(no subject)
< Pretty good weekend. Lots of good things to focus on. But I think I had the most fun frolicking about on Black Friday. I was trying to find a specific toy for the charity thing at work. My boss is very cool. Besides being very sweet, she is also a terrific role model. Every year she makes it easy for us to do something nice for others. She is in contact with a charitable organization that gives her a list that she gives to us to check twice, to see which kids' gift we want to give that we think is nice. I have a bit more time than most of the people I work with, so I usually wait until they have made their choices then I take whatever is left. But I knew which one I wanted to give! I wanted to be the good Lego wizard (I'm really to tall to be an elf), and get four-year-old Alan his Batman Lego set. I never had Legos to play with as a kid. Oddly enough I've never had anyone to build Legos with either. So sad, because Legos are really neat! (yes, I suffered horribly as an only child with every other toy you can imagine, just not Legos). I like the bright colors, and I like how nothing really looks like it is suppose to, but still fakes the brain out to make you think it is a submarine or a tie-fighter. Legos are kind of cartoony versions of the real thing.
All the other gifts had been selected but the last two. It was between a Bath and Body Works lotion set or the Legos! There is no way you will get me into a Bath and Body Works store. My olfactory gland is not very good, so it astonishes me how people can cope with that place when even I am overwhelmed by the smell. I have only so long I can stand being in there before the colors (my allergy to pink) and smells start my face twitching into a manaical grin caused by my brain processing the smells and wondering what chemicals are available to make into explosives! Bath goo is fun. I don't mind the Body Shop. The colors are much more muted and the smells verge on natural, but Bath and Body Works is, I guess, too girlie for me (like it takes that much).
But I do like shopping, especially for toys! I was very excited about hunting down Legos. Last week I went to Amazon.com to see what was available. Hmmm. That's pretty expensive even for Legos, and why aren't there any sets available directly from Amazon.com? I called the Lego store at Downtown Disney. Turns out that the Batman sets had been discontinued about eight months ago. Phooey! The kid is four, and might have more fun with the box than the actual toy, but I remember being four and asking for very specific gifts from Santa, and how excited I was to get exactly what I asked for. This kid most likely doesn't have three grandmothers (two of whom had no other grandchildren), so I wanted to try to get as close as possible. I sent Tina an e-mail explaining my predicament, and asking if I could just contact someone at the organization who might know what Alan would like instead.
On Thanksgiving morning I was working at the cafe. It's a really great shift. I know it isn't really an important job, but I feel good giving other people the opportunity to have the morning off. All of the golfers are in a pleasant (and usually generous) mood, and I get a chance to wish everybody a "Happy Thanksgiving". Being paid (time and a half, plus tips) to watch the Macy's parade and be pleasant to people is a pretty good deal. When it was very slow, about mid-morning, I poked through all the ads in the paper to see what wonderful deals could be had on Black Friday! And there, on the Kohl's ad, was this!
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-M5652-Super-Friends-Batcave/dp/B0015KSU9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1259524823&sr=8-1-fkmr0
The Super Friends Batcave. It has action figures! It has a portal-door. And all kinds of other things to play with, break, and lose-- the ideal toy. I loved Fisher Price stuff. Maybe not as good as a Lego set, but a pretty good consolation prize. And the price at Kohls was well within my budget. But to actually buy something on Black Friday-- not just bringing popcorn to watch the circus-- means you need to have a plan and help. I drafted the 'Rents into service. I packed my mom and dad into the car on Friday morning, and off we went.
Kohls was chaos. Two lines snaked around the store. But in the swirl, everyone was in a terrific mood, happy to smile and chat. Most people seemed tired, but pleased, commenting on how good a deal they were getting, and how much easier this was going to make the holidays for them. My parents and I took turns standing in the twenty-five minute line as we alternated wandering about the store. We ended up getting some presents for other people, and I found some nice bedroom slippers, but no Batcave. Oh well. It had been a good idea. I had marked a few other deals at other stores, and asked the Folks if they wanted to risk other shopping venues. Sure. We stopped in a Starbucks to refresh ourselves with a pumpkin latte, and got another really neat experience. As I was waiting for my delicious beverage, I spied an older couple playing Scrabble by the window. I went over to see how they were doing. These were not scrabble players. These were SCRABBLE!!! players. My vocabulary isn't bad, but these two were playing seven and eight letter words I'd never heard of. I chatted with them for a little while, and they seemed very happy that someone had noticed their bad-ass Scrabble skills. Supposedly, they go there most mornings. I might have to go to that Starbucks more often.
Me and the 'Rents zoomed around Long Beach for a little while longer. We even did something useful: we went to Costco so I could get my prescription filled. This Costco is attached to a mall with a Target on the other end. Mom wanted to see the Christmas decorations, so we walked through the mall. When we got to Target to look at their Christmas stash, out of a very old habit I wandered over to the toy section to look at Legos, just to see what big sets they had out for the holidays. And there! On the end of an aisle, with a big "on sale" sticker was a Fisher-Price Bat Cave waiting just for me! Once again, I am ever so lucky.
For a shallow day of shopping, it was quite good. It was a fun day with my family, instead of tedious slog through mechandise hell. I hope, as the toy season approaches, that all Santas are as lucky in their shopping expeditions.
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All the other gifts had been selected but the last two. It was between a Bath and Body Works lotion set or the Legos! There is no way you will get me into a Bath and Body Works store. My olfactory gland is not very good, so it astonishes me how people can cope with that place when even I am overwhelmed by the smell. I have only so long I can stand being in there before the colors (my allergy to pink) and smells start my face twitching into a manaical grin caused by my brain processing the smells and wondering what chemicals are available to make into explosives! Bath goo is fun. I don't mind the Body Shop. The colors are much more muted and the smells verge on natural, but Bath and Body Works is, I guess, too girlie for me (like it takes that much).
But I do like shopping, especially for toys! I was very excited about hunting down Legos. Last week I went to Amazon.com to see what was available. Hmmm. That's pretty expensive even for Legos, and why aren't there any sets available directly from Amazon.com? I called the Lego store at Downtown Disney. Turns out that the Batman sets had been discontinued about eight months ago. Phooey! The kid is four, and might have more fun with the box than the actual toy, but I remember being four and asking for very specific gifts from Santa, and how excited I was to get exactly what I asked for. This kid most likely doesn't have three grandmothers (two of whom had no other grandchildren), so I wanted to try to get as close as possible. I sent Tina an e-mail explaining my predicament, and asking if I could just contact someone at the organization who might know what Alan would like instead.
On Thanksgiving morning I was working at the cafe. It's a really great shift. I know it isn't really an important job, but I feel good giving other people the opportunity to have the morning off. All of the golfers are in a pleasant (and usually generous) mood, and I get a chance to wish everybody a "Happy Thanksgiving". Being paid (time and a half, plus tips) to watch the Macy's parade and be pleasant to people is a pretty good deal. When it was very slow, about mid-morning, I poked through all the ads in the paper to see what wonderful deals could be had on Black Friday! And there, on the Kohl's ad, was this!
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-M5652-Super-Friends-Batcave/dp/B0015KSU9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1259524823&sr=8-1-fkmr0
The Super Friends Batcave. It has action figures! It has a portal-door. And all kinds of other things to play with, break, and lose-- the ideal toy. I loved Fisher Price stuff. Maybe not as good as a Lego set, but a pretty good consolation prize. And the price at Kohls was well within my budget. But to actually buy something on Black Friday-- not just bringing popcorn to watch the circus-- means you need to have a plan and help. I drafted the 'Rents into service. I packed my mom and dad into the car on Friday morning, and off we went.
Kohls was chaos. Two lines snaked around the store. But in the swirl, everyone was in a terrific mood, happy to smile and chat. Most people seemed tired, but pleased, commenting on how good a deal they were getting, and how much easier this was going to make the holidays for them. My parents and I took turns standing in the twenty-five minute line as we alternated wandering about the store. We ended up getting some presents for other people, and I found some nice bedroom slippers, but no Batcave. Oh well. It had been a good idea. I had marked a few other deals at other stores, and asked the Folks if they wanted to risk other shopping venues. Sure. We stopped in a Starbucks to refresh ourselves with a pumpkin latte, and got another really neat experience. As I was waiting for my delicious beverage, I spied an older couple playing Scrabble by the window. I went over to see how they were doing. These were not scrabble players. These were SCRABBLE!!! players. My vocabulary isn't bad, but these two were playing seven and eight letter words I'd never heard of. I chatted with them for a little while, and they seemed very happy that someone had noticed their bad-ass Scrabble skills. Supposedly, they go there most mornings. I might have to go to that Starbucks more often.
Me and the 'Rents zoomed around Long Beach for a little while longer. We even did something useful: we went to Costco so I could get my prescription filled. This Costco is attached to a mall with a Target on the other end. Mom wanted to see the Christmas decorations, so we walked through the mall. When we got to Target to look at their Christmas stash, out of a very old habit I wandered over to the toy section to look at Legos, just to see what big sets they had out for the holidays. And there! On the end of an aisle, with a big "on sale" sticker was a Fisher-Price Bat Cave waiting just for me! Once again, I am ever so lucky.
For a shallow day of shopping, it was quite good. It was a fun day with my family, instead of tedious slog through mechandise hell. I hope, as the toy season approaches, that all Santas are as lucky in their shopping expeditions.
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