I actually added links to my fiction page. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, I put in two fiction exercises that I never posted as they were depressing and less depressing.
I don’t usually link to Maureen Dowd because I hate her on anything to do with women but this was great. As I have Times SelectI feel obligated.
i live in a very non-diverse neighborhood. However Circuit City’s CD department is obviously geared toward minority groups. That’s fine but Tower is closing. I really really really wanted the new Tom Waits compilation CD’s. They don’t have it. I realize that Tom Waits doesn’t appeal to everybody but I love him. I don’t want to have buy everything on line as I am an impulsive CD buyer. When I want something I want it.
I feel awkward saying the above but shouldn’t a store cater to the entire community?
I am at peace with my impulse shopping as it only entails CD’s and books. I would hate to be an impulsive designer bag, shoes or clothes shopper. Actually I used to be an impulsive shoe shopper but I managed to convince myself that I can only wear two brands, both very expensive and I don’t know, there’s something about impulsive shoe shopping that is too Sex & the City.
I can be an impulsive skin care shopper but since I only buy the most expensive…and I’m an impulsive expensive candle and home perfume shopper. Also sheets and other home products.
Okay, I’m not perfect, but I’m honest, and I have faced these impulses and decided that life is too short to deprives oneself of pleasurable impulse items if one can pay the bill in full each month. Not that there is anything wrong with people who buy things and can’t afford to pay the bill in full each month.
I tried buying some stuff with store credit cards since my credit report said that the only thing that was wrong with it was that I didn’t have enough. I ended up paying the bills in full because that’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.
I have to stop this as I’m digging myself into a grave of my own making.
From now on Courting is going to be all fiction, my photoblog, and podcasts. The problem is that I need a home for issues, and have a post sitting somewhere waiting to be posted. I don’t know how to link my photoblog other than in posts, and I’m scared of podcasts, but learning not to be. I have been doing some short videos but uh….And on Monday I will probably have a series of articles from different parts of The New York Times that do show how we suffer to live here.
Happy Black Friday! You couldn’t pay me to go into most stores today. But that’s just me. I find no joy in stores other than home and glass ones. It’s not as if I’m having a sheet emergency. Though I have had my share of them. Never once had a glass emergency other than a need to buy something glass or crystal.
Yesterday was pouring. I grabbed a cab. When we drove near certain avenues and streets, I told the cab driver I thought that they would be closed because of parade clean-up. He didn’t listen to me, and is probably still laughing because I tipped him anyway. The karma thing.
I missed my train but that turned out to be a good thing as we changed houses for Thanksgiving–long story. The coconut custard pie I had been carrying arrived in one piece with no cracks. Only my sister had advertised her want of one so much there were two others. Thanksgiving was wonderful, and today is my sister’s birthday.
When I was two I celebrated Thanksgiving at a Horn & Hardart’s Automat with my aunt whlle my sister was being born. The Automat had food that came out of glass compartments, and had a cafeteria. It was my favorite restaurant.
Our father would tell us that we could go to any restaurant we chose, any at all for lunch. He knew that we would always want the Automat where my father and sister had a never changing lunch of baked beans, mac & cheese and spaghetti. I didn’t have the spaghetti. Always creamed spinach. Somehow this carb loaded lunch didn’t make us fat, and we had it often.
It was pouring when I arrived back at Penn. I shouldn’t say this but if you go to Eighth Avenue the cab line is much much shorter, there are generally more cabs, and they’re going in the right direction. If you live West and uptown.
I realized that Eighth Avenue is physically probably the least changed street. The stores are new, but much of the physical structure is exactly as it was in the 70’s and for all I know in the 50’s. I realize this each time I drive on it. When I walk there are too many new stores to look at. It becomes disconcerting.
In the rain last night Eighth Avenue looked like a noir film without the bad guys. Or I just didn’t see any, and wasn’t about to get wet to explore this notion.
Today is Cooper’s two year blogoversary. Blogging would be lonelier and different without Alice. My niece doesn’t know this yet but her first volunteer job will probably have something to do with Darfur. Cooper’s influence.
It’s not that my niece who is twelve can’t pick out her own first volunteer experience, but she left it to her mother who I have a certain amount of influnence with. And we come from a group that has faced genocide throughout its existance. Therefore we have an obligation to help groups facing genocide now.
Oh it’s Black Friday, and I need to send my sinuses someplace to dry out. The desert sounds very appealing at this moment. More than appealing, but they have dust storms and dust gets into your lungs and….
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I’m hoping to. If my sinuses ever dry out.
Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Black Friday! Bring back the Automats!!
Happy Post Thanksgiving. I had the slight crazy idea of going shopping but then I thought no way!! I saw that people were lining up at 5am today! NUTS!
That was a great, light post. I’ve always been curious about automats. One was pointed out to me once when I was in New York.
Oooh, Fedex me that spare coconut pie, would ya? Might come in handy today, as I usually eat my lunch in the mall near my office. I’m not going there today. 😉
Hope your sinuses are feeling better soon.
I hope your day went well despite the rain. I am not familiar with automats.
Love conconut cream pie, had an excuse of work to stay away from any type of shopping.
Good luck on the sinus situation.
There’s an automat on St. Mark’s Place called “Bamn”: http://www.bamnfood.com/ Can’t say much about it personally yet, as I’m still saving up the 3350 quarters I need to buy a hot dog there.
For some sociological fun, I stepped into the local Century 21 department store on Friday. There was some kind of handbag riot going on in there, and Engine 5 was setting up to start hosing that department down.
I love the Holidays.
thanks for visiting my blog today… I am looking for a menorah photo for my Jewish friends! When does your holiday begin? take care and have a great day!
I don’t think we have automats, or if we do, we call them something else. Gonna have to google it.
When you’re a kid, it’s fun to get stuff out of a machine, whether it’s a high bounce rubber ball, or dinner.
I’m getting an idea here… Pia’s Insider Cab Tips Podcasts.
I was hoping not to shop at all yesterday, but had to run to the hardwear store to get some paint to finish upgrading the train track that goes under the tree (since I’d promised my daughter we’d get the tree tomorrow).
The desert is always appealing to me, but I also know there are things that grow there that bother my sinuses too.
Coconut cream pie, eh? Sounds good. We should plan a blog feast with taking recipes from our favorite bloggers…
Love the images conjured up by the word automat. Such a period word. Hope you’re enjoying this Thanksgiving weekend. I too miss the ability to actually walk into a record store and buy what I want. The online experience does not match it.
I love your fiction, so I guess that’s a good thing.
I am always conflicted on what to post in my blog; it really doesn’t matter I know.
Glad for your niece but I hope beyond all hope she doesn’t have to volunteer for long.
If you install a gallery plugin you can host your own pictures I think. I haven’t done it because I never could figure out how but I’m better at it now. Check out wordpress plugins under media and see what they have.
I like to hands on buy CD’s too but purchase a lot of music offline for the ipod or computers.
Hope your Thanksgiving was nice, despite the rain.
I just wanted to say that I did find the fiction section you referred to and enjoyed it immensely.
Reason I am commenting here though is because the URL at the top of this blog linking to the fiction section does not actually link to the fiction section.
Just thought you may want to sort that out. 🙂
I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and that your sinuses aren’t bothering you.
Shopping this time of year is like the rut season–it’s insane. Good luck finding Tom Waits!
The word automat was actually new to me!
“Not that there is anything wrong with people who buy things and can’t afford to pay the bill in full each month.”
LOL that made me laugh…thanks for that!
No shopping for me either, last Friday. Couldn’t pay me to go shopping on that day…I’d rather not get a deal.
🙂