ANNOYED. REALLY ANNOYED

Yesterday I went shopping for some work clothes. Now that I am to work on a sound stage, in winter, I needed some extra things to accommodate that environment. Usually in winter I am bundled up to the eyeballs in layers and never get below the polar fleece jacket so it doesn't really matter what I am wearing underneath. Now it will be somewhat warmer on stage under all of the lights and I just didn't have any work appropriate shirts, and I needed some more of the pants I bought at Wal-Mart for $13 and LOVE. They are black knit legging sort of pants that are meant for exercising in but I think they look great with a long loose top. I have thin legs so it works for me. And they're uber comfortable.

I bought several of the exact same black t-shirt at Wal-Mart as well, as they have the low scoop neck and 3/4 sleeves that I like and were only $10 each. Then I went over to Winners to see if they had any nice vests to pair with the pants and t-shirts. I found one I liked but I also found a lovely grey top that looked great on me and is of a high quality jersey knit fabric. Long and a bit flowy it will look great with the legging pants. When I tried it on, the tag got caught somehow and came off. So when I took it to the cashier, I handed her the tag with an explanation. She took the tag and proceeded to reattach it with a tag gun. Not sure why as it was coming right back off as soon as I got home. She went to stick the needle part of the gun through the fabric. "OH! Please don't do that," I said, "it will make a hole and it will run." "I'm putting it through the seam. It'll be fine." She replied. She was young and obviously didn't know what she was talking about. "My experience has been that it will run. Please put it through the label." She totally ignored me and put it through the seam at the neckline. When I got it home and clipped the tag off, there was a hole. And when I tugged on it gently, it ran. I was so annoyed. Really annoyed. Before I gave my sewing machine and serger, and all the supplies to my daughter, I had a small bottle of 'Fray Check', which needs no explanation. I no longer have it so I took a bottle of clear nail polish and dotted it on the hole to keep it from running more. I'd take it back but this was the only one they had and I really like it.

I called them this morning and talked to the manager about it. She wants me to bring it down and they will give me a discount. I will go but I am still really annoyed at that sales girl.

ANOTHER LOVELY DAY

Spent another lovely day in Vancouver with family from England.

I decided to park my car at the ACFC office (with their permission) and catch the SkyTrain in the rest of the way. I no sooner stepped off the train than my phone rang and it was Ashleigh, just arriving with everyone off the SeaBus.















We walked through Gas Town, where Geoff was ecstatic to see the "Cowboy" store there, and then headed off to the waterfront where Geoff and Rob had a seaplane tour booked. Geoff almost didn't make it on as the ticket agent, in a tiny replica of a real airport, wanted to see photo ID and he didn't have any on him. For a scenic tour. Really?? They finally made an exception and gave him a boarding pass. We saw them off and then headed to Cardero's to have drinks and an appetizer while waiting for the guys to join us for a late lunch.

The walk over was along the water by the marina and we saw some fabulous boats. It set me to longing - again - to be out on the water in the Caribbean.

We were seated in the restaurant but then moved to the lounge to wait for a table out on the deck. Ashleigh and I shared the Forno Baked Flatbread: goat cheese, sundried tomato, caramelized onions, arugula and it was amazing. I will have to try to replicate it at some point.

The guys were late back from their plane ride and Ashleigh was getting anxious, but soon we spotted their plane coming in over the bridge. They were in a very distinctive red and white (in the pattern of the Canadian flag) plane so they were easy to spot. When they arrived at the restaurant, they both loved the flight and Geoff was wishing he could do that all day, every day.

After a fabulous lunch on the patio, they left to go to Stanley Park and the aquarium and I went off to Dress Sew - a huge store full of every kind of sewing need possible - to find some elastic for Shonah's shoes for the wedding. The store they were ordered in from have a stupid way of converting European sizes. On every chart online, a size 41 is our 9 1/2. Le Chateau takes whatever the size is, subtract 30 and that's the size. So for them, a 41 is an 11. Well, guess what? The 41 didn't fit Shonah at all. So now we have to have them stretched and then the elastic at the buckle extended. I don't think the 39 the bride ordered for the girl in California who's feet are a size 9 is going to fit hers either. When we went back to the store to see if they ordered the wrong size by mistake, and they explained, I said "You do realize that every time a shoe is ordered from you it will never fit." They didn't seem to care.

By the time I walked all over town yesterday, my feet were killing me. I certainly wore the wrong shoes. And on the SkyTrain ride to my car, I had to stand all the way. I remember when, as a kid, I was made to stand on the bus if an adult came on board and there were no seats left. Now, here I am an adult and I am still standing when there are kids in the seats. Doesn't seem fair. I guess that's what happens when you're born a decade or so before the whole world decides to throw out good manners. I'd love to live in an age where men stood when women entered the room, where they pulled out your chair, and where they gave up their seat for you. I got a taste of that when I was in Palm Springs and it was lovely.