January 6, 2010
To be fair to the objects in question, they themselves actually do serve a purpose. They’re not tchochkes, per se, not dust-collectors like those small, poorly formed animal statues with questionable faces and even more questionable beady eyes. Folding stools and wee little plastic chairs, little packets of bamboo sticks and such, they each and all serve distinct and perfectly justifiable purposes. For other people. But I can’t actually name one instance in which I wished I’d picked up one oddment or another from 99 Ranch, that ubiquitous Asian market, so why am I always become possessed of this nearly atavistic need to purchase a dozen small plastic bowls, or spoons?
My first reaction is to blame the prices: “$8 for a folding stool? It’s a steal! You can always find a use for a stool – people need to sit! Never ye mind which people. Or where.” But that’s not it because it’s even worse with Tupperware. I yearn for the snapping lids, the squareish, roundish, stackable plastic containers with an almost palpable need – I’m not safe alone in a Target and their aisles of plastic containers. And those things are not cheap, so this whole problem of mine can’t be dismissed as simple bargain-basement fever.
I am convinced that this is a close cousin to the hoarder’s syndrome: a pathological grasping after items that serve fine purposes in anyone’s household but your own because you really don’t need the darn thing. It’s not that farfetched, I’ve definitely got the hoarding blood. Even as a five year old, I was more preoccupied with collecting practical items like finger-sized glasses that no one could ever drink out of than I was with using them to play with dolls. Incidentally, the dolls were always hidden in the bottom drawer as punishment for creeping me the heck out. Like clowns: good idea, poor execution.
My parents laughed at my refusal to get rid of any container, paper or plastic, or any wrapping paper because I might reuse it someday. “Just like Grandma,” they said.
Guys, my favorite pastime at age 17 was to drive to the local bargain shop and bring home table settings or sets of glasses! Besides being a waste of money, didn’t they have an analog version of Intervention or Hoarders back then? Didn’t they know this could become full blown madness?? It wasn’t until, years later, a friend’s mother had formed precarious towers of bargains that turned into pillars which solidified into walls that blocked them out of rooms, that it seemed like a good idea to cut back on the “steals.”
For lack of (much) outside reinforcement, I’m left to police myself. And wonder why on earth I know better, but still can’t stop walking up and down the aisles petting the household goods.
I’m weak.
December 7, 2009
The Carnival is up at Suburban Dollar, please be sure to check it out!
He included my post: Usurious interest rates and bad car buys
And I’m back online again!
I’ve been helping a friend with move-in chores: ran a TON of errands yesterday to RadioShack, Goodwill, Costco, the furniture place, H&M, and Bed Bath and Beyond. (Yes, H&M was just for me, I found my super lightweight, cheap, shoulder/crossbody bag for $20!) Sorry, I braved the shop online Austria, Denmark AND Finland sites to find a picture for you, but no dice.
Today I had to set up the wireless router first thing which took a solid three hours, and then wrassled a slipcover onto the new sofa before I could a) get online and b) sit down to do any work of my own. As you can see: victorious!!
December 5, 2009
If not a little bit of irony?
December 4, 2009
Free Vistaprint card design
I was recently roundly scolded by my mentor for not having business cards when we met a potential professional contact.
Me: But .. but .. we’re on vacation!
But she’s right: you should always have some sort of contact card to give to people you meet in case you’d like to keep in touch. Even if they don’t keep the card itself because they input the information into their preferred electronic device like FB does, they will have gotten your information. That’s the idea, anyway.
I’m so of the electronic age that I’ve just gotten by exchanging phone numbers via email or inputting a phone number on the spot and calling the other person so they can save my phone number. Who hasn’t done that? That’s just not good enough for professional purposes, though, it’s just too informal for certain contacts.
Ordering cards had been on my list of things to do anyway, so what was I waiting for? I hopped on the computer that same night and took a quick Twitter poll about whether or not Vistaprint was any good. My main concern was that the cardstock would be some cheap shoddy material, but …. (thanks @gingercorsair and @punchdebt!)
It seemed worth the gamble so I clicked through the Vistaprint options and ordered a set of 250 business cards with blank backs ($1.99) instead of their printed logo, 21-day slow shipping ($5.67) and matte finish (free) for less than $8.
My other options were Uprinting.com and @TheyCallMeCheap recommended that I try Moo which I’d never heard of before. If I didn’t like the cards Vistaprint produced, I would try Moo next.
The cards were ordered on the 18th and delivered on the 27th – less than 2 weeks! That’s pretty good for someone who neurotically tracks shipping as soon as an order is placed.
The cardstock is average and acceptable for my purposes – they’re not flimsy but they’re not the super thick 100-lb weight premium paper that could inflict a life-threatening paper cut either. Best we keep it that way.
December 3, 2009
Little Miss Moneybags
tagged me forever ago and it’s taken this long to come up with seven things I haven’t already shared. And then Rina of Gotta Little Space
tagged me, too, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t double up on the work.
The Rules:
1. Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.
What you shouldn’t know about me:
1. I want food I don’t already have. There’s a sweet spot between wanting and having a snack in which it’s delicious, but it’s a very small window. This is how Oreos last as long as they do in my house. It’s also why I don’t buy potato chips. I’d never finish the bag before it went stale.
2. I’m a one-trip shopper: Everything has to be unloaded from the car in one go. Once I’m in the house, I’m not coming back out. [Except when it’s nearly impossible but it’s always too late to change my mind. Like the one time I bought 20 pounds of pork ribs and 20 pounds of chicken. In hindsight, that was just flat out dumb.]
3. I just yelled “LIFESTYLE INFLATION!!” at a 19-year-old contemplating an iPhone vs. Palm.
4. I’m related to crazy people who think that ionized water is a cure-all. This makes me sad. Then kind of mad.
5. In my head, dresses should always be step-in-able. That over-the-head business just doesn’t jive with me. Also, when tailored to fit and both zippers and buttons are involved, I often have trouble getting dressed.
6. It seems like the above incompetency should be mentioned to all mothers who ask me to babysit their darlings. It frequently isn’t.
7. But I still do remarkably well babysitting the under-3 age group. Performance drops slightly around bedtime prep, but the number of diapers I’ve changed should more than offset that loss.
Alright darlins, please tag yourselves because you’re going to hurt my feelings if you don’t follow through and I’m going to hurt yours if I didn’t pick you. And let me know so I can link back to you! 🙂
November 3, 2009
I got a free Nintendo DS Lite (2nd gen)!! A friend bought himself a brand new DS, we were chatting about the pricematch he got on it thanks to his new Google phone the other day, and out of the blue, he offered to mail his old one to me. It’s darling. White, shiny, little, probably fits in a jacket pocket.
This pretty much requires that I spend money. Oops. I won’t be rushing out to buy everything immediately because I didn’t budget anything for fun accessories and don’t have time to play it anyway but this is the wish list:
First, a screen protector: The Hori Protector runs about $10.
Second, a protective skin: Perhaps Depths by Lawrence Yang?
Loose Leaf by Derek Prospero?
Sugar Head In The Sky by Brandi Milne?
The Enamored Whale by Alberto Cerriteno?
Third, A Game! I have no idea what game I want yet. I’m just pretty much elated to have a little gaming device of my very own for the first time. We shared a Gameboy when I was a kid, but all the games were pretty much my brother’s, so I played on sufferance.
I liked Professor Layton when I tried it on one friend’s DS, was completely bored by Cooking Mama when I tried it on another. Should I go with a puzzle game? I hear there’s a form of Bejeweled coming out sometime, or perhaps an RPG? The World Ends with You could keep me occupied for-ev-er. Ooh or! I could maybe get My Japanese Coach!
Whatever I choose, it’ll have to wait until I’ve saved up enough Swagbucks to redeem for Amazon gift certificates. And I only have 89 SB right now so… this could be a while. S’ok, I’m happy enough for now. 🙂
October 20, 2009
I’d love it if you guys voted for my bag in Well-Heeled’s blog contest. No pressure. 🙂 But it would sure go a long way to funding Christmas shopping this year since my gift fund is sort of … depleted.
It’s already October! I can’t believe I only have one gift, and that’s practically a cheat because those comic books are purchased in July every year.
Has anyone started making their gift lists yet? Their wish lists? Anything?
