Sidetracked

Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.
-- Henry David Thoreau

Wednesday, October 10, 2001
Two years ago: Haunts

This batch of entries starts here, so don't miss out!

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I set off this morning, intending to go straigh to my Capitol Hill place. But I got sidetracked!

I'd been wanting to go back to the Closeout Store, where we bought our coffee table/CD storage thing, for a while. The idea of all that Martha Stewart stuff was tempting me! But when I actually went and reviewed it, the prices were still too high. I ended up with a set of nested boxes done in christmas paper, for gifts, straight from Costco, eight bucks.

Close to there is the Pacific Fabric and Craft Outlet store. I think I cut too closely in front of a bus, trying to get there! They have so many tempting things! And the warehouse atmosphere gives the impression of bargains. I only bought earrings for new years eve -- a small champagne bottle and glass. But it was interesting to see all the current craft trends. I'm thinking that Jack's daughter H---- and I might sew Christmas stockings for the new place.

I had a notion (proved correct) that I was out of diet soda at Capitol Hill, so I stopped for groceries. In addition to the soda, I bought a frozen turkey breast, canned chili, and a floating candle bowl (much cheaper than this one from Illuminations). And all I'd wanted was diet soda!

I ended up getting no writing done.

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Jack had prepared Jambalaya -- good stuff. He'd printed out several recipes and combined them; Jambalaya can be prepared a lot of ways. It tasted good to me (andouille sausage, rice, peppers, shrimp) but Jack said it didn't quite match his vision of what he'd wanted. H--- did the dishes again. I caught up with her before she started the dishwasher, and asked her to wash the crockpot, rice cooker from the day before, and to wipe the counters down also. This is part of doing the dishes, in my opinion. She didn't gripe, which I give her credit for.

Jack was still working on our computer setup. He'd blown away the previous operating system on the machine that will be my main computer in West Seattle, in order to get Windows 2000 installed. He asked me, "Where is the paper that had the IP addresses on it?" This info had been written on a bill from our ISP, and had been on the desk in the office. I know I didn't do anything with it. Finally he had to call the ISP and ask for the info again. I didn't offer to make the call for him. He didn't gripe, much, though I know it was frustrating for him.