Again...what were the odds?

In December, I accompanied a friend to a mall that I hadn't been to in quite a while.  It has a Disney Store, and a specific kind of 'doll' was on her granddaughter's Santa list. We were going to that store

and then to have some lunch at a restaurant. Nice and easy agenda...great adventure with a great friend.

 Logistically, The Disney Store is on the second level, and exactly at the entrance/exit to an elevator.  It is about 5 steps out of the elevator to enter the store.  I was wandering around looking at all of the 'stuff' as my friend chose which doll to purchase. Both of us were at the entrance to the store when suddenly, we became aware of someone screaming at their kid. It was difficult to NOT hear the scene.  As the mother yanked the 2 year old's arm bringing him abruptly next to her, she yelled,

"Get over here...what are you doing?  You could have been stolen/snatched!! You stay right next to me."
They got on the elevator and away they went.  I felt sorry for the kid, and hoped that life wasn't like that for him all the time. Not to be misunderstood, I do know the instant panic that is felt when you look down and your child has moved out of your sight in a public place.  It was the tone and volume of the public screaming that was upsetting.
Any way, the doll was purchased and we went to lunch at Pizza Uno and had a fantastic lunch!  Soup, a half of a spinach and eggplant panini, and a dessert that was delicious accompanied by lots of conversation that was fun, fun, fun!
An hour or so later, we rode the escalator down to the ground floor, and I sat on a bench while she went to get the car from far, far away.  December...Christmas shoppers....a big mall...parking the car had been an adventure and I still had a recovering foot injury that hurt to walk long distances.
Sitting on the bench and 'people watching' abit, a couple/three people came over and sat down.  A cute blue eyed boy was drinking from a bottle and stopping to say, 'Mama'. The toddler began side stepping and when he ventured pretty close to the escalator, the 'dad' got up and placed himself in between the kid and the escalator and shook his head in 'no-no' motion. Then the kid was hoisted into the man's arms and they returned to the bench to sit down.  I quietly said to the man,
"I have to compliment you because it was so nice to see the way you steered that situation without screaming at the kid.  A couple of hours ago, some little kid got yanked by the arm and screamed at by the elevator with words that I am not sure he even understood."
My friend appeared and was pointing to the car being right by the door, and we left the mall.  As we drove out she said to me,
"Do you know who you were talking to?"
"No...why?"
"That was the kid by the elevator!"
"What?? Are you kidding me? "
And I told her what I had said to the man....sitting next to the woman...who turned out to be the screamer.
We both laughed, but I couldn't help but think...
What were the odds of being in a place with hundreds of people and wind up with my conversation happening with that 'dad'?
Well, maybe he shared my thoughts with the screamer.  Maybe something good came out of the whole thing.

 

Highlight of the day...fun...both entering and exiting!!

The Christmas Tree Shoppe is a chain of stores that is not really about Christmas most of the time. It is more of a multi-seasonal presentation of neat things. I had the opportunity to explore the new treasures with a good friend. The sun was shining and it sure looked a lot like spring. For me, this was therapy...

As I approached the entrance to the store, a car pulled up to let someone off at the door. The passenger was an elderly woman who struggled to get out of the front seat as the driver gave her a helpful nudge from behind for momentum.

"Need a hand?"

I reached toward her and she grabbed my hand, then my arm, and reached back to retrieve the cane that she had brought with her. We put a shopping cart in front of her, she tossed the cane into it, thanked me repeatedly, and headed inside to begin her fun. I guess the driver knew to catch up with her inside. Very refreshing!!

Well, I found many things that I could not live without..[haha], and I headed for the checkout, and to meet my shopping buddy. As the cashier [surely in her fifties] scanned the items, one of the ceramic flower pots had a small ding on the saucer part. The cashier offered to go and get a new one as I continued to put the remainder of the stuff on the counter. I was feeling kind of bad for the woman in line after me, and I began to chat with her.

"You are a very patient woman" I said smiling at her friendly eyes and very wrinkly face.

"You have to be in this day and age."

I noticed that her fingernails had glittery nail polish on them and the pointer nail had a pink daisy. I complimented her fancy nails, and she added,

"I'll bet you wouldn't guess my age!!"

Not wanting to offend her spirit in any way, I asked her to tell me.

"I am 98!"

"You are an amazing person!" I did not share that my 99 year old Mom lived with me 'cause there was no way I was going to rain on her parade.

I paid my bill, and smiled at her to say how nice it was to meet her.

She was by herself sporting blue jeans and sneakers.

After I walked out the door, I had to go back and ask her what her name was or I'd always wonder. At 98, I figured it had to be an interesting one...turn of the century-unique.

"My name is Robetta. R-O-B-E-T-T-A. My father's name was Robert and my mother's name was Etta."

She was beautiful. And a bright spot in my day. A surprise.

I guess that was the 'Christmas" part of that March play day for me.

Fasten Your Seatbelts...

I was shopping in Kohl's Department Store for a new coffeemaker and in my possession was a 30% off coupon...for absolutely anything in the store. There were no restrictions as many coupons usually exclude sale or clearance items. So, I knew that I had better head for the checkout because I could do some serious damage on the 'ol credit card acknowledging bargains that were simply 'too good to pass up'. Then I walked by a sale on a 'Rechargeable Philips Sonic Electric Toothbrushes' recommended by most dentists and an additional toothbrush was included. 15% off and then another 30% more with my coupon...Wahoo! Sounds like a winner!

Perfect...one for me and one for Mom. At home, the toothbrush and charger were removed from the packaging, the charger plugged in, and soon would be ready for use..
It was during the week of my foot surgery that Nicole returned at night to get Flo ready for bed, and said,

"That toothbrush is not going to work out for Flo. First of all, when you put toothpaste on the brush, don't turn it on until you have it inside your mouth. I made that mistake, and toothpaste went everywhere...Flo's eyeglasses, pajamas, the walls, and me. When I tried again and had the toothbrush inside her mouth before pushing the button, the speed was so unbelievably fast that it scared her!! You may like it, but Flo never wants to see it again!"
"No problem. It should be fine for me. I'll get her a new one."

I changed the toothbrush top to the other one included, and was sure to put it inside my mouth when I pushed the start button. Oh My God! It was like jet speed, and when the whirling brush touched a tooth, it made the buzzing sound you hear when you have a new key made.

I called customer service to ask how the heck you turn the speed down, and I could not believe it when the answer was,

"There is only one speed!!"

"You mean that jet speed is the only speed?"

Well I gave it a second and third chance.... and thought it was definitely bizarre.

Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?

Recommended by dentists...probably because your teeth fly out and they get to replace them!!
Customer service sent me a form, and it is on its way back to Philips.

Satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back.

Whew! Thank goodness!

I'd like to keep my teeth in my mouth for the time being.

Awesome

This is a Scottevest, otherwise known as 'the out of the park home run' birthday gift to my son. When you check out all of the specifics at...www.scottevest.com , you will see the many features that make it a perfect traveling accessory.

I was watching CNN on a Sunday and one of the show's promos included five innovative gifts for Father's Day. This vest has numerous[22] zippered pockets both inside and outside for everything from passport, camera, cell phone, kindle/ipad, pen, water bottle, change, keys, etc. These are also available for women in different styles, colors, and sizes.

Before I ordered it, I called customer service to ask if there were any coupons or discount promo codes that I could use on my first order to their company. The woman said that there were some ads in The New York Times that listed a code for a savings. So I passed along that I had seen it on CNN and wanted to get it for my son who was about to go to Europe. In chatting with her, she shared with me the code letters to enter when I ordered . It turned out to be 20% off, and as my way of repaying her random act of kindness, I am doing my own little 'promo' to bring them more business. My son wore it on Friday when we went out for his birthday lunch, and the vest is really awesome. It is like a hands free carry on! Amazing! Check it out!
Another tip is the website: retailmenot.com

Before you order anything from anywhere, go to this site to see if there are any available savings. Sometimes it is free shipping, and other offers may be a percentage off the total. It is worth putting it in your list of favorites. And don't be afraid to ask. My phone call to customer service saved me $20. Share the good news.

Let's get together...yeah! yeah! yeah!

Just wanted to remind people that the current full moon is the first one of December, and the full moon on Dec 31 will be the second one within the same month....making it a 'blue moon.'

After visits from my BFF from high school, my brother, and my son within the span of a 'holiday' week, Flo and I have caught someone's cold. Her voice has dropped a couple of octaves and she sounds like Lauren Bacall! . And at 3 AM, as the full moon was shining into the bedroom's skylights and we were both awake, there we were again gazing at the full moon in the middle of the night. It was a beautiful thing!

Today was a planned shopping trip to my favorite store with three retired [teacher] friends. We have all known each other for 30+ years, and it was a grand time followed by a lots of conversation over lunch. Fun!! And since I didn't drive, it was all about chatting and observing the scenery. Again, fun!

I used to carpool with Mary, and we were both 'with child' at the same time. My 'due date' was June 20, and Mary's was July 13th[ I think]. After a hard day's work with the school kids, we stopped for an ice cream cone every day on the way home. Well, my son arrived at 12:57 AM on June 25 [ 5 days overdue], and Mary's son was born at 11 PM on June 25th [almost three weeks early!]. We were in the hospital at the same time, and our sons share the same birthday! Far out!!
Debbie and I team taught in the same school and grade, as well as struggled through graduate classes together nights, weekends, and summer times [while also teaching full time]. Lots of memories and stories there. And it was to Debbie's wedding... that was the very first outing that both Mary and I [and spouses] went to after our 'D Day'...that would be that 'delivery day' on June 25th!!

And Lora...We worked in the same building, and her older son is pretty close in age to mine[and Mary's]. Lora and I dealt with the same principals, school functions, and life. We are currently playing several Scrabble games online, and it sure is fun!! We are learning new words...our favorite being...'oot'!![ my word...but disbelieving Lora tracked down its meanings!]

So it was a very easy day. Four friends. .. Shopping. Eating. Laughing. And planning another adventure in January.

Bloodwork followed by retail therapy!!

On Monday, I had a rheumatology appointment in Syracuse. It was the first one in quite a while due to the 'flippin' broken leg trauma' which put a real halt on traveling...or walking...or just about anything! I had continued to have bloodwork done in town and the results were sent to the 'doc' to be sure that my meds weren't causing any problems. It will be 20 years in April that I began my RA routine...oh well...see the post of 12/4 for the first impressions of my friend of 20 years. The doc and I have forged a very good relationship over the years.

I brought some gladiolas to share, and it's fun to see the smiles.

The day starts by zooming through the Drive- Thru and grabbing 'Egg McMuffins' for the 40 minute ride, along with my bestest shopping buddy and kindred spirit, Kate.. After the dr. appt., off we go to The Christmas Tree Shop [This store is not about Christmas]. I love that store and hadn't been there in a long time. Kate and I synchronize our watches [in my case it's my cell phone], and we meet at the registers in an hour. Then in the same mall is TJ Max which is associated with Marshalls, and everytime I go there I find such unique stuff! What discoveries awaited us? We couldn't wait to find out!

I bought new bath towels : some have an embroidered decoration at the bottom, others polka dotted, and a set of plush 'Hotel' towels [for MY house] and my old ones will get dropped off at the SPCA. I bought a book, "365 Brain Games", a sky blue really soft hooded pullover for Flo that has a front center pocket [so to speak] whereshe can put her hands to warm them up, a basket with a material liner of fall leaves, spring bulbs [something to plant, await, and look forward to], 'relaxed cuff' socks [it's difficult to find socks that don't leave marks on Flo's legs], Girlfriend's Tarot cards[$ 2 and what a hoot], and a package of 'Pepperage Farms Mint Milanos' to share on the 40 minute ride home while chatting with an old friend!!

Fun, fun, fun.

Whose bright ideas are these...anyway!

We are one week from Christmas, and exactly how many plates do you have spinning in the air at the same time? Let me start with shopping. Being a retired person, I can go to the stores when, in theory, many of the general public is at work. I went to Kohl's yesterday morning at 10 AM and while it wasn't overly crowded, two things really annoyed me. The first thing that I wanted to take care of was to return something. Customer Service was in the farthest possible corner of the store...way in the back. Not what I would call 'convenient'. The good news was that the cashier was a former student of mine, and we had a very pleasant conversation. The bad news was that I was returning a bra...can ya get any more personal than that?

The other part of the shopping experience is what I like to call...'unnecessary roughness'.

When you choose something off of the rack, you can never be sure what the price really is...it can depend on your age, the time of day [doorbuster or midnight madness?], along with what percentage you can subtract as the sale price[60% off the lowest price on the ticket???] Sometimes the sale price is already reflected on the tag, and other times it will say 'reduction taken at the register.'

Buy one for $9.99 and get a second one for a penny! Maybe I don't want two pairs of Snoopy Glow in the Dark fuzzy slippers!! What really leaves me sputtering is when you go to the 'biggest sale of the year' and find something that you like, and in the following week's ads they bring the price even lower. JC Penney's is famous for that. Why does it have to be so complicated?

Today I went to my favorite store of all: The Christmas Tree Shop. They have neat stuff, the prices are clearly marked, and it doesn't vary by full moon or any other circumstance that might occur...leap year...the 1,000th customer, AAA discount...middle child discount...etc. You can get some unusual choices of product. I was able to get some promising soups for my brother[he's into that] and some unusual cookies for my mother.[She's definitely into that!] These are gifts that will be m-m-m good, and won't have to be returned because they were the wrong size or color. It's the thought... not the amount spent or the label of the rich and famous. Fa la la la la ...

And, this isn't even getting into the good/bad habits of the employees. I would like it if they just were knowledgeable about what they were presenting to the customer. I know when I worked for B Altman and Co. in the bakery, I achieved expert status in relation to the brownies and sticky buns!!

I'm ready for 2009. Let's hope that good things happen, and everyone gets on board to make it happen. Kindness encourages kindness. Smile are contagious.