Party of One
I started out this morning being a little lazy because it was Saturday and I could. However, I knew I had some shopping I wanted to do so I finally got myself motivated to get clean and head out the door. I decided to head to Cracker Barrel first since it was on my way to Ikea and I was craving some home cookin' after watch Down Home with the Neely's this morning on the Food Network. Being that Cracker Barrel is Cracker Barrel and it was lunch time, it was a surprise that the place was packed and I had to wait 10 minutes just to get a table for one. Shortly after I arrived an older lady came in also requesting a table for one. I thought nothing of it and when my name was called I headed to the hostess stand and reminded the lady that it was just me and I didn't need two sets of silverware. Well, the older lady had requested a chair to sit in while waiting and was perched up near the hostess stand. When she realized I was a party of one, she proceeded to ask if she might join me so that we didn't tie up two tables. Well, what was I supposed to do, say No!?! So Gertie, the older lady, scooted her walker across the restaurant and accompanied me through what I had hoped would be a quick and peaceful meal. I don't believe she ever asked for my name the entire time we were sitting there but she was sure to let everyone know that asked that we weren't together but just sharing a table. Gertie also filled me in all the sad details of her life from her divorce when her children were young because her husband had other women to her daughter being killed when she was my age in 1977 (very sad) to her son not taking care of her in her old age (88) and his wife not knowing she was his 4th. All the while she was bitter and snappy to the waitress who I am sure felt sorry for me for being stuck sitting with this woman. And people wonder why I hate going to restaurants alone. Stuff like this always happens to me. If I sit at the bar, I get hit on by random guys. If I try to eat at a nice family establishment, some crazy old lady asks to sit with me. I am seriously rethinking ever eating alone in public again. Dine on Demand seems better and better everyday even if I have to pay a delivery fee.
Once my meal was over, I headed to Ikea to purchase a few more items for the new house. While I was there, they announced that they were having a contest to give away tickets to a screening of Mamma Mia. All you had to do was sing one of the songs from the show. Well, I love Mamma Mia and I am definitely going to see it when it comes out in two weeks. So I figured, "What the heck!" and decided to try my hand at Dancing Queen. Most of you know that I am not a singer so I am sure I tortured the poor people sitting in the cafe who had to listen to my performance. It was fun and I got to pass to the screening out of it. However, the screening is the same night as the Martina McBride concert Jenny and I are going to in San Antonio so I embarrassed myself for nothing. Now I need to find someone who would like the passes so they don't go to waste.
After buying out the entire stock of purple flowers from the home decor department at Ikea, I headed to Hobby Lobby in search of some more wrought iron pieces for my living room. I have been trying to find some sconces or something else small to hang on my fireplace and balance out the piece I already have hanging. I didn't have much luck in that department even though I found a sconce I really like. The problem the sconce is it is black and I could only find one at my local store. So I need to see how it will look with my existing piece before I try to search the two stores in NW Austin for a matching sconce. I did however find a beautiful wrought iron mirror to hang above the console table that leads into my hallway. The clerk sold it to me for half off although I didn't recall seeing any signs saying it should be on sale. I won't complain though because it saved me $45 in the process. I did have one funny moment while in Hobby Lobby. I happened to overhear two men debating which candle to purchase to cover the smell of stinky children coming in from the outdoors all sweaty from the summer heat. The two were trying to decide between Sugar Cookie and Butterscotch and the conversation went a little something like this:
Man 1: "Hell yeah! Sugar Cookie is the bomb. You should get that one."
Man 2: "I kind of like Butterscotch. I think the smell is better."
Man 1: "Well, Sugar Cookie isn't as heavy."
Now a conversation about candle scents between two women wouldn't be out of the ordinary but between two straight married men was hilarious. After laughing at them for a few minutes, I finally stepped in and offered my expert opinion which was two fold. First I said they should just buy both candles since they were 50% off and you would be getting two for the price of one. Second I said to go with Butterscotch since it was stronger yet not overpowering and would likely cover the sweaty kid smell better. At that point, they both agreed they needed to get the wives involved in the decision. That led to the question of who put the men in charge of picking out the candle in the first place?
I rounded out my shopping trip with a stop at Lowe's. I have been needing to purchase a garbage can for taking out the trash on a twice a week basis. I hadn't been too concerned about having one up to this point because I have just been carrying trash bags out to the curb that were mostly filled with packing materials from the move. However, since my trash days are Tuesday and Friday, I didn't have my second trash big up this week and I have accumulated more than my fair share of trash in my kitchen can. I decided that it was time to purchase the garbage can so I could at least empty the kitchen and bathroom cans before Tuesday since they were to capacity. You know...purchasing a garbage can is not something you really think about needing to do when you move into a new house. I was particularly spoiled in Killeen since the city provided the 96 gallon garbage cans for trash collection once a week. So I proceeded to wander aimlessly through Lowe's because I had no idea where one might find a garbage can and obviously no one asked me if I needed any assistance although I am sure I had an extremely confused look on my face. I was after all in a hardware store and I don't tend to spend a lot of time in them. Just as I was about to ask someone to point me in the right direction I spotted the sign that said trash cans. I was in the right spot. Moreover, I not only found one with wheels like I wanted but it is also purple. How awesome is that! Only I would be excited about a purple garbage can. Once all my shopping was complete, I headed home to get some love from my puppy and eat dinner ALONE in the peace and quiet of my own house.
Once my meal was over, I headed to Ikea to purchase a few more items for the new house. While I was there, they announced that they were having a contest to give away tickets to a screening of Mamma Mia. All you had to do was sing one of the songs from the show. Well, I love Mamma Mia and I am definitely going to see it when it comes out in two weeks. So I figured, "What the heck!" and decided to try my hand at Dancing Queen. Most of you know that I am not a singer so I am sure I tortured the poor people sitting in the cafe who had to listen to my performance. It was fun and I got to pass to the screening out of it. However, the screening is the same night as the Martina McBride concert Jenny and I are going to in San Antonio so I embarrassed myself for nothing. Now I need to find someone who would like the passes so they don't go to waste.
After buying out the entire stock of purple flowers from the home decor department at Ikea, I headed to Hobby Lobby in search of some more wrought iron pieces for my living room. I have been trying to find some sconces or something else small to hang on my fireplace and balance out the piece I already have hanging. I didn't have much luck in that department even though I found a sconce I really like. The problem the sconce is it is black and I could only find one at my local store. So I need to see how it will look with my existing piece before I try to search the two stores in NW Austin for a matching sconce. I did however find a beautiful wrought iron mirror to hang above the console table that leads into my hallway. The clerk sold it to me for half off although I didn't recall seeing any signs saying it should be on sale. I won't complain though because it saved me $45 in the process. I did have one funny moment while in Hobby Lobby. I happened to overhear two men debating which candle to purchase to cover the smell of stinky children coming in from the outdoors all sweaty from the summer heat. The two were trying to decide between Sugar Cookie and Butterscotch and the conversation went a little something like this:
Man 1: "Hell yeah! Sugar Cookie is the bomb. You should get that one."
Man 2: "I kind of like Butterscotch. I think the smell is better."
Man 1: "Well, Sugar Cookie isn't as heavy."
Now a conversation about candle scents between two women wouldn't be out of the ordinary but between two straight married men was hilarious. After laughing at them for a few minutes, I finally stepped in and offered my expert opinion which was two fold. First I said they should just buy both candles since they were 50% off and you would be getting two for the price of one. Second I said to go with Butterscotch since it was stronger yet not overpowering and would likely cover the sweaty kid smell better. At that point, they both agreed they needed to get the wives involved in the decision. That led to the question of who put the men in charge of picking out the candle in the first place?
I rounded out my shopping trip with a stop at Lowe's. I have been needing to purchase a garbage can for taking out the trash on a twice a week basis. I hadn't been too concerned about having one up to this point because I have just been carrying trash bags out to the curb that were mostly filled with packing materials from the move. However, since my trash days are Tuesday and Friday, I didn't have my second trash big up this week and I have accumulated more than my fair share of trash in my kitchen can. I decided that it was time to purchase the garbage can so I could at least empty the kitchen and bathroom cans before Tuesday since they were to capacity. You know...purchasing a garbage can is not something you really think about needing to do when you move into a new house. I was particularly spoiled in Killeen since the city provided the 96 gallon garbage cans for trash collection once a week. So I proceeded to wander aimlessly through Lowe's because I had no idea where one might find a garbage can and obviously no one asked me if I needed any assistance although I am sure I had an extremely confused look on my face. I was after all in a hardware store and I don't tend to spend a lot of time in them. Just as I was about to ask someone to point me in the right direction I spotted the sign that said trash cans. I was in the right spot. Moreover, I not only found one with wheels like I wanted but it is also purple. How awesome is that! Only I would be excited about a purple garbage can. Once all my shopping was complete, I headed home to get some love from my puppy and eat dinner ALONE in the peace and quiet of my own house.
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