Target and Other Thoughts

Yikes-I know...no posts since before Thanksgiving! Believe me, it's not because there is nothing going on here. In fact, it's because there is too much! lol!

So I received this Target add in my email. It features gifts for men, women and children.

Gifts for Women: A Gilligan & O'Malley Robe for $14.99; and a Turtleneck Sweater for $24.99.

Gifts for Men: A $179.99 Camcorder and Leather Jackets ranging from $99.99 to $109.99.

Gifts for Kids. Because they've been EXTRA GOOD this year. One of these is the Exercauser Triple Fun Activity Center for $119.99


Now...these are my thoughts on the matter:


How come the gifts that are featured on this Target add for women are a $15 robe and a $25 dollar sweater, and the featured gifts for men are a $180 camcorder and a $100+ leather jacket???

Hmmm...ever think I'd like a bigger lens for my Nikon (although I know they don't have those at Target), or a new and bigger TV that shows all of the colors equally and not just focus on red??? How about that Zune? I want one of those, too! And while you're at it, add that camcorder to my list, too. That Kodak 12 mp camera for $250 would be really cool if it really worked, but, I am having serious reservations at the ability of it actually being a 12mp camera-Point and Shoot, no less.

Seriously-men take one look at that add and go, "Hey! There's a Target 2 miles from here and I'm in and out and done for fifteen bucks. And look how happy she will be in that big bulky robe! Woot!"** Shit. Might at well throw in some pots and pans or a vacuum or crock pot or something. And the baby gift is some big noisy thing that would drive any adult over the edge! Then they wonder why their wives are mad at them all the time.

I think my favorite part of the add is this quote: "Gifts for kids. Because they've been extra-good this year." I think Santa has turned a blind eye to this house. You know they (the kids themselves) know they are in trouble when, while standing in line to see Santa last Sunday and they are hearing all the things about how Santa watches you all year and knows if you've been bad or good, and Claire leans over and you can hear the desperate whispering in your ear, "Ummm, Can Santa read your mind, too?" (Just might be time to bring this one in for confession! I think it would be very beneficial to her soul to let her skip a few grades!)

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In other news, because I ALWAYS love to learn new words and their definitions-seriously. I love dictionaries!

**The word "Woot" has just been chosen by Meriam-Webster as the new "Word of the Year" for 2007! I just learned that this morning, and I'm already using it in a sentence. To be totally honest to the point that some people may think I'm a freak, the word "woot" has been in the pop-culture for years now, and I'm not so sure that it's timeworthy of 2007. Maybe something more like 2001. Personally, I think a more appropriate word would have been something like 'selflessness' or 'charity' or 'coexist', even 'sympathetic'...something to remind people that it's not ALL ABOUT THEM. Like it or not, we live with millions of other people, and the things I am trying to accomplish are as important to me as they things others are trying to accomplish. Take "Little Driving Man Talking on Cell Phone" this morning...just because you are dressed more nicely (and talking on your cell phone) than the woman wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt who had just dropped of one of her children and her child's friend at school, does not make you more important than she or anyone else at the intersection where you blew through the STOP sign, and would have caused an accident if the other driver hadn't been paying as much attention. Get a sense of equality, will you?

Not to even mention doing good things for others, no matter how small. *Totally not to brag on myself here, but...* I was in line to check out at Target last week, with a basketfull of who knows what. I just know it was A LOT! A man walked up behind me with a package of diapers and a couple of other baby type things. I knew it was going to take me a long time to check out, and he could be in and out in about 2 minutes so, I told him to go ahead and get in front of me and check out first. He looked incredulous and asked if I was sure. I said of course...I'm gonna be here a while, you go ahead. He was very grateful and said thank-you several times, THEN he told me that his wife had just had a baby and they were on their way home from the hospital and had to stop for a couple of things...he ran in to get them while his wife and the baby waited in the car. The moral of this story is: do something nice for someone at least once a day, because sometimes you get incredible stories like this one! So totally worth the extra few seconds of waiting! And just from my own personal experience, I know how extremely grateful any woman trying to get in a doorway with a stroller will be if you will hold the door open for her!

My mom always told me to live by The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I still try to live every day like that (sometimes I lose my temper, yes; I won't say I'm perfect!). But, living that way makes life that much easier for everyone, and sweeter, too. And it will all come back around to you!

A funny thing happened on the way to Target...

You really aren't out of money if you still have checks!

So, way back during the first week of January, I had to go to Target. So I'm saying to Steven, "I need the checks. Where are the checks?", and he motioned and mumbled like he always does, and I never understand but pretend I do. (If a doctor's talking was like his handwriting, that's what it sounds like.)

So I found a book of checks and grabbed it; Allison and I merrily on our way to Target, which is right next to World Market, and some other store was involved, but it's all blurry after that. Then we came home, and I haven't written a check since.

So the other day, Steven got something in the mail from our old bank in Houston...an account that has not been in use in over a year and a half, but was never completely closed. It had like 5 bucks in it or something. Anyway, SOMEONE had written some checks off that account all over San Antonio, they all bounced, we had accummulated a bit of debt with all the charges, and I've got the phone in my hand, ready to dial 911 ASAP because Steven was having a heart attack!

All I could understand with all the heavy breathing were words here and there..."Amoco" "checks" "$191.82!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "fees" "$75.00!!" "What" "the" "Fuck!" "Stolen identity" "Lawyer. We have lawyers for this." "FUCK!" "I can NEVER get things under control!" ...oh, and the pacing...I forgot to tell you about the pacing..."We're screwed!" "I'm gonna have to go to jail." "You think your Mom can help you with the kids?" "Holy Shit, Lauri! What am I gonna do?".

Of course, nothing I could say would help to calm him down at all. And all I knew was...It wasn't me! This was the one thing he couldn't blame me for, because I didn't even know that account still existed, much less that we actually had checks for it. And the fact that he would have them out in plain view for me to just grab and run off to Target or Barnes & Noble or anywhere??? No. Way.

I finally told him he had to stop or he was going to have a heart attack, and asked if that was what he really wanted? His response? "Your Dad! Can I talk to your Dad? He would know what to do!" So I get Dad on the phone, and guess what Dad told him...THE EXACT SAME EXACT THINGS I HAD EXACTLY BEEN TELLING HIM TO DO EXACTLY THE NEXT DAY, EXACTLY!!! But for some reason, this means nothing coming from ME, who was raised my Mr. Finance himself, and had been grilled and drilled daily for like 23 years or something. Ahhh...I remember our first Financial Meeting...Buras, LA...somewhere around 1972...mom was out for the night and dad didn't have any idea of what to do with me and Brian...so he taught us how bank accounts and checks and credit cards work. ;) Just kidding Dad...but, you and I both know it's true!

Steven did calm down a little at this point, but he just kept searching and searching for that checkbook. I was just glad I didn't have anything to do with it!

Steven: "I found the checkbook!"
Me: "Oh good."
Steven: "It was in the bottom of your backpack."
Me: *insert wide-eyed shocked face here* "Huh?"
Steven: "Yeah. You wrote these checks."
Me: "Oh good! Now you know someone didn't steal your identity!" *Big Smile Here*

Somehow, he didn't see the bright side in this; that it was me and not someone else.

Sometimes, he just has no sense of humor!

Anyway...we got it all worked out, and went and apologized and explained what happened to Target...for real...because I couldn't afford to be Blacklisted from there. And frankly, neither could they!

There's a new Target in town!

I thought you people were my friends...but no one even told me a Target was even being built here, much less already opened! I had to discover it all on my own. Well, Allison actually told me about it...and when she did, the first thing I did was load her up in the Jeep and go check it out! We may have actually been the first customers. Or at least there on the first day it opened, because these pictures were taken about 7:00pm, and I'm pretty sure we were the only people in the store besides the employees. Check out the parking lot and store front...






There is a big stone wall off to the right with a giant hole in it (yes, it was built that way on purpose) that Allison loves to climb through! lol!


Yeah, so I took these pictures right before Halloween and I'm only getting them up now...oh well. But...this is Gormet Candy Corn. Huh? I wonder if it actually tastes better than regular candy corn. I don't know, because I'm not willing to be the taste tester there.


As if the Gourmet Candy Corn wasn't bad enough, check out the Candy Corn Soda! Eeewww! That makes my stomach rebel just thinking about it! Allison bought some though, with her own money, because she thought it would be so wonderfully delicious. She wouldn't admit that it really was gross, but, I'm thinking she was glad it was only a 4-pack! lol!


For some reason, it's not technically a "Super" Target. Although, it does have a Starbucks and check out this "Aisle of Chocolate", aka, "The Chocolate Wall"! I heard the angels singing as I walked down this row. How can this NOT be a Super Target???