Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[Yeah No]

46 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Just keep saying "can you speak up" and "I can't hear you" until you drive them crazy.  Same thing if you get called in for questions.  They can't use someone hard of hearing.

Haha, good advice but I got lucky.  I called first thing in the morning and got the nicest, most helpful agent on the line.  I almost didn't believe it.  She told me I was allowed another 6 month extension and emailed me a form for my doctor to sign to postpone it for either another year or get me out of it permanently for medical reasons.  The doctor doesn't have to specify a reason.  I have a new doctor and I don't know how she's going to react to that but I'm going to bring it on my next follow-up with her in a couple of months.  My old doctor would have done it no questions asked but he retired earlier this year, earlier than he had planned because he's high risk and didn't want to make the transition into seeing patients in person again.

I won't feel bad about it.  I've done jury duty several times over the decades, even way back in the '80s in the Bronx when it required going down to the South Bronx, which back then was a little dicey.  My father used to love to do jury duty especially after he retired.  I remember him opting out after age 75.  It used to be possible after age 70 in CT but the agent told me they recently upped the age to 75.  Kind of bad timing with Covid and all.  So I'll bet the doctors are going to see more of these medical exemption forms now.

My father used to say that he never understood why some people got called for jury duty all the time and others never did.  He didn't mind being one of those people and I didn't until now.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 9/29/2021 at 5:19 PM, iwantcookies said:

I seem to attract a lot of compulsive liars. Any one else has this happen to them? Jeez what is wrong with people!

It seems that way to me too.  I don’t understand why it seems to be a core part of some people.  I suspect the lies are a cry for attention, pity, etc.  Have you heard the saying, They would lie, when the truth would help them?   Lol. They lie about everything and nothing important.  It’s frustrating, because these people do have good traits, however the lying makes it impossible to have a friendship with them, because you simply can’t trust them.  The ones that I know the best have been that way since they were kids.  I’ve read it’s likely a mental disorder.  ☹️ 

[Yeah No]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:49 AM, iwantcookies said:

What about this one? As you can tell I want a jacket with flowers on it. 
 

 

I went to Target today and just thought I would give you and the rest of the gang here a good chuckle.  Yep, that's me:

Discuss.....

 

[Sandy W]

5 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I went to Target today and just thought I would give you and the rest of the gang here a good chuckle.  Yep, that's me:

Discuss.....

 

Great hair!!!  The jacket is cute on you but the coat seems to overwhelm you.  What did you chose?

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

How funny @Yeah No, you look great actually in both, but I do like the shorter one better

[Cetacean]

Shorter one for sure.

[iwantcookies]

I’m 5’6 I think the long coat is too long for me. But I like both.

You look fabulous 👋!

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I went to Target today and just thought I would give you and the rest of the gang here a good chuckle.  Yep, that's me:

Discuss.....

 

I think I remember reading your approximate age, and you look far younger.  I like the shorter one on you especially.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Sandy W said:

Great hair!!!  The jacket is cute on you but the coat seems to overwhelm you.  What did you chose?

Thank you!  These are actually the coats @iwantcookies posted yesterday.  I just happened to go to Target and curiosity got the better of me so I tried them on.  I like the shorter one but only if it had a full length front zipper.  The zipper goes only part of the way down so you have to put it over your head and that would drive me crazy.  I was actually impressed with how heavy it was and I stand corrected because it is lined.  I think this would be good to wear in weather as cold as 40 degrees but not much lower.  It is a great value, though!  This was in an XL.  I thought it was a little blousy on me but they didn't have an L in stock.

I knew the long one wouldn't fit me - I'm only 5'1" and a half and I think it's way too long.  I am surprised that I didn't hate the print on me, though.  If it were peacoat length or a little longer I might have liked it better.  This was in a large.

[Rabbit Hutch]

Short one, Sandy!  😊

[Yeah No]

8 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

I think I remember reading your approximate age, and you look far younger.  I like the shorter one on you especially.

Thank you I need to hear that these days after gaining 15 pandemic pounds that just won't come off despite all the walking I do and being very careful about what I eat!  I'm 63 years old now.  I hate even saying it.  How did I ever get to be this age?  My father used to say, "I can't be old enough to have a daughter xx years old!"

1 minute ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

Short one, Sandy!  😊

You know now I really want it but I know I wouldn't wear it because of the zipper issue.  Oh well, there will be other jackets. 

47 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

I’m 5’6 I think the long coat is too long for me. But I like both.

You look fabulous 👋!

Thanks but I'm sure you will look better in them than I do, LOL  I hope you got something out my photos!

[CouchTater]

Looking good@Yeah No!!

@iwantcookies, I vote #1 (short one).  It's cute!

[Teafortwo]

Omigosh, you win Primetimer for the month! This is so funny! I did truly laugh out loud at least twice.  I think you look wonderful and nowhere near as heavy as you've described in some of your posts. I love your hair as well.

The short one does look flattering but I agree, I don't like pullovers either. With my hot flashes especially I need to be able to unzip or throw off a garment easily. Good thingk I'm working from home - sometimes I just wear underwear and a sports bra.

[iwantcookies]

off Savanna’s dance picture:
 

This is a 14 year girls homecoming dance outfit. I can’t believe her mom let her wear that dress. It’s too revealing for a 14 year old.

[Cetacean]

39 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

It’s too revealing for a 14 year old.

It's too revealing for anybody except a hooker.  That's disgusting.

[Teafortwo]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

It's too revealing for anybody except a hooker.  That's disgusting.

That's what all the tourists wear on the Las Vegas strip too. I fail to see how it's "empowering" for women to reveal so much of their bodies for ogling. I never wanted my butt to be seen in leggings - even when I was younger. I used to teach and didn't like the feeling of all eyes on me when my back was to the room while writing on the blackboard. Just made me uncomfortable. It amazes me how leggings are everywhere now, with no long shirt/sweater covering the behind and crotch areas. I'm embarrassed for these people!

[Elodia]

7 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

I think I remember reading your approximate age, and you look far younger.  I like the shorter one on you especially.

I agree - on both!

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

Omigosh, you win Primetimer for the month! This is so funny! I did truly laugh out loud at least twice.  I think you look wonderful and nowhere near as heavy as you've described in some of your posts. I love your hair as well.

The short one does look flattering but I agree, I don't like pullovers either. With my hot flashes especially I need to be able to unzip or throw off a garment easily. Good thingk I'm working from home - sometimes I just wear underwear and a sports bra.

LOL, thanks and glad I could make you laugh!  Even though I don't have hot flashes anymore I still need to be able to throw a garment off easily.  Since menopause sometimes I just feel hot.  Like last week when eating at a restaurant's outdoor seating the sun suddenly started beating right down on me and I couldn't get my jacket off fast enough!

[laurakaye]

Gosh, you guys - I am kind of digging the longer coat!  And @Yeah No, you are seriously too cute!!

I remember being younger and looking at someone's outfit and being all judgey, like - I would NEVER wear that!  Now I look at people's outfits with more of a fascination, as in - how did they know to put those colors together?  Could I wear that?  Look at that woman rocking that skirt!  Where do they shop?  Why do I always leave the house in jeans and a hoodie??!

And now I want a new winter coat.  If you're going to have to wear it for 4+ months (Michigan), you might as well make it stand out!

[lookeyloo]

14 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

off Savanna’s dance picture:
 

This is a 14 year girls homecoming dance outfit. I can’t believe her mom let her wear that dress. It’s too revealing for a 14 year old.

I have an 18 year old granddaughter.  She would probably wear this, as would all her friends.  She is a smart girl who gets good grades and has a p/t job and hasn't had a date yet - they hang in mismatched crowds.   She has a great petite body so everything looks good on her.  Times are different.

[MaddyMaeboxerbabe]

Yes my two nieces are 16 and 19 and wear dresses that Barely Cover their butts.  They are tiny.  They also wear very skimpy swim suits and post pictures on SM.   My kids are more than 20 years older and I can’t stand the look so luckily not so bad when they were teens.    

[iwantcookies]

I bought this jacket. Looks more like a pullover, but I think it’s cute. I can always return it. 

[crazycatlady58]

30 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

I bought this jacket. Looks more like a pullover, but I think it’s cute. I can always return it. 

I think it is cute also. 

[iwantcookies]

On 10/5/2021 at 4:22 PM, Yeah No said:

I went to Target today and just thought I would give you and the rest of the gang here a good chuckle.  Yep, that's me:

Discuss.....

 

I went to Target today to buy a coat:

First coat was too short. It is pretty thick and heavy though. With a sweater underneath can be worn in the winter. 

 If the second coat had a hood I would have bought it. It’s pretty thin more like a fall coat. With a hood would have made a cute rain coat.

Conclusion: not going to buy either one. 

I tried one like 5 other coats on top of that and did not like any of them because most do not have hoods. I like hoods. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by iwantcookies

[SunnyBeBe]

A couple of years ago, I bought a cream colored cardigan similar to this one and I have really loved wearing it.  I’m in the south, so it’s rarely super cold.  This serves as a coat most of the time.  It’s so versatile and comfortable…..it’s not dynamic, so I am in the market for something a little more special this season.  This thread is giving me some ideas. 
 

https://www.stitchfix.com/product/items/1124665

 

I do like this one quite a bit. 
 

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/liverpool-los-angeles-x-living-in-yellow-check-cardigan/6411271?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing%2FSweaters%2FCardigan&color=110

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Yeah No]

21 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I bought this jacket. Looks more like a pullover, but I think it’s cute. I can always return it. 

Oh I like that one better!  I saw it at the store when I was there.  Cool cheetah print, too.  I like animal prints.

[iwantcookies]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Oh I like that one better!  I saw it at the store when I was there.  Cool cheetah print, too.  I like animal prints.

Is it as thick as the short flower coat? I did not see that one in the store. 
 

 

[deirdra]

I prefer coats that are long enough to sit on. Perfect for sitting on a cold stoop or park bench, keeping gusts of air from shooting up my back, and keeping rain off most of my lower half. 

[Pickleinthemiddle]

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

A couple of years ago, I bought a cream colored cardigan similar to this one and I have really loved wearing it.  I’m in the south, so it’s rarely super cold.  This serves as a coat most of the time.  It’s so versatile and comfortable…..it’s not dynamic, so I am in the market for something a little more special this season.  This thread is giving me some ideas. 
 

https://www.stitchfix.com/product/items/1124665

 

I do like this one quite a bit. 
 

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/liverpool-los-angeles-x-living-in-yellow-check-cardigan/6411271?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing%2FSweaters%2FCardigan&color=110

 

Same here my " coats " consist of fleece jackets or a sweatshirt type jacket.  Here where I live in Texas it's going to be in the 90's, for the next 5 days.  If it get super cold I have a work jacket in my car that I can use if needed.  Otherwise I just layer a short sleeve, long sleeve and a fleece jacket.  I stay warm enough.

[Teafortwo]

You guys inspired me so I ordered this: https://www.columbia.com/p/womens-benton-springs-full-zip-hoodie-1955441.html?dwvar_1955441_color=061&pos=1

I would have preferred without the hood but I love the color and it only came in XS without the hood. I realized from reading the thread that I desperately needed to replace my old raggedy LL Bean fleece sweater.  The hood will come in handy. Thanks everyone for the inspiration, especially @iwantcookies for starting the topic! I was actually in Target last weekend and am tempted to go back and try on the flowered jacket and coat just to post a pic here too

[xwordfanatik]

I'm kind of partial to Lands End jackets and coats.  The ones I've ordered online have fit well and were reasonably priced.  

[Cetacean]

I am jealous of everyone with a Target.  That's one store I really miss but the closest is over an hour away.

[SunnyBeBe]

I don’t go in Target much and I’m not sure why.  I do like it. Maybe, I will now.   Since covid, the only stores that I have actually shopped inside for clothes are Belk, TJ Max and Marshall’s.  

[Teafortwo]

23 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

I'm kind of partial to Lands End jackets and coats.  The ones I've ordered online have fit well and were reasonably priced.  

For some reason, I didn't think of Land's End. Probably because I have other gear from Columbia outlet stores. Land's End has nice things too

[Gramto6]

11 minutes ago, Teafortwo said:

For some reason, I didn't think of Land's End. Probably because I have other gear from Columbia outlet stores. Land's End has nice things too

I like Land's End. In fact wearing a pair of corduroy leggings from them right now! I have several jackets from them that I like a lot and wear in the Winter layered over tops  and actually a pair of shoes that are favorites.  I haven't shopped there in a while as I don't really need any more clothes at this point in time.  Their clothes are well made and stand up to washing and wearing for years.

[Yeah No]

13 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Is it as thick as the short flower coat? I did not see that one in the store. 

Actually I think it's a lighter weight than the flowered one.  I'm not sure if it's lined, maybe not.  It is less expensive too.

2 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I like Land's End. In fact wearing a pair of corduroy leggings from them right now! I have several jackets from them that I like a lot and wear in the Winter layered over tops  and actually a pair of shoes that are favorites.  I haven't shopped there in a while as I don't really need any more clothes at this point in time.  Their clothes are well made and stand up to washing and wearing for years.

It might interest you and everyone here that Kohls is now carrying Lands' End clothing.  It was online only for a while but I just saw a few "introductory" racks in the store.  I hope that's a trend.  Now that Sears doesn't carry it and they're mostly gone anyway that's a good thing because we have no Lands' End stores in CT.  In fact we have less retail clothing stores than ever in CT and more are closing all the time.  Stuff that's in NY and MA is no longer here or never was.  It really, really sucks and I don't understand it.  Pretty soon the only places to actually go and buy clothing in this state will be some mall stores and high priced in-town boutiques that cater to kids and rich people, Macy's, Penney's, Nordstrom, Kohls, Target, Marshalls/TJ Max, Burlington and Walmart, plus the outlet malls.  Pretty much everything else has either gone out of business altogether or pulled out of this area.

[Gramto6]

Thanks for that info @Yeah No! I haven't been in any department store or clothing store since well before the pandemic began. I am basically a hermit and do as much shopping online as I can. I only go to the grocery store the post office and the local drug store.  An occasional dr appointment is my only other outing. But it is good to know Kohls carries Land's End because I may be able to order online if I need anything new.

[Yeah No]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:49 AM, iwantcookies said:

Is it as thick as the short flower coat? I did not see that one in the store. 

FYI, I just saw it again in Target.  It is not, in fact it's not even lined.  I wouldn't wear it in the Winter.

On 10/8/2021 at 4:05 PM, Gramto6 said:

Thanks for that info @Yeah No! I haven't been in any department store or clothing store since well before the pandemic began. I am basically a hermit and do as much shopping online as I can. I only go to the grocery store the post office and the local drug store.  An occasional dr appointment is my only other outing. But it is good to know Kohls carries Land's End because I may be able to order online if I need anything new.

Sorry to hear you haven't felt comfortable venturing into a dept. store.  Most of them are less threatening from a Covid POV than Targets or supermarkets in my experience.  I tend to find going to the doctor the most stressful these days from a safety POV despite all the masks and visors.

[Rabbit Hutch]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:11 PM, xwordfanatik said:

I'm kind of partial to Lands End jackets and coats.  The ones I've ordered online have fit well and were reasonably priced.  

I too love Lands End, and LL Bean.  Bought both me and DH new winter coats 2 years ago, and they are the best winter coats we've ever had. We needed some heavy duty coats for when we run around up North and out West, coats that one doesn't usually wear down South, and I got a great price on both of them.  They'll last for years!  🥰

[deirdra]

I live in Alberta at 3650' and ~30 yrs ago gave up on winter coats/jackets entirely & gave them to charity over time (charities are a good place to look for barely used winter coats).  Instead I have a mid-thigh-length unlined MEC rain jacket that is big enough to wear my thickest fleece top under. We only occasionally have rain or snow in the city, but the wind can be very cool/cold when blowing through fleece or sweaters or cloth coats. Depending on the forecasted temperature range and precipitation (if any), I have ~5 different weights of fleece to choose from. A friend has a nice rainjacket with removable mid-weight fleece liner, but I prefer the versatility of the wider range of thicknesses, colours and styles of the fleece jackets & shirts that I already own. When hiking (up to 8000' elevation) I usually take the rain jacket and two fleeces + T-shirt base-layer and flannel or cotton shirt and will often need every combination of 1-5 tops simultaneously, all in the same day as the temperature & sunlight vary. I hate being overheated or too cold, so versatility is a must.

~20 yrs ago I gave my toddler nephew a MEC rainsuit with matching undersuit of fleece that has been worn nearly continuously while it was passed down to his sister and several cousins, and still looking good as new. 

Edited October 10, 2021 by deirdra

[Sandy W]

A very happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends here🙏🦃.

Hope you are all enjoying a crisp Fall weekend and if you are travelling to join friends and family, safe journeys. xo

[SunnyBeBe]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:10 PM, Yeah No said:

FYI, I just saw it again in Target.  It is not, in fact it's not even lined.  I wouldn't wear it in the Winter.

Sorry to hear you haven't felt comfortable venturing into a dept. store.  Most of them are less threatening from a Covid POV than Targets or supermarkets in my experience.  I tend to find going to the doctor the most stressful these days from a safety POV despite all the masks and visors.

Me too. I recently had an eye doctor appointment and I took a small can of Lysol in my bag. I sprayed the rooms as I entered! Lol. I later realized it might not have been a good idea, but…..oh well.  If they had their masks on, it shouldn’t have bothered their nose too much.  

[ChristmasJones]

I have two down parkas, a down vest, and a lighter weight non-down jacket all from Land's End. I love the quality and details on their coats, and mine have lasted for years.

This year they have a new style of down parka in a color that I really love. I may have to buy it even though I don't technically need it. 

[iwantcookies]

I returned the top. It was a basic fleece pullover. Way overpriced for $35. I found clothes at Target to be overpriced period. $55 for a pair of jeans? No thanks.

Edited October 12, 2021 by iwantcookies

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, iwantcookies said:

I returned the top. It was a basic fleece pullover. Way overpriced for $35. I found clothes at Target to be overpriced period. $55 for a pair of jeans? No thanks.

I thought the floral one was much better quality and much heavier in weight, FWIW.

They seem to be using "sherpa" and "fleece" interchangeably these days.

I found this one at Kohls and right now with the current 30% off promotion it's $32.89  I really like it because it's a full zipper.

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-5005467/womens-nine-west-teddy-coat.jsp?color=Brushy Cheetah&prdPV=10

[iwantcookies]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I thought the floral one was much better quality and much heavier in weight, FWIW.

They seem to be using "sherpa" and "fleece" interchangeably these days.

I found this one at Kohls and right now with the current 30% off promotion it's $32.89  I really like it because it's a full zipper.

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-5005467/womens-nine-west-teddy-coat.jsp?color=Brushy Cheetah&prdPV=10

I agree. A lot of coats are basic thin fleece. No good for winter.

[Twopper]

On 9/16/2021 at 4:31 PM, Cetacean said:

I always equate the memory issues to a full filing cabinet. 

When we are young we have lots of empty drawers and folders that get filled up as we get older.  It takes longer and longer to find the right file when the drawers are full.

Now if we could just dump some of the useless folders like the lyrics to hits from the 70's.  I can still sing Build Me Up, Buttercup but can't figure out where I put one of my 50 pairs of cheater glasses five minutes after I took them off.

Ha!! I am always blaming my husband for my memory issues because I seem to have to remember stuff for him---he is especially bad with recalling names.   I think he is emptying his folders into my brain.

We just found out he needs a hip replacement.  He started needing a cane/walker right when the covid lockdowns began and we had to postpone or cancel appointments.  We only recently got him into PT for what we thought was a really bad knee.  Xrays showed the knee was perfect but the hip was causing the problems which he was feeling around the knee.  Covid has brought out anger issues with me.   I don't think I am quite the same person I used to be.  I am especially annoyed that it took us this long to figure out what was wrong.

Speaking of useless information---Does anyone remember Annie Green Springs wine form the early 70's?  There was a cute little catchy song in their commercials which sticks uselessly in my brain.  Last night I was watching an episode of Detective Diaries in which a 40+ year cold case was solved.  The victim's name was Anne/Annie Ross;  she had a florist shop named Annie Greenthings.  I thought that was rather clever.    I looked to see if there was a forum for the show, but I didn't see it so I thought I would post it here.  I figured enough COLs would remember the wine.

[xwordfanatik]

Hmm, I remember Boone's Farm and Bali Hi, but I can't recall Annie Green Springs.  What did it taste like?  

I too hate it that all these unvaccinated people are clogging up hospitals.  I'm in WA, and I've heard that Idaho and Alaska are sending covid cases here because they have no room.  There's already enough covid cases in this state without influx from other states.

[TurtlePower]

On 10/7/2021 at 9:11 PM, Cetacean said:

I am jealous of everyone with a Target.  That's one store I really miss but the closest is over an hour away.

It was like this for me in New Mexico. I had to drive to Roswell an hour away for anything decent. 

[Sandy W]

45 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

It was like this for me in New Mexico. I had to drive to Roswell an hour away for anything decent. 

When in the US, I have enjoyed shopping at Target and was excited to hear that they were arriving in Canada in 2015.  They took over the leases of a similar type of store (Zellers) that went out of business.  Within 2 years they had established over 130 stores throughout Canada.

It was a DISASTER!  It seems they moved too fast before they had set up reliable sources of inventory and the shelves were less than 50% stocked.  For the first few months, I was patient thinking they were being very selective about lines they would be carrying, but it never did improve.  Within 2 years, they folded their tents and disappeared.  I'm sure some corporate heads rolled over this disappointing misadventure.