Category Archives: Shopping

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We Did Chicago

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There was a period of time there when I felt like I had a traveling job. We were flying so much I lived in an airport. We were pretty good at it. We recently changed that up for some road trips and so getting to the airport on time, parking, and checking in all had to be relearned.

We stayed at the Blackstone Hotel Thursday. I’ve never been to another hotel where they waited on us hand and foot. We ate and caught the VP debate. Friday MK traded a little from the hotel, which got us to a late start. BB and MB showed up and we met them at the Chairman’s Suite of the Sax Hotel. It ruled. There were a dozen TVs and a bar, dining room, living room, and enough hallway space for us all to try the moon walk. MB baked cookies and cakes and chex mix and brought all kinds of snacks. I decorated and covered the place in balloons and banners.

Three more friends of theirs and two of ours and it was a party. We almost didn’t want to leave! We checked out the bar scene and totally decided our room was more fun and went back.

The next day we enjoyed giant breakfast and some sightseeing, the Michigan Mile, Millennium Park, and had a drink at the top of the Hancock Tower. We went back for a little more drinking and football until we were starved enough to order pizza at Lou Malnati’s, then ate until we thought we might die. BB’s friends took off and we took MK out for birthday drinks. He got old at midnight and we went to our other not as big but still swank hotel room.

The next day was overcast but we ate and shopped and when the rain started went bowling. The hotel had a Microsoft Suite so we jammed a little Rock Band before MB and BB headed back home too. I took MK out for a birthday hamburger (his request) and we watched the end of the Red Sox game.

The next day we went to Navy Pier, then decided to challenge Lou Malnati’s with Giordano’s. It’s a tough call. Pretty much the only thing I learned about Chicago is the locals are overweight and I would be too if I lived there and ate Chicago stuffed pizza all the time…

So just like I told you here – we did enough but not too much. The idea was to be somewhere other than San Diego and to be with our close friends. We pulled that off and had a fun little break from reality. Now it’s back to work packing and planning. We’ll let my Daddy take us back to see all the good stuff we missed some time.

Don’t forget to read all my captions. They’re painstakingly there just for you.

Pictures Set One: Camera Phone pictures.

Pictures Set Two: Our Camera pictures.

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Fun Running Around

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Sometimes half the fun is in the normal stuff. Truth be told, we don’t DO normal stuff all that often. We skip the errands and get spoiled never driving during traffic. We walk around our little neighborhood and shop at the Farmer’s Market. This past week MK’s birthday necessitated me doing a little real shopping. I am lazy and got some things online, but finally decided there were things easy to pick up I couldn’t justify shipping costs for.

So I went to the mall. I haven’t been there since my little cousin visited. I don’t really need anything and have been pretty good about not wanting anything too. But it was great and sunny and the walking around put me in a great mood. The sales were good (which also helped my mood) and I found my dream purse (since I can’t NOT shop for myself – so much for not wanting anything). I went back later with MK since it was a lot of money, he had to approve. We also made a huge steal on new ski boots (mine were 400$ on sale for 74$, brand new, seriously) check them out:

After all the fun shopping we spent the end of the week and weekend watching football and doing a run and volleyball party with our running and volleyball club, kind of an end of summer party on the beach. It was a blast. We’ve made a ton of great friends here that we’re really going to miss and the change of the seasons and us telling everyone we’re leaving has had that awesome effect of just making everything really enjoyable.

MK and I took SH and JM out on the Hobie Cat after we checked out the Adams Ave. Street Fair. Then they picked up Chinese after deciding a bag of Doritos wasn’t enough while we watched football. JM said “Best Sunday ever” and even though it was a simple one, I had to agree.

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All In Good Fun Of Course

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This sign was over at Seaport Village in San Diego not all that long ago. I forgot about it until I started pulling all the pictures off the camera phone. Which you have to do when you end your service…

Bonus: Here’s one I took of Papelbon at one of the many Mariners/BoSox games I went to in Seattle:

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Do You Do Knockoffs?

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There’s a time and a place for everything, is the way I see it. Here’s my story:

We go to our super cute little Farmer’s Market every Sunday. I saw a ring I liked and tried it on. Vendor-lady let me know it was 45$, and it was a copy of a Tiffany’s ring. I’ve seen this ring but did not know that it was a ‘big deal’. I of course also didn’t have 45$ at a farmer’s market…but I did go hunting online, and found out that Tiffany’s does indeed sell the ring (for 175$!):

tiffany's somerset ring

Fascinating. Seeing as there’s no giant “T” that they would knock-off by writing “Y” or anything, I figured the cheap stand in would do. I then found my awesome (possibly more closely imitating) ring on ebay, for 15$. Sorry Vendor-lady.

I’m fine with this one. I don’t get how people would by a Coach bag with “G”s all over it instead of “C”s and think no one would notice, but I also would never spend more than (at least I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than) let’s say 50$ for a purse unless it comes with someone to do my ironing.

What’s your position on the name brand crazy world, that gave way to the rip off world?

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You Can’t Always Get What You Want

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And by “you”, I mean “you”. I on the other hand successfully managed to convince MK over the weekend to order me a brand spanking new laptop, just like I wanted. It wasn’t easy. And I have to wait a few days for it to ship. (Can’t anything ever just be cheap in the store!?!)

I hate begging. But I did learn an important lesson. Anything I want – I’d even go so far as to say I needed this new computer, mine IS on it’s deathbed – has stopped coming as easy as it did when we were dating. The last laptop, I maybe made fleeting mention of never having my own computer, and *poof* there it was. This one might have involved temper tantrums. Oh well. The super cool super light prize I desired is on the way.

Guess what that means??? Live blogging from SXSW! If you click this link right here, you can relive all of last year’s epic fun (Scroll down a bit past the first two posts). It’ll get you excited!

dell xps laptop

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Postponement

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Well, had I known early yesterday morning what kind of day it would turn out to be, I wouldn’t have posted so forcefully. I mean, I was sure I was going to be shopping today. But now, it’s going to have to be laptop weekend.

The weather was the best it’s been yet, and KE and I made our drinks and lunch, grabbed our books, and got to start our summer early. Bikinis in February are hilarious. The boys came to meet us, and we were out all afternoon. We cooked a giant dinner, and toasted the sunset.

We scored last minute tickets to Anthology to see the Pat Metheny Trio. Collectively, I learned that that many Grammy’s only awards you a very strange crowd. The place was interesting to say the least, and it led to a long night.

So today was a lazy day. MK humored me much more than I expected, but of course after all the online research he is trying to convince me to wait until the best wi-max compatible whatever is available. We all know he’s just stalling, but has committed to taking me shopping this weekend. We’ll see…

disappointment

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Laptop Thursday

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Threats don’t usually work in my house. They get laughed at. I, (all 5 feet of me) apparently, am not all that threatening. I can’t understand that.

My latest threat is “Laptop Thursday”. For the last couple weeks, I’ve been reminding my husband that I asked for a new laptop for Christmas and was told to wait until the super tiny fancy one I wanted “went on sale”. Well, on our last travels, I won a giant crack in my laptop screen, compliments of the TSA. Supposedly this can be fixed, but to me it’s a sign that I NEED A NEW LAPTOP.

I really do want to finish a book or two and concentrate my efforts on publication. I can’t concentrate on anything with the upper right hand side of the screen all scratched and broken. Tomorrow is supposed to be the day, the plan is supposed to go down like this:

I get dressed up and get directions and get into my car and drive to a store, point to a computer I like without any education on said laptop, and purchase it without so much as a thought.

This plan has been repeatedly relayed to the husband with the hope it will scare him sufficiently to A) Come along and pick the right computer, or B) Order me the equivalent however he sees fit.

Really the idea is to not go buy something that will get me grounded for ever, but to at least give the appearance that I will to force him into action. I’ll let you know how it goes.

small laptop

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Fashion Sense

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Do you have any? Does any fashion make sense? Does fashion stop being fashionable when it hits a certain mark? Our mall here is aptly named “Fashion Valley.” It has some fashion, and it is literally in a valley, as in, I missed it the first time. Low valley.

Fashion Valley is an outdoor mall. The only 3 malls we have found are outdoor malls. They may be identical to indoor malls minus the roof, but it somehow seems like so much more work to me when I am outside…

I went shopping trying to find a loud dress for MK’s Christmas party. Glitter, sequins, feather trim, fireworks, why not? I was pretty disappointed with my options, which were mostly black with a fake jewel at the waist. Ugh. I get the loud look isn’t always fashionable, but it seems I’m able to find it everywhere when I’m making fun of it and not wanting to find it…I shop like that with friends, who get sick of me PDQ – “Look at this.” You’d look awesome in this.” “OMG, this is only 456$!”

I ended up with a pair of red and white “highest heel” Christmas shoes

new-shoes.jpg

and an ivory sweater that may or not be the trendiest thing in my closet, I don’t have the ‘sense’.

christmas tree dress
www.z.about.com

This might work…I think it’s a tree!

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That’s A Wrap

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That’s the trip! It was a blast. We’ve been here about a week now. I’ve enjoyed runs on the beach, settling in to our new place, exploring La Jolla, mansion ogling, spending Halloween downtown in San Diego (as a pirate) and making new friends. The view of crashing waves is remarkably calming and centering. The ability to drive a minute and run as far as I want on the sand hasn’t quite registered with me, everywhere you look there’s amazing beauty. No wonder everyone here is so happy.

I have to completely admit my preconceived notions were a little off, and that’s a good thing. I can’t wait for some (female) visitors so I can explore the tons and tons of shopping. I’ve got my laptop out in the office space, patio doors open, and I’m ready to write. This week is going to fly by.

In other news, I’ve planned a trip to Austin a week from today, and will fly from there to Vegas for the weekend. For your general information, it’s practically free to fly from SD to LV, so if you’re planning an outing anytime, invite me, I’ll say yes. And have some extra gambling (who am I kidding, shopping) money to play with.

What else? We found the Patriots bar for the game Sunday, and they happen to make a great Bloody Mary. I can’t think of what more I need.

sunset.jpg

NANO TOTAL: 3014 words.
NaBlo Day 6: Check.