St. Petersburg Garden

St. Petersburg Garden

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Little Man works it


People are always on the lookout for a good deal. They like to think they got a bargain. Any little bit counts. For whatever the reason, there are those that will haggle over every little price. Trust me, I know. I've had plenty of yard sales. One woman thought paying $3 for a Tommy Hilfiger skirt that was never worn was too much. She haggled it down to $2. Really people?

Just this past weekend we sold Coach sneakers for $2. The original $4 price tag was too high. I get the bargaining thing. Really I do. I get the yard sale thing too. Sure, you don't expect to pay top dollar. Sometimes you just want to reach out and slap a bitch, tell them to go to the store and find some designer merchandise for $4. Not gonna happen.

It's the whole art of the deal. They need that deal. You see it everywhere. I've seen people work it for free drinks in bars, people haggle for discounts on clothing that have a slight defect. I'm actually impressed a lot of the time. I would never think to do what they do which is why I usually don't get the discounts or the free drinks.

Sure, occasionally I notice a stain & mention it to the cashier and get that 15% discount but damn, I must admit, I am mortified doing so. Hell yeah it feels great getting that cheaper price but sometimes it is embarassing asking for it. Which is why it's even better, more brilliant and an even sweeter deal when you don't have to ask for it and get it anyway.

It has nothing to do with me. If I were by myself I wouldn't have gotten any discount whatsoever. I can guarantee that. It's my little man. Nothing makes me more proud than to have my little man Charlie Brown work it for me at the car dealership. That's right people. My little tyke got me a discount. Or as the saleswoman referred to it, "the cute dog discount".

Just by being cute, Charlie saved us money. Personally, I think he knew what he was doing. He really does know how to work it. Once he saw the saleswoman looking at him he really turned on the charm. Paw up, belly exposed. Yes, he saw an opportunity and he took it.

She asked me to bring him back next time. I can guarantee he'll have top priority seating waiting for him. At home he'll be getting an extra frosty paws.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Where to call Home?

I am a nomad. I may have left this fact out when I met Mike. I don't think he realized what he was in store for. He's a settle-down-in-one-place kind of guy. I do not like to stay in one place. Ever. The idea of forever is not something I like to think about. Sure it may seem "nice". Find a place you love, or think you do, buy a house and settle down.

Warning sign number one. Settle down. Translation - stay put, tied down, get bored. Die. Ok, maybe that last part is a slight exaggeration but you get the picture. I do not like to be in one place forever. Maybe it's just that I haven't found that perfect place or maybe it's just that I'm not that person who is meant to be in one place forever. Whichever way you look at it we have a problem.

I love to watch those shows on T.V. where they are looking at houses in different areas all over the country and all over the world. I see a new place and think how great it would be to live there. The thrill of unchartered territories, discovering new areas, finding new shops, new neighborhoods, new roads, just new everything. It's so fun & adventurous.

Mike always laughs at me because everytime I see a different city I tell him that it would be nice to live there. He knows that all would be good for a few years and then I would be done and ready to move on after that. Or would I? How am I to know if something is right for me or not if I don't try it out? I could be missing out on so many areas simply because I chose to settle down in another. Part of the problem is that I've discovered years ago that the place that I was meant to live is Paris and since it can't happen at this moment, I must spend my life finding a replacement. Not an easy thing to do.

I used to be a traveller. That was all I wanted to do. Travel the world, see new sights, experience all that the world had to offer. Why would I want to limit myself to just my immediate surroundings? I was happiest when I was travelling. Stepping off the plane in a new location, finding my hotel, unpacking, settling in. I loved it all.

Walking outside to start the journey in a new place is a great feeling. I miss that. Most of all I miss me when I was exciting. I feel like when I'm on the move I'm more alive. I need to bring that person back. Travel helped me not mind where I lived as much because I was able to move around so much. Once that was curbed, my restlessness grew. I felt like I was stuck.

I do a lot of thinking on where I want to live and where I want to be. I still have no clue. Depending on the day, I want to live either here or there. I told Mike that I am willing to live anywhere for at least a few years. I mean that. Location must be within reason of course. A girl's got standards.