Saturday, September 08, 2007

Randomness

One of the drawbacks of living in this apartment is having the uncomfortable feeling that I'm never alone in my bathroom. Invariably, while I am in there, someone in the apartment above or behind mine flushes. If it's the one behind me, it sounds like a flash flood and if it's the one above me, it gives me the same sensation you get when someone pretends to crack an egg on your head, and the whole thing oozes down .

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I have to go to Wal-Mart tomorrow. All of today has been spent in meditation and repeating my mantra, just getting ready for it.


We used to have all manner of nice little home-owned stores where we could get almost everything we needed. Coast to Coast (remember those stores?) was stocked to the ceilings with all manner of things from hardware to tableware, and if we couldn't find what we wanted there, we had a wonderful variety store that supplied us with toys and greeting cards and many things we didn't know we wanted until we saw them on display.


For those industrious women who made their own clothes, and those of their children, and curtains for their windows there was a fabric store. These were the women who never put their sewing machines away. I don't suppose there are that many seamstresses around anymore. Is it because it is easier to buy off the rack, or because the fabric store is gone the way of the Dodo, and Wal-Mart doesn't sell much more than pins and needles?


At any rate, I'll be going to Wal-Mart tomorrow, and then I'll be at home, with a wet washcloth on my forehead, waiting for the Tylenol to take effect.

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Did you know that we had an earthquake just a couple of miles from Harrison yesterday? I didn't. It measured 3.1. That seems to me to be a pretty good shake, not that I felt anything. If we are going to have some kind of natural disaster around here, it's going to have to happen between 9:00 a.m. and Midnight, or I'll miss it. Probably I'd wake up for anything over about a 7.5.

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It's pizza night. I hardly ever go to the fast food places or even restaurants any more, so every couple of months I get to craving pizza. I can make a medium Super Supreme (minus green peppers) last two days, which gives me the same self-righteous feeling that an evangelist might feel when he comes across a bona-fide sinner.

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Speaking of sinners, do we know, yet, which way Larry Craig is going to jump? Last I heard, he was re-thinking his unfortunate confession. I'd far rather hear that he is re-thinking his behavior, but that's probably too much to ask.

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Our former Rev/Gov. Mike Huckabee is enjoying his place in the sun these days, what with the Ultra-Conservatives being unable to find a suitable candidate among those running. I think it's because he appears to have a sense of humor, and will be asked to appear on the late night shows. His fifteen minutes may be up soon, though, what with Fred Thompson announcing his candidacy. Another actor, just what we need. He'll be able to convince the far right that he is the man for the job, I guess. They'll be able to overlook all his womanizing as they always do for any Republican, because they'll be too busy bashing Hillary! by the time the races get hot.

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So, that's about all that's on my alleged mind for today.

25 comments:

Jay said...

"At any rate, I'll be going to Wal-Mart tomorrow, and then I'll be at home, with a wet washcloth on my forehead, waiting for the Tylenol to take effect."

You're so dramatic.

Betty said...

jay: Yes. Yes, I am.

Anonymous said...

Jay, when you get to our age its allowed!

Take it gently Betty.

Anonymous said...

Huckabee thinks he's a comedian!

Alan G thinks he's an idiot!


Too bad that doesn't rhyme....

Betty said...

grannymar: Thank you. Gently is the way I roll.

Hey, alan g: How goes it? Nice to see your comment. Truth doesn't have to rhyme. lol

Anonymous said...

Betty,

I remember Main St. in the little town I grew up in and lived in when I was young.

We had a Drug Store, Hardware Store, Shoe Store, and best of all,
WOOLWORTH'S FIVE AND TEN !!!

You could buy shoelaces lamps birds trash cans make up . Almost Anything!!!!! And the Saleslady was usually someone you knew or a Schoolmate's Mom or one of your older sisters or cousins.

And if you got hungry while shopping there, they had a lunch counter where you could get a hot dog or hamburger or ice cream...

I remember when I was a kid, you could not eat meat on Friday, so Woolies would have a fishcake sandwich ot Tuna Salad "Special" at the lunch counter. But why was it that on Fridays the hot dogs always smelled especially tempting?

Now it's Wal Mart and that old feeling is gone forever. It's just not the same, is it?

P.S. I went to the library yesterday to get the Bill Bryson book you mentioned. It was out so I have it on reserve. Thanks for the tip....

Kell said...

I think it's interesting that Thompson is calling himself the new Reagan. Some of the other candidates have been evoking Reagan, too, trying to get as far away from the Bush administration as they can.

Helena said...

It's a shame there's not many fabric stores these days. My mother was a very creative woman when it came to material. I can remember her making long party skirts for me and my twin out of maroon velvet curtains for a school Xmas party. All by hand - no machines involved!

Seamstresses are rare to find from my area - yet there's so many women like me with little short legs that need them!!

Mari Meehan said...

AS a former Californian I can tell you with some certainty that a quake is usually above four to be noticeable! Rather like Bacchus laying down on the wood floor.

Betty said...

nancy: We had a locally owned variety store here. The owner opened up for friends of mine on Christmas Day, when they couldn't get back home because of the snow and ice here. She didn't want their kids to be without presents from Santa Claus. Can you picture Wal-Mart doing that for someone?

kell: I'd like to get away from the Bush administration, too.

lena: You were lucky to have such a talented mother. Mine hated to sew, so, I never learned.

dogwalk musings: Our local newspaper editor and writers have panicked. They're calling it a sign of more earthquakes to come. Of course, they have been expecting the New Madrid Fault to shake, rattle and roll at any time, for the last 20 years.

Peggy said...

I'm so sorry that you've had to go to Walmart. Isn't there anyway you can avoid that in the future?

Anonymous said...

You know, Betty, your comment about the Variety Store owners opening up on Christmas was so typically "Small Town", it almost brings tears to your eyes to remember those days.

Once, new people were moving in next door to me. They were from New York City.They had used our little local moving company to take their furniture from the large company warehouse to their new home. So, the moving van is in front of their house waiting for them to return from the house closing at the Title Company, and something goes wrong at closing. Some missing papers that will be delivered tomorrow. The Sellers will not let them move in (and rightly so) before closing. So what to do with a moving van full of everything you own waiting at the curb with charges piling up every hour.

Well, if you are in a "Small Town" like ours , the Moving Company man says to you," Don't worry, I will come and pick up my men and will leave the van where it is until tomorrow." When they asked about charges, he shrugged and said, "No extra Charges, welcome to our town."

Do you think United Van Lines or Allied would do that?

That moving company is still in business here today with about the fourth generation running it.

katy said...

hope you survived your trip to Wal-mart! i hate food shopping, if it was up to me i would eat out every day!

Galla Creek said...

Hey, the only thing worse than walmart is the doctor...so enjoy it.

Tink said...

Oh come now. Going to Wal-Mart isn't that bad! There are worse things. Like, um...

Getting teeth pulled.
Having sextuplets.
Listening to Bush for more than 30 seconds.

See? Don't you feel better now?

Chancy said...

Huckabee doesn't make me grind my teeth nearly as bad as all the other GOP candidates. But I will vote for the dog catcher before I vote GOP in '08.

CarmenSinCity said...

Walmart is definitely one of the most inconvenient and tedious stores on earth. The people, the lines, the mess, YUCK! I go there all the time though. I don't know why I put myself through it.

Betty said...

peggy: I try to avoid it as much as possible.

nancy: I wish we had a moving company like that.

sister three: I avoid the doctor, too.

tink: Somehow, I don't feel too much better. lol

QofD: I have to hypnotize myself.

chancy: I'm with you.

carmensincity: Humbling, isn't it?

Newt said...

I'm slightly prejudice because I'm a Minnesota girl but do you have a Target near you? Our local paper did a shop comparison and for average purchases - the standard domestic needs - Target actually came out cheeper than Walmart. And, well, it's not Wallmart. They are based here so maybe the pressure is higher but Targets are immaculately clean, every time I shop someone asks me if I need any help finding anything and, did I mention they are clean? And if more than 3 people are ever in line they open up more cash registers. Yep, I'm a Target girl. Haven't stepped foot in Walmart in 3 or 4 years.

Betty said...

new: The closest Target is in Branson, so it's not all that convenient. But, I do like Target and go there sometimes.

Anonymous said...

We still have a Coast to Coast in Mena. Our Ace Hardware is closing its doors though.

The only think I've ever liked about Huckabee is his support of music education. I would NEVER vote for him, but I do believe he has been and is a sincere advocate for the importance of music in the overall educational picture.

Anonymous said...

Uh, that should read "...the only THING I've ever liked about Huckabee...."

Betty said...

arkansas songbird: We do have an Ace Hardware here. It's pretty good. But, small.

Huckabee wasn't all bad, actually. But, awfully thin-skinned. He can't stand up to the nastiness of a campaign, I don't think.

Anonymous said...

I agree about Wal-Mart. It makes me feel all panicky...as though I can't get out fast enough.

Betty said...

wordgirl: Repeat after me, "Oooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmm."Deep breaths. I limit my time in the store. If I can't "git 'er done" in 30 minutes, it doesn't get done. lol