Saturday, April 7, 2012
Wedding
It's too late to be blogging - we've just got back from a wedding in Saratoga. It was a lovely occasion, and we were glad to be there to celebrate with the very happy couple. They are no doubt still dancing the night away...but for me it's time to sleep now.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Dress test
I have a very dear elderly friend (and namesake) in Linton - anyone from the village reading this will know who I'm talking about - whose regular response to requests from the Brownies is always "Sorry, I can't give you any jumble - I'm wearing it!"
Well, that tends to go for me, too. I feel happiest wearing jeans and t-shirts, and will gladly wear the same ones for years until they fall apart. This makes "dressing up" for formal occasions quite a challenge. Tomorrow we'll be going to a wedding, so today I've been trying to shop for a dress.
I tried on all sorts (and several sizes - I still haven't quite got to grips with American sizing, which reckons I'm one size in trousers and another in tops, so where does that leave me when it comes to dresses?). I did manage to pick out two that I thought were worth bringing home...but I've lost faith in them since. So I've scrabbled about in my wardrobe and pulled together a jacket and pair of decent (i.e. not denim and no holes in the knees) trousers that will do fine. After all, the main thing is to celebrate a marriage. The bride will look beautiful and, so long as it's halfway respectable, what I wear is neither here nor there.
For future reference I've instructed the Girl to spare me any potential mother-of-the-bride costume agony by please getting married, if she does, somewhere like a goat farm. (Should be fairly economical too The Man adds).
Well, that tends to go for me, too. I feel happiest wearing jeans and t-shirts, and will gladly wear the same ones for years until they fall apart. This makes "dressing up" for formal occasions quite a challenge. Tomorrow we'll be going to a wedding, so today I've been trying to shop for a dress.
I tried on all sorts (and several sizes - I still haven't quite got to grips with American sizing, which reckons I'm one size in trousers and another in tops, so where does that leave me when it comes to dresses?). I did manage to pick out two that I thought were worth bringing home...but I've lost faith in them since. So I've scrabbled about in my wardrobe and pulled together a jacket and pair of decent (i.e. not denim and no holes in the knees) trousers that will do fine. After all, the main thing is to celebrate a marriage. The bride will look beautiful and, so long as it's halfway respectable, what I wear is neither here nor there.
For future reference I've instructed the Girl to spare me any potential mother-of-the-bride costume agony by please getting married, if she does, somewhere like a goat farm. (Should be fairly economical too The Man adds).
Thursday, April 5, 2012
On foot
The Man needed the car today, so I had to walk to my dental appointment about three miles from home. No problem. On the way back a neighbour passed in his car, rolled down his window and offered me a lift, but I decided to keep on walking anyway as I could use the exercise.
Later in the day I had a meeting to get to at a cafe in town, so I set off again - only half the distance this time. On the way back, someone I know drove past me in the opposite direction, rolled down her window and shouted hello. A bit further along, someone else did the same. And then, quite close to home, the same neighbour as earlier drove by and offered me a lift again. So this time I accepted as I didn't want to seem unfriendly.
Having complained before about how lonely it can be as a pedestrian in this country, all this (albeit brief) human contact was a nice turn up for the books.
Later in the day I had a meeting to get to at a cafe in town, so I set off again - only half the distance this time. On the way back, someone I know drove past me in the opposite direction, rolled down her window and shouted hello. A bit further along, someone else did the same. And then, quite close to home, the same neighbour as earlier drove by and offered me a lift again. So this time I accepted as I didn't want to seem unfriendly.
Having complained before about how lonely it can be as a pedestrian in this country, all this (albeit brief) human contact was a nice turn up for the books.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Blossoming talents
I had one of my domestic goddess days yesterday - baking and so forth. The bread rolls came out rather well. The fruit and nut bars were good too. Look and drool.
And when I wasn't mixing and kneading and checking the oven I took a moment to enjoy the blossom on our trees. It's very pretty this year. Alas for our neighbours with magnolia trees, which bloomed too soon in that early summer we had a couple of weeks ago, and then perished in a killing frost.
And when I wasn't mixing and kneading and checking the oven I took a moment to enjoy the blossom on our trees. It's very pretty this year. Alas for our neighbours with magnolia trees, which bloomed too soon in that early summer we had a couple of weeks ago, and then perished in a killing frost.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
GeekStop
The kids persuaded me to take them on a pilgrimage to GameStop this evening, as they both had gift cards burning holes in their pockets.
The place is Nirvana for geeks (so would that be Nerdvana?). Just computer games, wall to wall - new ones, secondhand ones; games for Wii, games for Xbox, games for Nintendo DS; violent games, cute games, games for...kids who are too young to be playing video games, surely?
There's not much I have less interest in than computer games, and yet... I really love the store clerks at GameStop. Geeks to a man and woman. They love games, know them all inside-out, and are only too willing to share their enthusiasm with their customers (who, after all, are kindred spirits - or failing that, close relatives of kindred spirits). Since I'm a sucker for enthusiasts of almost any kind I find them utterly charming. The girl on shift this evening enthused about our Girl's anime-figure necklace, enthused about her choice of game (I have all three in that series - they are soooo cool!), and just all round seemed happy to be there serving us. Of course the clerks are nice enough in, say, Best Buy - but that's a store that also sells TVs and toasters. Not the same at all. Speciality - that's the key to creating a sense of retail community.
The place is Nirvana for geeks (so would that be Nerdvana?). Just computer games, wall to wall - new ones, secondhand ones; games for Wii, games for Xbox, games for Nintendo DS; violent games, cute games, games for...kids who are too young to be playing video games, surely?
There's not much I have less interest in than computer games, and yet... I really love the store clerks at GameStop. Geeks to a man and woman. They love games, know them all inside-out, and are only too willing to share their enthusiasm with their customers (who, after all, are kindred spirits - or failing that, close relatives of kindred spirits). Since I'm a sucker for enthusiasts of almost any kind I find them utterly charming. The girl on shift this evening enthused about our Girl's anime-figure necklace, enthused about her choice of game (I have all three in that series - they are soooo cool!), and just all round seemed happy to be there serving us. Of course the clerks are nice enough in, say, Best Buy - but that's a store that also sells TVs and toasters. Not the same at all. Speciality - that's the key to creating a sense of retail community.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Twelve - no kidding
Our Girl turned twelve today. Twelve!
There were presents, of course - including some "way cool" art supplies (for drawing manga), a money jar that counts your money as you fill it and a gift card to GameStop, her Shangri-la. Many thanks to the gift-givers, generous grandparents in particular.
There was also a cake, with goats on it.
There were presents, of course - including some "way cool" art supplies (for drawing manga), a money jar that counts your money as you fill it and a gift card to GameStop, her Shangri-la. Many thanks to the gift-givers, generous grandparents in particular.
There was also a cake, with goats on it.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Pranked
So frustrating when I switched on my computer this morning - the cursor was jammed. Nggh. Fiddled with the mouse plug - nothing. Switched the computer off and on again - still stuck. And finally I turned the mouse over and found the piece of masking tape someone had stuck over the laser eye.
The Girl's work. How the Man laughed at me for letting myself be April Fooled. Until he realised someone had switched the language on his iPhone, and with all the menus now in Arabic he had no idea how to switch it back.
The Boy, meanwhile, had picked a more traditional trick to play on his sister - stuffing her boots with cotton-wool balls.
And I told the Man I was leaving him to live in the woods with a beardy banjo player.
Did anyone else out there get pranked today - or did you play any good pranks yourself?
The Girl's work. How the Man laughed at me for letting myself be April Fooled. Until he realised someone had switched the language on his iPhone, and with all the menus now in Arabic he had no idea how to switch it back.
The Boy, meanwhile, had picked a more traditional trick to play on his sister - stuffing her boots with cotton-wool balls.
And I told the Man I was leaving him to live in the woods with a beardy banjo player.
Did anyone else out there get pranked today - or did you play any good pranks yourself?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)