Sunday, March 14, 2010

But Can You Get Cable? aka Part 2

My first real job out of high school, ("real job" meaning that it had benefits), was a sales job in a big & tall men's clothing store. At the time I weighed 160 lbs and was 5' 10" tall. Size 10 ½ shoe size. I remember applying for the job and asking the manager if I needed to be big and tall to get the job. I didn't, and I got the job. For the next year and a half I sold shirts and suits to some very tall and some very big men.

It was during that formative year and a half that I learned something very important that I have carried with me through life… I hate shopping.

When I go shopping I am going for one of two reasons; I either know what I want or I'm being less selfish, meaning my wife is with me. I'm slowly converting over to internet shopping but I've got limits to what I'll buy over the internet. For instance, shopping for car parts for my MG, internet, groceries, the local store, t-shirts, cheaper at Wal-Mart, movies and music, depends on what's burning a hole in which pocket.

I don't know if I am supposed to reveal this little tidbit of information, but occasionally the Victoria's Secret catalog arrives in our mailbox. I don't spend a lot of time gazing through the catalog but it is a slow walk from the mail box to the house when it arrives. Which brings us to the question?

What does any of this have to do with my 25th Wedding Anniversary? I mean this is Part 2.

When we left for the B&B outside of Leavenworth, Washington, one of the items that I had to load into the car was a bag from Victoria's Secret. I didn't dare look but as I mentioned, I might have occasionally perused the pages of the catalog, and, I have an active imagination. I was pretty sure that things were not going to be left to my imagination later that evening. I was expecting to get "lucky".

Let's be clear on one thing. My wife is hot, but I had no idea what she would be revealing to me that night. I carefully loaded the little bag of secrets into the car, unloaded it into our room at the B&B, and I never peeked, not once. I didn't want to spoil the surprise. She "slipped" into the bathroom to "freshen up". And then she came out and pleaded with me to open the bag from Vicki.

Strange turn of events.

It was my wife's present to me. She figured that I wouldn't peek in the bag so it was a safe hiding space.

And if I hadn't thought she was sexy before, she certainly kicked it up a notch.

SHE BOUGHT ME A KINDLE!

Last week I went to the Supermall to buy new dress shoes. Remember, I hate shopping, but I hate shopping for shoes more than anything. My trip took me to the Nordstrom Rack. Shoes that people didn't want, closeouts, discontinued, etc, etc. There are two prices on the shoes; regular price and the Rack sale price. And I have a question about shoes.

DO PEOPLE REALLY PAY THE REGULAR PRICE FOR SHOES?

The regular price for some of these shoes was in the low to mid $200 range. Seriously! I'm just covering my feet, what is so special about the materials that make up my shoes? Why is it that of all the clothing that is not made by slave labor and children in developing countries it had to be shoes?

Three paragraphs ago I mentioned that my wife bought me a Kindle. And they're pretty much the same, price. I thought about the differences for awhile, and I compared shoes and the Kindle.

For instance.

The Kindle can wirelessly deliver me a book. The shoes can cover my feet.

With the Kindle I can make the font smaller or bigger, depends on my needs. Shoes, they cover my feet.

My Kindle can stay charged for up to 7 days before recharging. My shoes… cover my feet. I should be fair and say that they do cover the top, bottom, front, and sides of my feet. Still, they cover my feet.

I can make notes on my Kindle, set bookmarks on my Kindle, my Kindle can hold up to 1,500 books, play music in the background, and I can change the reading orientation. I can make notes on my shoes, which would make them look silly, I can make marks with shoes, and if I change the orientation of my shoes I can apply for a handicap sticker.

A Kindle has thousands of free books available, classic books that would cost me thousands of dollars to buy. The download is free. My shoes just cover my feet. And I have to keep them shined.

I'm questioning the value associated with shoes. I will confess something, they not only cover my feet but they do provide some level of comfort. But are they worth $200 plus? I'm not there yet. I'm sure it's a girl thing.

And I want to publicly tell my wife that she did a good thing by buying me the Kindle. You've got me figured out. There is something I haven't figured out though.

When do I get to see what was in the bag originally? My imagination is running wild.

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