Lights, socks, phone calls and stuff

After determining that my Christmas lights just weren’t going to work yesterday, I went back to KMart to get some new ones. Clear white lights. The place was as mobbed as before and there was a very large empty space in the lighting display. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to be a good thing. Sure enough, there were no white lights left. Lots of frosted blue and multi-color lights, but no clear white ones.

On I went to Home Depot. No white icicle lights there. Lots of multi-color lights, though.

Next stop, Wally World. I do not like shopping in that store, but sometimes it is the only choice left in the area. When all else fails, Wally World probably has it. And they did. They had plenty of white lights left. While I was there I picked up a couple more fluorescent light bulbs and rawhide chews for Terry.

I toured several aisles looking at stuff and eventually wound up at the men’s sock display. I was curious because I’d just spent a ridiculous amount on heavy merino wool socks for the lad at LL Bean. And I can’t say that I am surprised, but yet, I am. WalMart had a sizable inventory of Woolrich socks. That is a good quality brand. Their rag wool (merino wool) socks were $5.98 a pair. Their heavy duty merino wool hiking socks (with 5% spandex) were $8.98. In contrast, LL Beans merino wool rag socks were $12 and their heavy duty merino wool hiking socks (with 5% spandex) were $19.00, plus shipping, of course. I was just a little bit annoyed. Annoyed enough to go back home and cancel my order at LL Bean. I don’t mind paying for quality, but I don’t think I need to pay that much extra for the LL Bean name. Plus shipping.

I finally found my way home and the new lights still aren’t up. I’ll get to it shortly.

In other news...my phone rang at 4:00 this morning and I was blissfully sleeping. But the call came in on my cell phone with its distinctive ring, which penetrated my happily relaxed brain like I’m not sure what. It’s strange. I can sleep through my house phone ringing off the hook. But let my cell phone ring with the lad’s Pirates of the Caribbean distinctive ring and I’m instantly wide awake.

I answered with “Hello darlin’, what’s up?”

“I was just thinking,” he said. “When I told you that I wanted Guitar Hero, I forgot to tell you that it’s not Guitar Hero I, it’s Guitar Hero II.”

“You called me at 4:00 in the morning to tell me that?”

“Were you sleeping?” he asked.

“No more so than the average person,” I said. “Why are you still awake?”

“I was studying,” he said.

“Well, my Christmas shopping is done, so you’re going to have to take what you get,” I said. (heh, heh....)

“Oh,” he said, “Well, I guess that’s okay if I get Guitar Hero I. I should have called sooner. By the way, can you come and get me on Saturday? My last exam is over at 6PM on Saturday and I WANNA COME HOME.”

I guess that’s worthy of a 4AM phone call. I’ll be there and I don’t even have to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. I mentioned that I’d been thinking about bringing Terry with me. I’m not too sure how well she’d cope with being alone for 14-16 hours without being able to go outside. More likely, she’d find plenty of ways to get even with me for leaving her that long. She loves to ride in the car and hates being left alone for hours on end.

“I don’t think she’ll fit,” the lad said. “I have 3 huge bags of dirty laundry to bring home, plus my pillows and the PS2 and my television so I can play Guitar Hero.”

“You’re assuming a lot, aren’t you?” I asked.

“Yeah, well, I know you pretty well,” he said.

Guess he does, at that.

So Terry will have to rough it on Saturday and we will undoubtedly come home to a wicked mess. For the first time in memory, I probably won’t be in the least upset about it. A girl can only hold it for so long and it’s pretty much worth it to have the lad home.