Well, I’m off to a great start.

It’s almost one and I just woke from a three-hour nap.  What’s up with that? I knew I was getting worn out a bit, but just blanking out for multiple hours isn’t my style.   It’s not it was a straight multi-hour nap.

I woke up a couple of times.   Thought that I needed to do something.    The brain just went ‘nope’ and back to sleep, I went.

I’ve always believed that my mind commands the body.  No matter how tired or out of it I become, the mind still pulls through.

Then the body goes yeah… right… and that’s that.   Lights out.
It certainly reminds me of whose boss.

It’s been kind of a rocky week for me anyway.
Dad’s birthday was earlier this week.   Yeah, I know he died some 9 years ago but I can’t help think about him.   Well, he’s always somewhere in my head just especially this time of year.

Then, there’s Valentine’s Day – which I’ve never particularly cared for.  I should.   I have a valentine, but the holiday makes me feel awkward and anxious.  I’m never sure what I’m supposed to do.    There’s that self-conflict with money, reserves, and expectations that play Pong in my head.    Much like Pong, I can’t win – no matter what side I’m on.    It’s best to ignore, but I can’t really because I have a valentine…    Beeeeepppppp… overload.

I’m also pretty sure I made myself sick.
In a continuing effort to get rid of all the old stuff, I added random super old no-calorie sweetener to my hot chocolate.  There’s no telling how old the Splenda, We-Cal, and whatever else was that I drank but it made me feel pretty ill for a couple of days.
Not so fun.

The class and Wizards Unite preoccupied most of my waking hours.  I’m thinking about writing a blog just to fuss about Wizards.    First world problems, but I was grated over California poop covered concrete with the oddity sub-event.  Four shots for the dog.   Three shots for the escapee.   Two for the vampire.   Suuuucccckkkksssss.   Took all my energy and I had to watch the animations.   What was worse is that I new the magizoologist and auror could one shot of most of them.   The game just hates professors for some reason.

But, now I kind of want a dog.
I was brainwashed to the point that I thought the three head dog attack was kind of neat when all three heads where involved.    Salty has been drooling over her little puppy and there are ‘service dogs’ wherever I go.

I have no illusions.   There’s no way my dog would be well-behaved in public or anywhere, for that matter, but I kind of want one anyway.   A small or medium pooch.  But, I got Sneezles here and Fluffy in Indiana.     I don’t need a dog to complicate my life right now.

Spent a lot of time in the mall.
Noticed a couple of things.

There are these really flowy pants, skirts, and skorts that look really comfortable.  I’m not too sure where people are getting them from, but I wouldn’t mind something like that.    I haven’t seen them in any of the stores.

From Christmas onwards, there’s been a lot of Thrasher and Santa Cruz shirts going around.  Not sure what Thrasher is and I’ve actually been to Santa Cruz.    Thought it was a neat place.   I think The Lost Boys was filmed there.

Unless The Lost Boys is this generation’s Monty Python, I have no idea why that is in.

There’s also a disturbing proportionate amount of skinny young men who wear their pants around their ankles.  I know that was a trend a while ago and faded out, but apparently, it’s back…. ?  I didn’t get it the first time.   I don’t get it this time, but if they enjoy constantly adjusting their waistband in public, so be it.  Every other step, it’s either too high or too low.  They have to show half of their underwear at all times or…   something will happen.   The fashion police will come after them.

How vain, really.

What was encouraging was the number of men… probably between 30 and 50… who carried bags from Victoria Secret and Sephora.  They walked dazed looking at storefronts with their little pink and black bags.

I’m guessing the bags held assignment gifts and guesses for the significant other.  Maybe people who, like me, aren’t quite sure what they’re supposed to do so they go with social norm.   Or, maybe, their significant other takes pity on them and assigns some sort of gift quest.   After all, I don’t think many men would willfully know what color foundation their wives use.

There was also a small heard in Pandora, Kays, and Zales.  The typically bored sales associates were thrilled to finally make a paycheck since Christmas.  Men and women clustered around the cases ooohhh and awwwing like they were looking at newborns.

Which I think is good.
I think it shows an uptick in the economy and buying power of the area.    If someone can’t afford milk, they’re not going to buy $400 lab-created earrings.

But… we’re not quite there yet.
The mom-and-pop jewelry store… one of the few places that have actual honest-to-goodness real gems…   was mostly deserted.    Every once in a while, I observed a man wonder in and right back out when he saw the price tag.

Sure, you can get something more sparkly and large at a name-brand store.   It’s more impressive, I guess, but I’d rather have something real and living than fake and dead.  Even if it’s an expensive fake.

Blood Diamond… Yes, I know, but that’s why (one of the reasons why) there are so many lab-created things now.  A girl with an ancient bracelet from an estate sale didn’t kill anyone.

So… the economy isn’t there yet.
It may never get there.   Some people just go for sparkly instead of real.

But, it’s far better than socks and canned soup.

Maybe things are getting better – somehow.