When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping

I'm sure today could have been a lot worse, but I'd rather not imagine how. My workplace featured a  sleeping custodian, an obsessive-compulsive clerk, an insane board member and a conference call with me, my boss and a sane but justifiably worried board member - all this before 10 a.m., hours before I was to learn that my son forgot  about his meeting with his guidance counselor, who needed to answer several critical questions before the college application deadline which is, oh yeah, Monday. (Really, as long as the kid moves out of the house, I don't care where he goes to college. We know that's not true. Well, only a little true.) The day ended with a malfunctioning corkscrew that pushed the cork into the wine bottle instead of pulling it out of the bottle, which just goes to show you that it's always better to stop on the way home, buy a screw-top bottle of wine and pull to the side of the road to drink it.

Yeah, anyway, here are some stupid happy snowmen candles whose job it is to sit on the kitchen windowsill and cheer me up. They're failing miserably. I may light them. That's just the kind of mood I'm in.

I did, however, start my Christmas shopping, and I offer the following:

- My local Penney's store is now cheerfully offering gift boxes, as many as I need, in a convenient location near the register. Which seems reasonable enough, but is a vast improvement over its previous policy of two boxes for every three items purchased, and then only if you hike to the back of the store and wait in another line. I view this as the bright side of the recession: recognizing the need to offer customer service.

- Have you ever ordered anything from Zappos? I placed an order sometime between 5 and 7 p.m. yesterday. By 9 p.m., I had a friendly e-mail saying they were upgrading my shipping as a courtesy. When I got home today, the box was here. Overnight UPS. That's astonishing. I like them.

- If you need a super-cheap gift that doesn't look super-cheap, check out the magazine subscriptions on Amazon. There are a bunch of subscriptions that are $5 off, so a year costs something so little you feel a moral obligation to subscribe. I got Country Living for my mom for $7 a year. I think Teen Vogue (a must-read in my household, and I have to say, as teen magazines go, pretty palatable) is maybe $5 a year? I don't know exactly how to tell you to find the cheap magazines, but if you search for magazines, and you find Country Living, there's an option that lets you look at all the magazines that are offering deals. Some of them are a little weird, but there are definitely some good ones.

I'm going to see if I can get a straw past the cork in the wine bottle. Wish me luck.

Comments

[Vintage Whimsy]

Sorry you're having such a crappy day! I hope you can find a really long straw and that tomorrow is a better day!!

[Peggy]

Hang in there it has to get better.. right?
As crazy as the college prep stuff is it all does get done and they do finally go away! My daughter is in her first year of college and although I miss her (sometimes) I am really enjoying the peace and quiet. They do come back and still want your money but hopefully the college education will take care of that someday. Wouldn't life be boring with out kids and other people and all the stupid little things that go wrong?
Peggy
http://pegslifeinthebuttonjar.blogspot.com/

[Robin~Thrifty Miss Priss]

Having the kids leave the nest is really a flurry of emotions...you look forward to it....but there is sometimes that little ache that is there.....we have one left to go.....and I'll check out that Teen Vogue for her!
By the way....it's always entertaining to stop by here....love your sense of humor! I'm not a wine drinker (but give me a cold beer) but I can really relate! I always seem to drop one bottle of beer on the way in from the car.....smashed all over the sidewalk...almost every time....hmmmmm maybe I should stop running!

[Linda B]

Everyone has a day like that. Just hang it there, it's always better the next day.

I order from Zappos all the time, talk about good customer service! They are wonderful if you have to return anything - no hassles, no questions....

[julie thompson]

I ordered my daughter's school shoes from Zappos this year and also had my shipping upgraded. Before I knew what happened, there was a FedEx guy at my door with a box of shoes. Now I am completely and blindly dedicated to them. Thanks for the note flat order...they'll be there quick!

[Sarah]

LOLOLOL Some days I think to myself..."gee, only 14 years until he moves out!"

[Crystal]

Hope you're having a better day today! (I did laugh out loud about the screw top wine, and lighting the little snowmen on fire. Well that was sort of nervous laughter.) :)

[Alli]

Oh, I LOVE Zappos! I've been buying from them for years, and as far as I can tell, shipping is always upgraded. You can also exchange shoes for a different size for absolutely no charge - amazing for an online store.

I hope today goes a bit better (and that you were able to get to that wine!).

[Michele]

You crack me up! Ya know, even when they move out, they still come back and bring dirty laundry for me to wash..nice huh!

I love Zappos..I've only ordered a couple of things, but they're great!

Hugz,
Michele

[Holly]

Oh, No! Please don't light the snowman! Things will get better, I promise!

:>

[susan]

Thanks for the laugh! I hope you are having a better day today. I love your gift ideas too, I've heard of Zappos but never been to the site, I'll have to check it out. I use to work for JCPenney's all through college and people were never happy that you had to go get in line again to get the boxes!

[LiLi M.]

ooh what a day! I do hope that you can think "well I can blog about that' while you are in the middle of annoyance (is this an english word?).

[Tina in Duluth]

I love this post and it gave me a good laugh. I can relate to the kid drama. I was having a crummy day, too and if I had a match with a long enough stick, I would have lit those snowmen myself. hahaha

Feeling better now, though! I hope you are, too.

[Lena]

Oh gosh, between your post above about the hand warmers and this one, I'd say you are due for some really lovely days. I love your little snowmen, espcially the one that is tipping his hat. He certainly has brightened my day!

Love your little chickadee post too!

[Lena]

Oh gosh, between this post, and the one up above about the hand warmers catching fire, I'd say that you are due for some really lovely days. I love your snowmen, espcially the one tipping his hat. He's certainly put a smile on my face!

P.S. I love your litte chickadee post too. So glad that all turned out well for him.

[susan]

oh you poor thing, im glad you didnt light the snowmen. :o)
heres hoping you got the straw in the bottle with little cork in your mouth!