Book Hippo

Friday, October 25, 2013

Shopping Addiction

I've been looking at online shopping. I'm always searching through my favorite site for the right size, the right price. The problem is, the bill comes every month. Now, I'm not unable to pay my rent or buy food but my credit card bill is a little high this month. Almost $200.00.

But I just like the stuff I get so much, the deals of 80% off, where I can get something that costs $300.00 for $39.99.

To be fair to myself, it's not just online shopping. I'm a voracious window shopper and if I find a great store, I go back time and time again. Like the coat store at Carlingwood Mall.
Twice a year, every year, after summer and after winter, they sell all sorts of expensive coats for about $20.00 or a little more.

That means people looking at me on the street think I have a lot of money. I like to tell them that people on limited incomes could go there and get great stuff. Some people don't even believe me. No, they think I have money.

I know so many stores where there are great deals to be had. There's jewelry store right downtown where they have sold sapphire bracelets (not to me) for $100.00.

Maybe that's why I like to shop. Why a lot of women like to shop. I tend to put that down to hunter/gathering when women searched through the landscape for good stuff for their families. So I'm just doing what I've evolved for, I guess.

Anyway, I don't intend for my window shopping/bargain hunting to stop anytime soon, but as soon as I pay this $200.00, I'm going to be more careful

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Date Game

My mother used to say that she always knew when her anniversary was coming around because of the television shows on Hiroshima started to appear. You see, she was married on August 6, 1954, the date, not the year they dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

I always felt that this was probably the most unromantic way to remember a date. Not like being wed on the first day of spring so that ever after, when you see flowers starting to rise through the dirt you know your anniversary is coming.

It's funny, our family dates seem to hover around disasters and also celebratory dates.

My great-grandmother was born on November 11, 1868, the date, not the year of the Armistice. My mother was born on December 8, 1929, the date, not the year, of the killing of John Lennon.

This means that, I, too, think of these anniversaries whenever remembrances start to appear on WWI or John Lennon's murder.

I was born on Groundhog's Day.

Then there are the near misses. My brother was born near Thanksgiving (Canadian). My father died on September 10, 2010. Not quite, but still, whenever 9/11 shows appear on television, I know another anniversary of my father's death has come around.

My great-grandmother died on Christmas Eve.

I don't know how many families have the same 'date game' going on in their families but I've always found it interesting in mine that so many anniversaries are already marked on the calendar.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Tech Boys

There is a fashion tone to every era in human history. It is usually set by whomever is running the show. In Queen Victoria's day, it was very feminine, with lots of lace and bows and a lot of propriety, also very feminine.

I was thinking about that the other day and began to wonder who was setting the standard today, and came up with something that surprised me.

Just look at what is happening today in fashion, plastic surgery, with big boobs a specialty. Lots of those plaid nerd pants. You see them on everyone. Boys used to get beat up for wearing them. Lots of gaming.

Sounds like adolescent boys are running things? Hmmm. What about all those teen-agers making so much money in tech? That's what I came up with. All those adolescentish boys are setting the tone of the world we live in today.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that, I guess. It seems like the dream of the sixties - to have youth run things - is coming true, with the exception that it is all about money now. Which is another thing a lot of people want now.

It's not like my grandparents, who wanted a house they owned with a yard but a mansion is what today's people want and  lots of cars and excitement. Yep, definitely adolescent boys.

I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable with it but it is lots of fun. Lots of games and toys for big people. I just wonder what will the next turn in society come and who will set the fashion in the future.