Dominick's deals and Screen eating squirrels

Friday and Saturday were not normal days. Nothing bad, just different.



After work on Friday I stopped at a Dominick's on the way home which was about 3:30. I was looking for something specific which they didn't have. As I looked around the store, I saw lots and lots of people. And those people were filling carts and carts with stuff! I was very confused until I looked at some signs on the wall that read "Everything in the store 50% off (except the liquor)!" Well, you can imagine how excited I felt-I grabbed a basket and started putting cans of formula in it. Formula alone can bankrupt a person so I am always looking out for deals. Then I started with other items: juice, lunch bags, detergent. It turns out they are liquidating their stock to close the store and then remodel/reopen it. It is grungy and run down but the food is the same there as anywhere!!



There was one sad part to this story however. I didn't have my coupons with me!! I usually carry them everywhere or leave them in the car but I wasn't prepared on Friday. So of course, I had to go back. 2 hours before Shabbos! With construction traffic everywhere. It ended up that I got home an hour before Shabbos and still had to shower me and the baby (did I mention I took her back with me and her diaper leaked and that still didn't stop me)! So good deals abounded but it was a strange way to enter Shabbos.


But my joy was marred by a screen eating squirrel Shabbos afternoon. We left the kitchen window open and a squirrel chewed through it and started eating food on my counter. I don't know if I can describe how terrifying it was to walk into my kitchen and see food and other items strewn all over the counter and sink! Thank G-d the squirrel was gone, maybe all the noise we make scared it off. I threw away everything on the counter and now we have to replace the screen!! The squirrels in this city are truly a menace-I can think of a few creative ideas to get rid of them.
Poison. . . Traps. . .Larger animals that eat squirrels. . . BB guns? Maybe I should call my alderman with some suggestions?



I am so tired this week-getting back into the swing of things of working full-time has been hard. I did use some of my precious free time finishing The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory. It was reeeeeeaaaaaaaaally good! It focuses on the time period of the War of the Roses (York v. Lancaster for any history buffs out there). She did a great job with the main character. Still waiting for some book suggestions. Waiting. . . and waiting. . .

The long and short of it

So I am going to take a quick break from vacation talk to commemorate an important day.

It's our 11 year anniversary today!!

I'm not really sure I believe it but it's true. I have been married to my charming, funny, handsome, able to fix anything, sometimes crazy, sometimes quiet, extremely smart, helpful around the house, always guesses surprises, knows me better than I know myself, Torah loving, analytically thinking, musically inclined, lover of power tools, insightful, good listener, likes sci-fi and fantasy books; husband for 11 years.

Part of me wants to say "Where did the time go?"

And another part of me wants to say "Wow, that's been a loooooong time!"

They're both true. How can I be old enough to have 4 kids and be married this long? I still feel like a teenager in some ways (do I really have to make adult decisions?). But it also feels like a long time because in the past few years we have entered another stage of marriage. We continue to learn new things about each other but it's not like when we first got married and we barely knew anything about living with the other person. We know each other's quirks, strengths and weaknesses, and in spite of or because of those things that make us who we are, we love each other more.

I know where he will put his dirty socks (not the hamper). I know his mood when he comes home from work. I know what I can say to make him laugh. I know how to pick out books he'll like from the library. He knows I need to pick my own books from the library. That I need some time in the morning to read or at least a few quiet minutes to get my head into the day. He knows that I am obsessed with making sure the laundry gets done frequently so I don't have a ton to do at one time. He knows what to say to make me feel better or calm down or feel good about myself. Of course, he also know what to say to rile me up too.

In this day and age when divorces are common and for some it is hard to find a partner, I feel truly blessed and appreciative of what I have. Not just to be married but to have a good marriage that we are both willing to continue to work on.

So bring on 11 more!! Happy anniversary Y!

A steal

Yikes, it seems I was too brutally honest in my last post and must have scared some people away. So I've decided to switch it up and share a funny/slightly bizarre story.


I work in an up and coming, part inner city/part yuppie area of Chi-town. It used to have a lot of homeless shelters. It has lots of gang activity (so I've heard) but I am not afraid to walk around the area-I've always felt safe.


Anyway, I don't want anyone to think this story is about safety or something dangerous happening because it's not. Just trying to give a little background so you can picture it in your head.


I pass a drugstore on the way to work and I often stop there in the morning to get any last minute items that I might need before I get to work. This is after I stop for coffee-which I MUST have. But that's a different story.


Okay, so I stopped at this store last Friday, chose my items (it's usually food if you must know) and got in line. There was one older lady in front of me and she had two items, one of them was a bar of soap-this will be important later I promise! I guess she told the cashier she didn't want the soap and put it down next to the counter. She paid for her other item with cash and received her change which she counted and asked for specific denominations. Next, the cashier gave her the item she purchased in a small bag. Which wasn't good enough for her because she asked for a bigger bag. She then proceeded to steal the bar of soap using the bigger bag. To be honest, I didn't really notice until the cashier said something.


Really?


She had plenty of money in her hand. Did she really need to steal the bar of soap? It probably cost less than a dollar. I mean, what was she thinking?


All I could think is that she could be someone's mother or grandmother. What a terrible role model. At least she'll be a clean terrible role model.