Thursday's Lists

Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.
~Baltasar Gracian

My wife, finally I think, has realized that if I'm given a list of things to do --I'll do it.

The problem is, when I have a list of things to do. It gets modified something fierce. And then I'll miss something or do something "similar" but not exactly the way she wants and then she comments on it. I'd like to say 'bitch-n-complain' but she'd say comment. Not even 'criticize,' but there you go.

Oh yes, it's snowing today too and having knowledge of that means heading out early today.

Between my son not sleeping well last night and the fact that I'm usually still awake at 3am, I got up and ready to go out in the snow by 9:30. That's showered, 1st cup of coffee, and fully dressed. My list today consists of:

1. Go to the bank. Deposit money orders from eBay.
2. Hit Canadian Tire and see if they have any "chimney sweep logs" in stock. We haven't found any in about a month, so.... (note to self: expect to pay $25 or so... bloody expensive bastards).
3. Go to Radio Shack and find the adaptor for the optical mouse for the older computer. (note to self: so much for the "useful" Christmas present for the computer! It doesn't recognize USB ports!!). All the other electronics stores didn't have any.

Seems simple enough. Bank opens at 10am, so I'll head out then after having some breakfast. But first, my wife has to shower and get some laundry started, so I have to watch the kids (our son has serious abandonment issues --no one knows why--) until she comes back upstairs.

10:15 - she comes back and she's thought of a few more things for me to do.

1. Since I'm at Canadian Tire, how 'bout I pick up a new snow shovel too. The other one's getting on in years and she'd like a newer "ergonomic" one. Oh, and since our daughter's older now, maybe it's time for a crazy carpet or something to play in the snow (if it gets deep enough).

10:20 - I put on my boots and jacket. Grab my keys when she stops me to add:

1. BANK. They're matching donations for the tsunami relief. Make a donation when I do the deposit.

10:22 - So, I step into the car and suddenly she's at the door:

1. Shovel the driveway and walkway before I go. She doesn't want the mailman complaining if he slips.

11:09 - Finally get into the car and drive away.

I get to the bank, make the deposit and donate $25 to the disaster relief. Feeling a little better knowing there are those that will get so much more out that money than we ever will.

In the same mall, in between the bank and Canadian Tire are Radio Shack and Blockbuster. I'm contemplating renting some DVDs to help bide time if there is potential for a huge snowfall over the next few days (5-day forecast was simple: S-N-O-W). I don't get very far before spotting on the previously viewed shelf copies of 'Elf' for $16.99, And I have a coupon, people!! We'd planned on buying this before Christmas, but all the place sin the mall didn't seem to have it in stock. We picked up Return of the King yesterday (the extended version --of the DVD, not Wednesday) and I almost grabbed the single copy of Elf in HMV. Single copy. That's it for the whole 20 square mile area. But here's copies in Blockbuster and $12 cheaper!!

After that, it's over to Radio Shack where the adaptor is available for $7.99. I pick it up and grumble to myself that the super-cheap mouse has now almost doubled in price.

Canadian Tire has 2 different chimney sweep logs. The traditional one is $21.99 and the other one (by just as good a company) is $7.99. Guess which one I'm taking? I hunt high and low for crazy carpets before I finally notice that they're in their outdoor section (coincidentally.... OUTSIDE). Not only that, but right next to them is the ergonomic shovels. $25.99. So much for the cheaper log, eh? Beside it is a big bag of rock salt which will come in handy as well and for $1.69 a bag is reasonably priced. No more kitty litter which seems to track inside all the time instead of staying on the driveway and walkway. The crazy carpet selection isn't very good and I decide (after picturing my daughter out of control with the one in stock) not to pick one up. Besides, $14.99 for a sheet of hard plastic? Nope. Not gonna happen.

So, I come home and review my list (in bold are the additions and in blue are my wife's "comments" about the list):

1. Go to the bank. Deposit money orders from eBay. Donate money to disaster relief. I was supposed to only do $20, but I'll pretend I won the argument by asking "Is it really worth talking about $5?"
   
2. Hit Canadian Tire and see if they have any "chimney sweep logs" in stock. We haven't found any in about a month, so.... (note to self: expect to pay $25 or so... bloody expensive bastards). Pick up an ergonomic snow shovel and a crazy carpet. $7.99 for a log be damned. I didn't pick up the one she talked about. $25.99 for the shovel was too much [insert bashing head here] and I should have looked around more for a good sled or something for our daughter.
   
3. Go to Radio Shack and find the adaptor for the optical mouse for the older computer. (note to self: so much for the "useful" Christmas present for the computer! It doesn't recognize USB ports!!). All the other electronics stores didn't have any. $7.99 was way too much money to spend and just shows further proof what a waste a new mouse was for the old computer. There was nothing really wrong with the old one. It just doesn't react very well when you move it around the desk.

As for stopping at Blockbuster..... When did I ever get the idea that we were planning on picking up 'Elf'? Oh, I don't know. Maybe the dozen or so times we discussed it before Christmas. And how disappointed we were when we couldn't find it. Or maybe it was JUST FREAKIN' YESTERDAY when we talked about it at HMV. Good Lord.....

But at least she wasn't complaining.