also not staffed by angsty teenagers. Speaking of angsty teenagers, there are very few of those roaming the mall at this time slot as well, which is always a plus.
2. If you wander into a store in which you are genuinely interested but can't afford anything at the moment, don't reject the overtures of the staff, especially if said store franchised within the last 5 years and moved to the mall in the last 2 months. They will give you FREE stuff. I now have an entire tub of natural, handmade facewash just because I let the lady talk. Retail value: $12.95.
3. Mall drivers are THE WORST. Enough said.
4. Upon entering a store, if you are not looking for an extremely specific season-sensitive item, proceed directly to the back. Having worked in a mall store, I can tell you that the merchandise on the sale racks at the back of the store is usually only a few weeks old but carries way more than a few weeks' worth of discount. $10 Ann Taylor sweater, anyone?
5. Ducking into Teavana for the sole purpose of picking up a free sip or two of tea is really awkward when you're the only customer in the store, making the staff to customer ratio 2 to 1. Pretend to browse really expensive teapots to diffuse the awkwardness, although, if you do this, you run the risk of being tempted by the seriously discounted gorgeous teacups in the back. Remind yourself that you DO NOT need another teacup, and deal with the awkward glances from the staff as you exit.
6. If an attractive-in-a-euro-metrosexual-kind-of-way man at a hand cream kiosk approaches you and says, "Ma'am, can I ask you a question?", say no. Smile while you do it, but say no. Firmly. Then duck into the store you were heading for, which happens to be right across from the kiosk, and listen as his kiosk partner berates him in Italian for getting rejected. Stride quickly and purposefully towards the back of the store. (See lesson number 4.)
It was a productive, rather educational morning.
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Friday, March 6, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
our New Year's in numbers...
In the past 4 days...
I have spent 2 3/4 days in bed.
Adrian has acquired 2,343 points in Wii Boxing.
I sustained a 102 degree fever for 2 days.
Adrian bowled a 258 on the Wii.
Shrek the Third has been watched 6 times.
We have gone through 2 thermometers
. . . 1/2 bottle of Advil
. . . and 1 whole bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Four different movies have been watched, 2 of them at least twice.
I have showered once.
BUT, I'm finally on the mend (thank you God for modern medicine!), and our life is getting back to normal. My New Year's Resolution? To stop being sick. Seriously. That's enough, germs.
In all seriousness, though, every time I get knock-you-off-your-feet sick, it seems I learn something. . . or, often, a few somethings. So, here are this week's strep lessons:
1) Taking care of sick people does not come naturally to everyone. And that's OKAY.
Some of you may not be as surprised at this revelation as I was. But taking care of the helpless, be they sick, young, or old, comes so naturally to me that I can't keep myself from doing it, even when I try (which is probably what landed me in this sickbed in the first place). So it was quite a shock to discover that my husband HATES this job. I thought his complaining at having to go buy me Gatorade meant that he didn't care for me; what I should have realized was that the fact that he went at all means that he loves me more than anyone else. Now if I can just remember that the next time I'm sick. . .
2) It's easy to find your identity (joy, peace, whatever you want to call it) in getting everything done, no matter how long (or short) your to-do list and how much (or little) time you have.
Being sick forces you to slow down, or, in my case these past few days, to stop. And, when I got up on Saturday, the house was a wreck, we didn't have any food, all our clothes and dishes were dirty, phone calls un-returned, and bills unpaid. And . . . life went on. We were happy. We found something to eat. The sky didn't fall. Adrian didn't hate me. God didn't hate me. For 3 days, I wasn't trying to be perfect, and it took those 3 days for me to realize that I had been trying all along. Can somebody say legalisim?
3) Beware the gas company! They will take all your money if you let them.
So, this has nothing to do with me being sick or Adrian playing the Wii until his arms fall off. This has everything to do with the fact that there's only 1 gas company here in town, which lets them do ridiculous things like charge us a fee for the pleasure of being their customer AND a delivery fee for the pleasure of receiving their gas. . . which is part of being their customer? They also charge different rates for the first 20 units, the next 30 units, and all the units after that, with the first 2 categories being 3 to 5 times higher than the last one, of course. . . because it cost them more money to deliver the first 20 units, right?
Anyway, suffice it to say that there has been a lot of lying in bed, movie watching, Wii playing, and lesson learning in our household lately. Happy New Year everyone!
I have spent 2 3/4 days in bed.
Adrian has acquired 2,343 points in Wii Boxing.
I sustained a 102 degree fever for 2 days.
Adrian bowled a 258 on the Wii.
Shrek the Third has been watched 6 times.
We have gone through 2 thermometers
. . . 1/2 bottle of Advil
. . . and 1 whole bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Four different movies have been watched, 2 of them at least twice.
I have showered once.
BUT, I'm finally on the mend (thank you God for modern medicine!), and our life is getting back to normal. My New Year's Resolution? To stop being sick. Seriously. That's enough, germs.
In all seriousness, though, every time I get knock-you-off-your-feet sick, it seems I learn something. . . or, often, a few somethings. So, here are this week's strep lessons:
1) Taking care of sick people does not come naturally to everyone. And that's OKAY.
Some of you may not be as surprised at this revelation as I was. But taking care of the helpless, be they sick, young, or old, comes so naturally to me that I can't keep myself from doing it, even when I try (which is probably what landed me in this sickbed in the first place). So it was quite a shock to discover that my husband HATES this job. I thought his complaining at having to go buy me Gatorade meant that he didn't care for me; what I should have realized was that the fact that he went at all means that he loves me more than anyone else. Now if I can just remember that the next time I'm sick. . .
2) It's easy to find your identity (joy, peace, whatever you want to call it) in getting everything done, no matter how long (or short) your to-do list and how much (or little) time you have.
Being sick forces you to slow down, or, in my case these past few days, to stop. And, when I got up on Saturday, the house was a wreck, we didn't have any food, all our clothes and dishes were dirty, phone calls un-returned, and bills unpaid. And . . . life went on. We were happy. We found something to eat. The sky didn't fall. Adrian didn't hate me. God didn't hate me. For 3 days, I wasn't trying to be perfect, and it took those 3 days for me to realize that I had been trying all along. Can somebody say legalisim?
3) Beware the gas company! They will take all your money if you let them.
So, this has nothing to do with me being sick or Adrian playing the Wii until his arms fall off. This has everything to do with the fact that there's only 1 gas company here in town, which lets them do ridiculous things like charge us a fee for the pleasure of being their customer AND a delivery fee for the pleasure of receiving their gas. . . which is part of being their customer? They also charge different rates for the first 20 units, the next 30 units, and all the units after that, with the first 2 categories being 3 to 5 times higher than the last one, of course. . . because it cost them more money to deliver the first 20 units, right?
Anyway, suffice it to say that there has been a lot of lying in bed, movie watching, Wii playing, and lesson learning in our household lately. Happy New Year everyone!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Things I have recently fallen in love with
1. whole grain Pop-Tarts
5 grams of fiber. 2 grams of protein. PER Pop-Tart. So, if you eat the whole package, you've had 40% of your fiber for the day . . . in a POP TART . . . a real one . . . that tastes good.
2. every anti-histamine in existence
In an attempt to not be dependent on the drug companies, I stopped taking allergy medicine for 2 days, at the end of which time, I was miserable. Chills, aches, sore throat, upset stomach, the works. Who knew allergies could do so many bad things to your body? So, I'm back on them now, and I've promised myself that I'm NEVER going off of them again. We'll see what happens once I get pregnant . . .
3. children singing
The first Sovereign Grace Children's Choir performed today, and they were splendid! Little Ethan, who will sing for anyone at the drop of a hat, hid behind the person next to him as his face turned bright red. That was adorable enough, but the rest of them sang so beautifully that I couldn't help but be proud of them. The most fun, though, was before the performance, when we did warm ups and breathing exercises designed to be as goofy as possible, and I got them to sing so loud I was sure the congregation could hear us from down the hall. I loved the whole thing. Now, if only I had a degree in music . . .
4. Legend of the Seeker
This mini-series, on channel 17, is just the right mix of fantasy, romance, comedy, action, and slightly sub-par acting, perfect for a Sunday night of relaxation and denial about work the next day. Although, for some reason, they've started over from the beginning after airing about 5 or 6 episodes. I don't really mind, as I'm seeing new things that I missed before, but I really hope they go on this time.
5 grams of fiber. 2 grams of protein. PER Pop-Tart. So, if you eat the whole package, you've had 40% of your fiber for the day . . . in a POP TART . . . a real one . . . that tastes good.
2. every anti-histamine in existence
In an attempt to not be dependent on the drug companies, I stopped taking allergy medicine for 2 days, at the end of which time, I was miserable. Chills, aches, sore throat, upset stomach, the works. Who knew allergies could do so many bad things to your body? So, I'm back on them now, and I've promised myself that I'm NEVER going off of them again. We'll see what happens once I get pregnant . . .
3. children singing
The first Sovereign Grace Children's Choir performed today, and they were splendid! Little Ethan, who will sing for anyone at the drop of a hat, hid behind the person next to him as his face turned bright red. That was adorable enough, but the rest of them sang so beautifully that I couldn't help but be proud of them. The most fun, though, was before the performance, when we did warm ups and breathing exercises designed to be as goofy as possible, and I got them to sing so loud I was sure the congregation could hear us from down the hall. I loved the whole thing. Now, if only I had a degree in music . . .
4. Legend of the Seeker
This mini-series, on channel 17, is just the right mix of fantasy, romance, comedy, action, and slightly sub-par acting, perfect for a Sunday night of relaxation and denial about work the next day. Although, for some reason, they've started over from the beginning after airing about 5 or 6 episodes. I don't really mind, as I'm seeing new things that I missed before, but I really hope they go on this time.
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