I so needed my compressed day off. You should see the accordion folder I have all my purchase orders in! If I thought it was crammed full last year, it's positively bursting this year. The wide end looks as if it's the width of the A, M, N-O, and P volumes of the World Book. Thank God it's not as heavy, but I'm still having difficulty carrying it. I feel like I'm in junior high school again, carrying an algebra book, a science book, a history book, and Mr. Dwyer's beloved Warrener's English grammar, not to mention assorted notebooks, my arms stretched out full-length.

The Fry Meter was supposed to stand in the high 90s today, so I tried to go out to get back around noon. I had to post something first, so my first stop was at the Post Awful where I decided to stock up on Forever stamps. I had a coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase at World Market, so I went there next.

World Market is always a trip: they have everything from cooking supplies to wine to furniture to bath things to chair pads, and the inevitable geegaws. At the rear of the store is a collection of international foods, complete with Vegemite and marzipan, down to clotted cream and couscous. I wanted to put some things together for a gift basket, which I did, and chose two different types of couscous to make up the difference.

I also had a 25 percent off coupon to Barnes & Noble if I used my Chase credit card. I have my old Borders credit card which is now a Chase Freedom card, which pissed me off. I don't want most of what Chase Freedom provides; I preferred the book coupons. Anyway, I was noting that many of the credit card advice sites say to use a card once or twice a year so that the company will not charge you a fee. I thought it a good time to combine the two things, and bought Nicola Upson's second Josephine Tey mysteries. I adored the first; the narrative was so evocative of the 1930s mysteries. I was definitely getting Dorothy Sayers vibes.

Came home by the dueling gas stations, which, sadly, were not so cheap any longer. But I didn't feel like searching all about for gas.

When I got home I started my fruitless search for cheap airfares. As I'd discovered yesterday at lunch, we waited something like two days too long to get a decent flight north. What was $508 on Wednesday is over $700 now. Can't be helped. I haven't seen any of my relatives in five years and am dying to get north to smell the Atlantic and feel cool mountain air. I always read about people feeling cooped up during the winter; this is what I'm feeling now, claustrophobic from going from one air-conditioned, canned air building to another via air-conditioned vehicle just to keep out of the heat, which saps energy from my body like a suction hose. I despise the heat and loathe the sun; all they give me is rashes and headaches and extended time in the bathroom. At least I don't get eczema like I used to in the summer when I was a kid—that would be too much, having to wander down corridors at work with the folds of skin opposite my elbows doused in soothing cream or Caladryl!

James came home and we had supper at IHOP (twofer coupons). Surprisingly, their sirloin tips weren't bad. Picked up hoagie rolls for Hair Day tomorrow, then wandered around Borders for a while, where I picked up the August issue of the British Country Living, and another gift.

Bit the bullet, have plane reservations. Next, hotel and car.

Finished Kelly McNees' The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. I think I have every bio of Alcott ever written (all of which she mentions in the afterward). As always when reading about Louisa's family, my first impulse is to grab her father and shake him to his senses. Lord, what an infuriating man!

Labels: food, gifts, shopping, travel, weather

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 10:49:00 PM

Comments:

Hi Linda: I have dabbled in the Alcotts' history, and I feel the same way about the father... very much in his own world and totally oblivious.
Yet, such abject poverty was the impetus she needed to write and be a success. Who knows how driven she would have been if she lived a life of ease and plenty. Nonetheless, Bronson could have used a good "what for".
By the way, I have written a recent post on my blogspot that you may enjoy. Hugs,

# posted by  Cousin Donna : 10:19:00 PM

 

When will you be in town?

# posted by  Donna : 10:22:00 PM

 

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