Shopping find...

The Mr. is off spending a stupid amount of money on a Kindle Fire (he has a regular Kindle) instead of saving that money for hospital bills.  It makes me mad when he does this sort of thing.  I feel guilty for spending $50 of my Christmas money, but he runs off to spend $250.  I told him to put it away for an emergency or to buy something in a few months, but he doesn't listen. 

 

While I was out returning gifts, I went into Luxor (the inexpensive vintage shop) & found a gingham dress for $20.



Mostly likely handmade.

It was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but it was in good condition & in a large size.  The tag dated it between '53 & '59.  I've been on a gingham kick, so I decided to treat myself.

 

Pocket & seam that needs to be fixed.

 

It's a tad tight in the chest, so I will have to wear a tank top under it.  I had one on when I was out and it worked well.  My chest is ridiculous & now that I'm losing weight, my waist is getting smaller.  I rarely find anything made to my measurements & I have to take a lot of things in for the waist & hips.  I was happy to pick something up that I didn't have to take in. 

 

 

The only change I may make is to remove the ric-rac because it seems childish to me.  My mom put it on all of the clothes she made me until I was 6.  It just doesn't work for me 30 years later.  I'm worried about what the material looks like under it, so I may have to add some trim over that area.  I'll have to see.

 

Hair anxiety

I have a weird phobia about getting my hair cut & haven't had it hair cut in at least a year & a half.  Too many bad hair cuts or stylists that don't seem to listen.  Something needs to be done soon because it looks terrible.

I would like to do something different because I've had a bob for years, but I'm not sure what.  Perhaps the midi?  Something with choppy layers?  My hair has grown to between my shoulders.  I should be able to keep some length on it, but I started growing out my punk rock undercut so I'd have more hair to do things with.  The undercut almost came back this Summer because the heat is terrible here (Virginia). 

The bob is nice & easy.  I don't really have to do anything to it.  I can't spend a lot of time styling my hair because of the way I have to hold my arms (they dislocate).  Short hair is easier to deal with, but I don't feel like I can do as much with it.  I could still do my victory rolls (or roll since one side doesn't like to cooperate) with a longer bob though.   



The faces are covered because I don't remember where I found these pictures.

The hair debate has been going on for months now.  I've looked through books, magazines & online for something that stands out to me.  The styles I love have blunt bangs & I have a bad cowlick.  No fringe for me unless it clips in. 

I went to Bygones today to purchase a few things with my Christmas money & to exchange the lipstick.  They were sold out of the the main thing I wanted, but they did have this: 



They also carry the make-up guide.

I've been meaning to pick this up for a long time, but kept putting it off (or was broke).  I've been looking through it all evening thinking of things to do to my hair. 

Will I finally drag myself to the salon?  I keep trying to make myself call to make an appointment, but I have phone anxiety too.  I have to push past the anxiety.  I admit it's a stupid anxiety trigger, but that's the nature of anxiety disorder.  Maybe if I make the appointment, I'll figure out the rest. 

Holiday rant

I vanished again for a bit.  December is a bad month for me.  This one included another hospital stay.  Another huge bill!  Just what we needed!  It could have been avoided if the doctor has forced the issue with the insurance & tried to fix the problem before it got that bad.  Insurance dictates that one must get certain medications & wait for a certain amount of time before proceeding to a more aggressive treatment even when you have an underlying condition that makes it obvious that this is something much worse than what they think. 

 

Because of that mess & having to take care of everyone making little time to take care of myself, I haven't gotten out much.  I told my family I couldn't afford to buy them anything & the were OK with it, but I did manage to scrape up some extra money to get each of them something.  It wasn't much.  I try really hard to find things that are useful or that I know they want.  My BIL doesn't have any sort of wish list, but I found something perfect for him.  He didn't even know it existed & was super excited about it. 

 

I've always felt that if you're going to buy things for people, make sure it's something useful or something THEY like, not just what you want to buy because you forgot about that person until Christmas Eve and ran out and grabbed whatever happens to be next to the register. 

 

This is how my mother in law (MIL) shops for me.  She called the Mr. Friday morning to tell him she forgot to get me anything.  This was fine with me because I wasn't going to her house this year to be verbally abused & insulted under the guise of "Southern hospitality."  My husband told her I didn't want anything.  She insisted she HAD to get me something so he suggested a gift card to a book store or vintage shop.  She hates gift cards & he kept telling her I preferred them.  He finally gave in & gave her a few book titles & that I wanted a particular color Besame lipstick at the vintage store. 

 

Pretty easy, right? 

 

Nothing...super easy, continue what were you doing anyway & I'm not frustrated over stupidity. 

 

Gift card...walk in, hand them money, they hand you card/certificate & the recipient gets to pick out what they want. 

 

Insisting on purchasing something physical & getting a list, then getting the wrong things, some of which cannot be returned = recipient unhappy, plus you wasted money. 

 

She went to the vintage shop & grabbed 2 tubes of random lipstick (they were both the same color that doesn't work for me) & a metal case that was next to the lipstick.  She didn't look at it.  I don't think I can exchange the lipsticks.  I need to return the case as well.  The button to open it is too hard for me to open, but that shouldn't be a problem to exchange. 

 

What really bothers me is the waste of money (about $80 this time).  She always cries about not having money & you can see why. 

 

The situation is confusing to me.  Every year she throws away $80 - $100 buying junk for me (she spends just as much on her other in-laws, but things they asked for).  She grabs things out of clearance bins & gift displays at the drug store.  She's not buying things FOR me.  She's grabbing random things to make herself feel better.  Wouldn't she feel better if she got me something I liked?  Isn't the point of giving a gift to make the recipient happy?  There is no thought here, so that doesn't count.  I used to tell myself that in the early years.

 

It always makes me sound like a spoiled brat, but to me it's a slap in the face.  I'm not hard to buy for.  I'm happy with nothing or just being treated like a human being.  That would be nice...

Ava Gardner Museum, Smithfield, North Carolina

This time my road trip was a success!  My friends & I had a great time.  The Ava Gardner Museum is in Smithfield, NC.  I normally have problems when I go to North Carolina.  The drivers are terrible and there is always one person that yells at me for bizarre reasons.  I even got a free milkshake at a 50's diner style McDonald's even though it came with obsessive staring. 

 

 

It was ridiculously hot down there.  Temperatures were in the 80s.  Gross. 

 

 

The museum is really nice.  It seems small at first, but there is a lot of stuff packed in.  We watched a 20 minute video before we looked around.  The woman working there gave us a little bit of info before the video, but seemed too busy to chat.  The video room has three paintings by a fan of Ava's, but there are more in the library.  There is also an original chalk/pastel piece from The Barefoot Contessa film.  The portraits are very well done.  The woman told us that the artist (Bert Pfeiffer) was a bit crazy, but we read he suffered from Porphyria.  That will make you crazy. 

 

 

They have a nice selection of movie posters, personal items & clothing from various movies.  The highlight for us was the Bert Pfeiffer paintings.  

 

 

The costumes are nice too, but you end up jealous of her 18" waist.  We stood in front of the black dress from The Great Sinner trying to figure out when our waists were even close to 18". 

 

 

We picked up a few things in the gift shop.  They have a nice selection there, too.  Sweatshirts are $20 & they come in different colors.  I liked the design on the sweatshirts better than the t-shirts, but they didn't have the color I wanted in my size, so I got the t-shirt.  They don't have women's cut, so I'm going to alter it.  I wanted to pick up a poster for my room, but couldn't decide.  They sell most posters framed for a few dollars more (in store, not online).  I might be going back in a few months when my cousin is in town, so I can get one then.  

 

The weird thing they sell is moonshine jelly.  We bought a jar, but were a little afraid of it.  We haven't tried it yet.

 

We dropped our purchases off at the car & decided to walk around Smithfield.  We were thirsty, but the diner and bistro were closed.  There was a coffee shop, but that seemed like it was closed as well.  We did see the movie theater that Ava and her mother used to go to and found a second-hand clothing store.  We didn't have any luck there, but we weren't looking very hard because we wanted something to drink. 

 

 

For some reason, Smithfield has 5 law offices and 3 bail bond offices.  The town is 3 blocks long (the downtown area).  We found 2 hat stores, too.  There are outlets and chain restaurants right next to I-95, but we were hoping for some antique stores & cafes. 

 

The cemetery where Ava and her family are buried is right outside of the town, so we went to visit. 

 

 

One of my friends is a huge fan of outlets, so we headed there next.  The layout of the outlets makes it hard to shop, at least for those of us that can't walk very far.  We went into a few, but left empty handed.  Outlets used to have great deals, but those days are long gone. 

 

After dinner, we headed back to Virginia.  We had a great time & I recommend the Ava Gardner Museum even if you're just a casual fan.  It's right off I-95 & you can always use a break from driving. 

eBay purchases

My "vintage" gingham shirt showed up the other day.  It's in great shape, but I don't really think it's "vintage."  I probably overpaid, but nothing to be done about that now.  It fits really well & it's comfortable.  My friend saw it when we went out to dinner & loved it. 

 

 

I did win the tie on eBay for $1.  The seller had it dated as 1880, which it was not, the company was founded in the 1880's.  I was feeling bad yesterday, so I decided to figure out the date of the tie as a distraction. 

 

  

The design & width reminded me of the 40's.  I've seen similar ties in old family photos.  I knew it wasn't that old because of the tag & it seemed like it was too long. 

 

 

After a tiny bit of digging, I found out that this is probably from the 60's & during that time, they reused several designs from the 30's - 50's.  I did find some online vintage shops selling ties labeled as 40's ties that were the same length & width, but the tag is definitely newer than that.  I couldn't find any info on the Gainsborough line by Superba.  It's still a cute tie & it will work for the outfit I want it for.  Now I just have to figure out how to tie it properly.  I can never get ties knotted correctly. 

My hats...

I collect vintage hats.  I have several more, but they've gone missing.  I'm worried that my ex threw them out.  One belonged to my great aunt & I have a photo of her wearing it.  I'm hoping I find them when I finish going through our store room boxes. 

 

I'm not sure of the dates on most of these.  Most of them are black.  I've been on the lookout for a nice green or blue hat.  The stand they're on was made by my father.  He was going to make me more, but never got around to it. 

 

I picked this one up in Northern VA.  There used to be a flea market/boot sale that was set up in a parking deck one Saturday a month.  This hat is Navy blue, but looks black in most light.  It's a small beret style with a ribbon bow.  Sometimes I put the bow in the front, but I mostly wear it in the back.  I don't wear this one often because it doesn't stay on well & I don't really have any Navy. 



$4

This is the cloche I picked up at Target last year.  The first time I saw it, I passed on it.  I went in a few weeks later & they still had it, so I tried it on and it was cute.  I didn't get to wear it for months because I got it at the beginning of Summer and it's way too hot here for most hats (90+ degrees every day).  

$10

This was an eBay purchase from earlier this year.  The seller said it was from the 50's, but that doesn't seem right to me.  I've only worn it a few times because it seems a little dressier & I rarely get the chance to dress up. 


$10

Another recent eBay purchase.  No date was given on this one, but I think this is definitely a 50's hat.  It came from Lazarus department stores in Ohio.  The netting on this was in bad shape, so I took it off.  I'm not a fan of netting anyway.  This is my current favorite.  

$8

This was a gift.  I've never worn it.  I'm pretty sure it came from Hot Topic since the construction is pretty bad & the rest of the crap I got from this person was from there (it really was crap).  I've been looking for something to add to it to make it wearable.


Gift

I've had this hat since high school.  The netting was destroyed by one of my pups and I haven't taken it off yet because I rarely wear this hat.  It just doesn't look right on me, but I've had it for so long, I can't get rid of it.  It used to have a tag, but it fell off long ago.  The union tag is still attached though. 


$2

Once I find the rest of my hats, I will post them.  Two of the ones I used to wear constantly are missing and I'm determined to find them.

The Hopwood Motel

I've been meaning to post a review about the Hopwood Motel in Uniontown, PA.  This is where I stayed when I tried to go home last month. 

 

 

I was going to stay at the Lincoln Motor Court in Manns Choice, PA, but it ended up being too far out of the way.  The Hopwood was much closer to the places I planned on visiting & they had wifi.  They also have smoking rooms, which is becoming a rarity anymore. 

 

When I made the reservation, I originally wanted to stay there for 2 nights.  The woman I spoke with was very nice & asked what time I would arrive.  The office closes at 9, so she told me she'd leave the key under the mat & I could register the next morning.  The friend that rode with me thought this was hilarious and swore I'd be sleeping in my car that night.  I tried to explain the small town quality of the Pittsburgh area, but he didn't get it (the city we live in is not a nice place and this is unheard of here).  The key was there & my name was spelled correctly on the envelope.  I dropped the friend off & came back. 

 

I had a smoking room, which doesn't bother me since I have the occasional cigarette.  It was pretty smokey though.  The small window in the bathroom had been left open, but it didn't air it out very much.  Since I was going to a family event the next day, I worried about smelling like smoke.  I opened the front window a bit and the door & it aired out quickly.



Table & TV.  The vanity/dresser is between the TV & door.

The motel is located just outside of downtown Uniontown and the area was blissfully quiet.  The wifi worked better than I expected so I was able to check my email.  The rooms have a small TV, table & chairs, dresser with vanity mirror, queen sized bed, microwave & a mini fridge.  The mattress was decent, but not great though my back was fine on it.  Everything was clean, but definitely older.  I think the fact that it's a bit older & I had a smoking room made it feel a tad dingy, but I didn't mind.  I was surprised that the room was much bigger than I imagined.  

 

The bed.  Microwave & mini fridge are next to it by the bathroom.

The only noise I had to deal with was the housekeeping crew going into the shed, which was right behind my room.  I left the bathroom window open overnight & it sounded like someone was trying to get in at first.  My phone was going off at the same time and I think waking up like that was a tad confusing for me.  The staff wasn't really loud by any means.



The tiny bathroom window.

I hadn't been to Uniontown in many years & forgot about their little downtown area.  It hasn't changed much.  I was hoping to do a quick walking tour of it on Saturday, then check out the flea market on the way to my family event, but a few hours after I fell asleep, I got the call from the Mr. saying he was in the hospital.  I showered and spent an hour trying to get a hold of the friend that rode up with me while packing.  I rarely unpack at a hotel, but I spread out most of my train case contents on the vanity/dresser.
  

Another bathroom shot.  The shower stall (on the right) is not tile.

While waiting for the friend to meet me, I checked out.  I was worried that I'd have to pay an extra fee for cancelling, but the woman was very nice and I was only charged for the one night I was there ($68 including tax). 


Accredited sanitation!  This was on the bathroom door.

The next time I go home, I will definitely try to stay there again.  The Mr. is a hotel snob, so I don't know if he'd stay there or not.  I loved how quiet it was and that my room was a nice size.  It was also a really good price.  Chain hotels around Pittsburgh are usually $100+ a night & if you're on a tight budget, it's worth the extra drive to save the money. 

***If you're wondering why the photos seem a little dark, it's because I took them at night.  I didn't get the chance to retake them in the morning.

New outfit to try...

I spend most of the day watching TCM.  I love old comedies and noir films.  I can't stand most modern comedies, they're just not funny.  The last few I've seen have been mostly potty humor & how many times we can drop the f-bomb.  I'm a notorious potty mouth, so I'm not offended, but it always seems so forced & out of place in some of these movies. 

 

Today is Marie Dressler day.  Her 1931 film, Politics was on this afternoon, though I missed a chunk thanks to the Emergency Broadcast message.  Instead of the EBS tone, I got a bad pop song, then the tone, then another bad pop song.  

 

I don't really have the body to pull off 20's & early 30's clothes, but I saw one outfit I could probably get away with. 



The one on the far left

I do have a cloche hat that I picked up a Target last year for $9 or $10. 

  

With this skirt (it's loose on me & I should alter it).



This is supposed to be the olive green.  I have it in black.

I just found a cute tie on eBay & put a bid on it (it's at $1).  I thought I had a jacket, but I don't, so I'll call my fellow vintage loving friend and we can search for one next weekend.   

 

I've seen this outfit before and loved it.  I have an hourglass shape & ruled it out, but seeing it again, I'm going to give it a shot. 

Medical Update

First off, I have followers now!  Hello!  :D

 

Taking care of my Mr for 3-4 weeks really took it's toll on my broken body.  If you've ever had an extended stay at a hospital, you know that they're understaffed & the nurses work their asses off.  I stayed at the hospital the entire time he was there to help out.  I did leave a few times to run errands, but I wasn't gone long. 

 

The nurses were impressed with my abilities & kept trying to convince me to go to nursing school.  They were nice enough to bring me ice packs & tried to find a bed for me to sleep on instead of the chair.  One nurse panicked when she saw my bendy body slumped in the chair.  I woke up to her trying to prop my head up with some pillows.  They were also nice enough to get my shoulder back into place when it dislocated. 

 

I had a doctors appointment the day after he was released and they said I was in terrible shape.  I have higher doses of medication for a few months until things settle down.  So far the list of damage is:

 

Torn Achilles tendon

Torn plantar fascia (tendon on the bottom of the foot)

Almost herniated another disc (saved by 24 hour Walgreens having a back brace)

Severe ankle swelling that still hasn't gone down

Dislocated shoulder (it was put back in, but it still sore and keeps slipping out)

Subluxed both hips

Four dislocated ribs

Both knees are shot (esp. the one that was just fixed)

Neck is now is worse shape

 

I've had to do so much more than I should.  The Mr is on a super healthy diet, so I have to cook until he's recovered enough to do it himself.  Since I'm cooking more, there are more dishes to clean.  I have a stool I can sit on in the kitchen, but it's a bit short & it's hard to move around.  I've tried to find one with wheels, but haven't had much luck. 

 

The thing that is giving me the most trouble is food shopping.  I usually just have to pick up a few things at the store.  Now I have to get everything (on my limited income), get it in the car, into the house & put away.  Once I get that taken care of, I pass out on the couch. 

 

I'm exhausted.  I feel terrible & I haven't done the dishes in a few days.  The Mr has gotten so used to being waited on & keeps asking me to get him things that he's capable of getting himself.  He's not ready to clean or help out, but he can get his own drinks.  He needs to move around anyway. 

 

He's going back to work this week, so I'm hoping I'll recover faster since I won't have to cook 3 meals for him.  I really need rest.  It's good for me to move about, but this has been too much.  I feel like I could sleep for a month.

 

I do have something fun planned for next week.  Two of my friends are taking me on a road trip.  I know it's going to wear me out, but I need to do something fun.  We planned to go months ago, but postponed it.  Now that it's cool outside, I think it will be a more enjoyable trip.  We'll be going to the Ava Gardner Museum & I will post a full report when we get back.  I haven't been to the "new" location, so I'm excited.

"Vintage" for the gimpy

When you're limited by a handicap, it effects everything, including what you wear.  You really have to think about what you're going to be doing that day & what you might need. 

 

Do I need a wheelchair or can I just use the cane?

(wheelchairs & underskirts or gloves are a no-no)

 

What kind of floors do they have?

 

How long will this take?

 

How bad am I feeling?

 

Can I get everything done on my list?

 

I have to wear several braces (wrists, knees, ankles & back).  Because the braces use hook & loop straps, they snag things like tights/stockings, crinolines & light materials.  They also stick to each other & I'm always getting my wrist braces stuck to my knee braces, providing endless amusement to my friends.

  

I do the sweater girl thing. Usually with a pencil/tulip skirt, capris or jeans.  It's fast, easy & comfortable.   Vintage sweaters are hard to find, so I try to find modern ones that are similar, then I add appliques or modify them a bit.  Target usually has pretty good, plain sweaters.  Bettie Page Clothing has just released some cute sweaters, but sadly, they're out of my price range right now.  I rarely have any luck at the local thrift stores.  They tend to be more expensive than Target, NY & Co, JC Penny or Walmart.

 

When I shop for vintage items, I have to make sure I'm not getting something with tiny buttons or zippers that I can't work.  If it has one of those things, can I do anything to change it without destroying it?  How easy is it to get on & off?  I do have a zipper pull & button tool, but it doesn't always work with vintage items.  I wear a lot of reproduction items or new items that I've altered.  I can't really say I'm a hardcore vintage girl, though I used to be & still try to be. 

 

A few years ago, one of my friends worked for a large thrift store & would give me a heads up when the good stuff showed up.  She wasn't allowed to hold anything, but I could sneak over on my lunch break.  Unfortunately, due to my injuries & inactivity, I've outgrown almost everything I bought then. 

 

A huge problem I have is I have very long legs and a very short torso (my waist is really high up).  It's common with Ehlers Danlos & Hypermobility.  I can't really buy dresses because they don't fit well.  If I do, I have to alter them, but larger vintage sizes are hard enough to find.  It's a lot of work when you already have limited energy.  I did manage to alter one of my dresses last night.  It has been in the "alterations" pile for months.  One of my "things to do" while unemployed was to get through that pile.  I've altered a whopping three items since March.  Sad.  Just sad.  Why not take them to be altered?  I've had terrible luck with that & it costs money.  The last time I had something altered, the woman couldn't wrap her head around my height and made my skirt 4" too short. 

 

This is what I tend to wear on a fairly regular basis:

 

 

The braces should be in pairs (except for the back brace, obviously).  I don't have the striped top, but I do have that skirt.  It has a cute pleat on the back that makes it a little more interesting than a plain one.  The wedges aren't really retro, but they are comfortable & I have them in that plaid & black.  I have to wear a slight heel when my Achilles tendon is acting up.  I also have a few pairs of Iron Fist flats since I have a psychobilly tendency at times (when I'm feeling more punky). 

 

Vintage shoes are hard for me to wear.  I'm supposed to wear corrective shoes, but rarely do.  I have to add heel cups & arch supports & they don't always fit well.  The bones in my feet dislocate on a regular basis, so I have to be careful about the shoes I buy.  Swing shoes are great if you get the resoled.  They are pricey though (especially with resoling).  High heels are a huge no-no.  My ankles dislocated in any heel over 3". 

 

Money is always an issue.  I spend most of it on doctors, so I rarely have anything leftover for clothes.  My wardrobe has gotten rather sad in the last few years.  If I can lose weight, I'll be able to fit into most of my vintage clothes again. 

 

Hair usually ends up in some sort of pony tail or bandanna.  I can't spend much time on hair because my arms dislocate.  This is where hats come in, though sometimes I'll skip the hat if I don't want to attract too much attention. 

 

Since this has gotten way too long, here's one more "typical outfit" picture:

 

 

Stressed Polska...

Well, my trip home didn't pan out.  I got a call a few hours after I got to my hotel, "You're husband is in the hospital & it doesn't look good."  He's fine now, but I'm exhausted & in bad physical shape.  It's hard taking care of someone when you're sick.  

 

I had be so good about watching my spending, but being under so much stress caused me to go on a small spending spree:

 

2 (one blue, one yellow) $15 each Etsy seller Suzy from the CRAVE yard



Secrets in Lace Vibrant Bullet Bra $20.40



Cherry hair clip from My Baby Jo $6 (I also got pads for the bra)



Mode Merr peasant top in black gingham $33 before coupon

 

Blue Topaz (Dec. birthstone) ring for $4 on eBay



Figgjo Mirror from IKEA $20

 I also have one auction going on eBay, so it might be another $25 & I ordered $40 worth of medical supplies.  I've also had to spend more on food & cooking supplies since the Mr is on a special diet because he almost died (not exaggerating at ALL).

 

While lamenting my irresponsibility at the doctor's office the other day, one of the nurses had a good point.  I spent 3 weeks at wits end, dressed in pajamas to try to stay comfortable while cleaning up someone else's blood & phlegm.  (Ew, I know, sorry!)  I need to feel cute again. Plus there's the ever present issue of my horrible self-esteem.  I'm still getting unemployment and have gone with out a lot of things for a long time.  I didn't really spend THAT much. 

 

Should I have spent that much money with a huge hospital bill coming up?  Probably not. 

 

Was it a help to my terrible self-esteem?  Yes.  I've gotten a ton of compliments on the top & my hair.  The bra is sooo comfortable that as soon as I have more funds, I will order another one. 

Retro Roadtrip

I kind of vanished for a bit.  I've been dealing with depression again & I've turned into a hermit, so there's not much to write about.  We did have an earthquake & hurricane within days of each other.  One of my dogs almost died & that triggered the depression.  While my friends were having their hurricane parties, I was busy trying to nurse my dog back to health.  He's fine now, but we spent a lot of money at the vet & money is really tight. 

 

My doctor keeps telling me I need to get out of town for a bit & my mom reminded me that we're having a family get together in a few weeks.  The Mr is working, so I'm taking the opportunity to go home.  Is it stupid for me to spend the money?  Probably.  I really, really need to go home though.  

 

The problem is my mother wants me to ride with her and stay with my aunt.  Six hours in a car, then countless hours of sitting with those two will not be relaxing.  Both deny that there is anything wrong with me and can't understand why I can't find a job. 

 

Being the mature person I am, I have lied to them & said I will be staying with a friend.  It may not really be a lie, but I haven't confirmed it with my friend.  If I can't stay with her, I will stay in a motel. If I tell my mom I'm spending money on a hotel, she'll flip.  She's already upset that I'm driving separately, but if I ride with her, I won't have a car and I'll be trapped.  There are things I want to do while I'm up there & I don't feel like dragging her along or begging to borrow a car.

 

My plan is to go up, do the family thing for a day, then the next day, go and have fun with or without the previously mentioned friend.  The Mr doesn't understand how I could possibly make the drive by myself, but I'm looking forward to it.  I can stop when I want & visit stupid road side attractions/shops without him whining.  What I'm looking forward to the most is staying in one of the little roadside motels on Rt. 30.  The Mr is a hotel snob.  His father spends stupid amounts of money to stay in hotels based on their name and alleged fanciness, so he's spoiled & is weird about where we stay.  As long as my room is clean, I don't care. 

 

When I was little, my family stayed at numerous little roadside motels.  Most are run by couples and can be as cheap as $30 a night.  Yes, there are some scary ones out there (esp. closer to larger cities), but the worst experience I've had was finding a giant hairball in a towel.  The towel was clean, but the manager brought new towels & checked each of them in front of us, then discounted our room. 

 

Route 30 in (Lincoln Highway) has a ton of little motels like this.  My favorites are the ones that look like tiny cottages.  You also drive through neat little towns & can find cool stuff in the shops.  It does take longer to get to Pittsburgh, especially because I ALWAYS get stuck behind an Amish buggy.

 

I've always wanted to stay at the Grand View Point Hotel.  My grandparents used to stay there when they'd go on weekend getaways (I have a photo of them posing in front of it in the 30's).  It burned down in 2001.  As you can see, it's a river boat on the side of a mountain. 

 

 

 There is another one in Lancaster (Fulton Steamboat Inn), but that is too far out of my way.

 

I'm going through Retro Roadmap to see what places are still there, but they tend to road trip on the Eastern side of the state.  I do like to have some sort of plan in place.  Hopefully I'll have an interesting update to post when I get back.

Goodies...

I had a few things I was going to post about, but they came out whiny.  I was hoping to have some energy back after a few weeks of the super vitamins, but so far, no real change. 

 

Also, still no luck on the job front & unemployment runs out next month.  I contacted a job firm that specializes in placing handicapped people, but they haven't contacted me back. 

 

One of my friends, who is also unemployed, and I decided that we'd hang out every few weeks to keep ourselves sane.  This week we went to two antique malls I haven't been to.  The first one had a lot more crafts than antiques, but the prices were much better.  I found this tiki ashtray in the clearance section:



$5

It's heavy.  I'd like to use it for earrings or something like that, but there's no room in my bathroom. 

 

The second "mall" was expensive & they have a focus on furniture.  I did find this little dog: 



$2

He has joined my flamingo & dachshund on my dresser. 

 

I was trying to be good, but I'm tempted to go back for this pitcher/glasses set:

 

I really wanted this clock radio, too:



$35

I just can't justify spending the money though. 

 

Our weird find of the day was this anatomy picture:

 

 

My friend was creeped out by it, but she doesn't spend as much time in doctors offices.  It is kind of creepy.  I wouldn't want to wander through my house, half-asleep, & see it.  I can see myself shooting it or smashing it with the closest blunt object. 

 

About half-way though the 2nd mall, I started to crash.  One booth had a really nice chair with zebra fabric, so I decided to "test" it.  My friend said it really fit me, so I looked at the price...$700!  Yikes!  We decided to head out and save the 2nd half for another day.  I was exhausted.  It was hot in both stores and that doesn't help me at all. 

 

I made it home & found two more goodies in the mail:

 



$2



Still had the tag on it



The colors are brighter in person



I've been wanting a hair tie from DollyCool for a while.  I was feeling bad one day last week and decided to treat myself. 

Tax-free laziness...

Two weekends a year, Virginia does tax free weekends on clothing.  In PA, we don't have sales tax on clothing or food (unless it's a restaurant). 

 

I forgot about the tax-free weekend until this afternoon.  I need something to wear for job interviews, not that I've had much luck on that front.  I want to make sure I have some to wear in my closet so I don't have to rush out to the mall to find something.  I hate the malls around here.  The people are even more horrible than they normally are & they're much worse during tax free weekend.  You'd think they were giving things away for free. 

 

Fortunately, it applies to online shopping for stores in VA so I can watch an "I Love Lucy" marathon while shopping.

 

I settled on this dress:



$35 (I have a better belt for it)

I've had good luck finding inexpensive dresses with a retro feel at JC Penney.  I got a dress for the office Christmas party there for $10.  It's a dress I could easily dress down for an interview, but it's heavy and is much too hot to wear when it's 100 degrees outside.  

 

They had a few pairs of shoes that were cute, but out of my price range.  I have a pair of Mary Janes that I can wear.  

 

I decided I'm going to wear a cardigan instead of a jacket.  I never wear them and it's a waste of money.  It's kind of a gamble, but I think I can look just as nice with a quality cardigan.  I'll see what it looks like when I pick up the dress. 

 

One thing that really irritates me about JCP's online ordering is they charge you to ship to the store.  It was only a dollar cheaper than shipping to my house, too.  Most stores will ship to their own stores for free.  It's stupid to charge $6 to have something sent to the store when you're already sending shipments to your stores.  I wouldn't have ordered the dress if I hadn't found a coupon for free site to store shipping.  If they'd offer that all of the time, it would bring people to the store where they might find other things to buy. 

I need to get out more...

I woke up this afternoon feeling like a monster truck had snuck into my room and ran me over a few times.  I took my meds and waited for them to kick in and debated whether or not I should tell our friends not to come over. 

This is one of the biggest issues with having major medical problems.  You want to be social, but you have zero energy and feel like crap.  You end up losing most of your friends.  The few friends I have left are very understanding & helpful.  I'm not the sort of person that asks for help often, but they will go all out to help. 

The need for human contact won out, so I showered and managed to pull on jeans and a t-shirt.  I was still dragging, but a few minutes after they got here, I got kind of hyper and started rambling at them.  I'm normally pretty laid back & kind of quiet, but no one could shut me up.  I just kept going until I realized everyone was looking at me with a surprised expression. 

I need to get out more...The Mr doesn't really listen to me since I mostly ramble on about the movies I saw on TCM that day.  I try to talk about news stories, but he just sits there reading his Kindle.  If I talk about a really weird news story, he'll listen. 

Rambling excitedly & waving my hands around for a long time wore me out.  As soon as they left, I felt terrible & my managed to hurt my shoulder. 

Brilliant!

Now I'm "recovering" by watching a bad horror movie & planning a road trip.  I'm hoping once I get some energy back I can do something fun that gets me out of town for a bit.   

Yet another doctor visit...

 I got my lab results back & was good and went through with the physical, even though I really didn't want to.

 

So far I have almost no vitamin D & too much cholesterol.  I have to take a super vitamin & I was given a cholesterol med (that scares me a little).  Vitamin D helps process cholesterol and since I don't have any, it makes sense that the cholesterol is high to everyone except for this doctor. 

 

The doctor also kind of called me fat & is putting me on a special diet.  Well, she THINKS she is... 

 

I know I won't stick to it because she wants me to only eat fish & veggies.  Not much variety there & she told me NO pizza, bread, cheese or meat.  Really?  People do better on diets when they have variety.  I will try to mix in more fish & veggies, but I'm miserable enough without having what I can eat severely limited.  I could see these drastic measures if my weight were much, much higher & if I had a heart attack.  I know it's preventative, but I would be more likely to follow it if I were still "allowed" things I enjoy.

 

She's also told me I MUST join a gym.  With what money???  I told her I do what I can, but I'm still limited while my knee heals.  Once that heals, I'm still limited in what I can do because of the EDS.  The light exercises I do are not designed for weight loss.  My other doctors understand this. 

 

She's a bit overzealous about being healthy.  Eating fish & veggies every day may be great for her, but not for someone like me.  I love bread, pizza, cheese fries, fried food, steak & burgers.  Do I eat them every day?  No.  OK, I do have bread daily because sammiches are easy to make and cheap.  Moderation is a better way to go.  People don't stick with things that make them miserable. 

 

I do have to say she's very thorough in her physicals.  She analysed every mole I have and decided some need to go.  Now I have to go back next week for that.  Even more $ out of my pocket.  

 

It is nice having someone that is concerned for their patients, but I felt really down when I left the office.  I ran an errand and came home to mope until I can come up with a better plan.