Winning- adj- the act of one that wins
In semi-disgust, I dried my hands and grabbed my car keys off the table. Who cares if it required an extra trip to the grocery store just to buy dishwasher detergent? I did not have the patience to wash any more dishes by hand. Off to the grocery store I went, glad I was just heading to Bi-Lo, where an old college t-shirt, grubby shorts, and adidas sandals that had seen better days was considered decent clothing.
With detergent in hand, I headed for the self-checkout. Unfortunately, they shut down at 8:00 p.m., and I was there at 7:56. So courtesy of an overzealous clerk, my other choice was to wait in the "15 items or less" line. Thinking this would be the better alternative to standing behind ladies waiting in a regular line with way overfilled "buggies," I took my place in the express line and started reading about the Mayan's prediction for peace and prosperity before the world's end in less than six months.
A few minutes later, I was getting a little irritated. The people ahead of me did not have their little rewards card, but they desperately wanted the $.50 off their tortilla chips. So they recited just about every phone number they knew, hoping one of them would have a rewards card attached to the number. This got old after they recited the tenth phone number.
Suddenly, it hit me. They had at least five cases of beer, and I remembered that there were extra rewards points for the brand of beer they had, plus extra points if you spent over a certain amount. When the twelfth number failed to yield any results, I played the role of Good Samaritan and handed over my card. They got their $.50 cents off, I got $.05 cents off for reaching $50 in purchases, $.10 for "buying" Budweiser, and $.10 for a single purchase greater than $50. And then, I got another $.05 off on my own purchase. $.30 per gallon off my next gas purchase was awesome, especially considering I had only spent $2.49 on dish soap!
The cashier was a little suspect of my motives though- I think she could see me mentally calculating my savings, and I had also sped the checkout process along. But hey, ulterior motives aside, all's well that ends well. I was happy with myself as I walked out to the car. Topping things off, I even found a dime next to my car!
Then I went home and scheduled a trip to the beach with some friends for this weekend, because you know you have problems and need to get out of the house more when you're drooling over $.30 off per gallon of gas. Not winning.
Last but not least, I have approximately 10 days before I venture home. Winning.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Vacation
Vacation- noun- an extended period of recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling.
In the midst of a whirlwind of a Friday morning, it dawned on me that three weeks from that day, I would be counting the hours until my flight left Charleston for home. More accurately, I would be fretting and fussing over whether or not I could get all of my errands taken care of before my flight left Charleston for home. But either way, I would be very close to my flight leaving Charleston for home!
I always look forward to my vacations, or even days off, but lately I've been longing to do so many things that can only be done in Ohio, and the wait may literally be killing me. My kidneys revolted last week and threw a few rocks at me, but since I've sufficiently recovered, I'm back to making lists of everything I want to do. Here's a brief look at my list:
I want to wake up in the morning and hear robins, mourning doves, and red-wing blackbirds. (I do not want to hear mockingbirds!)
I want to take a nice, long walk at a park and not fear that poisonous snakes will jump out at me.
I want to sit in the backyard and hear nothing- no cars, no neighbors, no jets, nothing.
I want to go to Rocknes, eat Marie's Pizza, grab some Asiago Cheese Bread from Buehler's, and I MUST have a hot fudge sundae from Bidinger's.
I want to go to my aunt's house, where I will laugh until I cry, be covered in dirt from head to toe because I rode on 4-wheelers and ATVs all day, and watch the sun set in the south.
I want to see my best friend. I will kidnap her away from others if necessary.
I want to sit down and talk with my grandparents.
I want to catch fireflies and play with sparklers.
I want to play fetch with Chloe, let Kitty sleep on the couch with me (don't tell Sheryl!), and curse at Perro when he almost trips me while I'm walking down the stairs. I will inadvertently scare Allen and then not see him for the rest of the trip.
I want to watch Whose Line clips on YouTube with my mom and sister.
I want to use key phrases in conversation so that my Dad will start singing all of those songs he knows, and watch my sister roll her eyes in response to this.
I want to think of some grand and glorious plan for my 25th (!) birthday.
Lastly, I want time to fly in between now and the beginning of vacation, but to be the longest week on earth when the time comes. (In a good way, of course.)
I don't think I'm asking for too much. Have a great night everyone. See those of you in Ohio very soon, and if you have anything you think I should add to my list, let me know!
In the midst of a whirlwind of a Friday morning, it dawned on me that three weeks from that day, I would be counting the hours until my flight left Charleston for home. More accurately, I would be fretting and fussing over whether or not I could get all of my errands taken care of before my flight left Charleston for home. But either way, I would be very close to my flight leaving Charleston for home!
I always look forward to my vacations, or even days off, but lately I've been longing to do so many things that can only be done in Ohio, and the wait may literally be killing me. My kidneys revolted last week and threw a few rocks at me, but since I've sufficiently recovered, I'm back to making lists of everything I want to do. Here's a brief look at my list:
I want to wake up in the morning and hear robins, mourning doves, and red-wing blackbirds. (I do not want to hear mockingbirds!)
I want to take a nice, long walk at a park and not fear that poisonous snakes will jump out at me.
I want to sit in the backyard and hear nothing- no cars, no neighbors, no jets, nothing.
I want to go to Rocknes, eat Marie's Pizza, grab some Asiago Cheese Bread from Buehler's, and I MUST have a hot fudge sundae from Bidinger's.
I want to go to my aunt's house, where I will laugh until I cry, be covered in dirt from head to toe because I rode on 4-wheelers and ATVs all day, and watch the sun set in the south.
I want to see my best friend. I will kidnap her away from others if necessary.
I want to sit down and talk with my grandparents.
I want to catch fireflies and play with sparklers.
I want to play fetch with Chloe, let Kitty sleep on the couch with me (don't tell Sheryl!), and curse at Perro when he almost trips me while I'm walking down the stairs. I will inadvertently scare Allen and then not see him for the rest of the trip.
I want to watch Whose Line clips on YouTube with my mom and sister.
I want to use key phrases in conversation so that my Dad will start singing all of those songs he knows, and watch my sister roll her eyes in response to this.
I want to think of some grand and glorious plan for my 25th (!) birthday.
Lastly, I want time to fly in between now and the beginning of vacation, but to be the longest week on earth when the time comes. (In a good way, of course.)
I don't think I'm asking for too much. Have a great night everyone. See those of you in Ohio very soon, and if you have anything you think I should add to my list, let me know!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Usta
Usta- noun, Polish in origin- mouth
Last week, I lost a lot of sleep over work. Now, most of the time I enjoy my job and I only experience the little minor annoyances that come with working for the public. But last week, so many different things happened and caused me so much grief that the one night I managed to get a full night's sleep, I dreamed that I went back to Buehler's on my vacation, ended up staying, and actually enjoyed working there. Ha!
But by the end of Monday morning, all of my problems had disappeared and I was in a very happy mood. Also, I was incredibly bored due to the fact that I had been stuffing folders with inserts all morning and still was only halfway done. Finally, boredom overtook me, and as I glanced at the eightieth informational pamphlet that talked about picking the ripest fruits and vegetables, I started reading the Spanish side of the pamphlet, just so I could say I was learning some new information.
In my slap happy state, it didn't take me long to start repeating the one Spanish phrase I know that contains the word 'tomato': "Miren al tomate, no es triste? Pero no puede bailar, pobre tomate." According to Google Translate and the Veggie Tales video I learned that line from, it means, "Look at the tomato. Isn't it sad? He can't dance. Poor tomato." I probably sang "The Dance of the Cucumber" for a good hour.
Once I got bored with that song, I started thinking about all of my other Veggie Tales favorites. Over the course of the next hour, I sang "The Hairbrush Song," the "Cheeseburger Song," "The Song of the Cebu," "Barbara Manatee," and "The Water Buffalo Song." Honest to goodness, I forgot I knew the words to all of those songs, but they came back to me very easily.
At the end of the day, one of my co-workers commented on my good mood. She speculated that it must have been due to the fact that our potentially disastrous morning had turned out in our favor. I really didn't know how I could explain that singing songs I learned in my "tween" years had brought me great joy that afternoon, so I just smiled and nodded.
What really bugged me though was the one last song I couldn't remember. All I could remember was the word "usta." My entire drive home (it's only five minutes) I was driving myself crazy trying to remember the song. I even played my mom's "ABC" game. You know, the one where you recite the alphabet until it jogs your memory? The one we mercilessly tease her for? It didn't work.
Finally, finally I was able to access the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World- YouTube. All I had to do was type in the word "usta" and I was transported back in time to when I first learned "The Lip Song." I was overjoyed to find the song and I sang the entire thing for the rest of the night. It was a good evening, and I slept well for the first night in a week.
Moral of the story: I know a ridiculous amount of songs that revolve around animated vegetables, and they brought my great joy this week. Usta! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Last week, I lost a lot of sleep over work. Now, most of the time I enjoy my job and I only experience the little minor annoyances that come with working for the public. But last week, so many different things happened and caused me so much grief that the one night I managed to get a full night's sleep, I dreamed that I went back to Buehler's on my vacation, ended up staying, and actually enjoyed working there. Ha!
But by the end of Monday morning, all of my problems had disappeared and I was in a very happy mood. Also, I was incredibly bored due to the fact that I had been stuffing folders with inserts all morning and still was only halfway done. Finally, boredom overtook me, and as I glanced at the eightieth informational pamphlet that talked about picking the ripest fruits and vegetables, I started reading the Spanish side of the pamphlet, just so I could say I was learning some new information.
In my slap happy state, it didn't take me long to start repeating the one Spanish phrase I know that contains the word 'tomato': "Miren al tomate, no es triste? Pero no puede bailar, pobre tomate." According to Google Translate and the Veggie Tales video I learned that line from, it means, "Look at the tomato. Isn't it sad? He can't dance. Poor tomato." I probably sang "The Dance of the Cucumber" for a good hour.
Once I got bored with that song, I started thinking about all of my other Veggie Tales favorites. Over the course of the next hour, I sang "The Hairbrush Song," the "Cheeseburger Song," "The Song of the Cebu," "Barbara Manatee," and "The Water Buffalo Song." Honest to goodness, I forgot I knew the words to all of those songs, but they came back to me very easily.
At the end of the day, one of my co-workers commented on my good mood. She speculated that it must have been due to the fact that our potentially disastrous morning had turned out in our favor. I really didn't know how I could explain that singing songs I learned in my "tween" years had brought me great joy that afternoon, so I just smiled and nodded.
What really bugged me though was the one last song I couldn't remember. All I could remember was the word "usta." My entire drive home (it's only five minutes) I was driving myself crazy trying to remember the song. I even played my mom's "ABC" game. You know, the one where you recite the alphabet until it jogs your memory? The one we mercilessly tease her for? It didn't work.
Finally, finally I was able to access the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World- YouTube. All I had to do was type in the word "usta" and I was transported back in time to when I first learned "The Lip Song." I was overjoyed to find the song and I sang the entire thing for the rest of the night. It was a good evening, and I slept well for the first night in a week.
Moral of the story: I know a ridiculous amount of songs that revolve around animated vegetables, and they brought my great joy this week. Usta! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Trail
Trail- noun- a marked or beaten path, as through woods or wilderness.
All I want to do is take a nice, long walk on a nature trail. I want to climb over tree roots, maneuver around ancient trees, listen to wind rustling through the leaves, breathe in the clean air, and watch the birds fly around.
Maybe I'm looking forward to coming home just a little too much and am romanticizing all the things I miss about Ohio, but lately I've been really missing all of the trails I walked when I was home.
I miss how I can walk to that one corner of Hubbard Valley, turn, and then look out across the pond. I like the fact that I can walk along a grassy lane, then traverse through some winding trails and end up by the little creek. Oh, and if I have the right people with me, we roll down the sledding hill.
I miss walking at River Styx, walking the "wrong way" around the nature trail, only to immediately come up against that hill I hate. When I get to the top of the hill, though, it's all worth it and everything is smooth sailing from there. I miss looking for the creepy carp and counting the number of frogs I can scare as I walk around the pond. Oh, and if we stopped to get ice cream from the little store first, it's heavenly.
There are a lot of beautiful parks here in SC, but they're not quite the same. I think my favorite park has to be Rosebrock park. It has long, winding trails through the woods, and a sign that says "Learn about the poisonous snakes in our park." This is right before the part of the sign that talked about wearing long sleeves and long pants to help prevent against ticks. Oh, and I don't get charged money to enter that park, unlike several other of the nicer parks in my area. But I think I'll hold off on visiting Rosebrock until the weather cools down and the snakes hibernate!
With all that said, you can be sure that I will be walking at one of these two places hopefully every day when I'm home in just a few short weeks. Join me if you want, the more the merrier! Have a great week everyone!
All I want to do is take a nice, long walk on a nature trail. I want to climb over tree roots, maneuver around ancient trees, listen to wind rustling through the leaves, breathe in the clean air, and watch the birds fly around.
Maybe I'm looking forward to coming home just a little too much and am romanticizing all the things I miss about Ohio, but lately I've been really missing all of the trails I walked when I was home.
I miss how I can walk to that one corner of Hubbard Valley, turn, and then look out across the pond. I like the fact that I can walk along a grassy lane, then traverse through some winding trails and end up by the little creek. Oh, and if I have the right people with me, we roll down the sledding hill.
I miss walking at River Styx, walking the "wrong way" around the nature trail, only to immediately come up against that hill I hate. When I get to the top of the hill, though, it's all worth it and everything is smooth sailing from there. I miss looking for the creepy carp and counting the number of frogs I can scare as I walk around the pond. Oh, and if we stopped to get ice cream from the little store first, it's heavenly.
There are a lot of beautiful parks here in SC, but they're not quite the same. I think my favorite park has to be Rosebrock park. It has long, winding trails through the woods, and a sign that says "Learn about the poisonous snakes in our park." This is right before the part of the sign that talked about wearing long sleeves and long pants to help prevent against ticks. Oh, and I don't get charged money to enter that park, unlike several other of the nicer parks in my area. But I think I'll hold off on visiting Rosebrock until the weather cools down and the snakes hibernate!
With all that said, you can be sure that I will be walking at one of these two places hopefully every day when I'm home in just a few short weeks. Join me if you want, the more the merrier! Have a great week everyone!
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