WORST INVENTION EVER!

I stopped off at the grocery store last night around 7 to pick up 2 quick items. Only 2 lanes were open, so the line was snaking down the aisles and around the store. Blocking the intersection was one of those kid-driven grocery carts that looks like a fire engine. "WE'RE GONNA HIT THE BOXES," screams one of the kids behind the plastic wheel. Never mind she's going to hit the back of my ankles any second and well before she gets to the boxes! I can't blame the kid, it's her clueless Dad who isn't saying a word at his screaming kids. Who invented these grocery carts anyway? Who thought it was a good idea to have kids steer carts and navigate aisles in a busy supermarket or in a parking lot full of cars? And their little steering wheels are located all the way up in the front of the cart far away from the parents who are standing up on the other side of the cart! As the kids are screaming their way thru the checkout/ candy aisle, I'm thinking to myself, "I'm definitely gonna blog about this when I get home!" It's like the kids heard me, cuz we end up in the parking lot at the same time! While the kids are trying to steer the cart to the family car, they run right in front of me on my way to my car. "WE'RE GONNA DIE," screams the overly dramatic kid. Still no comment from the mute Dad.. Thanks for providing material for my blog! Something tells me he would have no comment about that either!

"AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS!"

This past Sunday night I was riveted to the couch watching 60 Minutes' special tribute to the late Walter Cronkite with my boyfriend. Even though Cronkite was way before my time and I didn't grow up watching him report the moon landing or Kennedy assassinations, I appreciate his contribution to history and television journalism. I could tell my boyfriend was itching to change the channel, but I said with a tear in my eye, "Wait, I love this stuff. Don't change the channel!" He said, "Oh that's right, you have a connection to people you don't know!" It's true. I cry at the drop a hat watching tributes to presidents, military heroes, or television journalists like Cronkite. Maybe I was tearful that I can't imagine anyone crying for Brian Williams or Katie Couric in quite the same way unless they debuted an unfortunate new hairstyle on camera. Back then in the days of Cronkite, people trusted their television anchors. Now we read about how much money they make and we can get our news anytime we check email on our phones. I did read something interesting in a Cronkite tribute article that proves there was more going on behind the cameras even back then. Cronkite actually retired from CBS News 8 months earlier than scheduled because CBS was afraid that his successor Dan Rather would jump ship to a competitor. Interesting....and we all know how Dan Rather went out in a blaze of controversy over his 60 Minutes report on President Bush's military record. Now that's some investigative blogging! As Cronkite would say, "and that's the way it was!" RIP Walter! Just trying to keep up the standards of blogging and reporting that you raised for us all!

REALITY CHECK/FIRST COMPLIMENT

I know I've been blogging alot lately about the purple purse. This will be the final one, I promise!This is especially true since reality set in when I received my Neiman Marcus bill in the mail this week with the purse charge on it. Yikes! They always find you! My reality check was happily offset by my first official compliment on the bag. Yesterday, while digging thru the purple purse to find my wallet to pay for my morning coffee, the cashier at the bakery cafe I go to every morning said, "Oh I like your purple purse!" Jackpot. Finally an unsolicited compliment from someone other than a co-worker or family member or boyfriend! I replied graciously but humbly, "Oh thanks. That makes me feel better cuz I just got the bill for it yesterday!"

BIRTHDAY DONUT W/ SPRINKLES!

Scotty rules. Today he brought me in a belated birthday donut with sprinkles and a medium iced blueberry coffee, so I am totally shaking while I am typing this. My actual birthday was Saturday, but I've been celebrating since last week and plan to continue celebrating until the end of my birth month. Why not? Here's a goofy shot of Scotty with the donuts. America runs on Dunkin!

PURPLE PURSE VS. DEAD LAPTOP

Here's the latest on the purple purse. It arrived last Tuesday, the same day we moved into the new Boneyard. I took it as a sign I was supposed to keep it even though I really shouldn't. I fell in love. I even took an informal poll around the office and everyone agreed they loved the color and it was my style, which was probably a polite way of saying they wouldn't be caught dead with a purple purse. My boyfriend however, said it " looked like something the Real Housewives of New Jersey would wear," and then offered me some advice on spending. Never being one who likes to be told what to do, you can imagine how much I enjoyed that even though he was right. My Mom, who was vistiting from Virginia with my Dad for the weekend, brought up the best point. I was complaining about how my laptop is about to die and pop ups keep warning me I have "very low disk space!" My mom said simply, "How many purple purses would it take to buy a new laptop?" Good ? I have money for accessories, but not big ticket items like computers. I never really thought about it like that. I should think of purple purses as a form of currency. Groceries cost a 1/4 of a purse and a laptop costs 4 purple purses, etc. That's some economic theory I can understand instead of things like: if your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall.

SAVE YOUR $: SKIP THIS YOGURT!

I was so excited to try Dannon's new Light & Fit watermelon yogurt. I love watermelon, but fresh fruit always goes bad before I have time to eat it while it's fresh. I THOUGHT watermelon yogurt would be the perfect solution. I found it at the grocery store last night- and you know after shopping you feel compelled to sample everything you bought cuz it's new and exciting... At least I do anyway. So I tore into it. The first bite was okay, it sort of tasted like it might be watermelon if you had just awoken from a coma and hadn't had fresh watermelon in 10 years. Each bite was a little worse than the last. It tasted like liquid jolly ranchers- if jolly ranchers were a dairy product. Just thought I'd save you the money and the 80 calories!

SCOTTY'S NEW HOAGIEFEST TOWEL

Yesterday was a big day for Scotty Brilliant. First of all, he was the guinea pig who got to test out the brand new Boneyard first and he got a special delivery via UPS with the postmark WAWA Stores... "Oh my God Brilliant, I think it's your Hoagiefest towel," I squealed. Sure enough it was. I had to document such an occasion. Since I haven't had a camera since my friend Amy lost mine in college, I had to settle for my cell phone camera. I think the photo came out pretty well considering my phone is pretty old. Check it out. Pretty good photography, eh? Maybe people will want me to shoot their weddings and special occasions with my LG Phone!?! Maybe I should stick to my day job!

WAWA ORGANIC PERUVIAN COFFEE

I've got two words for you: Organic Peruvian. Or is it Peruvian Organic? All I know is, it's a delicious, limited- time only coffee blend I discovered this morning at WAWA. If you're a coffee fan, you must try it while you can. I went with the 20 ounce this morning. I hope they keep it on the menu. Maybe if enough people read my blog and try it they will. Between this and Hoagiefest, I really don't need to go anywhere else! I should buy stock or a franchise!!!

FOLLOW UP ON THE PURPLE BAG......

Still eagerly awaiting the arrival of the purple purse when I get a weird email from Neiman Marcus...It said, "The item image depicted may not reflect your selection. Please review the description of the item number you chose." WTF??? So I called up customer service and they told me the item may not be as pictured due to lighting fluctuations in the photo. I guess they are basically preparing me for the worst and covering their A$$es! The delivery is on schedule. It arrived in Irving, TX @ FEDEX yesterday and is scheduled for delivery. Stay tuned....