Shopping & Scrubbing Into Summer

June 11, 2002
      Summer is approaching.
      I bought some new clothes - CityKnit style at COSCO no less - in black and purple, my colors.
      I've also been sewing like a fiend - clearing up piles of fabric and figuring out my size and what looks good. I am three different sizes, depending on the fabric and the style.
      Basically, I lost my waistline. And I can't remember when or where.
      For a woman with a belly - they seem to make a lot of sack clothing.
      Two-pieces works well people!
      And the top does not have to be a short sack!
      Geez!
      However, I have an attraction for, as my son calls them, "loud" prints in the summer.
      Loud prints are fine if you are a size 10 or less (pattern sizing).
      Loud prints scream if you make a 1X sack.
      I sometimes ignore that.
      This causes hilarity from my children.
      But I am into Peach Skin fabric (microfiber) and love sewing with it.
      Love it's prints and try to do toned-down prints in nice colors.
      A bright yellow-brown dress is finished and looks cool under the Georgio brown fur-trimmed duster sweater.
      I made or made-over a couple of others.
      One dress that I had done earlier hung "heavy" so it is now a top and shorter skirt.
      It has a border print and I was able to find the scraps (being a rat-packer) and use border trim to lengthen the top. Cool. The top will look great with black slacks too.
      I made a dress out of orange-print-to-maroon border print with the border on the dress bottom, the ends of the sleeves and a long scarf.
      Camouflage.
      Fat bellied women do well with duster length sweaters and long scarves.
      It's beautiful. Will go well with lots of Joan Rivers gold-tone chains.
      I caught up on mending.
      A red-purple muted squared pattern fabric is almost done in a top and gored skirt.
      I also made a lovely white sequined jacket top that was a pain to sew - the glue kept clogging the needle.
      The green velvet evening dress for the "Fabio date" is now at the top of the pile.
      But wait.
      It is 8AM and my son is up in the shower because a %@*&$ telemarketer has tried to FAX us something on his answering machine.
      This means that I am up.
      I head for Medifast and coffee, asthma and nasal sprays. My morning ritual.
      I set out clothes, so he does not spend the day in boxer shorts.
      Once dressed, he heads on-line.
      In one of my trips down the hallway, getting ready to spend a few minutes reading before charging of into the hinterland, I note something.
      He is scratching.
      My son complained that his legs itched.
      This causes alarm.
      Leukemia patients are not allowed to have bug bites.
      I ignore that it could be un-rinsed off soap from the shower.
      I go into "Mother Alarm Mode".
      I Advantage the cat, Ranger, and make a note to catch the other beast, Little-Bit.
      I Advantage the dog and heart-worm her at the same time.
      I disassemble my son's room, hauling the mattress and box spring out.
      "Did you go to the gym?"
      "No. I cleaned my son's room." Fair enough.
      The mattress is heavy, the box spring is nothing.
      He sat like a toad on a lily pad playing with IRC chat while I stripped dust and debris out of his room.
      I put away games. I rescued CDs.
      I picked up trash too big for the vacuum.
      I rounded up laundry.
      The falling-apart-because-I-don't-have-the-right-wrench headboard is removed.
      So is the Playboy and Sports Illustrated. At least, they are moved from floor to bookshelf.
      I vacuumed.
      Not that "run the upright over the floor" cleaning.
      This was "on your knees with the hose extension" cleaning.
      And dusted with EndDust. Everything I could reach.
      Not 100%. But a good 80% of the room was assaulted. (I ignored the upper soon-to-be-disassembled-and-packed wall shelves).
      I sprayed Resolve and lifted a bit of the massive stain off the rug (so many colors I can no longer identify what he has spilled).
      Spots on the rug are now their natural white.
      Time for the upright shampooer.
      I even backed him up and got under the computer desk, on hands and knees, cleaning off the G4 vents that were literally coated in fur.
      Ranger lives in there, lately, in my son's lap or curled on his pillow.
      Ranger sleeps with him.
      He cuddles the cat all the time.
      He sleeps with the cat on his legs, on his shoulder, on the pillow, under his arm.
      I gave up the rule about no animals on the sheets.
      I just change the bedding often.
      I reassembled the bedroom.
      He has a clean floor. As in things are not sticking to his feet.
      Things would not stick to his feet if he did not toss stuff on the floor.
      I also put a trash bag in, while I disinfect the trash can.
      He now has more space (I put stuff away, moved stuff around).
      And then I sprayed the room for fleas as a precaution.
      Flea spray will take care of spiders too.
      When I was done, nearly 2 hours later, I was hot and sweaty and he was in a room that bore a resemblance to a bedroom.
      I have even repaired the drapes that the cat had pulled down.
      It was nearly 11AM.
      I had forgotten to give him breakfast.
      I whipped up 2 eggs and two slices of toast for him.
      I had consumed Medifast earlier.
      I touched at my bedroom, I think I will do it Friday (tomorrow is Thursday, Chemo day, today is blood test day and I need to run over to COSCO for something I had ordered).
      I also want to stop at the bank, and then the bookstore since I am out of Regencies.
      I am into book 3 - Harry Potter - because my son has read them and has been nagging me to do so.
      For a year.
      They are fun. I would not even class them as children's books. They are fantasy.
      The difference is that it's children playing the leads.
      She did good.
      I folded laundry, since laundry never stops at my house.
      Dishes are being done by hand since the repairman will not be here until Friday.
      I am ignoring them until later.
      I am still in my long tee-shirt that I slept in, dishelved and barefoot.
      I need a shower and a run to the store. COSCO only had garlic in a 5-lb sack and I couldn't find my deodorant or decaf coffee. It did have slabs of Salmon, huge jars of spices, cheap meats and veggies, lower cost bread. It was worth the two-hours I had spent there yesterday. Well worth it. The two-hour walk around the store pushing an ever-heavier cart was exercise too.
      However, some odds and ends must still come from the grocery store.
      But first, a coffee and a shower.
      Note that I repeat this.
      I want a shower!
      I really want one without the dishwasher or the washing machine or both running!
      What a concept!
      One hot shower later and full makeup (I still do that) and my hair washed and blown dry with lots of curls (smoother gel in place), I put on jeans (black) and a tank top.
      My son, who normally sleeps to noon, is off-kilter.
      He now thinks, at 12:30PM, that we should go for his blood test.
      He either thinks it is next week (when we have to do it early) or that it is later than it is.
      I am not having any of this! I am going shopping!
      I leave him with instructions to dress himself for the blood test (no shorts - his rule) and leave for COSCO, one freeway exit down.
      I don't see the lady there but I do find the XL purple top. And a black shawl jacket. And turquoise top and jacket. To match a turquoise short dress I have. And a purple sleeveless long dress. And a striped top, black and white.
      This stuff washes. CityKnits does not.
      I have inventoried my closet.
      My first dress in this fabric was at least five years ago. (Dark navy, A-line short sleeveless with a shawl jacket.)
      I had them undress a mannequin at Sears.
      I bought a long, long dress at the Romantic Times convention.
      I bought dark blue-purple tank, slacks, skirt and a print jacket at QVC.
      It's the pants I wore when I tripped over the fan and had to buy a second pair.
      I have a long and short sleeveless black dress, a sleeved short dress, in black and one in turquoise as I mentioned.
      I have a complete wardrobe.
      Add jewelry and scarves and voila!
      A month's worth of outfits in one suitcase.
      Ready for Reno.
      Then I hit Albertson's.
      And then I came home, unloaded and checked on the kid.
      Who has made no effort to dress for his blood test.
      It is now 2:30.
      I fix three hot dogs - his will be in whole wheat buns, mine will be naked. It is still 180 calories, 150 fat. I boiled them.
      Once the brat is fed, the challenge will be to pry him off the computer game and put clothes on him.
      Meanwhile, I rammed the van into the driveway (built for two cars, holding three). Street sweeping tomorrow.
      And made a list: bank, blood test, and bookstore. Alliteration. Easy to remember.
      Then my day of errands will be complete.
      I drank my Medifast (in spite of the hot dog).
      480 calories so far today. Skip third Medifast. Daily total headed for 800-900.
      Ignoring the few calories in the French Vanilla coffee powder I stir in my coffee.
      Supper is more salmon and salad or steamede veggies. One more envelope Medifast after supper.
      My stomach will start gnawing on my backbone.
      Actually, my body will demand nuts, chocolate and red wine to get even.
      I am determined to fight back.
      No nuts in the house, no chocolate and almost out of red wine.
      Ah ha says my brain, but you have BAKING CHOCOLATE and can make BROWNIES!!!! And there are a few walnuts left!
      No! says I.
      That's for after the date. When I need comfort food because then I will be bereft. No hug to look forward to.
      So off we go.
      I stop at the bank. Two unemployment checks in.
      These will balance the checks I wrote at COSCO and the Visa charge at Albertson's.
      And the monthly $200 in cash for hospital runs and movies.
      Next is the blood draw and we get the Full Monty this week.
      Then off to Barnes&Noble where I find two of three Signet Regencies, they can't find the third. They will call me. They will find it or order it.
      Then off to the mall, because his new glasses (brand new) fell apart.
      Turns out the screw stripped and they have to replace the frames.
      They put a nut and bolt on them (little ones) for now. They will call me.
      While at the mall, you can't keep a determined child out of Target and we now have a pretty CD holder for his room and two more DVDs plus a few misc. things.
      On the way out I spot Tupperware. I send the boy to the car (his feet hurt) and mull over, should I or shouldn't I? I get an expensive and pretty pitcher and the matching 4 glasses and another refrigerator pitcher. I am tired of glasses that look like they are about to shatter, all crackle lines.
      I toss over the battered Visa (and its a newly replaced card too) and it fails. Because the line couldn't come up. She tries again, and she is checking connections, etc. It hangs again.
      I tell her to check the phone.
      She says she doesn't hear anything but it is dialing.
      I say, then you should hear it dialing.
      It's dead.
      I had her cancel the transaction again and then try the phone. Sure enough. No dial tone.
      I wrote a check.
      She said I could update my many Tupperware pieces anytime.
      I said I needed to go back to work first.
      She offered me a part-time job selling Tupperware.
      Thanks but, no thanks.
      All my technical background and training would not be too effective selling Tupperware. Much as I love the stuff.
      I have canisters that are 26 years old! The kids have the toys. Stuffed in storage. Still functional. Saved for a grandchild. If I ever have one.
      We get home by about 6PM.
      After revving the truck down the street with my son and his long (never been cut since it fell out) hair stuck out the window, whipping in the breeze, hot rock music blaring from the six speakers.
      He really enjoys the truck.
      I have a cold Diet caffeine-free Coke in the fridge.
      I planned ahead.
      I have now spent everything unemployment sent me.
      Not that it was difficult!
      Not for a woman who dropped $165,000 in five minutes (my house in San Diego - now worth close to $500,000)
      But then, I am a wise shopper. And nesting. This has meaning which will become clear later.