A Beautiful Day in the Strangerhood

Dispatches from the
front lines of human interaction...

All about us nobody people and our funny little stories and the feelings we all have.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

American Consumerism

There was something about today that made me feel the need to make a list of things I want to own in the very near future. Perhaps it's because I'm American or perhaps it's because I'm a female; I don't know. I refuse labels. I do know the list part of it, however, is directly related to my OCD. Product names, descriptions, prices and URLs were meticulously noted on first a post-it, then in my notebook, and then in an email I sent to both my husband and my home address so that they are available for anybody, at any time of the day. I used my best handwriting for the notebook entries and formatted the email in crisp and clean 10-point Arial.

Having several gift cards in my possession, namely $30 to IKEA and two $25 cards to Staples, I thought it best to take some time and peruse their websites for the better part of the morning. At IKEA, I located a mattress pad for the pull-out couch in the living room, frilly/flowery-type wrapping paper because I am out (I need to be stocked of all varieties), and a planter for the backyard that we can place right in the sightline between our porch and our neighbors who make no secret of their fascination with our every activity. I also found an orange fabric ottoman. Typically, I get to lay on the couch while John sits at the other end (my legs usually plopped upon him). I imagine the sight of the foot stool, chosen specifically for his pleasure (and the fact that the shade is PERFECT for our living room), will delight him no end...

At Staples, I located a leather chair for the computer desk and a rolling mat for the floor (only $15.97!). I was sure to also include on the list a set of casters (made of aluminum, 5 for $29.99) just in case my husband determines we do not actually need to spend money on a new chair; that we should just fix the one we have. He'd be right, of course. I don't mind either way, I simply want to purchase something. And quick. There's no greater pleasure than bringing new products home, setting them up, and then taking pictures of said items in their new surroundings. It can be argued it's all about the documentation...

I sent my list to John around 11:30 this morning with the subject line "some things we might want to consider." I was excited to hear what he thought of each possibility. What would he think of putting his feet up at night? Would he think the planter big enough? Pretty enough? Will he want to go ahead and buy a new chair or make a project of attaching the casters? Did he notice that my items were all clearly labeled and described and all appear in 10-pt Arial (as always)?

John's response two minutes later: "Hi Beb. We’re obviously experiencing different levels of workload right now. I will check these out later..."

He is clearly not a female, nor OCD. Sometimes I wonder if he is even American.

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