Current Mood : Still on a buzz...
More of the same family drama I mentioned earlier this week. It's really getting tiresome, since it's the same thing over and over, re-hashed to the nth degree. But I stand by my original assertion - don't explain or offer a reason more than twice, at the absolute most, in case somebody's having hearing problems. After that, the other party simply doesn't want to hear it, refuses to understand, or is just plain in a stink-butt mood. Soon, very soon, we can absent ourselves from this person's life for a while, and come back when our much loved Drama Llama either is in an improved mood, or has a better target than us.
It's just really frustrating when you never really get your say, your side of things said, though. Not much for it but to shake it off and not let it destroy another minute of life.
Speaking of which, it was Dorrie Fun Day, since Dearest is already at his grandparents' home. Got a late start due to all the drama, but I got to do nearly everything I wanted, and came home flat broke. Yaaaay !
Since Hastings is always crowded with book trade-ins on weekends, I figured an early afternoon visit would be best. So they were the first stop. Went through the bag o' books that've been sitting around in the living room since before Christmas, books they didn't take last time, removed a few, cleaned up a few more - they don't take a book if it has an owner's name in the flyleaf, but that's an easy fix - and added four or five more. Back in the day, if it had ‘sewing' or ‘doll clothes' on the spine, I bought it. I have to admit, having about two dozen sewing books all lined up together made me look quite professional, in my own eyes ! Like a budding gourmet chef with a wall of cookbooks. And I had so many different dolls, I could surely use any and all pattern books, no matter how badly written or oddly presented.
Things have settled down now, and I have helpful sewing books I actually like and use, with barely a spot for them. Time to ditch the stuff that's collected dust since I pried ‘em out of that church's yard sale three years ago. Pretty much any book with ‘Beginning Sewing' or ‘Easy Sewing' on the spine will still sell. And if I haven't made a single thing from Two Hour Doll Clothes in five years, out it goes !
Turns out, I wasn't the only one who thought was today was a good book-ditching day. Luckily, I'd transferred my heavy tomes to an old tote bag, easily identifiable. With my Hastings card on top, they could scan ‘em while I looked around, so I wouldn't have to stand around waiting. Very nice of them. Nothing new in the Crafts or Collecting (where they normally put all non-kid Barbie books) shelves, no new sewing or embroidery books either. Didn't see anything in the ‘Last Chance' section, or in the Kids section, so I wandered over to magazines.
Tons of magazines ! I wafted through Doll Collector, Doll Reader, Doll Costumer, Soft Dolls, Art Dolls, Haute Doll, and Fashion Doll Quarterly in a soft chair. Had some trouble deciding between FDQ and HD, since one had a neat article on Malibu Barbie, the other had a good one on Barbie patterns. And I also spied an interesting book on robots that Dearest would probably enjoy. Decisions, decisions... then I heard my name.
They'd gone through the books and took nearly every one that they didn't take last time. And all of the sewing books, but none of the doll patterns ones. I could choose $20. in cash or $31. in credit - whoo-hoo ! I happily chose store credit, and snatched up the robot book, and both HD and FDQ. That only left $7. on the card, but heck, Beloved Hubby'd told me to just donate the lot, so I didn't feel bad at all about spending the proceeds. Chunked the bag in Molly's trunk, where it'll probably stay until I donate the rest of the books to the library next week.
Since I was already halfway across town, I hit TRU. Sad. The Barbie aisle is down to just one aisle, and it's not even very long. I finally got to see the 1966 Stewardess Barbie, but didn't get her. Beloved urged me to use the credit card if I found anything, but heck. I'd rather make that suit m'self, and I don't need another doll. I'd really feel obligated to keep her, since I spent so much. Of course, they were completely out of the $3. SuperStar Barbie, which I kind of knew would happen. Again, no big loss. I was actually thinking of buying one of the Disney Princess tote bags, and it took me longer to talk myself out of that than it did any doll !
Remember the fuss and nonsense I went on and on about, when I was making that soft-sided box ? How I couldn't find 6mm thick craft foam, and how ticked I was ? I later found two sheets of it at Michael's Crafts, and called twice since then, and it'd not been restocked yet. Since it was in the same strip as TRU, I walked down...and walked out with 12 sheets of the stuff. I now have enough 6mm craft foam to make at least three of the biggest boxes, whenever I want to. I selfishly bought them out, but clearly, someone else had purchased a few. Still, I was happy to have it, and glad that I never mail-ordered it. Now I just have to get my big ole butt in there and clean up the Lab, so I can sew something ! It's just funny that I had $12. in cash (plus change) on me, and there were 12 sheets of it at 99c each !
I'd originally planned to hit Target, but by now, school was out and traffic was thick. Even worse, it was Friday. Target would be a huge snarly mess of cars, shopping-as-recreation adults and screaming kids, so I decided to just come home. Plus, I was broke and rather hungry.
