Tag: shopping

Distract Me from Reverb.com

Okay… it’s a really good thing that the new episode of Daredevil came out on Disney+ about five minutes ago because I found myself on reverb.com tonight looking at tenor saxophones.

While they are nowhere near as expensive as electric guitars, they are on the pricey side and I do not have the money no way no how.

Stay away from reverb.com, Robert. Stay. Away.

Selmer Mark VII Tenor Saxophone… I played one when I was in high school and it’s still among the finest musical instruments I’ve ever been in the same room as. I really miss that high F# key.

Who Knew?

As random subject matter posts go… this is one.

The inner lining of our shower curtain was getting pretty ratty. I thought it was time to replace it. Over the weekend I went to Target and bought a new one. I didn’t get around to actually hanging it until last night.

It didn’t fit.

It was way too small. Every shower curtain we’ve bought since we moved into the house has had 12 curtain ring holes. This one had 10. I still put it up, just to see what would happen, and it is not long enough to cover our entire shower.

So… shower curtain sizes are not standardized? Who knew? I totally did not know that. You mean all the shower curtains I’ve purchased in my life have been the correct size by accident? Really? Is that where all of the luck I’ve been hoping for when I play the lottery has been going? Have I been the luckiest shower curtain shopper in America all this time without really knowing it?

Guess I’m going out shower curtain shopping again after work tonight.

Northern Lights

Apparently you could see the Northern Lights from near my house last night. Did I look outside? Nope. I was simultaneously watching what is arguably the greatest movie ever made, The Godfather, and watching my hockey team get smoked for the second playoff game in a row.

Insert the sound of a frustrated sigh here.

The plan for my immediate future is to go to a department store to buy some clothing for our upcoming Florida trip. I don’t like wearing shorts. I’m a jeans guy. Khakis work in a pinch, but I feel most comfortable, the most like me, in jeans. I don’t own a pair of shorts. The last time I bought shorts for myself was also in preparation for a trip to Florida, but at that time I weighed about 240 pounds more than I weigh today. I need to go buy me some Florida-weather-appropriate garments. Blah.

I might go shopping for a bird feeder that doesn’t suck too, but that would require making two stops and I don’t think I have that in me today. We’ll see.

I missed the Northern Lights. What a puke head. Ugh. Dumbass.

Shopping Spree

Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
View all responses

Is this a fantasy type thing? Meaning money is no object, or are we supposed to give a realistic answer.

A realistic answer could have been IKEA, given that we basically just went on an insane shopping spree there in order to remodel our kitchen. It’s a case of blog imitating life… or the other way around, maybe?

For a purely selfish answer, I would go with a music dealer. Guitar Center would be the easiest answer. There was a story the members of Rush used to tell about when they got their first advance from Mercury Records. They all went to the best music store in Toronto and upgraded all of their gear. Neil Peart bought the Chrome drum set, Geddy Lee bought his first Rickenbaker bass, and Alex Lifeson bought his first(?) Les Paul. That’s sort of what I would do. I’d go into the store with nothing and come out with a whole new gig rig. A custom shop Gibson guitar, a high end Fender (or Marshall) amplifier, and maybe a few new pedals.

That’s a fantasy answer, but if I were really going nuts I’d go to a shop like Chicago Music Exchange (is there an equivalent in the Boston area? I’ve been Googling and found a few possibilities) where rather than shopping for new, high end stuff, I could shop for actual vintage gear. Legendary stuff. A Les Paul Standard made between 1958 and 1960 and a tweed Fender amp like a 4×10 Bassman from 1959 or so. The real stuff, not reissues. The stuff that’s worth about as much as a small house. Yeah, that would be my uber-fantasy shopping spree.

Honorable mentions would be someplace that deals in vintage cameras (if such places exist), or books, or records, or cats. Vintage cameras, books, or records, but not vintage cats… that would be weird.

New Winter Jacket

I finally went out and bought a new winter jacket last night. I was getting tired of wearing a coat that was two sizes too big, and there is snow in the forecast. I am going to need some warmth, you know?

The jacket was absurdly expensive. I mean… wow, was that expensive. Also, when I got it home I found that there is still a security tag attached to the pocket. I guess I have to bring it back and have it removed. Ugh. Shopping in a store is almost unbearable. Shopping in a store in a huge mall 10 days before Christmas is so far beyond the pale that I can’t put it into words.

It is raining out today. It’s going to rain all day today and most of the day tomorrow and at some point it’s going to turn to snow as well. Yippee. No film shooting this morning. I need to go out and run a couple of errands before work. Today would be the perfect day to bring a camera with me, but nope. Rain. I mean I’ll still bring a camera with me, it will just be a digital camera, not a film camera. Blah.

On an infinitely more positive note, the kids are coming home this weekend. The storm is going to be worse in Vermont so we expect them to ride it out up there and come home when it’s clear. That means we don’t have an ETA yet, but their Christmas break starts after today’s classes. Come on home, you two!

Nine days until christmas.

15 days until New Years Eve.

16 days until New Years Day.

19 days until we leave for Florida.

With the holiday in the mix, it’s only 14 days until I go on vacation.

I am so ready. So very ready.

Night Pics

I had to drive to Wilmington tonight to pick up a potential xmas present at a Target that may or may not be built on top of the location of a warehouse in which I spent the last year of my life before returning to college in 1997. The whole neighborhood is new, but I think my building is still there, just significantly remodeled, and the Target is actually next door.

I took my point and shoot along for the ride and took some awful, awful pics.

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On the way home I tried to take a pic of the city’s xmas tree but the light turned green and I ended up with this masterpiece.

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When I got home and got out of the car I saw that the moon looked awesome through the hazy clouds and I ran inside to put my best lens on my DSLR so I could take a pic. It ended up being an exposure compensation test that gave me four really awful, awful pictures.

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No exposure compensation. The trees are cool, the moon is not.
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Exposure compensation at -3. The moon looks awesome but everything else is non-existent.
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Exposure compensation at -2. Still too much.
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Exposure compensation at -1. Better, but maybe not enough. Somewhere between -1 and -2 should be the sweet spot.

Next I continued the exposure compensation olympics by aiming at the xmas lights on the roof.

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No exposure compensation.
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Exposure compensation at -1. Or was it -2? I think it was -1.

Isn’t this the most fascinating post ever? I knew you’d love it!

IKEA

We went to IKEA tonight for absolutely no reason. Allow me to share some highlights…

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It is a long drive, after all.
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Enter, if you dare.
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Comfy couch, but too deep for me.
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My beloved Jennifer loves her some kitchen design.
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This office chair may have accidentally come home with us.

And that, dear readers, is my Pointless Trip to IKEA photo essay. I hope you enjoyed it.

I Wimped Out

I guess there is a limit to how much in-person social interaction I am comfortable with in this Covid nightmarescape.

I went to a doctors appointment. I was told that I am a little ahead of the norm as far as weight loss is concerned and that I am doing great. Also, when it comes to food selections the gloves are off, babie! Sort of. They said it would be a good idea to hold off on pasta, rice, bread, and crackers for another month, but otherwise I should feel free to eat things that don’t have sugar because sugar will make me super sick.

After the appointment I was going to go to Guitar Center to see about selling my Strat, then to Best Buy to get a camera bag for Dad’s camera, then to visit mom. When I left the house I chose to leave my Strat behind and when it came to Best Buy I bought a camera bag from Amazon. I did see my mother though. She was a little more with it than the last few times I’ve seen her, but also confused about her situation. That means the visit was equal parts happy and painful.

Another potential stop would have been the Goodwill store in Salem. I spent a couple of hours last night watching YouTube videos of a photographer going to thrift stores searching for cameras and finding kick ass film SLR cameras and I want in on that fun. Not today though. I chickened out, and the chicken was seasoned with Covid.

So maybe I’ll feel more confident over the weekend. Maybe, but probably not.

Trade Ins

Just before the pandemic hit I was planning on taking my 2000 Fender Stratocaster to a local music store and trading it in. It’s a great guitar and it deserves to be owned by someone who will play the crap out of it rather than me who will always unfavorably compare it to every other guitar I own.

Now here we are 13 months later and I’m starting to revisit those plans. I’m also thinking of trying to trade in my Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 as well. My Fender Deluxe Reverb is patiently waiting for me to return to our bass player’s house for practice. Assuming it hasn’t died over the last year it will immediately go back to being my amp. The Vox AC15 can fill the #2 amp role better than the unbelievably loud 18/30 can.

Trade in both items… for a used Gibson Les Paul Jr? Maybe. Unless maybe a used Gibson Firebird is available? I’m fantasizing here. No store is going to give me enough value for the guitar and the amp to be able to equal a Junior or a Firebird, right?

Gear Acquisition Syndrome plus an active imagination equals unrealistic expectations.

Bring it On

Shit, showered, and shaved.  Feeling like a new man.  Ready to face the day.

Ready to face the Christmas shopping!

Jen and her son are going to get gifts for her daughter (from her son) and me (from both kids).  Jen’s daughter and I are going to get gifts for her brother (from her) and her mom (from both kids).

It’s December 16th.  Nine shopping days left, counting today…

…and we’re going to the mall!

Wish us luck!