When I shop, I tend to look at mannequins and outfit layouts so I have some clue on how fashionable people dress. But, what irritates me is how they pin up the clothes to make the size 0 look even more form fitting and attractive. How am I supposed to live up to such high standards? Should I actually be able to put tiny clothes on and the pin them to fit even better?
What is this about?
September 3rd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: I get my revenge by moving the normal sized items from being hidden in the bowels of the rack right up in front (hiding the teensy sizes) to offend everyone in their sheer largeness. Imagine, being a size 12!
I’ve told you before, September is the beginning of the new year for me. Time to move from the languid days of Summer into the more focused Fall. And time to sharpen my dedication to The Daily EO. Yes, I’ve been a bit spotty in my updates. Well, spotty is even a stretch.
But my mother told me “If you have to write, you’d better get paid for it”. So, since I don’t get paid, I write when I want to. And in August, I wanted to lay on lounge chairs, be outside, or doing things I actually do get paid for. So, you wondered! You checked your email often. When or When will she post today’s update!!?? I CAN’T STAND IT!
I am excited to move from August into September because somehow I gained 5 pounds this summer and I’d like it to go away. I say “Somehow” like it is a big mystery. Hmmm. Wine, Jelly Bellys, hamburgers, hotdogs, early mornings and late nights with reduced exercise? What could have happened?! This is so strange.
Well, to start me off right, I went shopping yesterday to get new running shoes. An aside here: I don’t call running shoes “sneakers”. That seems like such weird phrasing to me. Like saying “garment”s or something. It just feels like sneakers are what people wore back in the 1970s to play tennis. I don’t know what sneakers are. I just don’t say it so I don’t get caught in calling a non-sneaker a sneaker. How Embarassing.
Anyways, I need all sorts of stability and support in my shoes, so generally I can’t get the sleek cute, wonderfully coloured modern “sneakers”. (eep, is that the right usage) I asked the guy at the Running Room if I could get some really cute yellow & blue nikes, and he said “No.” Just “No.” So, I get left with the old style ones – from the 2000s. Sooo Yesterday.
So, I tried on shoes I needed – with some weird metallic blue with teal blue trim and laces – and frankly didn’t even like looking at my feet. And usually, I love looking at my feet. I do it all day long. What an awful colour! (the shoes, not my feet) Those laces! I hate them! We were going to try some others styles, when in the backroom, he found a different styling of the same shoe. In my size!
September 1st, 2013 Extra Ordinary: If you are going to turn over a new leaf, you have to look the part.
I walked from Yaletown to Gastown to get my nails done. They convinced me not to go with the plain French manicure as I always do, but instead to do something different. So I ended up with a French-like manicure with silver sparkles on it. It might be too much. I’m not sure, but I missed out on pretty sparkly nails and the like due to retardedness in all things pretty growing up. So, I am catching up I supposed. (and using the word retarded in the proper sense here – as in my progress in pretty things was retarded by lack of knowledge and confidence. But do crimping irons count? I was really into that!).
Emile walked down and joined me and we headed to South Granville to do some furniture shopping. Afterall, I am still sleeping with a mattress on a mattress on a floor. But did we buy anything? No – why? Because we are cheap now. I used to be a person who bought things when I wanted without concern – but Emile broke me. Alas.
We then walked back from South Granville to Yaletown to look at my latest favorite shop – Cross Design. Which inspired me for a new look in our living room – not new new, but new and fresh. I’m tired of our things – it’s time for a change. But yet am value conscious – see above – so could be trouble here. I am thinking greys, whites, Provençal with a splash of red? Hello, Craig’s List.
Bought berries in Yaletown and then back home to Gastown.
Dinner was with old friends – our next door neighbours when I was a kid – where we participated in a strange family tradition where our berries and cream were served before dinner. “Uncle Rod” lived next door my entire life before I went to university. He’s 81 now and a little balder and doesn’t see as well, but Uncle Rod was thrilled to see me after almost 10 years.
March 30th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: 12+ kms, nails that sparkle in the sun and reconnection.
I’ve never really got into the Groupon, Wagjag and other social savings things. I am not sure what it is, perhaps I don’t like being part of a crowd. And really, when you live in a small town, the offerings are pretty slim. Emile convinced me to sign up for Groupon, and every day I get some mostly ignored email telling me about Indian food or fitness classes or facials. Which usually goes right into garbage.
It had not been one of my best weeks, or best days for that matter, so I decided to read my “exclusive” Groupon mail to distract me from the fact that it was 5:15 pm – on a day I was planning to sneak out early – waiting for the customs broker to find the FDA import number for a critical shipment. It was “spend $5 to get a $10 gift certificate at Starbucks”. Now, I go to Starbucks. I also go to Tim Horton’s. The difference to me is that Starbucks is for when I am trying to aspire to something (what, I don’t know yet) and Tim Horton’s is for when I realize I don’t need to aspire.
And I am also Starbuck’s worst customer – never buy food, always insist on saying large (not Starbucks made up language), and always buy the cheapest item – a tea for $2.18.
So, when I read the fine print and all seemed on the up and up, I decided that this purchase would probably be the most satisfying thing I do all week. Saving my $5 and topping up my Starbucks card. So I went for it.
Over the weekend I went into a Starbucks to buy one of my cheap – and 50% off – tea. I was then asked to do a survey. If I went home and completed the survey, I would get a drink code good for one tall small beverage. Okay. So I did.
But I am not a dummy – no no! I gave the coupon to my husband to spend on a more premium item – like a hot chocolate – because don’t waste it on tea!
March 21st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Converted $1.09 into $5.00. And I was right, it was one of the few satisfying items from that weekend.
With some prodding from my husband, I went to bed at 9 pm on Friday and found myself self awake at 6:45 am but feeling pretty well rested. The thought occurred to me to go to the gym and I bounced out of bed and into my gym clothes before I could roll over and snooze that idea away.
By 8:30, had hd run 5 kms, done 120 Russian Twists, pulled 45 lats reps and finished stretching. All that was left was a protein shake and another big glass of water.
I wasted an hour or two doing something on the computer – so wasted in fact that I cannot remember what it was. I went down to London Drugs to pick up a couple of things.
That afternoon – after a break in the rain – Emile and I headed out to do some shopping – well, really browsing at high-end stereo equipment and high-end hand bags. Needless to say, we didn’t buy anything.
March 2nd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: An agendaless amble through Vancouver’s downtown core with a hot tea in hand.
And so at the end of the week, my part of the project is complete and I can finally come home and do nothing. How did I celebrate?
Well, first things first. For anyone of you who have ever had a home insurance claim, it is bizarre. An insurance company will give you two values for your items – replacement and Actual Cash Value (ACV). So, say if you had your Kate Spade wallet stolen that was several years old, they will give you replacement of $228 or 50% for ACV ($114). The percentage varies with the age and the item, but you get the picture.
Well, faced with the loss of my sunglasses, back pack, wallet, and several other items that I used all the time and need, I indicated to the insurance company that I would be replacing them. But my cell phone – which I already had a new one from work, I wasn’t going to replace. Once I had informed the insurance company about what I was going to replace, I asked how I send them the receipts for my new items. They said – no receipts – we’re just sending you a cheque and closing the claim.
Huh? Then what was all the rigmarole about? So, how do they know I am actually replacing these things? Or just going on a spa vacation?
My insurance claim has finally come through, so I finally can purchase replacement items for my things that were stolen. This is good. Because the bag that I have been dragging my things around is somewhat embarrassing. The first thing I went shopping for is sunglasses. I went to The Bay because I didn’t want to spend a fortune but I didn’t want to get drugstore sunglasses either.
But people disorganize things, so when I finally found the ones – and a lovely plaid pattern on the arms – they were not in the correct section. But that is okay – I found them anyways. But when I turned over the tag – it said $230.
Now for some of you reading this, you may feel that $230 is quite reasonable to pay for sunglasses, but it is about $100 more than I want to spend, and $150 more than the insurance company is willing to reimburse.
But now nothing else compares.
February 19th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Plaid arms mean Burberry, Susan – you know that.
Ah. The Saturday of a long weekend. There is nothing that feels freer. (except being unemployed and not knowing that it IS a long weekend). And what a day here in Vancouver. Cold, but the skies were clear and the sun was shining. Perfect day to hit the streets with tea and sunglasses and walk the length of downtown. I stopped into a Starbucks – one of the hundreds – and had myself a free tea thanks to a giftcard. Yum.Now, in the interest of full disclosure. I got lost walking form Gastown to Yaletown. I did. It’s true. It’s a long story, but I was responding to emails and answering my phone etc while I was walking and not truly paying attention. And, when I attempted to get myself sorted out, I had the misfortune of using maps on my iPhone. The app thought it would be helpful to keep turning the map based on the direction I was headed, but really, all I wanted was to know which was south. As I knew how to walk that direction. So, yep, that was me, with several false starts meandering around “almost Yaletown” staring at my phone. From here on out it is using my brain to get somewhere!
Only three weeks ago, I told of my first gelish polish experience and despite my nails’ insistence continuing to grow and creating a gap it was time to go back and do it again.
I got a pedicure and a manicure. The experience of sitting in a massage chair while one technician works on your feet and someone else does your hands should not be missed by anyone. It feels. . . deserved. Expensive. Hollywood!
And as I watched, a long nail technician free hand painted my french nail polish. Free hand and quickly! I was amazed:
Oh my god! That is so sophisticated. Like Totally!!
I walked home and stopped in Pacific Center, because with these nails I truly fit in with the downtown shopping crowd. Nevermind I was wearing Sketchers and a yoga jacket. But I fixed that, spending way to much on boots (GLO-RE-US!), and getting a great deal on a rain coat that doesn’t have a hood. I bought some woman’s cord skinny pants at the The Gap, and “Ethan” who rang them through told me they were his favorite pants (he was wearing them). Hmmm. I double checked when I got out of the store. They say “women’s” on them.. . . I am so disconnected with youth these days. We used to wear the boys pants.
After a complete day of gym, nails, shopping and planning dinner with friends, I strolled home with my arms laden feeling pampered and satisfied. This must be what is it like to be on the D-List (A- Listers don’t walk, work out in the gym alone, make their own dinner plans or carry their own packages). Nor do they answer work emails while standing in the middle of The Bay. Or go to The Bay for that matter.
November 10th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:
It must be Hollywood! Who knew there was a branch here?
A new Kate Spade wallet: Can’t find one I like and that I am willing to pay the asking price for
Meet with a dietician/nutritionist: Actually did that when I was unemployed because I found one that was free. Um, it was okay, but didn’t live out to expectations.
Finally finding a financial adviser (who does not work on commission): I still haven’t done this yet. Anyone got a good name for me?
Hire a personal shopper: Selected, we are going to be meeting in the Spring when I stop storing my underwear in a box on the window sill and buy a dresser. (I can’t let her see me like this)
Regularly threaded eyebrows at Gee Beauty: Well, Donna Lucia at 1/3 of the price is working very nicely for me. Gee is a bit far now.
A new can opener: After 4 weeks of using my “3 chicks and a Cat” swiss army knife to open cans, I bought a new gliding can opener at London Drugs.
November 3rd, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Crossing out items on my punch list and beyond (because a facial wasn’t listed on there).
The Daily EO 