Organic

Today after our garage sales, C.J. wanted to stop at a local bike shop downtown Lee's Summit.  About a year ago, we went on our first bikeride.  I have never been more miserable with company on a bike ride as I was with my husband that day.  He complains a lot about his 'tiny buns'.  Him and I were built very very different on the back side. I have pretty big buns, that supply plenty of comfort in seating and cushion on bike seats.  C.J. however has these little tiny buns, that although I think would sometimes be nice to have, they are not.  He complains about the feeling he gets sitting at a football game or bench feeling like the hard surface is rubbing right against his bones.  On this bikeride a year ago, I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that every 2-3 minutes of the 15 minute ride (cut short for his discomfort), he complained about how bad his buns hurt.  It was agonizing. Does it truly hurt that much?? He tried to ride the entire time in the standing position to ease his pain.  I felt like I was riding bikes with a 4 year old who had just got stung by a bee, and let me know how bad it hurt every 2 minutes.

  So that was the first and last bike ride we've shared together. Since then, I have started and envelope marked "beach cruiser".  I put cash in it every so often, so he can get a beach cruiser bike with a wide seat for his tiny buns.  Long story short, we saved the money, and now he can get his bike.

  Right by the bike shop was an organic baby boutique that I wanted to stop in. He hesitated, but came in with me.  The owner of the store was about our age and him and C.J. immediately bonded. Within minutes, C.J. was interested in everything the store had to offer.  The irony of C.J. is this. He is truly INTRIGUED by everything organic as his grandmother owned an all natural health food store and still does.  So he loves to talk about it, read about it etc.   Here's the irony: Just today, he made me stop at Mcdonalds so he could get some fast food breakfast, and 3 hours later, he pulled our car into the chinese buffet so he could get some lunch.  Since I've known him, I have seen him make ONE 'organic' shake that came from a jar of organic powder that his grandmother sent him.  A jar of powder that I KNOW is expired and never going to be use, but yet when we moved he refused to let me throw it out because of course he's going to use it!

   The man who was hesitant to walk into this organic baby boutique, is now thouroughly convinced that we are going to use cloth diapers (he's never change any kind of diaper in his entire life), and he also walked out with a purchase of organic cloth diaper DETERGENT to use on his own clothes. To which he informed me that he might start doing his own laundry now, to avoid putting all the 'crap' detergent on his clothing.

  I love my health nut!

Garage sales

This morning  I set out for some garage sales. I assumed it would just be me, but my hubby was excited to come along.  One of those mixed emotions where you are happy to have the company but also that same feeling I'm sure parents get when the children want to come along. I noticed myself thinking "well, it would be nice to have his company, but at the same time, I know he's going to want to stop at the random sales and buy random knick knacks that he will think are funny, (like the stuffed rooster that he bought that still ends up everywhere in our house) then they will just take up space, and he'll end up spending all my garage sale cash on stonewash jorts that he thinks he will wear as a joke, but never does."  

  Well of course I wanted him along.  Here's some of the items I was keeping my eye open for: a grill for the backyard, a baby stroller or car seat, a set of ladies golf clubs, maybe a weedeater.   Here's what we came home with: 

1.  A mesh old mans hat that reads "Houses are built by studs".  That's a play on words if you didn't catch it.  C.J. wore it to every garage sale after the purchase was made. Embarrassing.

2. some maternity pants that probably won't fit, but hey I'm only out $6

3. The board game called "Milarkey"

4. A Super Nintendo, with 10 Super nintendo games included.

What a success!

   As we traveled through the neighborhood sales, we couldn't help but notice the awkwardness associated with garage sales sometimes.  There will be about 4 houses in a row with sales, and you don't want to park and commit to a walk through, until you do the slow drive-by eyeing the items for sale.  This is uncomfortable for everyone. The owner is sizing you  up in your car, wondering if you have $ to spend at their sale or if you are going to try and bargain with them and rip them off.  We are sizing them up and judging them by the giant picture of a circus clown t that sits leaned against their garage for $3, and by the suitcase with barf stains all over it.  We are driving about -10 mph, as we decided to make it look like we will park and get out when we actually have every intention of just driving right past and getting out of their lives. Until you realize you are at the end of a culdesac, and now you have to do the awkward turn around and drive right past again, but this time give them a friendly wave and move on.

  Then there are the sales where you SWEAR you see some goldmine items worth getting out for. Only to be trotting up the drive and immediately regret your decision. Then you end up staying an extra few minutes pretending to be interested in the collection of vhs tapes they have on display as you start up a fake conversation with the owner about how much you loved the movie "flight of the navagators" as a kid. Then you mosey around some more, talk about the weather, and awkwardly walk away without purchasing a thing.