Christmastime is Here
I had to bite the bullet and do it. With tomorrow being our "Staff Christmas Lunch" replete with Secret Santa gifts, and a baby shower the day after that, and well, you know, Christmas - I had to set foot in a retail establishment. No, not the mall. No way in holy hell. But a close second, in terms of crowds and annoyance, at this time of year - I will not mention the name, but suffice to say it's one of those places that gets overstock from fancier stores etc. and usually has pretty good prices on most of it.
Surprisingly, and pleasantly, it was not crowded, I mean at all. I was there a few weeks ago and it was madness, so I figured it would be that much worse as Xmas drew near. I started picking out some candles, them realized I was going to end up dropping them if I carried them over to the baby section. I grabbed a carriage. They're funny little carriages, geared towards navigating cramped clusters of clothing racks and glass-shelved displays.
As any retail store with an abundance of (largely imported) goods will do to me, I began to get depressed. I start thinking of the journey of the products, the source and site of production, the channels of commerce and demand and conjecture about what people want and where and why. The emptiness, the disconnect.
I look around at the products that seem to promise comfort and luxury to "everyman" - faux fur blankets (they are really damned soft), outsized pillar candles, pillows suitable to outfit a harem room or brothel, leather covered boxes, cashmere stockings.
Music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" plays in the background. It is the music from when Charlie Brown is out looking for a tree. Slowed down, plodding, thoughtful. A search for meaning. As I strolled and criss-crossed the aisles of the sparsely peopled store the irony wasn't lost on me.
I purchased 3 candles (one for me), socks, a baby-bunting type thing, microwavable booties for my mom and aunt (yeah, I know, weird - they're filled with little beads that retain heat), and a sexy pair of undies. For me. Or him, however you want to look at it.
And then I drove home. And grabbed my empties, and headed back out to the packy, beer tonight, no more of this whiskey and water business that I've been pulling for a few nights. Oh! And last night I cleaned the living hell out of my junkroom, the best part being that I've finally gotten rid of a few items associated with an ex that for some reason I'd been hanging onto. The lingering attachment to having them around just dropped dead as a fly in a January window.
Phase two with that room will begin soon, but for now I can see where everything is and it's ordered. Next will be a hopefully major deaccessioning of goods, mostly clothes. And a major culling of paper stuff. I also need to consider selling some of my books and records online. I do have some that are worth the hassle of doing so.
Ok, I'm just really tired now and I need to get away from the computer. Good night/good day/good week!
Surprisingly, and pleasantly, it was not crowded, I mean at all. I was there a few weeks ago and it was madness, so I figured it would be that much worse as Xmas drew near. I started picking out some candles, them realized I was going to end up dropping them if I carried them over to the baby section. I grabbed a carriage. They're funny little carriages, geared towards navigating cramped clusters of clothing racks and glass-shelved displays.
As any retail store with an abundance of (largely imported) goods will do to me, I began to get depressed. I start thinking of the journey of the products, the source and site of production, the channels of commerce and demand and conjecture about what people want and where and why. The emptiness, the disconnect.
I look around at the products that seem to promise comfort and luxury to "everyman" - faux fur blankets (they are really damned soft), outsized pillar candles, pillows suitable to outfit a harem room or brothel, leather covered boxes, cashmere stockings.
Music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" plays in the background. It is the music from when Charlie Brown is out looking for a tree. Slowed down, plodding, thoughtful. A search for meaning. As I strolled and criss-crossed the aisles of the sparsely peopled store the irony wasn't lost on me.
I purchased 3 candles (one for me), socks, a baby-bunting type thing, microwavable booties for my mom and aunt (yeah, I know, weird - they're filled with little beads that retain heat), and a sexy pair of undies. For me. Or him, however you want to look at it.
And then I drove home. And grabbed my empties, and headed back out to the packy, beer tonight, no more of this whiskey and water business that I've been pulling for a few nights. Oh! And last night I cleaned the living hell out of my junkroom, the best part being that I've finally gotten rid of a few items associated with an ex that for some reason I'd been hanging onto. The lingering attachment to having them around just dropped dead as a fly in a January window.
Phase two with that room will begin soon, but for now I can see where everything is and it's ordered. Next will be a hopefully major deaccessioning of goods, mostly clothes. And a major culling of paper stuff. I also need to consider selling some of my books and records online. I do have some that are worth the hassle of doing so.
Ok, I'm just really tired now and I need to get away from the computer. Good night/good day/good week!
posted by Black Egg at 9:45 PM
4 Comments:
i havent heard it called the packy in so damn long.. made me smile big. aahhh, the days of shoulder tapping in front of the pakage store... memories....
what books do you have that are worth ebaying? anything i might like?
Yah, da packy! Oh, there's so many of 'em in this town!
Books... well, I might have something you'd like. Some that I could prolly just outright give to you, others I have to sell. I have a few photography books that are worth some $$$, one that sells anywhere from $500 - $1,000! But I'll keep you in mind when I start to sort through. Tell me what else you like besides nude photography and twisted stuff (I have both!)
wow! perhaps we can barter or trade! i'll dig up a disk with some portfolio pic on it. ive quite a collection of custom picture frames that ive built, always nice to hang art on the walls, what better to hang art up in then more art! give me first dibs! and i'll some how sweeten the deal.
Post a Comment
<< Home