May 8, 2008

I don't know anyone who likes to buy cars. It ranks up there with going to the dentist and gynecologist (for us girls anyway).

So, Music Man and I spent almost all day yesterday–from about 10 am until 3:30–with two. Just two. Car dealers.

We already knew what we wanted (it was between two vehicles) and what our bottom line was. And it still. Took. Five. Hours.

To be fair, there was a bit of a commute in there–20 minutes–to the second dealer. And we did break for lunch (have to keep the stamina up, you know). But, Lord have mercy…I hate buying a new car!

So. Today we have to go back and actually finalize the deal we made yesterday (then ran out of time because we had to get home before the kids got home from school).

I will say that my Music Man was openly in awe of my negotiating skills. In the past, I've been the easy-sell. I admit it. I have bought vehicles in the past and walked out of the first dealership the first time I walked in…with a new car. 

When I had just gone in to LOOK.

Well, those days are over. I am a master mistress at the bottom line and the "I'll walk if you don't give me what I want."

MM just sat back and watched, and played Bad Cop when I needed him to. He hates buying cars as much as I do, so he relished watching me NOT sign on the dotted line at the first deal offered, and in fact, making the guys squirm.

So any good car buying stories anyone wants to share? I'll be away from the 'puter much of the day…finalizing the deal that it took five hours to come up with yesterday. Argh.

And I'll announce Colette's winner tomorrow–so you still have time to enter if you haven't already. (See yesterday's post.) 

May 2, 2008

Well, nearly upon us.

And, coincidentally, I just got this little gem in my inbox. Anyone have any experience with this? I'm going to try it. 

"I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.
The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.
During the summer, I don't leave home without it…..Pass it on.
——————
OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS:
I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes."

Let me know if you've heard of this, if it works, etc. We hate those little buggers! We even have a bat house in hopes of attracting bats to gobble up those little bloodsuckers…but so far, I think the house is still looking for residents. 

April 10, 2008

Thongs.

I'm talking about thongs. 

(Sorry to the male readers of this blog…you can look away, or grin and bear it. Or even pipe in with your own comments. We care about your opinions. Really we do.) 

Okay, first of all they're un-fricking-comfortable. If you try and tell me that butt-floss thing doesn't bother you (especially the lacy ones!), I'm not going to believe it. Sorry.

Now, I admit, there are occasions when a thong makes sense. I hate panty-lines as much as Anna Wintour, so I'll confess that I have forced myself into one of those t-shaped annoyances on more than one occasion.

But other than that, why? Can someone explain to me why anyone would wear a thong with jeans? It can't be comfortable. Jeans are stiff, and the seams are thick and rough and hard (get your minds out of the gutter, please. This is a PG-13 blog).

How do I know women wear thongs with jeans, you ask? Well, because I've seen them bend over in low-riders, and from behind, you can see the t-intersection of the thong riding up from the waistline of the jeans.

Um. Yeah.

I'm not into seeing half of some guy's boxers above sagging jeans; I certainly am not interested in seeing some chick's elastic and pansy-white flesh above her jeans. No thanks.

So. Why, when, where do you don a thong? How does one get used to the bloody things?

Guys, what do you think? Do you notice? When, how? Do you care?

April 9, 2008

On my kitchen windowsill, I have an aloe vera plant in a terracotta planter. Every kitchen should have one of these plants, so if you don't, go get one.

The gel inside the leaves is so wonderfully soothing for burns. I tend to get burned when I'm putting something inside the oven, or taking it out, because I am always in a hurry. I bump my hand (top, side–you know, where the skin is the most tender) against the edge of the pan or the oven.

The other thing on my kitchen windowsill is a sad little basil plant. I bought it from the grocery produce section a week or so ago, in optimism that I could actually keep it alive for more than one harvest of the leaves.

Not a chance.

It must be the way they sow the seeds. The plants grow so thickly, and they're not thinned out. Then I cut off leaves, and there's nothing left but stem. I've tried to cut so that the plant branches out, but no luck. It never works. I end up with a pot and a bunch of leafless stems.

Ahhh! My kingdom for a potted basil plant!

What's the trick to keeping the plant growing, producing leaves, in a pot? I'd sure like to know. Are the stems supposed to get woody, and then the leaves keep off-shooting? Any horticulturists out there who can help?

Okay, so what else is on my kitchen windowsill? A bit o'clutter, to be sure. Some vitamins, a little saucer. A penny. That's about it.

Lots of sunshine, too, late in the day, as my kitchen window faces west. Like the sunshine. That's why it's a great place for a basil plant.

Sigh. I'll probably buy another one in a few weeks and try again. Wish me luck.

April 3, 2008

Do you know about The Curse?

You know…when you rave about something to someone–a great restaurant, a wonderful show, a good place to work, whatever…and then you take your friend to that restaurant/show, or help them get a job there or whatever…and then it sucks?

Yeah.

It always happens to us with restaurants. Music Man and I love restaurants, and it never fails. We'll find a great one that we love (The Mainland Inn in Lansdale, PA; The French Laundry in Fenton, MI)–not just once, but dozens of times, we'll go and it will be perfect…and then we'll finally get someone to go with us. 

And it's meh.

What about you? Do you suffer from The Curse too?