Time-Saving

Often it seems as though you don’t have the right amount of time during the day; you have too much time or not enough. You kill time waiting in a supermarket checkout line or waiting for a bus or waiting for a doctor’s appointment or watching some terrible TV show. Or time just flies while you’re busy at work or running errands or cooking dinner or being with friends. And even though time itself is rigid and doesn’t change, it feels as though it’s flexible, where time becomes longer or shorter depending on the situation.

Time is a valuable commodity. We want to use our time well and be efficient. And while there are many “time-saving” activities people do, often that “saved” time just means it’s replaced with more work. But wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could save actual time? If only we could save time the way we can save money; if time was tangible and physical and we could squirrel away those unwanted minutes when we’re bored and save them for a day when we’re busy and would love to have some extra time. That would be wonderful. [Pause.] But sadly this is not the case. Each day has the same number of hours, whether wanted or unwanted—but I bet most people want more.

Goodbye Sun. Hello Rain.

Summer’s just about done for those of us in the Pacific Northwest. We had a warm and sunny summer that’s now giving way to the fall, and while it’s inevitable, it’s somehow still a shock. It’s as though Mother Nature turned on the Autumn Switch because last week temperatures were in the eighties with blue skies, and this week temperatures have dropped into the sixties with clouds and rain.

It’s a harsh adjustment to make. The long summer days are a luxury that’s hard to give up because you know what’s in store for you in the coming months: drizzle, mist, sprinkles, downpours—and any other synonym for rain. And of course, let’s not forget overcast skies and cold temperatures and darkness. Sure there’s a rare day of sunshine and blue skies in the colder months, but it’s sandwiched between a lot of cloudy and rainy days.

I complain, but really, I do like having seasons that are overtly noticeable because changing seasons breaks up the year and gives me a sense of time. Also I really like being able to change my clothes with the seasons; I may not be particularly excited about the impending cold and rain, but I am looking forward to wearing autumn clothing. I really like wearing layers and wearing warm and cozy items, and I love boots and coats and scarves. [Pause.] So I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining (albeit that cloud is bound to rain on me soon enough).

…And I Came Out with Shoes

It seems inevitable that when you’re shopping for something specific, you don’t find it...and instead find something else. Not long ago I went shopping for a small bag for a wedding (which I never found), but I did find shoes. I don’t need more shoes, but somehow shoes are hard to resist for me—there are just so many types of shoes for so many types of occasions.

When I found these red patent leather shoes, I instantly thought they could replace my old pair of red patent leather shoes (that were just about dead—they were scratched, cracked and the heel was run down to the nail). Generally I’m not excited about overtly shiny and flashy things, but I had unexpectedly loved my old red patent leather shoes because they added that pop of color that some of my outfits desperately needed.

Months ago when I realized the poor state of my old red shoes, I started keeping one eye open for a replacement pair every time I went shopping. But I couldn’t seem to find the right shoes because there was always something not quite right about a possible pair: the red was the wrong shade or the heel was too high or it was uncomfortable. So it was a welcome surprise to finally find a pair of patent red shoes that I liked. [Pause.] I knew if I waited long enough eventually I would find what I was looking for.

Basic Black

Shopping is generally something you enjoy or you don’t. Some people love to shop for fun; seeing new clothes and finding something unexpected that they want is enjoyable and they can spend hours checking out different stores. Others shop with purpose; they go to stores specifically because they need something and want to be in and out of a store within ten minutes. I fall into the former category: I enjoy shopping.

Polka Dot Summer Dress

Recently I bought a sleeveless navy with white polka dot dress at a thrift shop that was perfect for summer [although summer’s just about at an end (Sigh.)]. I’m generally not very interested in polka dot patterns for myself but I decided to make an exception. [Pause.] Although this isn’t the first time I’ve made an “exception” for polka dots, so it’s not much an exception if it’s done more than once; I must like polka dots more than I think I do.

On the rack, the dress didn’t look particularly great (pretty much like a rumpled oversized nightgown), but I imagined that with a belt it might look cute. When I tried the dress on it felt like a dress from the 1990s referencing the 1940s. The collar was fairly narrow, and there were buttons going down the length of the dress. My favorite part was the pintucking down on the front of the dress. Looking closer at the garment I could see that once-upon-a-time ago there were ties sewn in at the sides that had been cut out, so in order to give the dress any shape I would need to wear a belt.

It’s definitely a more conservative summer dress, but despite its length, it’s loose and airy enough to be fairly comfortable in warmer weather. Initially I wasn’t sure if I would need to alter the size at all to make it fit, but once I tried it on at home with a belt, I liked the fit of it and was quite satisfied with my $8 dress.

Binge Watching

Sometimes it’s preferable to watch a TV series (for the first time) once the show is over because you can watch it on your own schedule. You don’t have to wait every week for a new episode and you don’t have to wait for the new season to begin every year. And you don’t have to try and recall what had happened previously (because it’s easy to forget characters and events the longer a series is). It’s nice that you don’t lose the momentum of the story when you can watch episodes continuously.

On the downside you’re behind everyone who has already watched the series, and while it may be shiny and new to you, they’ve moved onto other things. And any shocking moments of the series may be spoiled if you don’t watch the show right as it comes out because people like to talk about their TV shows. Certain shows are popular enough that it’s hard to avoid having any foreknowledge about it before you finally watch the show belatedly.  

It’s a dangerous thing to have so many episodes at your fingertips because it’s easy to binge-watch and watch episode after episode. It’s addicting, especially when there are cliffhangers egging you on to watch the next episode. It’s easy to get sucked into a good story and hours are quickly lost. I know that binge watching isn’t really the best use of my time, but sometimes a good show is just too hard to resist.