Ding Dong Merrily On High

"When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things...not the greatest occasions... 

give off the greatest glow of happiness."

~Bob Hope

I haven't done any shopping for the holidays. Not for Christmas eve, not for Christmas Day. Not for New Year's Eve. Nothing. But later today, as I force myself out of the house, I will be doing just that! Shopping, with a few minutes, here and there, to catch my breath, and pray Trump doesn't declare war, or fire Mueller, or embarrass the United States, with some weird speech. All of which are pretty likely to happen! That's what's on my mind right now, and frankly, I am exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. Depression, fear and the holiday spirit, do not do well together. 

They are like water and oil, but I am pushing through it, and like one of the best therapists I ever had once said, "Doing normal things, makes you feel normal" and right now, that's all I really want, to feel normal again, by having a nice boring day, although I'd prefer to find a little something about the holidays, that makes me smile and feel happy inside, but boring works too. It's sounds easy enough, but at the moment, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack! I guess I am feeling sorry for myself, because I want to enjoy the spirit of the holiday, but finding it is proving difficult.

But I'm trying to. I really am.  

I guess I will just see how the rest of the day goes, before I make up my mind that I won't feel any holiday spirit at all. You never know, perhaps hope is just waiting for me to recognize it. One never really knows about these things! Here is what I have planned for the day... I am getting my hair styled, then hit Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, for some organic roses and a couple pieces of fruit. Then it's off to the mall to do a small amount of gift shopping, and hopefully Alan and I will end the day in Berkeley at some of our favorite food haunts. 

Berkeley always lifts my spirits! So, at least I'm putting some hope on the "To Do" list! Now, I have learned that it's always a good idea to have a Plan B, and when it becomes obvious that Plan A isn't going to work, one should just go with the flow and not fight it. Some of my favorite memories worked around, Plan B, so, wish me luck as I venture out of the house, in search of Plan A... finding the spirit of Christmas!Either way the day goes, I will probably come home and watch Bridget Jones' Diary. It has become one of my favorite holiday movies, because what woman doesn't identify with Bridget, at least part of the time, and let's face it, the holidays are the most difficult time of the year to deal with!

But whether it be the holidays or some other difficult awful time

 Bridget always finds her way!

Mood: Curious

~Me :)

Christmas Shopping Through The Years!

"As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same."

~Donald E. Westlake

 

Christmas shopping... BLECH! For some strange reason, I don't enjoy Christmas/Holiday shopping as much as I used to! In my twenties, I could work a full 8 hour shift at work, and still close the malls shopping! In my thirties, I learned to be a bit more reasonable with my time. Just because I could close a mall, didn't mean I had to! That was an unanticipated side effect of marriage! LOL. Suddenly, budgets were a good thing, but what goes with a sound budget? Strictly planned shopping! Gone are the days of impulse buying, nope in my thirties I learned to be a coupon clipper, sales advertisement peeper, and a bargain shopper planner! Not very spontaneous, but definitely less nerve racking come January! Now, my forties came with the idea of purchasing gifts throughout the year, and putting them away in a special gift box for the holidays! That way everything got paid off a little at a time! Can you tell what I am leading up to? 

My fifties! My shopping energy is now almost nonexistent, and so is my patience! Nothing makes me more irritable than rudeness! But it's especially bad when it's coming from someone 30 years younger than me! The other day, while standing in line at Walmart, a young woman of about 20 or so, who was standing in front of me, backed into my cart at least four times within a span of about 2 minutes! Each time she bumped into me, she would stop yelling at her boyfriend, who apparently lives in her cell phone, to turn around and apologize profusely! The first couple times I accepted her apology, but by the third time I was just pissed off! On the fourth, "I'm Sorry" I said, "No you're not!" You should have seen the look on her face! "No really ma'am, I am sorry."

I didn't have the energy to shop that day, but shop I had to! I didn't have the energy to stand in line at Walmart that day, but stand in line I had to. Walmart frowns on customers who take items from the store without doing the heavy lifting of actually standing in line! So I was pretty much at the mercy of whoever was standing along with me. When the young woman was so deep in her own life, that she couldn't just put a little thought into her actions, it just rubbed me the wrong way! Sigh. I let it go at that, because thankfully, the line began to move again, and she was going to be out of my life soon enough!

Whatever!

As of today, I am 90% finished with my Christmas shopping! I have one more trip to Walmart, to pick up a gift for the cats, and a small gift for Alan. Tonight he and I are going to pick out our annual Tilden Park Carousel ornaments. The Winter Wonderland at the Tilden Park Carousel is nothing short of magical, and when we are there it puts me in the holiday spirit like nothing else! We have bought each other an ornament every year for the last 7 years or so! They have about 14 Christmas trees, that have every kind of Christmas ornament theme you could come up with! Including a Hunter's Tree, Fairy Tales, Sea Creatures, and of course, some that are more traditional! It is gorgeous! One of my very favorite is the all Christmas candy tree! It consists of lovely plastic candies, and cupcakes. It's hard not to feel like a kid when looking at all the candy, and that makes this old lady feel really good!

Shopping isn't actually a sport, but it does take skills and patience!

ESPECIALLY PATIENCE!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

It's Black Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

"Shopping Tip: You can get shoes for 85 cents at the bowling alley."

~Unknown

CHARGE IT! LOL. Well, okay, sure, why not? I am kidding... kinda. I did a little shopping last night, after our turkey dinner. It actually felt good to walk off dinner, and get some fresh air, and besides, I recently upgraded my Old Navy credit card, so I had some points to use! And, then, quite by accident mind you, I was approved for a brand, spanking new, MACY*S and Bloomingdales card! How was I approved accidentally? 

Funny story! You see, last year I thought it would be fun to apply for a MACY*S card, after years of not having one. I got rid of most of my department store cards a while back, when I realized I didn't really use them after I got my Visa card. Alan and I make most of our purchases together, so carrying around all those cards just seemed risky. But last year, in a fit of nostalgia, MACY*S was my first credit card, I decided to get one.

Unfortunately... I wasn't good enough for them!

I don't understand why... my credit is perfect. I pay my bills and live within my means, yet somehow, I wasn't their kind of shopper! Maybe that was the problem... I live within my means? Oh, who knows, maybe the stars simply weren't aligned just right. Shrug. But yesterday, while the turkey was cooking, I got a little bored and applied just for the rejection. How come you never get rejected when you want to? LOL. As soon as the website said, Congratulations... you are now a MACY*S cardholder, I looked for the, Hey wait I changed my mind," button but there wasn't one! Imagine that! I only got the Bloomingdales card, to see if the MACY*S card had been a lark! But apparently not, they like me now too... they really like me!

So, later today, after Alan gets off work, we are going to Union Square in San Francisco and watch other people spend money... oh and the ice skaters... oh and the lighting of the Christmas tree... oh and the menorah... Happy 3rd Night of Hanukkah! 

Tis the season!

Black Friday isn't a day anymore, it's a season! So, how about you, it's Black Friday, do you know where your bargains are?

Mood: Silly

Note: The silly girl in the graphic is clip art from a nifty photo editing site called Ribbet. But the bags she is carrying, and the VISA card are courtesy of Alan, he is so good at drawing stuff for me! I love that guy!

~Me :)

Talking Turkey, I am No Henry Walden

Costco
San Ramon, California
November, 2013

"I still believe in the Holy Trinity, except now it's Target, Trader Joe's and IKEA."

~Jen Lancaster

To "Talk Turkey" means to talk serious about something. It's a straightforward approach to whatever is on one's mind, and is in need of being dealt with. Okay, let's talk turkey about some things. Oh don't worry, it's not the end of the world or anything, in fact, it's merely my opinion, but it's how I really feel, even if I come off a little less serious, and a little bit more... sardonic, or possibly... humorously sarcastic. If you have known me any amount of time, then you know I would much rather take the humor road to make a point, rather than punching someone between the eyes, but I am not above punching (metaphorically) speaking. Or physically if one needs it!

Just Kidding!

Shopping For Thanksgiving Dinner...

First of all, I love shopping for Thanksgiving dinner... LOVE IT! It was such a relief a few years back to finally embrace all things turkey, after a long bout of turkey wiggins, brought on by an encounter with a tainted turkey, prepared by the mother of a guy I had been dating! Ladies... talking turkey ... NEVER accept a dinner invitation to a "Thanksgiving Dinner" in June! Especially if said dinner is being hosted by your boyfriend's mother! It's a trick! She is just trying to see how fast you can forgive mistakes, and how strong your constitution is! Or maybe how well you will hold up under diversity, but one thing is for sure, Thanksgiving in June is just wrong! And so is losing your giblets from both ends for a week! Yep... a week!

Anyway, with all that unpleasantness behind me, no pun intended, I am now over it, and even making my very own roasted turkey dinner on the big holiday, in fact, I can't imagine not doing it now. It's actually a joy! A lot of work, but a joy all the same! My husband Alan enjoys cooking as well, and he is usually right there helping out any way he can. This year he has to work on Thanksgiving, which means a bit more work for me than usual, so Alan even offered to maybe give me a year off, and opt for a nice turkey roll, but I would have none of it, it was a full, bone in, frozen 18 lb. turkey in all it's plucked glory for me! I got mine at Costco.

Done And Done. The line was hideous, and I always seem to get behind someone with 2 items, but either can't find their Costco card, or is writing a check, or for whatever reason has to know every last detail about how long the frozen turkey has been in their store... and if it was in their freezer since Thanksgiving... 2007, because the saw a report on 20/20 about big box stores that store food too long! I could have used a diversion from the entertaining crazy that was happening that day, but like I said... Done And Done.

Murphy's Law And Henry Walden...

Costco was fun, but it wasn't the only store I visited last week. I was getting my shop on at IKEA as well! It seems it has finally become necessary for us to round up all those DVD cases, and get them organized in a cabinet. And Alan and I found the exact one we needed at IKEA, which just happened to be in the range of dimensions and $ we had decided on. Now I ask you, what could go wrong?

Well, as it turns out, with all the items IKEA carries, couches, chairs, tables, end tables, utility carts, flower shaped lamps, sewing machines, stuffed animals, fabric, clocks, wall hooks, entertainment centers, cutting boards, and Swedish Meatballs, what do you think was the one item that had to be specially ordered, and delivered to a warehouse in Hayward, California, for pick-up by me? Yep, the very DVD tower we picked out! So, in 5 to 25 days it will arrive, complete with instructions for assembly. Talking Turkey Mr. Murphy, wherever you are, you are a bit of a creep! And you are NO Henry Walden!

Sigh.

I Am No Henry Walden...

Waiting in line at stores is never a fun activity. Waiting in traffic is never fun. Waiting period is never much fun, but it seems like when doing either at certain stores, like... oh... say... Walmart, IKEA, Bed Bath And Beyond, it's even worse! Especially during the holiday season, when other people, not necessarily me mind you, might be a tad on the grumpy side. But fortunately, this past week I discovered a wonderful tool, right in my phone, which I had not previously thought of as a coping mechanism. My subscription to Netflix Mobile!

So, while those around me were hanging a puss, or yelling at their feral children, or considering setting their own hair on fire and running from the store, I was blissfully enjoying Season 2, Episode 26, of the Dick Van Dyke Show, "I'm No Henry Walden." Talking Turkey, easily one of the very best episodes of the series! But there were so many, who can narrow down a favorite? Although as the season, the holiday season that is, moves along, I expect I will have a lot of time waiting in line at various stores, and therefore more than enough time to decide which episode is my very favorite!

Or maybe I will just spend my time watching Rosemary's Baby!

Who Knows?

Mood: Pretty Darn Happy

~Me :)

It's Christmas Time In The City

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas, with a note on it saying, toys not included."

~Bernard Manning

 

If the world ends on Friday, I hope the last thing I see is San Francisco as I rise up into the clouds. I love it here. It's beautiful. And fun. And inspiring. And a little odd. And friendly. And anytime I am down in the dumps, a simple trip across any of the bridges that lead to the city, usually awakens the happiness in me. It heals me. It dries my tears. Unless it is making me laugh till I cry. God I love that feeling. Laughing till I cry, with my sides in spasms... oh how I love that feeling.

 

Tuesday, Alan and I decided to fill up our life with fun. It doesn't take a lot to improve our moods, for us it mostly consists of going out and letting life show us the big picture. Our first destination was a visit to the Tilden Park Christmas Carousel. There is a lot of joy to be had there. The whole place is decorated with different themed Christmas trees, with beautiful ornaments which can be purchased off any of the trees. It's a long standing tradition to purchase each other a new ornament each year, and we always grab ones for the cats as well. I love hanging those ornaments on the trees year after year, and remembering all the joy we got from finding just the right one.

After the park, we left for Union Square, in San Francisco. Where it was COLD! :) I smile because I bought myself an early Christmas present a couple weeks ago. I new, incredibly warm, gorgeous leopard print coat from Old Navy. GOD I LOVE OLD NAVY! :) I call my new coat my "Jersey Housewife" coat in honor of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and their love of... ahem... all things leopard. LOL. It's a fun coat, and it makes me happy. And warm. Although for some odd reason whenever I wear it I seem to pronounce stuff weird. Like if I want Alan to buy me a hot dog from the hot dog vendor on the corner, rather than say... Alan, please get me a hot dog... I tend to say something like... Hey Guido, I could really use a Dwag. LOL. Just kidding, but you knew that... right?

Anyway, we had an amazing time, sitting in Starbucks, upstairs at Macy's in Union Square. It's a lot of fun watching the shoppers, and the ice skaters, and the happiness everyone gets from a little shopping therapy, and holiday fun. Sometimes I wish I could go ice skating, but alas I never learned how. Sigh. That's one of my minor regrets, because it looks like amazing fun. About the only way I could even consider it at this point in life is if there is such a thing as training blades, which I am pretty sure doesn't exist. Nope, I might just have to face the fact that I am now too old to learn to ice skate. Woe is me. Although my knees applaud my maturity. LOL. It's not easy to know that I was able to conquer my fear of flying, but learning to ice skate is simply off the table.

Weird That.

Except for our holiday ornaments, we haven't bought a single thing for each other yet. Yikes! I think I will be doing some shopping later today, and he is planning on shopping this weekend. So, we will be back in the city over the weekend for some fun, so I will have plenty of time to enjoy the holiday sights, sounds, and shopping. Ahhh... bliss. :) Sometimes, when the world really gets to me I think the world can't end soon enough, but then I see a cute little snowman ice skating, or the most adorable elderly couple ice skating, holding hands, and looking at each other like they fell in love just a few moments ago, or I catch a glimpse of San Francisco at holiday time, and I want to grab onto life, even with it's sorrows, and embrace every bit of it.

It's Christmas Time In The City...







"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a lot more."

~Dr. Suess, How The Grinch Stole Christmas

~Happiness

~Me :)

Last Night's Christmas Joke...

Q. Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?

A. You do all the work, and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Tonight's Joke...

Q. How does Al Gore's household keep Christmas politically correct?

*Comeback tomorrow for the punchline. But feel free to take a guess, or leave a FAMILY FRIENDLY holiday joke in the comment thread.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year: A Cautionary Tale

"It is hard to be defensive toward a danger which you have never imagined existed."

~John Christopher, The Pool Of Fire

 

Okay, Thanksgiving is coming up really quickly, and while I have everything I need for the holiday, I still find myself needing "just one more thing." Mumph! Did I want to go out to pick it up? No! did I know I had to? Yes! You see that package of gingerbread marshmallows that I had forgotten to pick up was going to be absolutely essential to my planned Thanksgiving feast for two. So what else could I do? Yep, I had to brave the cold, cruel world of pre-holiday shopping, so off to Walmart I went.

I found the marshmallows just fine, there were still plenty to be purchased. Whew! And I also found the other 10 or so items I had forgotten I needed... stroke of luck there...with my cart not full, but comfortably stocked with Thanksgiving necessities, I found a fairly short line at aisle 9. Good. Only three folks ahead of me, the wait for my turn at the conveyor belt would be reasonable. Well, until the woman, three women up from me, pulled out a large accordion wallet filled with coupons!

I thought Extreme Couponing was an urban legend! But no, as it turns out... it's a thing! I turned to the lines on both side of me, to see if I would be better off switching aisles, but there seemed to be the same amount of people in all the lines, I had just picked the one with the couponzilla in it. At first I was a bit annoyed, but the quickly changed to amused as the lady fought with the Walmart associate about why she should have been able to use the Target coupon at Walmart. LOL. Cool! Let the people watching begin!

Believe me... I saw some stuff! I saw a small child and her mother mutually picking their noses. I saw an amorous man, hopefully a husband, gently rubbing his (wifes?) rear end. I saw a little girl of about 4 years old staring at me, not blinking mind you, just staring. STARE. Why do children do that? I tried to remember if I did that as a child, and I have no memory of such behavior. Why do they do it? Instantly I check to see if I have a booger on my cheek, or if I have my leggings on inside out. I have never found anything out of place, during these encounters, so why do they do it?

As I tried to avoid making eye contact with the easily fascinated child, I happened to notice the woman in front of me, engaging in an odd behavior for a woman, well, it would have been for this woman anyway, you see, the woman in front of me had her 2 strap purse on her shoulder by only one strap! The other strap was halfway down her upper arm, leaving her purse completely open to the world, and what ever pickpocket might be in it! What the HELL was she thinking?

I wrestled with the question of SHOULD I OR SHOULDN'T I SAY SOMETHING? The wrestling went on for about 5 minutes, and in the end I decided to keep my mouth shut. She was about my age, so I figured it wasn't for me to tell her how to carry her purse, nor did I want to plant an idea in someone near us that she would make a great target! Sometimes it's better to mind one's own business. It's not easy though, especially during this time of year, when one has to be especially careful. It's not just THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR for those of us that live within the law, criminals find it nifty to!


I really hope the lady makes it through the holiday season without any stolen wallet dramas! It doesn't make for a very happy holiday season. Last year an unscrupulous ring of baddies stole of my ATM card number from a bogus machine at a store I patronized. It wasn't fun filling out the police report, not to mention the feeling that if it hadn't been caught by my bank, they could have taken everything we had! Thankfully my bank knows I don't do much late night shopping in Illinois, where the bulk of the items were purchased! I was lucky that it was caught, and believe me I don't take it for granted!

Do this blog author a favor... think about how to keep yourself, and your valuables safe, while out shopping this holiday season! Theft does not know gender, so this is for the guys out there as well!

BE SAFE!

"Life has it's woes, so learn to be on your toes. Be alert"

~Bernard Kelvin Clive, Your Dreams Will Not Die

~Me :)


Avoid Pickpockets And Muggers When Shopping (ABC NEWS)
Protect Your Wallet This Holiday With Tips From 'The Pickpocket King' (CBS L.A.)
Beware of Pickpockets (Blog)

Weekend Assignment #346 Holiday Shopper

"I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet."

-Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) Sex And The City

Weekend Assignment #346: Holiday Shopper

Ack! The holiday shopping season is upon us! What is your shopping strategy for this time of year?Do you spread out your shopping over weeks and months, or try to get it all done at once? Do you mostly shop online or in person? How heavily, if at all, do you rely on gift cards, gift certificates or plain old fashioned cash and checks?

Extra Credit: Do you enjoy shopping Friday and after-Christmas sales?

-Karen Funk Blocher (Mavarin)

Holiday shopping... all I can say is... YES, YES, YES! But let me explain. Alan and I have a lot of traditions around the holidays. We begin the "Holiday Season" in September, as the first day of autumn starts our holiday season. We have lots of stuff going on, most of which includes some form of shopping. October has our wedding anniversary, the seasonal opening of Apple Hill, The turning of the leaves in Plumas County, Family Day, which is our own made up holiday, and of course, Halloween. If it is an election year, you can find us, at some point, buying campaign buttons to add to our collections. November is a bit more laid back, but then Thanksgiving quickly comes upon us, and with it comes... BEAUTIFUL... MAGNIFICENT... CHILLY... SPARKLY... EXCITING... BLACK FRIDAY! Not really a holiday, but celebrated in our house as if it were Christmas itself.

Shopping plays a role in all these events, but only to a small degree. We have little traditions when it comes to shopping that keeps it all fun, but doesn't take away from the meaning of the season. Take Apple Hill for instance. You could spend a fortune there, between all the different farms and specialty goods they have. YIKES! Alan and I have discovered the very best of the place, such as Rainbow Orchards and their AMAZING Apple Cider donuts. We go there for the donuts, and maybe some fresh apple cider, but keep our heads when it comes to buying all the crafts and goods. It's an amazing time of year, and if you don't keep your wits about you, it could get crazy.

Black Friday, which I believe is the "official" shopping start of the holiday season is a big deal in our house. We don't do much shopping that day, but we do people watch! We begin the day in Union Square, in San Francisco, and after enjoying a Mocha for Alan and a Hot Chocolate for me, we walk the square, then its down to Maiden Lane. It's gorgeous this time of year, from the decorations, to the wonderful street performers singing opera. It's a unique time to be in San Francisco, and something we don't miss, come rain or come shine. After we enjoy the square, we head home for Thanksgiving dinner... part 2... then it's up the hill into Tilden Park to the carousel, to enjoy the Christmas Fantasy in the Woods.

The Carousel has a dozen or so lighted Christmas trees, with amazingly beautiful Christmas ornaments for sale. All of them more than reasonable, and all of them sweet and sentimental. Alan and I always give each other an ornament from the carousel each year for Christmas. It's one of our main gifts. Our little tree is now covered in Christmas memories. All bought from the Tilden Carousel Christmas In The Woods. Each one of those ornaments remind us of the fun we have there, or the fun of watching a child laughing or a little old couple cuddle, while holiday music plays and lights twinkle. It's special. It's the only time I really enjoy holiday music. I always balk when some dismal person insists that the holidays have become too commercial. They are only as commercial as you allow them to be. You know? It's pretty much up to you how you want to feel about things! You can choose to walk around cynical, or you can start your own holiday traditions and take a walk in the light! It's up to you!

The only other shopping tradition we have, is to purchase an Advent calender on Black Friday. We usually get that in Union Square.With the exception of the Advent calender and the special ornaments, I don't schedule my shopping, but I do look for bargains for what I plan to buy. It just makes life simpler. I do love to go out and walk around the crazy shoppers, while feeling perfectly at ease with my shopping style. It's fun to feel like the sane one once in a while! ;)

Karen, I hope you don't mind if I make this WA a bit of a pictorial. I just think the pictures complete the story...

Union Square Christmas Tree...


Mocha and Hot Chocolate...



Maiden Lane...


Maiden Lane Performer...


Xanadu Gallery (Building Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright)


Tilden Park Christmas Tree...


Tilden Carousel...


A Really Lovely Ornament...


Extra Credit: Yep... but then you already read that didn't you! LOL :)

Happy Holidays Everyone!

-Carly

Scenes From Black Friday...

From For Ellipsis

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."

-Burton Hillis

From For Ellipsis

The storm that came through the Bay Area yesterday, brought an all new meaning to the phrase, "Black Friday." LOL. Can you believe I took this photo at 4:10 PM? LOL. I love rain, especially in late autumn. It makes the leaves on the trees seem even more vibrant! It was cold, dark, and wet, and I was grooving to the sound of Christmas music as I went to the Mall. I was a happy girl. Black Friday is one of our favorite days of the year, Alan and I just love to go and people watch. One of our favorite sights from years past, was two women who brought a shower curtain rod to hold all their shopping bags on! LOL. They were obviously shopping geniuses, they new a good bargain, and how to get that bargain home! LOL.

Our favorite haunt on Black Friday is Union Square in San Francisco, but alas Alan had to work, so we decided to go somewhere closer when he got home. We chose the Hacienda Crossing mall in Dublin. There wasn't much to see, and there were plenty of parking places, so I wonder how that will bode for holiday sales figures. :( Not good methinks. But I did my part. I got a beautiful new sweater and purse at Old Navy, and then went home for Thanksgiving dinner PT2. After wards Alan and I went to "Christmas in the Woods" at the Carousel in Tilden Park.

From For Ellipsis

We love it there, it is amazingly beautiful, and too much fun! Alan talked me into riding on the Carousel, the little round bench that goes around and around. I was surprised at how fast it went, it totally made me dizzy, and of course Alan laughed, and yes, we shared a nice kiss. Gosh, that man is still romantic after 19 years. He loves me I think. We will comeback a lot before it closes just before Christmas. We have a tradition of picking out ornaments for each other, and the cats, from trees at the Carousel. They have a wonderful selection. Some handmade, some a little more commercial. There is something for everyone. I even found a beautiful mermaid ornament! That made me smile.

How was your Black Friday? What did you do? Did you go shopping? Did you stay home under a nice soft blanket? Did you watch sports? Tell me everything!


:)

-Carly

You can read more about Tilden here. If you live in the Bay Area, consider coming to the Christmas Fantasy In The Woods. It's a blast!

It's Black Friday...

And Girls Just Want To Have Fun! That's why this girl is off to the mall to have a day all to herself. Bliss.



"Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world. I wanna be the one to walk in the sun, oh girls they want to have fun. Oh girls just wanna have fun!"

-Cyndi Lauper (Girls Just Want To Have Fun)

It's Black Friday, do you know where your deals are? Are you going shopping for bargains today? Did you LOVE the 80's as much as I did? Tell me everything!

-Carly

Ra Ra Ra

"I've got to be careful I don't over cheerlead on this economy."

-George W. Bush

I am not sure when President Bush said what he did, but one thing is for sure, "over cheerlead" is exactly what he did. At every turn he insisted the economy was sound. Did anyone really believe him? Last spring a reporter asked him about the possibility of gas prices hitting the $4 mark, and he responded with what appeared to be genuine surprise. "I hadn't heard that" he replied. (Insert dumb grin here). Not only did it actually hit $5 a gallon, at one time San Francisco lead the entire nation in high gas prices, by reaching a little over $5! Ok, it wasn't for long, but it was long enough that it put a lot of folks in a bad way financially. No one I knew was even willing to discuss plans for Christmas, the brakes had been firmly applied even though the holiday was 6 months away. Now, here we are, just a couple weeks away from both Hanukkah and Christmas, and there is plenty of parking places at the malls, even on special promotion days.

I got an email from Old Navy Friday, they had a fantastic promotion Saturday. Buy $20 worth of items, get 4 free movie tickets. WOW! That is a pretty good bargain! I had planned to pick up a couple more sweaters for Alan, and some scarves for some friends of ours, so I decided to get up really early, grab some breakfast, and get there extra early. A deal like that would surely bring out the crowds... right? So, with my clock set, and all my warm toasties laid out, I climbed into bed, and thought about how much fun it would be to surprise Alan with some movie tickets. Wasn't I the clever puss?

My alarm went off at 6:00 AM, I grabbed some caffeine and off I went. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of rain that had been promised for the day. It wasn't too cold, and there was a nice bit of sunshine. Clear. I could see San Francisco just fine from here in the hills. It was a pretty day. That meant that there would be a ton of folks already gathered in front of the store. Nice weather, usually means lots of people. Some stores got 50 sets of tickets, some stores got 200 sets of tickets. I wondered what my favorite Old Navy store got? Would there be any left? I had left the house at well after 7 AM, and the store opens at 8 AM. Would I end up being #51 in line?

When I pulled into the parking lot, there were three other cars with consumers apparently waiting for Old Navy to open. I couldn't believe it. It was 7:30 AM. The store opens at 8:AM. I sat in my car for about 15 minutes, until a lady who walked to the store went up to the door, and stopped. I decided to get out of my car and get into the line that had now formed. I was #2 in line. In the next 10 minutes, about 13 people came up behind me. At about 7:55 AM a young man emerged from the store with these special little bracelets to hand out to the first 50 people. He only handed out about 20 bracelets. That's it. The young man had a look on his face somewhere between sad and surprised. :( His boss looked at the line, and was clearly disappointed.

I spent about 25 minutes in the store. I had a list, it was just a matter of deciding on the color of the items I was purchasing. I went up to the counter to pay for my stuff, and as I did, the young man told the manager there were about 20 sets of tickets left. They were both wearing frowny faces. I am sure that as the day wore on, they were able to give away the tickets, or who knows, maybe not. It was such a good promotion! Where was everyone?! Sigh. I had never seen anything like it. It was the strangest thing.

On the other hand, it wasn't completely unexpected. People see writing on the wall. The senate shot down the bailout of the automakers last week, which came as devastating news to some 6 million people who depend on that industry in one way or another. On the other hand, by not allowing the bailout to go through, it will mean one less forced fed tax consequence. I still don't know what to make of the whole situation. I feel for those people who depend on the auto industry, but a bailout at what cost? I can't believe the bailout of the banks came about with absolutely no accountability, and that more than half of it is already gone. But then again, Bush hasn't had to answer for any of his lies, missteps or blunders, so why should accountability, of anyone, be expected now?

My heart goes out to American retailers as well as the automakers. :( Can Obama be our president now? Please. If I promise to behave. :)

So tell me, have you passed up any good bargains, in an effort to save money this holiday season? Would you get up early, and stand in line for a good bargain? What would be your idea of a good bargain? Are you making any holiday gifts this year? Tell me everything.

-Carly
"Shopping In The City"
Dublin, California
December 13th, 2008
Late Morning