A funny thing happened on the way out of the PBK store

So you know, I am a stay at home Mom.  Sometimes, I get bored.  Sometimes I go shopping.  Or looking.  I don't always buy something.

But the other night, my love of shopping/looking at the mall cover was blown, and it was blown hard.

My sister Ali asked me if I wanted to go up to Pottery Barn with her to get a new couch.  Obviously, she couldn't get the couch she originally wanted from the jerk salesman in Saugerties because she is a good and loyal sister like that.   She totally felt me when I said we'd never shop there again.  And by "we" I meant every single person I know and will spew my story to.

So Ali, Tyrone and I drove up to the mall together, then figured we'd meet Alex at the other mall for dinner.  There is a Cheesecake Factory and PF Chang's at the other mall, so that was where we were planning on eating - not the food court.  Have you ever seen those shows on how dirty and germy and just unclean those food court restaurants are??   There are roaches and mouse droppings.  Ugh.  I can't even think of eating in one of those places.

Anyway, back to the furniture shopping.  Ali does a lot of hemming and hawing.  I do not hem or haw, as a rule.  If I like something, I buy it.  That's it.  I need a quick sit to make sure it's comfy, then I'm all like, "I'll take it!"  Yeah, not Ali.  Oh, she definitely draws the process out.  She needs to measure, to feel it, to sit on it and pretend we are watching TV with a glass of wine on it...  so after the second glass of imaginary wine, I felt like my time would be better spent at Pottery Barn Kids.  

You know, just to look around.

So of course while I am in there, I found a couple of perfect things that were on clearance, because I am all bargain-hunterish like that.  I just did the kids rooms over, so I picked up curtains and a new lampshade for Meg's room and knobs for Brooke's closet doors, and also a sham for a pillow in her room. Seriously I got a lot for for $24 bucks, right??  It would have been a crime if I passed by such bargains!  Let me tell just you about the great sales they were having! So yeah, I was having fun doing my thing.

So I was wrapping up my sale, and Ali and Ty came in because they were finished drinking their imaginary wine on the couch in the other store.  We were chit chatting at the counter while the girl was checking me out, and then it happened.

One of the workers came out and gave me my lampshade, which he had to get from the store room, and he goes, "Here's your shade Jessica.  See you next week!"

So I said thanks and we start walking out of the store, and Ali stops and looks at me and goes, "Are you kidding me??" 

And I'm all like, "What??"

And she goes, "So you're telling me that the random guy who works at Pottery Barn Kids knows you by name??!  Do you really go in there that much??!"

So I smiled, because you know, it is kind of funny.  I just chalked it up to the guy having a great memory, like Marilu Henner or something.

And she shakes her head and goes, "There is something so wrong with that Jessee."

Then she told on me.  Like she tattled to Alex!  She threw me right under the bus as soon as he walked in the door to the restaurant!  Like I was going to get in trouble.  Ha!  I laugh at the face of trouble.

ps - so we went to PF Chang's for dinner and the food was so great, but do you want to hear the worst thing ever??  They are now putting the calories of the food you order right next to them on the menu!!  Can you believe that?? Way to freaking go with the guilt PFC!  Sheesh.)

woodstock, hippies and hobos

We went to Woodstock late Saturday afternoon with the little kids. Usually, when we go out to dinner, we do it with the idea of getting away together to catch up, chat without interruption, hang out with friends our age -- but our kids were so excited to be going OUT to dinner, I actually felt guilty for not doing it more often.

ANYWAY, we decided to take the kids to one of our favorite restaurants, The Little Bear, (Great food - you can check it out here ) which is just outside of Woodstock. It's a fab little Chinese place right alongside a little rambling and rocky creek. We've been going to this place for years now. For some reason I just don't remember the first time we went, and I wish I did. During the summer you can eat outside on this flagstone patio - we always stay in and get a seat by the windows overlooking the creek though.

Though we are not too far from Woodstock, the ride seems long. It must be because most of the way is by back roads, through country -- oftentimes you get behind a line of slowpokes just looking at scenery. That doesn't bother me, because I like to look too. Along the way, I told the kids where we were going, explaining the town of Woodstock that we would be driving through to get to our destination. Most people think of Woodstock as the place where the hugely famous music festival happened in 1969, then again in 1994 -- but the town of Woodstock, that is a pretty cool place to go. It is of course filled with art galleries and shops, cool places to eat, cool people and things to see, and always cool music to hear on any given day.

So I was telling the kids about the music festivals, and about the time period that the first festival was set in - you know, peace, love and rock & roll. All of a sudden, Alex yells out: "Oh my Gosh!! There's a HIPPIE!! Look at his HAIR!" The girls are practically falling out of their seats to get a look at this guy walking along with crazy long dreads. (I love dreadlocks. I admit, I am secretly a wannabe granola-head. Don't tell my husband.)

Then, "A HOBO!!! Mom, LOOK!! It's a REAL LIVE HOBO!!!"

Gosh, who knew all I had to do was drive 40 minutes from home to get my kids so excited?

I think we're going to have to take some more day trips.

ps: Cuteness: as we were leaving the restaurant, the night air smelled of burning wood and Chinese food, and Brookie exclaims, "It smells just like a Chinese campfire!" huh?