Candy Girl phoned this morning and asked what we were doing. I told her Pete & Bug had a project in the yard and I was going bra shopping. She said, "I really need some new bras, too." So, I told her to come with me and we'd hit Parkdale Mall and find us some. I have a REAL HATE relationship with bras. No love there at all. They ride up your back, the straps fall off your shoulders, underwire comes through the fabric and pokes you, they have 1/2" padding and you are already a D so who needs that (Really??!?!), the inside of the cup makes you itch, and most of the time they make you feel 10 degrees hotter in warm weather. Did I say I hate bras?
So, off we go. When we near Parkdale, Candy Girl says Baby Ruth's umbrella stroller broke, so lets stop by Sears first and get one so she can ride through the mall instead of walk. Sounds like a plan! We enter the store and go straight to the stroller and car seat section. She grabs a stroller and we go to check out. The very friendly and courteous male clerk asks if we need to free the stroller from its binding so we can use it. "Yes!" He produces a pair of scissors and tries to cut the 4 zip ties binding the stroller.
He has the plastic just 1/4 inch inside the tip of the scissor ends and it won't cut it. Then Candy Girl says "It's a shame Big Pete isn't here to whip out his pocket knife and cut these straps." So the kind clerk reaches in his pocket and pulls out a device with an (I kid you not!) inch and one quarter length blade and starts to try to "saw" through the plastic. I caution him not to cut himself. He seems so awkward with this knife. (All the men in my life carry a REAL Case knife with them wherever they roam.)
By now, MawMaw is thinking this poor guy don't know squat. Scissors' power is not near the tip, it's near the handles by the point of fulcrum. And if you want to cut something tough with a knife you don't saw it, you hold the thing down tight and yank that knife through it.
The good part is, the poor sweet boy laid the scissors on the counter when he dove into his pocket for the knife. So, MawMaw grabs up the scissors and she puts them into the zip ties deep (about 1" from the pivot end.) and snaps that puppy free. Then I go on to free the rest. The guy is amazed. I muttered something about being close to the fulcrum for more power.
To the young man's credit, he didn't shrink down and shirk his duties. He still snapped the wheels on the stroller for us. MawMaw added the little sunshade. And Mommie locked that puppy down so Baby Ruth could have her seat.
All I can say is "Thank you Jesus I married a redneck!" I could not tolerate living with a man who was that helpless.
The rest of the story, Candy Girl and I both found two bras each we thought we could live with in Sears. And got a very good bargain in the process: buy one get one half off.
So all is well that ends well. And we both appreciate our Pete's a little more for this adventure.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
I've got a name
..."like the singing bird and the croaking toad, I've got a name, I've got a name."
I recently shared with you how I volunteered to be minion helper to one of the co-hosts to this year's A to Z Challenge. I'm part of Stephen Tremp's team. And we had discussed thoughts of team names and our own special cool badge design.
Well, this morning in my inbox arrived our cool new out-of-this-world logo:
Aliens and zombies all stirred up together to go out and take over the world! Domination is ours!
No, something isn't right........I believe our mission really is to invade blogs that signed up for the Challenge, offer encouragement so as to forge a relationship between our worlds and then report back to our fearless leader, Stephen.
I can't help it. I get carried away. And who wouldn't?! Awesome badge, out of this world theme and our own super cool name: Tremp's Troops!
Now let me ask you? Have you signed up for the Challenge? There is still time, so go on over and take the plunge already!
Are you in for the Challenge, but jealous of my new status and special artwork? Hey, there are still co-hosts looking for help. It is not to late to get in on the action! J.L. Campbell is one I know for sure still has spots available. You can find the list of co-hosts and links to their blogs at the link above.
Last but not least, in honor of our unique theme and special name, I have chosen a special new avatar for the challenge.
Meet Ensign B:
Oh, and I am STILL watching.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
I Saw it on Facebook
Oh, yeah. So many, many ways Walmart can enrage me. Once upon a time, when it was plain old Walmart, I loved that store. Got me through many rough times.
Then here comes the Superstore. God help us. Now, if you want to grab some Benedryl, get a pair of shoelaces, pick up a gallon of milk while you are in there you have to run a lap around the whole dang store! That's farther then walking down the sidewalk in downtown Silsbee and back.
People trying to run you over with their carts, can't wait two seconds for you to grab your jar of spaghetti sauce. Excellent pharmacy, but if you get there the time of day I come through town, expect to stand in line and wait for 30 minutes.
Speaking of lines! There'd be mornings I dashed in, they would have one checker open on the far end of the store and that was it. Any other time, during peak hours, they'd leave lane after lane closed while their patrons backed up four or more deep.
I stopped going to Walmart back last fall. Just for those reasons. I have a grocery store I stop at on the way home (Market Basket) that has excellent meats and good values every week and I never have to wait in a line there. If two people are waiting, someone comes and opens another lane.
For prescriptions, I moved to a pharmacy that has drive through. (Walgreens) My Rx's cost me $3.00 more each, but to save me the time and hassle in all types of weather, that's worth it.
For every thing else, I use another discount chain. (Dollar General) Occasionally I have to wait in there as well. But I don't have to hike all over a football field sized building to pick up three items either.
Went back into Walmart a few days after Christmas. Needed a couple of things other places don't carry. They had lots of registers open. I got checked out quickly. I said something about how rare it was. The clerk said it was their new policy.
To myself, I said sure. Soon as the after holiday bargain shoppers leave it will go back to normal. Last Saturday, about a month and a half later, I had to go in again for a few things hard to find anywhere local but there. There were things they were totally out of. But, once again, almost every check out lane was open! No waiting in line.
I was impressed. But not enough to go back to making it my regular shopping stop.
What about you, what environment do you prefer to shop in?
Monday, February 9, 2015
I'm a minion, you're a minion
Think back to the old Dr. Pepper jingle. Now hold that thought. Remember that catchy tune. (And don't you dare tell me you are too young to remember!) Now sing with me:
You're a minion...
(What?!?!! You're not a minion? Please say it isn't so!)
Wouldn't you like to be a minion too?
I'm gonna be one of Stephen Tremp's minion's in the upcoming April A to Z Challenge.
How cool is that?! I get to devise evil schemes, lurk in the shadows, laugh maniacally....
No, wait. That's not right.
Oh, I've got it! I get to have a cool special badge in my sidebar! And when I visit the blogs in the challenge, I'll be doing it on behalf of the A to Z Challenge Team!
This will be my 4th year to participate in the Challenge, but my 1st time to help out.
About time, right?
If you are a returning veteran of the Challenge, I urge you to volunteer as well. Just get in touch with any of the co-hosts on their blog. There is a complete list of co-hosts on the April A to Z Challenge Sign Up List for 2015.
You say you've never been in the Challenge? Then this is definitely the year to start!
It's a great way to get more visitors to your blog, to find other bloggers you want to follow, and to have fun while doing it. Just sign up at the link above.
Either way, I'll be watching.
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