Elgan speaks
...and her words thunder across the land

Costco, coffee and camisoles

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
9:24 p.m.
One of my Yahoo Messenger buddies whom I originally befriended in the Diaryland chatroom asked me how I was holding up since it has been on the fritz (it�s been months now), commenting that I seemed quite perky. What, am I going to admit that I have an internet addiction, that I�m a chatroom junkie? Hey, I can pretend just as easily as the next person that it�s all good, as my son would say. No one has to know that inside I am dying for my after-hours cyberparty.

Again it rained. For a moment the sun came out and it looked like it actually might turn into a nice day, but that was just a teaser. The clouds moved back in and the precipitation began anew. I dropped another VHS tape off at the post office and then headed out to the mall to redeem a coupon I�d been carrying around in my purse for a couple of weeks to get a watch for $3 with any purchase (three products at 50% off) at my skin-care emporium of choice. I ended up buying roll-on deoderant (witch-hazel scented), sparkly gold eyeshadow (I may be old, but that doesn�t mean I�m not cool!) and a new product I hadn�t seen before which is supposed to help flatten your abs. Um, I presume this means you don�t have excess avoir du poids to begin with, because it sure as hell ain�t liposuction in a jar!

I have a particularly ugly tummy, having carried two babies to term (my stretch marks had stretch marks) and delivering them both by c�sarian section (vertical incisions yet). Hence I do not wear low cut jeans and belly button shirts, nor do I reveal that part of my anatomy in belly dancing class. One young girl thought I was crazy, that it was �beautiful� that I bore these marks of reproduction. I, on the other hand, remember what my smooth, flat, firm belly was like before my pregnancies, and I don�t feel like grossing the rest of the class out.

But back to my shopping trip. As always when I�m at the mall, I tend to wander around, wondering why I find all the fashions so unattractive. I must admit that they�re not so bad these days, reminding me of the 60s somewhat, the peasant skirts and tops, kerchiefs around the head, beads and sequins. I stopped into a new store, Sirens, which I have been unable to find a link for, sorry, which specializes in underwear-like outer garments (that�s what they�re wearing these days) that are really quite cute. Everything is beaded and/or sequined. I bought a dark purple camisole with beading on the lace around the neckline for only $10 (it was marked down from $20). Now I have to figure out where and with what I would wear this. When am I going to grow up already and start wearing clothing that befits my age and station in life? When?

Following this massive expenditure, I laid down $200 at Costco (aieeeee!!!!) and headed for home, in the downpour now, stopping once at the international food store for hot Indian pickles, jasmine tea and orzo (remind me and I�ll post my recipe for hot buttered orzo) and then once more to buy Hubby his coffee (Ethiopian this time), and then home, where I had lunch and crashed. Wow, spending money takes a lot out of you!

One interesting thing of note, at least I think it�s interesting: I had a brilliant idea for the opening of a story and jotted it down on the back of an envelope while I was waiting for the light to change, constantly glancing up to make sure it was still red, then scribbling the last bit while trying to steer across the intersection with the heels of my hands. Not a good idea boys and girls, don�t try this at home.

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