Monday, November 28, 2005

Retail Therapy


Just what is Retail Therapy?
The web definition is: Retail therapy is an unofficial term for purchases made by a person with the primary purpose being to improve the buyer's mood or disposition.

I never understood this concept for I am not a shopper. I do not like to grocery shop. Keep me away from the mall. School clothes...hand the kids the money and teach them to spend it well (what you buy will be what you wear to school this year) while you sit on the bench and watch. Well, ok I am bead shopper but that is a story for my other blog.

I am trying to figure out if the people living in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina are suffering from retail therapy or is it the fact if you don't buy it now someone else will? This questions weighs heavy on my mind after a trip to Wal-Mart this afternoon. I just wanted a printer cartridge!! I couldn't find a parking space. Where was my parking lot angel when I needed her? I ended up in the rear of the store by the Automotive department. As I slipped in the back door I thought this is going to be easy. NOT! As soon as I passed the tires I encountered the frantic shoppers. Those with shopping carts and those without shopping carts. Everyone looking for something and most times finding nothing. Yet, they were shopping. I made my way to back to electronics and found the aisle displaying the printer cartridges. I couldn't get near them. Stopping me were 3 shopping carts, an employee helping someone find a PDA and two other people looking for something. Through the crowded aisle I spotted the red and black box that held the item I so desired. Crazy thoughts ran through my head. Should I push my way through the crowd and grab the box before some else does? Should I shout EXCUSE ME I need to get something over there? Should I be like that crabby old man grumbling out loud about how ridiculous the situation is? No I waited and as I waited so did the red and black box. Was this trip to Wal-Mart necessary or part of retail therapy. It certianly did nothing for my disposition nor did it improve my mood.

Thank you Target for letting me do my christmas shopping online.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Ony The Eyes Know

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Those perfectly shaped eye brows have a price. I did not have a clue until last week. Who would have known the torture involved in shaping those lovely brows. My friend went first and I watch in amazement as Liza our hairdresser dipped a popcicle stick into a pot of hot wax. With a tooth pick she carefully apply the wax shaping it around the brow. This is truely an art on her part. She cut strips of special paper and placed it over the wax patting it down. With a twist of her wrist the paper was quickly removed. Next it was my turn. The hot wax was relaxing. This part wasn't too bad. I waited in anticipation of my newly shaped brows. RIPPPPPPP!!!!.... off comes the paper along with the hair that once was part of the eye brow. Did I mention the skin that came off too? The words that flew out of my mouth were not meant to be heard by children. For two days above my eye lids were swollen and red. This the price I paid to have those beautiful eye brows.