My wife and I had to make an emergency run to Gordon's Jewelers in Ingram Mall Saturday morning. I don't want to get into specifics of it, but I'm pretty much tired of diamonds falling out of the rings in our house. It isn't like my wife is doing construction or something. We've taken one ring in particular back three times this year to have diamonds replaced, and at some point, a husband just has to put his foot down. So $1,500 later...
While I was standing in Gordon's waiting for those people to take my money, I could not help but notice this fellow working at a place called Soapranos. I don't have the faintest idea what it is they sell, though the thought of soap came to mind. Anyway, this guy was holding a little strip of something, I guess a sample of some sort that he was trying to encourage passersby to sniff, I guess. As I watched this go on, people just kept blowing him off and it was really upsetting the poor guy. He would run from side to side of his kiosk hoping that if he darted out as someone approached, they would feel compelled to stop and sniff his sample. Sniff his sample. Maybe there is a better way to phrase that.
Anyway, during the close to 10 minutes I sat there watching the guy, it was not until we were walking out the door that he trapped someone into sniffing the stuff. The rest of the people either totally acted like he was not there, ignoring him completely, or semi-politely said "No thanks" or gave him the old wrinkled eyebrow look that conveys, "Don't get near me with your sample."
This made me think of those people standing on corners with those big signs trying to get drivers to pull into a business. Either a new home development, a going out of business and everything must go situation or the standard tax preparation service. What do suppose a gig like that pays?
And doesn't seeing Santa just make you want to get your car washed?
Oh, and speaking of cars. I loved this fancy way of mounting the required by law front license plate on a car. It's the new rage. I'm gonna go get some tie-straps and customize my truck today!
We stopped into Cheddar's yesterday just to grab a quick bite and decided on their burgers. At $4.99, I'd say it is a pretty good deal. Anyway, we remembered one time when we went and the french fries were really piled on, so because they charge separate for the fries, we decided to get just one order and share them.
This is the actual order of fries that we received with my burger. Yes, that is a normal, sensible size of fries for a small child eating a Happy Meal, but it was the least amount of fries I have ever seen served, especially considering I had to pay extra! We really laughed when we saw them.
What was funnier was when I asked the waiter to bring out some honey mustard to dip the fries in, he brought enough to slather each individual fry, fully coated, and still have enough left over for a Christmas ham.
I don't like to go to the mall but for one reason: JC Penny's and the Men's section. I go there, I buy slacks, I buy shirts, I look at ties and unless they have been drastically reduced, I put them back, and then I go home.
Turns out, there are more stores in the mall, and it further turns out, that my wife has made some sort of relationship with a jewelry store within the center of this mall. In fact, the few pieces of jewelry that I do wear, apparently they came from this place.
Oh, and I paid for it.
So, through various home ownership related do it yourself projects, I had somehow bent the living crap out of my wedding band. I wouldn't otherwise mind, but it was starting to cramp my style. Each time I would bend my fingers it would hurt, so my wife suggested that we go to this "lady she knew" who could "fix it for free".
We get to Gordon's, and my wife whips out a veritable treasure box of official looking documents and certificates, all of which contain proof that they are going to clean and fix my ring, and pronto!
While we wait, the sales lady, whom my wife seems to know with some familiarity, is talking about anniversary rings, dinner broaches, wedding pearls, funeral coins, and 4th of July sparklers. The Hell you say?
Just then as I started to perk up and perhaps look into this conversation, I saw a few receipts pass back between the ladies. The sales lady must have caught my hovering glances just about the time I stood up and said within hearing distance of the pants-man at Penny's, "Sweet Jesus in shorts!"
I had seen first hand dollar signs that seemed to reflect the fact that we hand spent, over a period of years, quite a few dollars at this place. I was assured that this was all paperwork and not to be bothered with by the man of the house, what with my time being better spent creating income that might be better used at paying off jewelry bills.
Sweet. I wonder if they have Ice Cream here?
An hour later, with my wedding band cleaned, sanitized and graded for future possible trade-in value, I walked out of the store with a new watch that not only tells the time, but tells the date. Oh, and this one also tells the day of the week!
And my wife probably got something, but I won't realize it until the shiny rubs off from this new watch.
So, I got that going for me.
(My son looks for something I won't buy him as the kind lady sizes my new watch).
While I was standing in Gordon's waiting for those people to take my money, I could not help but notice this fellow working at a place called Soapranos. I don't have the faintest idea what it is they sell, though the thought of soap came to mind. Anyway, this guy was holding a little strip of something, I guess a sample of some sort that he was trying to encourage passersby to sniff, I guess. As I watched this go on, people just kept blowing him off and it was really upsetting the poor guy. He would run from side to side of his kiosk hoping that if he darted out as someone approached, they would feel compelled to stop and sniff his sample. Sniff his sample. Maybe there is a better way to phrase that.
Anyway, during the close to 10 minutes I sat there watching the guy, it was not until we were walking out the door that he trapped someone into sniffing the stuff. The rest of the people either totally acted like he was not there, ignoring him completely, or semi-politely said "No thanks" or gave him the old wrinkled eyebrow look that conveys, "Don't get near me with your sample."
And doesn't seeing Santa just make you want to get your car washed?
Oh, and speaking of cars. I loved this fancy way of mounting the required by law front license plate on a car. It's the new rage. I'm gonna go get some tie-straps and customize my truck today!
This is the actual order of fries that we received with my burger. Yes, that is a normal, sensible size of fries for a small child eating a Happy Meal, but it was the least amount of fries I have ever seen served, especially considering I had to pay extra! We really laughed when we saw them.
What was funnier was when I asked the waiter to bring out some honey mustard to dip the fries in, he brought enough to slather each individual fry, fully coated, and still have enough left over for a Christmas ham.
