The end of my Weekender

It's not often that I get the consumerist urge, but today was an exception. In fact it's not just been today - but since pre-Christmas. And it's all about a bag. A "Deep Lake Nylon Weekender" as it's announced in the brochure. I saw it in a Country Road store as we were buying Christmas gifts in early December, and new it had to be mine. You see I have this HUGE BAG that carries my gym / swim / everything gear out and about. It's so huge it could fit a human body in it. I knock people over when I turn with it. And now people are coming-to and starting to complain, it's also getting holes and zips that have frozen shut or fallen off. So it is due for replacement. But rather than buy the Deep Lake Nylon Weekender on the spot, back in December I thought I'd put it on my family Christmas list, and if that didn't work then buy it afterwards.

STUPID MOVE. Needless to say Christmas went by and no bag was gifted. I got to the store today finally (well there aren't any Country Road stores in South Africa) and they've sold out. They sold out a few weeks before Christmas. Can I order one in? No they were a Christmas only item and no other store has any left in stock. It's just a stupid bag, but I have a history with Country Road bags - and this was to be my new best friend. I've had to grieve the loss already. I don't think I was kind to the very helpful guy who told me the bad news. Sorry Mr cute salesman at the Pitt Street store.

Another reason to bypass Christmas next year...

Don't you HATE it when...

People tell you to do exactly what they do…

Kind suggestions from people are always welcomed in the sense of “I enjoyed this – you might like it too…” – but I’ve noticed a lot of people INSIST you take their advice – there really is no alternative, like you’ll die if you don’t do it.

We took my parents to my local restaurant and family friends who were finishing their meal there told us “you must order the …(food that they had ordered and was sitting unfinished on their table) it’s really good – it’s called..” (and they spelled it out in detail). It was a command…
I’m thinking… Um, I’ve eaten here more than once, no I don’t really feel for that today and, if it’s so fantastic – why have you left half of it?

A retired gent who swims at the Uni pool on Friday mornings, ALWAYS tells me how he shaves while in the shower, with a "proper" razor, not an electric one (which I’m using at the time) and that I should do that too, he also seems astounded each Friday that I’ve “only” swum 1km or so (it’s my morning wake up swim in between work and work – not a serious training session) and seems surprised every week by this fact. Do I suggest to him he has early dementia, or just repeat my same responses every week? (and should I tell him we have a water crisis in this country?)

I have an uncle who will always tell me the best way to get to a destination – I may have driven there a hundred times, but he’ll assure me that HIS way is better, faster, less police, less traffic, awesome weather, more scenic… oh and he's also the guy who if I just bought something – he bought almost exactly the same thing at a garage sale last week so much cheaper… What was I thinking?

Gay men will always have an opinion on cutting, trimming, shaving, waxing or lasering hair… (quite possibly different for each location) and it’s rarely “I prefer it this way” it’s almost always “you have to be XXXXXed” , like the world will fall apart if you’re not the way they prefer. Bugger off I say.

Perhaps I’m just not good at taking advice.