I Saw a Pair of Shoes...

on-line, somewhere. 

Against all better judgment, I ordered them. They were emerald green leather - very vibrant in color - and I couldn't wait to get them.

The shoes come from China, although that is not evident from the advertisement. The name of the company was "GiftHer", but when the PayPal receipt came, it had been billed as "Dandelion".  The same shoes were advertised on Facebook and, Instagram and Pinterest by other companies. 

Long story short:  they came yesterday and they are lime green metallic (not leather)  and so cheap looking you'd think they came from a very poor street corner in NYC. 

For all this, I paid $54, including shipping. They are not worth 54  cents. This is the last time I order shoes on-line!

I have requested to return them and get a refund, but I doubt that will be possible. 

A Movie, A Fashion Show, a Lunch and Scrabble

As I have mentioned before, our clubhouse shows movies every Saturday, and last week, it was "Searching" about an Asian family whose daughter goes missing. It had a really interesting plot twist that no one expected! I recommend this movie if you can find it. 

The local Hadassah group hosted a fashion show put on by Chico's on Sunday. The models were our residents and they all did a good job! It was attended by about 95 people, and we shared a luncheon of our choosing. I had a chicken Caesar salad.  We were given certificates for a 40% discount in the shop or on-line. I can't usually wear their clothing, but maybe a scarf or piece of jewelry would suffice. 

On Monday, I had lunch with the wife of one of my former high-school classmates, Dick Hart. Nancy and I spent two + hours chatting and it was nice to relive old memories. I was proud that I used my google maps to get to and from the restaurant.....I don't really know much about Cary roads, although I learn something new nearly every day. 

Today, as every Tuesday, I played Scrabble. I usually play "Super Scrabble" (the game board is larger and there are more letter tiles than in the regular games.) I didn't win, but it was fun anyway!!

I Thought I had Written About.....

trying to get a new ID card, the "Real ID", but I can't find a post about it. WE went to the DMV a few weeks ago, to get ours. Jim had no trouble, but they would not give me one, since the names on my driver's license and on my social security card were different. 

So, I had to go to the Social Security office and request a new card. I left home this morning at 7:45. I have not been out that early in at least 5 years. Traffic was horrible, due to a wreck on Rte. 540 and all the looky-loos in the opposite lanes. 

I couldn't find out what time they opened, since their web-site said merely "closed today" on Sunday, when I checked. But I thought it was 8 am, and that I might have to wait in line a bit. 

It took 45 minutes to get there, and the line was about 25 deep. At 8:40, a woman with a bull-horn came into the parking lot and told us they were going to open the doors early. Finally they opened, after instructing us to fill out a form on a monitor and get a number. 

I sat down and checked my bag of ID  info (birth certificate, marriage license, bills showing my address, etc.) My number was F109 and I stayed off my phone so I might manage to hear the person call my number. After only a few minutes wait, I heard them call F109, but the man next to me said something and caused me not to hear what section and window I was supposed to go to. So I walked around, trying to find my place....to no avail. Finally, a nice clerk said they were trying to find it for me, and in a minute she directed me to the proper window. 

Thanks to a nice clerk named Brian, I very quickly was able to get an order for a new card, in the new name, and all he asked me for was my driver's license. I didn't really need any of the other info I had brought - but, of course, had I not brought it, there would have been a problem. 

I had arrived at 8:30, and by 9:17 I was on my way back home. I sure didn't expect that!!

The Worst Food Experience of My Life

We were invited by friends to have dinner at their club last night, in a nearby town. Two other friends joined us, as well. 

They had said that the filet mignon at the club was as good as those at Ruth's Chris. But my mom taught me that when people ask you to dinner, you do not order the costliest thing on the menu. So I ordered fish and chips, as I frequently do. 

The host ordered a Bloody Mary and although I usually have a margarita, I chose a BM also. It was a bit too hot and spicy for my taste.  The bowl of nuts went well with the drink, however. 

Our meals came and I tucked into mine right away. The tartar sauce had a bit of an off taste, so I only had a tiny bit of it. The fish was good and not oily, and the potatoes were crispy on the outside and tender inside. All was well - or so I thought. 

After I had eaten most of the fish and 1/2 of the potatoes, I began to feel nauseated (which is something that hardly ever happens to me.) I truly thought I was going to "toss my cookies", as they say. I debated going to the ladies room, but it was so far away from our table, I was sure I'd not make it there before barfing. What an awful feeling!   I held my napkin over my mouth so no one could see me heaving. 

I pushed away from the table, so I would not hit the table if the inevitable happened. Suddenly I had to cough, and during the cough, I burped quite a bit. Oddly enough, the nausea lessened and I sipped water. As time wore on, the feeling left and didn't return.  

I think it will be a long time before I order a Bloody Mary again - or fish and chips either - and certainly no tartar sauce. UGH!

(The pic above is not mine, but it approximates my plate.)

American Folk Art Miniature Buildings

On Friday, a group of women from my new neighborhood went to Hillsborough, NC, to visit "It Had Wings", a collection of American Folk Art Miniature buildings. Bear in mind that some of the "miniatures" are 3-4 feet tall. But they offer a wide range of sizes. A collection started by W. Steven Burke and his partner in the 80's, it is housed in their home in Hillsborough, NC. Their collections also include McCoy and other pottery, all in white, from art deco to art nouveau to moderne, as well as many folk art paintings of old buildings and scenes from times gone by.

I took many photos, but you can see some very good pics on their web-site (link above).  I will post mine on Facebook/Instagram, as possible.

After the tour, we shopped in some gift and jewelry shops in downtown Hillsborough, as well as a chocolate shop, and then gathered at a diner for lunch. The predicted rain held off until we returned home, making for a cold, but lovely day out. 

If you are ever in Hillsborough, I suggest you make arrangements to see this fabulous collection!

Treasure Hunts

On Tuesday, one of the clubs here in our neighborhood put on a "treasure hunt". The theme was "gadgets and gizmos". I had never been to one before, but I had a general idea of them.  Since most of us are over 55, we played the game differently. Everyone brought a bag of stuff to the clubhouse and as each item on a list was called out, if our table had one, a "runner" took it to the judging table. 

These pics show some of what I took to the hunt. I was surprised at some of the people; who brought large items such as salad spinners and heating pads. But I suppose they had been to one of our treasure hunts before and knew what to expect.

My table mate is 90 years old. She showed remarkable acuity in knowing what to bring. A few other tables had runners who tried to get objects past the judges that were not really what was wanted or called for. But it was all done in fun and in an effort to create laughter - which it did. Our table did not win, place or show -  but we had a lot of fun and that's all that matters.  

Washing Dishes by Hand...

 is for the birds!!

And it is something I have seldom done since 1965, when we bought our first dishwasher. 

But last week, I had to buy a new kitchen faucet and during the installation, the plumber discovered that my disposal was leaking too. Until the new disposal is put in, I can't use my dishwasher. UGH!  

The plumber had one on his truck that he offered to us, but he wanted $400 for it (including installation) and we knew that was highway robbery!

We ordered one from Am*z*n at 1/4th the cost. It's here now, along with a connection kit, but as we also had a drip in a bathroom faucet, I wanted to wait until we got a new part for that faucet - so we could have everything done on one day. 

We have everything we need now, so I am hoping the plumber can come tomorrow afternoon.  Wish me luck!

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