Click now for JiffNotesSo, I had all these posts started a while back before work got really bad, so you're getting some "historical treats" now.... I have a stitch weekend coming up (huzzah! No work on Friday!), so expect a brief silence followed (hopefully soon) by lots of eye candy.
About two weeks after I started working full-time again, I had a sense of deja-vu. It had nothing to do with long hours or eating takeout for every meal or feeling like cleaning and laundry were an endless cycle squeezed into spare moments. It had to do with shopping. Working full-time and not having any time for hobbies, for some reason, makes me want to buy stuff. Real bad.
It started innocently enough...my old Roomba was dying a slow, pitiful death, and now I don't have time to fiddle with it or dust-mop myself. Plus, I had walked past a Brookstone a few weeks before and heard the dulcet purr of the new model (as compared to the unwieldy screech mine was making)...so much quieter than previous models. So, I headed to Linens 'n' Things with my 20% off coupon, and procured Dusty II:
But the hankering for new gadgets did not stop there. I have a coworker who is a compulsive hummer. This person will hum tunes, or tunelessly, or mutter, "OhhhHHHhhh..." throughout the day and it drives me BATTY. I have been unable to come up with a tactful way to address this, so, as any logical person would decide, I must have an iPod instead. Once my heart was set on the blue nano (sooo cute!), I discovered blue was only available in the expensive high-capacity version. *sigh* A few days later,
woot.com came to my rescue with a refurbed one even cheaper than the silver-only smaller model. I've included items for scale so that everyone should be able to grasp its wee cuteness:
And the best thing? Oh, yeah, it's right there on the screen...I can now watch LOST video podcasts!! I must also point out that above the teensy iPod is a weensy bamboo crochet hook I procured at Knitch. Perfect for slipping in the sock-on-the-go bag. And it was only 2 smackers!!
The other big purchase was a recliner. Now, I never thought that Michael's design sensibilities would ever allow a recliner into our home until he was a few decades older and comfort considerations overrode his aesthetic objections. Me, I didn't care too much either way, having lived with a dad who was seldom out of his big ugly chair. Before I met Michael I wouldn't have thought it possible that a man could exist without a recliner. Anyway, we went to
ADAC's annual sample sale (home of the $50 dupioni silk comforter and shams from last year) and scored this awesome leather recliner that actually manages clean lines in the midst of its insane comfort:
Finally, I give you the frog:
This purchase did not require a major investment, but I love the way he looks with our
alebrijes. He comes fresh from causing an uproar at the Atlanta Downtown Tour of Lofts and Lifestyles street market. The sweet old Southern gentleman presiding over the booth that had frogs, frogs, and more frogs (along with a couple of grasshoppers) explained all about how to gently drag the stick (pictured in the frog's mouth) over the ridges on his back to mimic a croaking sound. There were BIG frogs that sound like bullfrogs, medium frogs (like this guy) that sound like garden frogs and tiny frogs that sound like tree frogs.
Michael and I were fascinated and spent a long time choosing the tone and paint job we liked best. We would have probably gone for a bullfrog if there'd been a paint job that spoke to us like this one. Anyway, in the midst of our testing, and retesting, this guy stops about 10 feet away on my right cocks his head and says, "If you do that one more time, I'm going to have to take it away."
Excuse me?I give him my standard response to awkward social situations, which is to smile, giggle, and ignore him as I continue with what I was doing. He says again, "I am serious. That is really annoying. That frog is, like, getting on my nerves. It is like...." Here he pauses for a moment, rolls his eyes back, and his head begins to shake as if he has his phone on vibrate and for some reason has strapped it to his head. It's a little disturbing, to say the least.
Did I mention we were at an outdoor market? A public, outdoor market? Dude...
walk away if you don't like it. He continues ranting for a couple minutes more, as I stare at him, waiting for him to
just walk away already. Being that the artist who made the frog is standing
right there, crazed homeless guy is being, like,
really rude in what he's saying.
Sorry. I should be fair. He was not necessarily homeless. He could have been one of those guys that pretends to be homeless so he can scam a couple bucks toward the beer fund until the next pay day. (Yes, this has actually happened. You learn things when you live downtown.)
Anyway, he finally moves on, but not
two minutes later, a guy comes
right up to my shoulder and says practically in my ear, "If that were in my house, that would look like a really great chew toy for my dog."
My defensive giggle doesn't even kick in as I stare at him, aghast. Instead,
he giggles manically towards his other stylish friends and mercifully continues on his way. I turn to the artist (who is now looking distinctly annoyed despite his good manners and restraint) and say, "Well, there's at least two people here that I wouldn't invite to
my house!"
