Obsession # 347

The other day I had to bring a dozen cookies to Pack Night (a Cub Scout activity for those who don't have little boys). I was tired. I wanted to go home and lay down. I was feeling lazy. So I stopped by Target to buy a dozen cookies. I don't usually buy cookies because, well, I don't really know why I won't buy cookies but I just won't. It just doesn't feel right, as if the Universe were off-kilter. While that may be a weird quirk about me it's not what my obsession was for that day. I wandered through the store, a little angry that one dozen cookies cost almost $3! And then I found a cool belt for $5. So I grabbed that too. And then I walked through the hosiery section. And guess what! 

The Paul Frank socks were on CLEARANCE! I looked through them.

And then I left the hosiery section. I just love that word, hosiery! Such a silly word! I texted Sister Accountant to tell her, cuz she's the one that turned me on to Julius and Friends and loves him even more that I do.

She got pretty excited too. I then wandered back over to the hosiery section. I had pretty much talked myself out of buying the socks, cuz I really don't need any more socks and they were only 30% off. That's not that much of a sale. But I couldn't help myself. So I picked out a few.

And then I left the hosiery section. And then I came back and rifled through the rest of the socks and decided to get some more. They were just so cute. By this point I was having a hard time deciding which ones to get. They were all so cute!

And I just had to get the Mary Jane socks. I guess they're just like slippers, it's not like I can put shoes on over them. And this pretty much constituted my Back-to-School shopping. That and a pair of shoes for Middle Child and a pair of jeans for Baby.

In the end I put the cookies back, well I put them on a jeans shelf. I wasn't walking back over to the food section. And in this economy the employees should be thanking me for giving them work, otherwise they could be the next lay-offee. And seriously, who charges $3 for one dozen cookies? That's highway robbery. They're not fancy high-fa-luting cookies. They're probably just some frozen cookie dough nearing the end of their expiration date so they pulled them out of the freezer, cooked 'em up, put them in a box, and slapped a sticker on the front. My cookies are much better. So I came home and made Honey Cookies. One of everyone's all-time favorites. Later that night I found it humorous that I couldn't rationalize spending $3 on cookies but I had no problem spending $21 on socks. Someone commit me.

A New Obsession

I am reliving my childhood. Well, the childhood I didn't have. Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful childhood. I was happy. And fat. And happy.

With two pair of shoes, one for school and one for church. I'm not complaining cuz I had a great childhood. But I have discovered lately that I love shoes. Especially comfortable ones. Especially flats. Especially fun shoes.

These are my very first pair of Converse. I wasn't so sure if I'd like them but they were on clearance for cheap, I know it was less than $15. I just couldn't pass them up and if I didn't like them I wasn't out much. It wasn't long before I was in LOVE.

The next time I ran across a pair of Converse on Clearance (I have a slight problem with paying full price for clothing and shoes) I just thought they were cool.They were sparkly! And starry! Awesome combination. And I have worn these the most. My absolute favorite of all of them.

You can tell they're my favorite, they're pretty dirty. But that just shows them how much I love them, kind of like that Velveteen Rabbit.

A little later I ran across another pair. I had to have these, they were black, my other ones are brown and white so these would go with a whole nother slew of outfits.

Then just barely I found these. On clearance. Again. They were clearing out winter shoes and somehow these got lost in the shuffle. They definitely aren't wintery, very springy.

I can't wait to wear shorts and capris with these flowery, fun, shoes! Too bad it's barely February. Maybe I should move South of here.

Makes you wanna go and get your own pair, doesn't it?

I Am Not Alone

Many of you know my OCD tendencies. Until this point I thought I had created them all by my lonesome. Growing up introverted allows you a lot of time to play games with your mind. My most well-known one is the whole number thing. I thought this was so weird and freakish that Hubby only found out about it five years ago. I was at a Pampered Chef Party and had added all the totals up to the tax part because I didn't want to figure the 6.25% tax that needed to be added. When I got it back from the hostess my total had doubled! I saw she had not realized that everything had been added for her and had re-added everything to the total. She said she's not used to people adding things for her. I informed her I had a "Math Compulsory Disorder." She laughed and one of the girls said "Is that what it's called?" I had only been kidding and this was the first reference in public I had ever made to my Problem. Turns out she does some of the same things I do; add numbers on license plates, count the lines on the road, give crazy change in order to get back a round amount, etc. When I worked at Target I would race the cash register to figure out how much change should be given to a person paying with cash. Playing BUNCO last weekend I became a favorite at the table with some of the girls cuz I can't help but count everyone’s total, not just my own. All this time I thought I was alone with this number craziness.

Saturday, at Aunt Jeri's, she was putting away food. She had filled a baggie with brownie bites and handed them to my uncle. He said "I'm not taking these home!" (Now I know how they stay skinny) She replied, "Just close the bag." "Well, it's too full." And he tossed a few brownies out. Jeri cried, "Now there isn't an even number in there!" Hubby was sitting at the counter and was dumbstruck. His jaw slacked wide, eyes popped open, and he looked at me in awe. Little did we know I didn’t make this up all by myself, I inherited from the very Aunts I looked like!

When we were eating dessert I had broken up my angel food cake so it would be bite size. Same Uncle asked “What are you doing?” “I’m breaking them bite size so I don’t have to cut them up while I eat.” “My wife’s doing the exact same thing!” And sure enough, right next to me Aunt Marti was breaking her cake up into bite size pieces!

Several years ago Sister Sally’s family was visiting. As her Hubby opened the obvious drawer for silverware and saw a multitude of silverware just thrown in the drawer and scattered all over he exclaimed, “This can’t be D’s silverware!” It was the daycare silverware thrown in a drawer I never look in and can ignore. I know the difference between the silverwares and put them away accordingly. Saturday as Aunt Marti was helping put silverware away Aunt Jeri stopped her and said “That silverware doesn’t go there.” Where does it go? Aunt Jeri has two sets of silverware also! But her second set is nice and put away nicely. But how many people have two sets of silverware and separate them? I have seen plenty of mixed silverware in one drawer and no one else with two drawers of silverware!

As we were getting ready to drive off into the sunset I had my trusty Atlas at my side. I love maps! It is so nice to see everything right in front of you! I don’t care for GPS’. I don’t know where I’m going and my parents GPS constantly gets me lost. “Bear right” can mean anything from exit highway, turn right at the corner, follow the road as it barely curves to the right, or follow one of the right-veering roads at a 5+ intersection corner. I prefer to have my Atlas ready to check for any questions or problems. Same Uncle once again accosted me, “What is that thing?” “It’s my Atlas. We have to drive home and I brought it.” I’m sure he knew we were taking two roads to get home, Highway 99 to Interstate 80, how lost can we get? Once again, “You’re just like me wife!” She pipes up, “I love the Atlas and take it with us whenever we go anywhere.” Me too!

I couldn’t believe how enlightening four hours in California would be to me & Hubby! I am not alone!