Tuesday Thoughts About...

...magazines.

I almost decided to post this on my "What I buy Wednesdays" meme under "What I Don't Buy Wednesdays"---but I have a lot of thoughts about magazines so decided to share them.

I don't really like magazines anymore. They are nothing but ads. Recently, someone said to me, "not People magazine."

This one caught my eye. You know I love the royals. The fact that I got it for free is really the only reason I "read" it. Still, it is just about nothing but ads. I decided to count them. The magazine had 152 pages. 75 of them were ads---not little ads, but the entire page! That's just about half of all the pages. If that's not a lot of ads, I don't know what is!

Believe me, I've had my share of magazines through the years. After all, mom sold magazines after dad died in 1967. She earned enough money from that and other odd jobs to be able to stay home with us---she didn't want to leave teenagers unsupervised!

I've bought magazines when the kids, kids of friends and various nieces and nephews sold them through school. I've had my share. I've had every genre of magazine. But when my subscriptions expired, I let them all go. I think I still have one left---Better Homes and Gardens. But that's it. I don't even read it. I'm just not interested in magazines any more. Too darn many ads and not enough quality articles.

I did find this ad in that People magazine interesting.

 $265---Oh my gosh!

I paid $65.00 for my plate. Then I realized, the above ad was for a set of 2 cups and (they refer to them as saucers but they aren't) dessert plates. I guess that's a fair price. It is a beautiful plate.

Anyway, back to the magazine. I'm done with them. I get my enjoyment from reading blogs these days and I can barely keep up with them!

Monday Mystery

We have got to talk...about bras! They are a mystery to me!

I don't think I've ever had a comfortable bra. When I get home, I can't wait to unleash the girls. It's such a feeling of "ahhhhh...." I'm sure you know what I mean---although I have a friend who wears her bra ALL the time until that moment when she's getting in bed. "What??? Maybe it's more about not wanting to tempt the "hubs."

For me, it's all about comfort! In fact, the only good thing about the 70's was going "braless." I remember the test to tell whether you could go braless or not. If you stuck a pencil under your boobs and it stuck, that meant you needed to wear a bra. Not me!!!

I was tired of all my bras---uncomfortable, wires digging in and the straps constantly sliding down. I got to where I'd cut those wires out as soon as I got home with a new one. Bras aren't cheap---over $50! Vandalizing them when they were new just seemed wrong! I started getting my bras at Target because you could get them there for about $30. But still, my problems persisted. Plus, in all honesty, I had no idea what size I really am.

I have one bra that's half way comfortable. I bought it online and measured according to their measurement guide, but still, it seemed a little off. There's a place here in Nashville where they fit you for bras. On the advice of my constant bra wearing friend, I was going to go there. I knew it would be expensive, but was ready to "bite the bullet."

Okay, hang in here with me while I digress a bit. I started having 'puter problems and made an appointment at the Apple store. I've said it before. That place is amazing! Always so busy---you really feel like you are part of something big!

This was my view from the "Genius Bar." All those green shirts are Apple employees. I counted 41---or so I thought. I asked the guy working with me---"how many employees are here at one time?" He responded that there were just as many in the back as there were in the front. They have between 80 and 100 employees working at all times! Unbelievable! No wonder Macs are expensive!

Anyway, back to my bra story. As I was waiting to be "texted" for my appointment, I happened to notice a store across from the Apple Store called "Soma Intimates." It hit me that my only, fairly comfortable bra, came from this company. I went in. The lady helped fit me. I just about had it right. I had the cup size wrong! I was so happy! Finally---I've found the perfect fit for the girls! I decided to get two. Imagine my surprise when I went to pay and the bill was $64.00! If you buy one, they are $42.00. But if you get two, they are 2 for $59.99! See there? Sometimes having a multiples problem pays off!

I left there happy as a lark. As I was in the Apple store, I started to think that this was a little embarrassing:

Then I thought, "nah. It would be more embarrassing for an older, chubby gal carrying a Victoria Secret bag!" No way am I going to pay $60-$70 for bras! Even if they are cute!

I'm really excited to get rid of this:

A tub full of uncomfortable bras! They are outta' here!

This is me all happy with my new bras! There's no mystery there!

A Few Things

Well, it's been awhile. I just don't know where the time goes. Yes, I do. It's pool time!!

I'll just do a few things post---I always have some photos on hand to share!

A couple weeks ago, I played poker with Connie's "grands." That row of quarters would be Merritt's OCD kicking in! Analise seemed okay with him infringing on her space! He was the big winner of the kids!

 Grace must have lost the last game for that scowl!

We had such a good time. The kids were really good at picking up the games. We believe in starting them young!

 When we were in San Francisco, we drove down to Pebble Beach. We had brunch here overlooking the 18th green. Notice my "man"hand? What's up with that?

 Us with Walter and Chris.

 And this is why we do it! Brothers!

 San Francisco overlook. The traffic here is so horrendous. I don't know how these people do it!

 Entrance to the San Francisco botanical gardens. The succulents there are humongous!

Well, we went all the way to Ireland to find them---but didn't! Instead, we found them at The Fish Market in San Mateo!

COCKLES! We had to try them! They are exactly like mussels. You can't look at them. You just have to eat them. They taste exactly like mussels too!

 This yucky, Cream of Wheat mess just wiped up so easy with my new induction cooktop. Love it!!

Okay, that's enough for today. After all, it is Father's Day!

What I Buy Wednesdays

I am so far behind on my blogging. Since I couldn't blog in Yosemite---crappy internet---couldn't download photos---I am woefully behind. I need to sort through and decide what to just let go. I can't do it all! And that's okay.

But, I didn't want this Wednesday to go by without a post about what I buy! Notice my proper use of by and buy? Loved grammar growing up---and I'm good at it!

While out-of-town, these came in:

Getting ready for Camp Aunt Barb---Nashville style. Actually, I was pretty disappointed in these. First of all, they were supposed to be "kids" ball caps. They are regular ball caps. They do have the velcro thing on the back to make them a little tighter, but these kids are little. That's why I call them the "littles!" Secondly, the printing is not exactly how I wanted it. I wanted it to read:

Camp

Aunt Barb

2018

The person doing it (I ordered them on Etsy), said that the print would be pretty small if I did it this way. I told him/her to use their own judgement---thinking they do this sort of thin all the time! I expected it to read:  

Camp Aunt Barb

2018

Luckily, they're kids so they won't care. I have tons of activities planned and am really looking forward to it. Butch and I made a run to the dollar store to pick up a few things.

There's going to be fun and games, pool time, naps, movies, outings, slumber parties, kid style happy hour and kid friendly foods! It's going to be fun for sure!

I've talked about the fact that I am an impulse buyer for sure. But this is all Butch!!

 Okay, I bought them, but Butch "allowed" me to! So I'm blaming him. It's Butch's fault because in my defense, I had had a couple bottles (oops---glasses) of wine! He should have stopped me. When we got home I asked him why we got these. He said, "you wanted them!" Well, he had a couple glasses of wine too! It's not my fault!

Lord knows we definitely don't need them! This is a deep drawer---so there is another layer below!

Lesson learned: definitely do not go shopping after drinking! No impulse control whatsoever. Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I need to get Butch liquored up and take him jewelry shopping or something else extravagant! 

Oh never mind, I don't need/want anything. At least until next week's What I Buy Wednesday!

Monday Mystery

It's a mystery to me as to how Starbucks can start another mug collection when they constantly run out of the old ones!

The new "Been There" collection.

My collection---"You Are Here." The first Starbucks was totally out. Yosemite didn't have them either. Luckily, Butch made an extras stop for me. Sometimes, I can get them at the airport, but San Francisco airport didn't have Starbucks! Can you imagine?

Hey Starbucks! Just keep up with the old collection first---at least until they quit selling!

Alcatraz and Muir Woods

Visiting Alcatraz is a bucket list item for me. It did not disappoint from the very first step on to Pier 33.

 Now this is how you set up a queue line! Beautiful floral planters at every post.

 Close up of a container with succulents.

"The Rock"

 Right off the bat, I was disappointed!!! As soon as we arrived, the park ranger was telling us what was going on for the day. Turns out, there was a garden tour---of the gardens that the inmates had along with the families of the guards. Apparently, the garden tour is a rare event. I think because everything is in bloom right now is why they were doing it. Anyway, I had to make a choice. I couldn't do the tour of the garden AND a tour of the prison since we had set a time to meet up with Walter and Chris.

 I don't know what this plant is, but it looks like giant Veronica.

 The showers inside.

 Typical cells.

You cannot understand the scale of these plants. The succulents are the size of dinner plates! So gorgeous!

We could easily have spent another 2 or 3 hours at Alcatraz. I just about started to cry because I wanted to do more. As a result, Butch made sure we did the San Francisco botanical garden first thing the next day! (That's tomorrow's post.)

 After Alcatraz, we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to walk across it, but we had too much planned.

 I think it's just a mile or a mile and a half across.

 We had a fabulous lunch here in Sausalito. We got to sit on the water---well, not exactly on the water,  but at a table open to the water!

 Next stop was Muir Woods.

Butch and I walked the half mile loop. It's so peaceful and quiet. The redwoods are spectacular. They are 1000's of years old. They are so tall that I felt I was in a "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" forest!

We didn't get back to our hotel until about 5:30. We went to a little bar for dinner and made it an early night.

Friday Frustrations

Traveling in the US is GRUELING!!

We left the house yesterday at 4:30 a.m. and arrived in our hotel in San Francisco at 3:00 p.m. That's 10 1/2 hours traveling! We get to Europe faster than that!! Technically, it was 1:00 p.m. SF time, but still it was 10 1/2 hours!

We only had one snafu in LA that delayed us about 30 minutes. That was just enough to put us on edge for being late to our first tour---the Winchester House. We Lyfted from our hotel---30 minutes and 40 bucks! I had been there about 30 years ago, but Butch never had.

 The house is gorgeous---on the outside. Inside---not so much. We weren't allowed to take photos inside. Sarah Winchester inherited the equivalent of 2 billion dollars today---from her husband who invented the Winchester rifle in New Haven, Connecticut. She moved to San Jose on the advice of her spiritualist to build this house. It was under construction with workers working 24/7 for 30 years. She believed the noise warded off evil spirits.

There are 160 rooms. We saw 101 on our tour Many were not much bigger than a large walk in closet. Most had no furniture, so it was hard to visualize what it looked like during it's prime. The rooms are weird---all with windows that were either over a wall or looked through to the next room---they didn't get sunlight. There were 100 fireplaces. The list goes on and on. There was a staircase  that just went to the ceiling---not to a room.

The grounds and gardens were beautiful. Considering the house is on a busy street, inside the gates, it was peaceful and calm.

 Can you imagine all the roof leaks there must be with all of these rooflines?

 The door to nowhere. Many doors opened up to just a wall behind. I don't know what her reasoning was about that. I think it had something to do with confusing the spirits.

 The palm trees are gorgeous!

After our tour, we did a virtual geo-cache on the grounds before heading back to the hotel. The traffic! Cost us $47.00 to get back. Both rides included a 25% discount offer I had, so it would have been more! Still, we agreed it was worth it to see this most unusual house.

We went to an early dinner---5:30---at the Fish Market. The prices were crazy good! This crab and shrimp Louie salad was $16.00. It was chuck full of seafood---I've already eaten some before I remembered to take the picture. We started with crab and artichoke dip. Butch got the crab cakes. Can you say "crab overload?" Never! We couldn't finish everything, but it was so good. And the sour dough bread...!!! The whole meal was $55.00!! We haven't had a meal that cheap in Nashville since---well, ever. Okay, Mexican, but that doesn't hold a candle to seafood!

We were back at the hotel by 6:30 and in bed by 8:30. In our defense, that was 10:30 our time after being up since 3:30!!! We were tired!!

Today we're off to Alcatraz, Muir Woods and Sausilito.

Oh, and it's Ireland all over again. It's 59 degrees, but sooooo cold! It's the wind! I had on my coat and scarf all day. I tried to stand in the sun as much as possible. But still....