The Gulf War Meltdown, or Snow Days in North Texas

Six inches of snow on the ground in North Texas and I just can't catch a break! Boy, snow days sure exhaust this Pleasant Valley mom.

It started snowing last night about 2 am and I didn't even notice what it was doing when I was up doing my blogging thing. About 5 minutes after I quit, I went to get the girls up, and THEN I looked out the window. I no longer watch the news and I rarely watch the weather, but even I knew it was probably going to do something--but what?

Our school district won't make a closure decision until 6:45 and sure enough, I was back on line when the emailed update came through. The snow was pouring down. Robert decided to work from home. The kids got too excited to go back to bed but I made them wait until 8 am to go out (I tried to go back to bed but to no avail. Unlike the rest of them I get up between 4 and 5 am lately with no alarm clock--just like my mom used to do).

Well it snowed and it snowed and it snowed and it snowed. At least six inches and still coming down. It doesn't usually snow like that in North Texas. At 8:15 precisely the girls were ready to come back in. The snow was very wet and sticky, because the temperature was hovering right around 32 degrees. Also we have no waterproof gloves, boots or pants other than a pair of rainboots that are 2 years old. We don't ski or visit winter climates (doesn't agree with R's knees or my ecsema)so we don't have any ski clothes or other proper winter playclothes. Other than possibly getting some more rain boots (which I won't be doing today), our gloves and hats and things are quickly soaked in a snow like this. Amelia in particular doesn't last very long, poor baby! I don't even go out in it. R has some old waterproof gloves so he can clean off the car and such, but not me.

Our cars, of course, are BOTH in the driveway covered with snow because it's Destination Imagination season, plus we are still reorganizing our camping equipment and getting ready for Gulf War (we almost finished the reorganization last fall but Christmas intervened, and it's been too cold to hang out in the garage much lately). Hope it warms up by Saturday because we have a big event in Athens to go to (Kingdom A & S), and then there's also a DI work session on Monday! Pray for nice weather because I am just not going to allow six fourth graders to paint backdrops in my foyer (they might get paint on the fifty pounds of fabric sitting out there!)

We don't own a snowblower or a snow shovel because some winters it doesn't snow at all and it usually stays less than 24 hours. I don't know about this one though. I made R go out and move the van a bit and shake some of the snow off the trees, in a rare break from his work (I never saw someone work so much on a snowday!) I stood on the porch and in the back and took a few photos with the old camera, because I put the better one down in the house somewhere during DI practice this weekend, and now I can't find it. Maybe it's in the Scouts stuff from Monday--I literally just remembered as I am sitting here writing.

So the girls are literally soaking wet by 8:15 and I am putting the wet clothes in garbage bags because Thursday is the secondary laundry day around here. Monday is primary laundry day, but by Thursday there are 3-4 MORE loads of crap to wash, so Thursday is secondary laundry day. When I miss one of these days there is hell to pay until the next one. Since I got my fleece for Gulf War cloaks on Tuesday, I washed all of that stuff between Tues and Weds (total of 35 YARDS! Some of it is for blankets though). Anyway, I am doing about 15 loads this week with the extra fabric for Gulf War. And people wonder what I do all day?

Then I am freaking out trying to get some hot chocolate or grits or something down these little girls, and it's 8:20, and you know who is already up in the office working! So I am trying to get him downstairs to eat too so I can get some eggs cooked. R is the official breakfast cooker--he cooks eggs, pancakes and french toast and usually uses his cast iron skillets. I don't touch the cast iron skillets--they have bad karma for me. Every time I touch one of them, something happens and it gets rust on it that has to be polished off, so I leave them both the hell alone. That's what happens when you integrate someone else's pots and pans into your kitchen. Those damn things have been in my cabinets 17 years now, and they make fabulous food for him, but they hate me. They leave rust spots on my shelf liner paper just to mock me. "Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah! You can't cook with cast IR-ON!"

So, R FINALLY comes downstairs and agrees to fix some eggs although he reminds me about 40 times that it is a WORKDAY for him (yes, and I will be painting my toe nails and eating bon bons all day like usual, in between the 15 loads of laundry of course).

I am rapidly losing my patience with the three muskateers (my husband and the two kids) as I mentally tick off the things I need to get done before Saturday: finish making Valentine's cards with the new Cricut I got for Christmas (can't afford to buy cards since I just spent all that money on a die cut machine!!). Finish birthday card for Tanya for Sunday's birthday party (wrapped Zhu Zhu pets already at midnight one night this week). Cut out at least one clothing item each day for Gulf War using the patterns Viviana made for us. Sew something and finish something that will be used at Gulf War. Paint puzzles for MOC on Saturday because they need to dry by Friday. Paint black star on MOC floor cloth for tic tac toe game. Clean out MOC tubs for Saturday and get stuff together for Kingdom A & S. Get garb ready for four people (or at least three) for Kingdom A & S. Get SWAPS counted and coins rolled for Thinking Day Feb 20th (maybe kids can do this with supervision). Get Miranda to research her St. Valentine's presentation for Kingdom A & S. Bribe at least one child to do Environmental Contest, due Monday, with promises of money in allowance account (I keep their allowance account on paper so that I can make additions and deductions all the time without going to the bank). Work on presentation board for Thinking Day and see what is missing about the country Colombia from the research the Scouts already did. Oh, do six loads of laundry. clean bathrooms upstairs and make sure upstairs doesn't get trashed, because we have two girls coming over Sun night for a sleepover and we will be gone all day Sat. And I don't do housework on Valentine's Day. Call PTA mom re book presentations for Friday to find out what she will do if school is delayed start tomorrow.

The list continues: Call other mom re Destination Imagination t shirt order that is due Fri--did she get it? I left it under the front porch mat yesterday (chat with her 20 minutes about DI and Freecycle once I get her on phone--other mom never calls back--she actually went to an EYE appointment in all this mess--her hubby took the message but I bet he forgot to give it to her). You always have to call twice if the husband answers the phone--they never give the message to the mom. My husband is guilty of the same thing on more than one occasion. And if one of them does slip up and give the mom the message it's almost always garbled or wrong. In fact, I send this mom an email later for clarification purposes. I have learned the hard way in years past--these suburban husbands would never make it as receptionists. Their hearing has developed over time into "selective messaging" mode so they can tune out their wives.

More of my to do list: Iron and tag all consignment clothes--dropoff is Feb 19th, which is going to be a busy day since ARD meeting for Amelia is that morning and possibly rescheduled book presentations. Not washing the damn things again--they were washed when put in the plastic bins,stored in a closet, and they are clean enough. Need to print consignment tags while R is here so technical difficulties, if any, can be resolved. Sew some more for Gulf War. Feed kids and husband. Clean up after kids and husband. Cut out more clothes for Gulf War. Etc. Etc. Etc. I am really stressed out right now, you know????

So, I start to delegate. Husband is out of pocket; back in office because it's a WORKDAY for him. The girls want me to sit and watch Robin HOod DVDs. I say, I will after I cut out something for Gulf War and do some painting. Maybe you could help by hemming those little Viking dresses Viv made you? I can show you how. Major whining. It's our day off--we want to play and have fun. We don't want to sew. Sewing is work.

"Well, how about if you guys roll some more coins for me for Thinking Day? (Oh, good, they did finish that with R last night). Then, could you count these SWAPS (Some Whatchamacallits Pinned Affectionately Somewhere)." SWAPS are traded in Girl Scouts and each country has one for Thinking Day. Our country is Colombia. We need 270 for Thinking Day. Now, these were handed out to the 10 girls last week and they did bring them back, but several ran out of coffee beans and didn't finish their packs. A count reveals we have 242 so I am trying to get M and A to make the other 28. It's pretty easy: stick coffee beans and a label in a jewelry bag and add a pin. But M doesn't want to do the pins: "Mommy, will you do the pins for me?" So I do SWAP pins for 30 minutes with Disney Channel blaring in my ear.

Then I work on painting one side of these cool puzzles that Lady Stephanie Lillburn made. I want to paint one side to make them more colorful so they will appeal to the kids at MOC, but I want the edges and the other side left natural so you can see the wood grain. This is an interesting feat and as I am trying to do it mostly with foam brushes in my front foyer (yes, I am allowed to paint there and only me)--well, it's not the best job but they actually look very good. Try to get hubby's consultation on what to paint and how since he's the woodworker, but he doesn't want to come downstairs because of his knees and because he's WORKING. Painted mouse puzzle, pig puzzle, two small and one large dragon. After drying, I accented them with marker. They don't look totally professional--but not bad.

Then I cut out a navy dress for Gulf War. Kids are upstairs playing somewhere. I go back in the family room to put away the SWAPS, I change the laundry, yada yada yada.

Pretty soon it's noon and everyone says they aren't hungry (well, R says nothing because he's on a conference call). I am starting to lose it. I am working my ass off and everyone else is ignoring me, like I'm the maid.

I fix lunch for me and go lay down to watch a movie and maybe sew. M wants to go outside again. I get her bundled up and leave bags and stuff by both doors with instructions that coat is to be hung up and wet stuff put in bags. I fall asleep watching movie--I did get up at 3 am last night so I am pretty tired by now. Oh, let the doggies out and then get the clumps of ice off of them. Twice. Put away some laundry. M is yelling that she ran hot water on her feet and now she hurts--what time is it??? 2 pm????? Did anyone eat lunch???? There is wet stuff including coats all over the foyer. Water running in rivulets down the tile, and now the floor is trashed and I can't cut stuff out on it. Wet towels everywhere. Kid yelling upstairs. Hubby incommunicado.

I make M get dressed and A get dressed too. She apparently went outside and went through clothing set number 2 and now she is complaining that she has no clean clothes. I LOSE it because they are supposed to bring their own laundry down, and I am the one that did it this morning since I noticed that they hadn't put their clothes away from Monday and the hamper was full again with dirty clothes since Monday.

Kids find something to wear. I give them hot grits and hot chocolate--don't feel like fixing another lunch. R still has not eaten I don't think--not sure. I yell and scream at kids who won't sew and want to play all day. "Mommy," says Amelia, "why are you being so mean???" But I am on the warpath. They have trashed upstairs too and I don't have time to clean it tomorrow if they are in school. I make the go upstairs to clean up playroom, make beds. I show them how to clean the bathroom by cleaning the downstairs one and give them the bathroom stuff for their two bathrooms upstairs. That will keep them busy for a while so I can go work on laundry and take a shower.

I pile all of Hubby's laundry on his side of the bed. That way he has to put it away before he can sit down and watch TV. I am getting really pissed--there is so much crap all over the bedroom that I couldn't clean it if I had 10 days. I even stack up some papers and things he keeps moving around the room. My mom would throw them away but it's woodworking stuff so I don't want to do that. I spend an hour or more putting away my clothes and getting hangers for the laundry room, and changing laundry over etc. etc. Then, finally about 4 pm, I take a shower. Of course the shower really needs cleaning but I can't see that well in there without my glasses, so I ignore it. People banging on the locked bedroom door while I am trying to comb out my hair, with bathroom cleaning questions.: "Go ask Daddy!!!"

When Husband resurfaces I inform him that I am not cooking tonight but I am sewing instead. There is a steak thawed out and mashed potatos he can heat up plus salad. I am having soup (can't chew much until I get this dental work done which will probably not be until next week with all this snow). I tell him about steak and such. I go and play on computer for a while and read Facebook. I go and sew.

I tell all three of them that if they are watching TV, from now through Gulf Wars, I want them sewing something. I have HAD it. If they can't sew their clothes then they can wear them unhemmed and unfinished. R leaves me alone on the computer while he grudgingly cooks dinner (he conveniently forgets about the steak and does leftovers so he has less to clean up). Kids are hungry and whiny since I didn't feed them properly today, but they wouldn't eat when I offered, and you would think they could learn to fix a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or two.

Finally around 8 pm I get my way: Family time! H is sewing on his blue hat (after all, he told the girls this morning how the men sew in the SCA--so now I am making him do it!!!) Amelia takes to the sewing just fine and completes her hem but Miranda whines and only does about 3 inches. She is really really tired. We watch a few episodes of Robin Hood. I sew something else for Gulf War and actually finish it (it's only a cloth for my basket, but it's something!) I do have to help the other three-well at least the girls-- with the sewing as well, after all. All I have to do with R is keep handing him various magnification devices because he is having trouble seeing the navy thread on the navy hat.

It's still snowing, mixed with a little sleet. They actually cancelled school again for tomorrow. I've never seen it cancelled two days in a row. No book presentations; no Valentines' parties; no Lightning Thief field trip Friday afternoon. I guess we will be squeezing these into my "workweek" next week while I am trying to finsh Scouts and Consignment. It will be icy in the morning; in fact R says that there is no point in shoveling the snow away because it provides some traction if we need to get out. There will be a layer of ice underneath the snow on the driveway--he is actually correct about this, not just trying to get out of it. The road will be a solid sheet of ice though, and we live in the house on the hill. So we are not going anywhere for a while. Hopefully it will be clear tomorrow so we can go to Kingdom A & S.

Oh, Crap! I'm stuck with them all again tomorrow, and it's another WORKDAY for R. I guess I should get the bonbons and the toenail polish out. Oh, wait. I'm out of bonbons (what is a bonbon anyway?) and I haven't painted my toenails since spring 2009 (last formal pedicure). Remind me to write about how I am SO not a spa girl tomorrow.

Plesant Valley Mom signing off(exhausted and looking forward to maybe not doing anything much for Valentine's Day--except Gulf War sewing!!!) OK, do you see why the Tolkien discussion is STILL on the back burner????

Godzilla Meets God at the Gucci Wally-World

Well, I feel like Mohammed; I've been to the Mountain. I've been to the Gucci Wally-World for two days in a row. The first day I spent lots of money and the second day I tried to take the store tour without spending very much (had to go back to do returns and because I forgot my sweet potatoes). After all, I know that french store Tar-jay backward and forward because I worked there for about six months(I know that's not a French spelling but my keyboard doesn't DO accents). Why not Wally-World?

This is not just ANY Wally-World. This is the Gucci Wally-World. It is located a few miles away near some very toney, lovely homes that used to be on a lake. The lake is still there but it has receded and receded, and now many of these folks have lovely meadow-front property. Nevertheless, when it was proposed to build a Wally-World in their town, some of them fought it tooth and nail. It needed to be the nicest Wally-World you ever saw in your life. It is probably the biggest tax revenue generator they have--I wish it was across the street in MY town.

And it is the biggest, nicest, brightest Wally-World you ever saw. It has two separate entrances, one for people who are just browsing like me today (the non food stuff) and one for the serious shoppers (the grocery stuff). I can tell you that you will sell three times as many Girl Scout cookies at the grocery entrance during Cookie Season. You have to sign your GS Troop up for those cookie booths at 6:30 am a month in advance on the day the booths hit the system by the way, because you can sell 200 boxes of cookies there in 2 hours. Seriously. These customers have the bucks!

This Wally-World is beige, not that obnoxious shade of Wally-World blue. Both of my vehicles are beige so I understand the need for a little beige in the Suburban existence. It keeps you from standing out too much. It's classier. Although my mini van does have a dent in it, one that has been there for almost 10 years. I could get this repaired if I wanted to spend $300 or more, but I don't. It's not just because I can ALWAYS think of a better way to spend $300. With a dent in it, my beige van stands out in the Wally-World parking lot (meaning that someone directionally challenged like me, who is always thinking about something else other than what she is really doing--call it a defense mechanism--can find her van with a cart or two full of groceries). And that dent, coupled with an UpWard Cheerleading sticker from 3 years ago that is magnetic, does indeed help me find the van. It also says: "Suburban mom, doesn't care about appearances or is broke. You guess which one!"

UpWard Cheerleading being a Christian cheerleading program for kids that is sponsored by our church, the sticker is subtle. It says to the world, Suburban mom, Christian (or at least tried to be for one season), but not too uptight about it (unlike the people with the metal fishes on their cars that are permanent--my neice had the one with feet that said "Darwin.") My husband considers himself a Christian (I think) but if he were to choose a fish I know it would be the Darwin one. So no fish for us. It's not Lent on our car. When I first moved to Dallas I actually asked the guy I was dating where everyone was getting their fishes and was it a particular car dealership that used a fish as its symbol? (I just didn't get it, needless to say.) After that, every time we saw a car with a fish on it, he would laugh and say, "Look, there's another car from the Fish Dealership!" It was kind of like our family joke today, repeating Miranda's classic line, "Why are there so many BOATS in the Marina????" We do this any time anyone in the family asks a really stupid question or makes a really lame comment.

My husband also hates bumper stickers or anything that identifies who you are, who your kids are, what your religious or political persuasions are, etc. etc.--wouldn't even let me put a flag on the car after 9-11 when it was en vogue. But UpWard Cheerleading stays because it's MAGNETIC and therefore not permanent. Presumably it could fall right off if I take a sharp corner. But Soccer Mom of Straight A Students at X Elementary who voted for McCain/Obama will not be appearing on our vehicle any time soon. Well, I'm not a soccer mom any more anyway, so that's OK by me. I keep trying to persuade him that we do need to take a stand and get the SCA sticker before Gulf War in case we break down on the road, but so far, no such luck.

I also find it vaguely amusing in that sarcastic way of mine, even though my kids enjoyed theUpward program, that the one thing on my car is this magnetic sticker advertising cheerleading. Because I am so NOT a cheerleader, and my girls don't realize it yet but they are so NOT cheerleaders too. Well, Miranda could be because she looks good in a potato sack (just cinch it up!) but maybe she will not figure this out. Or at least I hope I am raising them that way. And this was so NOT a traditional cheerleading program--they just cheer for UpWard, not any one team. They all wear the same uniform (all the flag football teams and all the cheerleaders). Girls can play flag football and boys can be cheerleaders too, although I've never seen any boys do this in Pleasant Valley (we don't have cross-dressing, gender confused children here! Not in our town!) I have heard of girls playing the flag football, but that was in a family of five kids where the rule was that they all had to do the same activity in a season to keep the mom from going bonkers. In Upward, they don't announce who wins the game or even what team is playing (they are all on the UpWard team, get it???) So, how beige can you get???? Flag football becomes non-cmpetitive, and of course, cheerleading always has been, right?

Well, back to Wally-World--this Wally-World has a park!! Seriously, they dug out an area between the two entrances to save a giant live oak, and built a little park around it. The little park even complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act and has little wheelchair ramps (although they are pretty steep), which all the little girl scouts enjoy running up and down, especially with the cookie wagons (the trolley things you are supposed to use in the gardening center). This is one reason NOT to sell cookies there--the girls will want to spend all their time running around in the park instead of asking strangers for money.

This Wally-World has beautiful, gleaming merchandise like you have never seen in a Wally-World. Rose petals for your wedding in seven different colors (got lavender and green on clearance to use for scrapbooking and card making--originally $5 each, now only $1 each). I might make some little fairy swaps or dolls out of the leftover wooden clothespins I saw in the craft bin at home, using these petals as dresses or wings or something. Who knows? The sky is the limit.

Martha Stewart scrapbooking paper--wow! And products featured on her Martha Stewart Infomercial (her noon show). Look, there's the glitter pack that was featured at Christmas! Only $15!! (did not get it; settled for $8 of scrapbook paper. Hate to clean up glitter in the house and it's the last thing we need all over our Gulf War garb; plus I don't need to make glitter birds and fruits and things for Christmas for at least 10 months now).

Need M & M's for the school party tomorrow--well, the chocolate ones are already gone and the candy is pretty picked over. I note that the candy boxes like I got last week for the Valentines are almost gone too. It pays to shop early at Wally-World! This is the most popular aisle today (seasonal) because all the school parties are this week. Oh, look--Harry Potter valentines! Should have gotten those instead of those lame holographic dogs. Maybe next year. Harry Potter is now acceptable at the Gucci Wal-Mart and in Pleasant Valley since he was more of a Christ-like figure in Book 7, sacrificing himself for his friends, etc. Now that it is clear to all the Christians out here that there is fake witchcraft based on bogus Latin spells and there is real evil, personified by Voldemort. But I digress.

OOOOOH! Look at all the cool office supplies! (yesterday I went through the business grocery end--blechh--but today I am having fun and taking the recreational tour). Yes, here's the boring computer paper I forgot yesterday, for only $3.37. But oooooo! Here's a poster of Taylor Lautner on the cover of Rolling Stone. I'm too old to get Rolling Stone any more but I'm not too old to appreciate the charms of Taylor Lautner. He sure has filled out since Shark Boy. The girls call him Shakob (a combination of Shark Boy and Jacob, his character in New Moon). Oh, my! Drool, drool! (Ok, Ok, I know he's young enough to be my son but I can still fantasize, right?) I won't get into it here although it's tempting, but don't you think you'd rather sleep with the warm, furry wolf that was your friend than the cold, bloodsucking vampire who is trying to resist killing you? Just a thought. But I get cold easily in the winter. Cute as Robert Pattinson is (the girls call him Ced-ward based on the Harry Potter Character of Cedric that he played in Goblet of Fire, known as "Giblets of Fur" in our home)--well, cute as he is, the idea of sex with someone who is--uh--that cold ALL over-- is not very appealing, at least to me. But I digress.

On the the REAL sewing aisle. The other day I got some scissors and a thread box and all sorts of little "notions" that will help me pretend that I am really a seamstress when my friend Viviana comes over to cut out fabric with me for Gulf Wars. So, nothing today, and I will skip the jewelry supplies with their gleaming beads and crystals. I started to get into that hobby but I am not into that today. Let's see--can skip automotive--got the Scotchguard for the tent there already. Looking through all the cheap towels and blankets and rugs--no, don't want to spend this much for rugs for Gulf War--I can probably borrow them instead from a friend. These are for use indoors (who would use rugs indoors anyway--aren't they for camping??) So no rugs today, and why would I want to decorate my house when I am focused on decorating my tent at Gulf Wars??? I really need to hit World Market o the next Dreaded Pay Day.

Skipping the camping equipment too--got Robert his Valentine's Day present there the other day (I can't say what it is in case he is reading, but Robert, it's not the $160 tent!) Looking through toys--still out of the $7.44 Zhu Zhu pets. Bummer. It's a good thing I made Robert go by a different Wally-World on the way home from work so we could have a gift for Sunday's birthday party. Skipping the movies--too much temptation. I want Julie and Julia and the three seasons of the old Beauty and the Beast show--and for $55 this could all be mine!! But I haven't finished all the BBC Robin Hoods yet or even made it through my Cricut video so I guess I will stay away. Maybe I will get some of it for Valentine's Day instead of flowers--hint, hint. Electronics--yuk. That's for men and women looking to meet men. Skip it. Clothing--already got the $10 boots on clearance the other day. Don't think they got in any more kids boots--we are done for the season unless we want purple, and it's not very Period. Already got the men's underwear and pjs to wear under our clothes (they don't have anything this utilitarian for me so I will just have to squeeze my bust into men's stuff to attain that medieval bust line). Brought back the stuff that didn't fit and got my sweet potatos refunded (they actually have a LOG of stuff that get's left behind! How cool! I don't think Tar-jay did that!)

Well, the fun is almost over. I already got $1.50 plastic tablecloths for Saturday's Kindom A & S event (it's for the kids' area--otherwise I would use fabric). I know they are cheaper at the dollar store but I don't want to go there today--way too much temptation at the dollar store for someone who is already buying green rose petals. And Wally-World doesn't have fabric any more, and I want some linen for a gift; I had some cheap linen but now I have decided I want that for my embroidery, so on to Hancock Fabrics to buy some expensive linen, even at 30% off.

Time to check out at Wally-World after a few food items are added to the cart. Did you notice that they have brown stained concrete floors? Looks great, nice and cheap (and hell on my feet). Did you notice the flourescent lighting and skylights to keep down the light bills (it beats keeping the lights off for 4 hours every morning like they used to do at JCP). Did you notice the fresh flowers, the sushi bar, the bakery goods that are all shiny and gleaming? Too pretty to eat. Does nayone actually buy them or are they made out of plastic like the sushi displays in the Japanese restaurants in San Francisco? How about the "to go" area for those who don't cook--soups, and salads and all sorts of lovely, overpriced but ready to eat merchandise. Pick up dinner in a second (well, not today--we have stuff at home already). Did you notice that if they aren't busy they will take your cart from you in the parking lot so you don't have to put it up yourself? Did you notice the secondary seasonal aisle across from the groceries--it was the SuperBowl one stop shop only a week ago, where I bought Rotel and Velveeta that I still haven't even used (can't stand Velveeta except when it is microwaved with Rotel to make queso, and then it's AWESOME!!)

This week "mini seasonal" as we used to call it at Tar-Jay is focused on last minute Valentines' gifts for people who want to spend less than $10. (This is actually the point in real life where I actually had to go back across the store again and get the M & M's for the party because the kid's party stuff was in the Seasonal section across the store, in order to get all the moms to walk by the scrapbooking stuff. So I walked by the scrapbooking stuff TWICE).

So, back across the store cursing silently. No matter how efficient I try to be I just don't know the store well enough to avoid backtracking. Screaming kid in the background-- sounds like Godzilla--and I am reminded that it is Wally-World after all. Should have brought my i-pod like my friend Wendy does, but then I might have missed something like that deal on green and lavender rose petals. By God, I love retail!!!!