Cats

 Have to go back to work tomorrow.

Today is my last opportunity to do ALL the things I didn't do over the previous week. The sun is out, it's going to be hot (which I love) and I just made an omelet in my new ceramic fry pan. 

I'm not beating myself up for not doing more - NO VACANCY, dammit. I didn't spend a lot of money, and what I did buy I needed, the pan, new pants, some socks, gifts for my friend. Last vacation in July I spent a fair bit of money between concerts and hotels plus I had the whole there's-something-wrong-with-my-boob-and-I-need-to-get-to-the-doctor thing going on in my head, so I wasn't as present for the experiences as I could have been. 

I actually miss the structure of going to work every week. This morning it's already 9:30 and I'm just now eating breakfast. I have already started a load of laundry though, so that's something. Last night I cleaned the cat box area, to help me get started this morning on cleaning the room as a whole. 

That was this morning. Now it's going on 3:30, I have 4% battery life left after watching Falling Skies while I cleaned. Have all 3 rooms done and only have to put back the furniture, LOL. Have to wait till the carpet dries, but since the air is on hopefully that will be before I need to go to bed. 

 Since yesterday was a bust, I needed some retail therapy. 

No not really. I just needed to buy shit. 

I had to stop at the vet clinic and pick up a refill of Murrlin's blood pressure meds. I learned that Maria, the receptionist I love, is moving out of state because her husband got a new job. Bummer. She's always such a cheery person, as evidenced when she said she's looking forward to the move, which is closer to St. Louis, the O'Fallon area. A lot of people would be dreading such a thing, but not Maria. Will miss her greatly. I hope they continue to have competent receptionists. It's a complicated field. 

I found a recipe for persimmon fudge online yesterday and needed to get marshmallow cream and condensed milk for it. At Aldi's I realized I didn't remember how much cream I needed so I had to get 2. And I hope I have vanilla because I forgot that too. I didn't get nuts, but I'd like to make it without the walnuts first time around to see if it's worth spending nearly $6 on the nuts. 

The other day I discovered one of my favorite pair of jeans is getting threadbare in the crotch. They ALL do eventually. Since I climb ladders and am fairly active at work I don't want to take the chance on ripping a hole in the nether region of my pants, so I went to Kohl's for a new pair, hoping to find the same style. 

I must have been fooling myself. These pants are less than 1 year old and do you think they have the exact same style still? No, of course not, you silly goose. Thus began the try-on-every-pair-in-my-size-to-find-ONE-that-fits-somewhat endeavor. 

First I had to do the try-to-find-one-in-my-size search. I wanted to try on a 4, but I need "short." Were there ANY 4's in "short?" Of course not. And the so-called medium must be meant for those with legs like giraffes. My whole foot would still be concealed in those.

I finally found 3 pairs in size 6 "short." In the dressing room I discovered one pair DID NOT EVEN ZIP IN THE FRONT. Nor in the back, nor anywhere. They were "slip-on" jeans. WTF??? That is a thing now? Who in size 6 has the body for that? If I bend over, I'm flashing crack, people! And no, they were not "jeggings," they were blue jeans, they had pockets, but there weren't even belt loops. I ripped those suckers off. Bad enough I forgot to put a belt on today and had to hike my zippered jeans up every time I got out of the car.

Of course the most expensive pair were the pair which fit the best. These ripped-in-the-thigh-look jeans were $48, on sale for $39.99. I don't understand how the same manufacturer can have different styles of jeans in the same size and they fit so differently. I am partial to Lee's because they fit really well, when they fit, so I tried on a pair of 6 "short" Levis (took me a bit to find those too) but they were like a size 8 on me. I'm sticking with Lee and yes, paying $40. I have to be comfortable in my pants. This is why my closet is full of jeans which I now only wear at home because between losing 10 pounds since last winter and body fat shifting to my gut, I have so many pair which gap in the waist or are too tight in the waist, but gap in the butt or the thigh now, plus skinny jeans are really in and I have always liked that style better, so anything bootcut looks like mom-jeans to me. I might be over 50, but I'm not a mom. I don't need big-in-the-butt nor highwaisted pants. I think there's only 1 lady on a TV show that wears those now anyway. Someone should tell Kohl's that. 

Did you know high-waisted is a style again????? Especially in shorts. Whoever decided that did not live through the '80s. 

I think it's safe to say that every woman of every size (because I guarantee you the men don't have this much trouble or styles to choose from, they'd never tolerate it) now has a bitch of a time finding pants that fit. There is no standard of numbered size any more. There might as well just be small, medium, large, XL, 2X, 3X, etc. There are so many different descriptions of style that are not really a style but a "fit." The jeans I bought (for $40, the most I've EVER paid for pants that weren't for a special occasion) are "part jean, part dream" (huh?), "skinny leg," "modern series," midrise fit skinny," "close in the seat and thigh." Those are ALL terms used on the tags and inside the waist band to describe these pants!! 

When all I really wanted were jeans-that-fit....

I found some socks to get me my $10 Kohl's cash, but what the heck I'm going to spend it on next week I have no idea because I didn't like any of the plaid flannel shirt patterns they had, and the colors I did like were only in the plus sizes (nice selection for the plus sized ladies, just FYI) which was the only other thing I wanted while I was there. All the other tops they had were so thin. I believe in climate change, but it's not going to be that warm this winter. 

Last but not least, did you know that Lowe's doesn't carry colored duct tape? Even Wal-Mart carries colored duct tape, but they were out of the color I wanted. 

All-in-all it was a good trip. I managed to make it through Kohl's AND TJ Maxx's checkouts without buying some chocolate or chips or whatever else they cram the register areas full of now. I did get me a $3 bottle of pinot grigio at Aldi's though ;)