Re-gifting blues

Posted on February 16, 2006 by NPR Junky.
Categories: Stuff.

Last week, a co-worker of mine asked me to hem two table runners she was going to use in her bedroom, which had recently been redone. This coworker is someone I do not interact with on a constant basis; I rarely see her. She and I are friendly, but acquaintance friendly, if you know what I mean (see her in the hall, smile, say hi kind of friendly). So when she approached me, she told me I was the only person she knew who knew how to sew. This disturbed me on several levels because a) she’s old enough to be my mother, and that generation generally knew how to sew as a rule, and b) EVERYONE I KNOW (we’re talking family and friends, here) knows how to sew. So she asked me to hem these things for her, and I accepted because she said she’d compensate me.

Just as an aside here, I should point out that the lesson learned in all this is for me to state upfront what it is I want to get out of whatever endeavor I enter myself into.

My co-worker brought in the table runners on Tuesday, so I take the table runners, and go to Joanne’s to pick out matching thread, and go home that night to hem them. Takes about two hours, including the time it took to get the thread. I calculate I’ll ask her for $20, which was a little high in my mind, but I don’t really like her, so I wasn’t too picky. And she didn’t know anyone else who could help her.

So I hand her the hemmed items the next morning, and she is surprised I managed to get it accomplished one day after she handed them to me. She thanks me, and asks if I’ll be in tomorrow. I said I would, and we go on or separate ways.

This morning I come in to find a gift-bag on my chair. I open said gift-bag to find….a rosewater scented candle from target. I’ve so been re-gifted. (I know this because the Target near us is a while away from where she lives, and I have a feeling it’s something that’s been sitting around in her house for a WHILE) My choices here now are a) find someone who actually likes rosewater scent, as it makes me gag, or b) take it back to Target to exchange it.

Anyone know anyone who likes the smell of rosewater?

5 comments.

Sweetest thing ever

Posted on February 15, 2006 by NPR Junky.
Categories: Stuff.

Recently I’ve noticed an odd phenomena occuring in my household: random bits of clothing have been strewn around the house, and not by myself or my beloved. Tonight I’ve witnessed the cause:

It’s Ansel. I knew he sucked on things, but I didn’t know that he actually MOVED them while sucking. Tonight, while doing the laundry, I noticed that Ansel was sucking on a blanket I had on the back of a couch. It was in the basement ready to get washed. I saw Ansel sucking, then he decided he wanted the blanket in the other room, so he dragged it, while still sucking, behind him. But not only that, the blanket was in his mouth, and it ended up between his paws, so he was duck-walking with it dragging underneath him into the other room.

I wish I’d have had my camera handy, it was precious!

2 comments.

Frustrated

Posted on by NPR Junky.
Categories: Stuff.

There are several people with whom I interact on a daily basis that I dislike to a great degree. I have called these particular people “the engagement ring girls” because it seems to me that their goal in life is to get a big engagement ring to show off to other people. So, yesterday being Valentine’s Day, was a big deal to these particular girls. None of whom received any flowers at work. This was quite a big deal here at my office. These particular girls have complained previously that they’re not big on receiving flowers for special (or not special) occasions, because it just seems like a waste of money. However yesterday, they all FREAKED OUT because they didn’t get anything from their significant others. Two of the engagement ring girls happen to be single, (I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense that they’re still “engagement ring girls” when they’re not dating, but I’m going for the over-all sentiment, all right? Cut me a break!) and they were bemoaning the futility of the holiday and how meaningless and stupid it is. Also, how they hated being single.

Gag me with a spoon, people.

The absolute best part occurred when a co-worker of mine actually DID get flowers from her husband. She is not one of the engagement ring girls, she’s quite nice, and doesn’t make a big deal out of stuff like that. So, she gets flowers. And the engagement ring girls FLIP OUT, wanting to know who got the flowers, why didn’t they get flowers, etc. They all crowded around the desk with flowers trying to get a sneak peak. It was like they were vultures attracted by dying prey.

I swear it’s like working with middle school girls.

Meanwhile, I got a “Happy Valentines Day” phone call from my sweetie at 7:30 yesterday morning, which made me happy.

3 comments.