Please Wait.......

As you know we have a fancy new television, what you don't know is that it hasn't worked very well. Last Friday night we anxiously waited for the presidential debate to begin. Unfortunately the tv kept going to a black screen with the phrase, please wait... visible. Naturally this occurred right in the middle of a response and never during commercials. We finally gave up as it was so frustrating. The next day after asking one of the neighbors if she'd had trouble with her cable and getting a negative response I thought something must be wrong here. Because we took the little drive to The Villages, I didn't get the chance to call the cable company and inquire about our problem. Arriving home I was geared up to watch Florida State play football and there we went again. Always during a big play I would get the same message. Today the repairman came and replaced the box and the remote and hopefully we'll be get to go from now on. Either that or one of the arriving sons will have to set us straight!

Maybe you understand the financial mess we are in, if you do skip what I'm about to write. One of my favorite radio programs is This American Life with Ira Glass on Public Radio. I know that for some people radio has lost its' luster but I find it soothing. No shouting, no commercials full of lies, and best of all, you can usually do something while listening. Yesterday afternoon I spent the hour or so listening to this edition while ironing.Global Pool of Money
It is a clear and concise explanation of what has gone so terribly wrong. If you want to listen to folks who were involved in making life miserable for so many, understand CDO's, and find out how it is a global problem, than set up the ironing board (or empty the dishwasher) and tune in.

Tools of the trade in our photo today. Last week I made a trip to Big Lots for bungee cords and tie wraps for our booth. It is a gold mine of stuff that I've never seen in our grocery stores. For some people going into a deep discount store makes them uncomfortable but not me. I generally find it interesting to see products that never made it into the mainstream. While there I found some food coloring with fall colors for $1. This week I wondered how much food coloring is in the grocery store and found it for $5.49 at Albertsons. Needless to say I was shocked. I also discovered they make a neon version that after a chat with Matt I've decided to forgo.

This afternoon I went shopping for some new work shoes for Bruce. He has dress shoes he wears to the office and then oxford type shoes for job visits. The last pair, if you can believe it were Hush Puppies. Now before you laugh to yourself I'll say this much. They have worn exceptionally well and were not only comfortable but had a sole that withstood all manner of terrain. Remember that Bruce builds a lot of buildings in cold country with ice and snow making that extremely important. After looking on the web it seemed as if Mr. James Cash Penney's store carried them. Not so. When I arrived in the shoe department I was bewildered but the woman standing around checking her split ends didn't seem to notice me. Turns out they no longer carry them. Here's two other notable things I saw-- disgusting thing one: underwear (panties and such) plastered all over with "Will Flirt for Gifts", disgusting thing two: a teenager with her mom throwing up on the pavement outside the store. Now I understand that sometimes you just can't help it, but honestly, there are plant beds flanking the store which certainly would have been a better place to leave it. Not really in the disgusting category but this much I will tell you, British tourists dress really, really bad. They fall into the category of those who dress by picking up a shirt and shorts regardless of whether they match or not. It is painful to see these folks with their white skin all sunburned and most of the time showing way, way too much skin for my liking.

Bruce should be arriving any minute now. We're planning a little dinner out before the craziness of the weekend. He reminded me that I'll be too tired to think straight let alone go out on a date.

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Listening to: Womack, Lee Ann - Never Again Again
via FoxyTunes