Payless Shoes

My daughter and I went shopping the other day and found some really cute shoes at Payless. We managed to hit their "Bo-Go" Sale (Buy one, get one half off)--and we found some really good deals. We also looked at WalMart and Target, but we found our best deals at Payless this time. My daughter needed some new shoes for school and we found some cute and inexpensive choices there. I have been to several Payless stores over the years--some are larger than others. This one was medium-sized, I guess. I would like to find where the largest one in our area is located--we might can find even MORE choices there! :)

Guitars Can Be Better Than Cars!

So, now that my son is 16, many people think that it is time to go car shopping. But the reality is, we just cannot afford to do so right now. Hopefully in the future, but not any time soon. I have to admit that I felt bad about that--not guilty, because it is what it is...money is very tight right now, but I had a hard time deciding what would make a really good present for a very important birthday--and not break the bank! My son kind of guided me in the direction he wanted to go in--he made a list of things that he liked. There were some things on the list such as video games and consoles that I did not want to do--he has enough of those already. That didn't seem special enough. He also wanted to upgrade his cell phone and mp3 player--but he wanted the top of the line stuff! And, he would like to have his own computer, but I am still using a laptop with a broken screen hooked up to an old monitor--um...if anyone needs a new computer, it would be me! So there were a lot of things on his list that were just way over budget and we just can not get them right now. And the idea of a car--we put that out of his mind months ago and told him bluntly that we just cannot afford to do that right now--so he didn't even ask.

BUT--one thing that was on his list was a new electric guitar. He had one from when he was younger, but it was very small and simple. Last year, he bought a bass guitar with his birthday and Christmas money. He plays that thing constantly, and he is really getting pretty good on it. This year, he wanted to upgrade his electric guitar(not the bass)--he wanted to learn to play some of the songs that he really likes, and what he had was just not working. We looked through a catalog and he showed me some things that he liked. We also went to a music store and he showed me some things--it reminded me a lot of when he was young and in the toy store, but this time he was oohing and aahing over instruments. His taste in "toys" have definitely changed--and so have the pricetags!! But I learned a bit about the world of musical instruments--there are the big name brands that cost a lot of money, and there are off brands that are made cheaply and cost less--and then there is a group of instruments in the middle that are made by the same big name companies as the expensive brands, but are made under a different name and cost a lot less. Apparently, in the world of guitars, the most expensive guitars are under the brand name Gibson. I think many professional musicians have Gibsons. We cannot affford a Gibson. Then, I think Gibson makes a brand named Les Paul--also over our budget. Finally, Gibson makes a brand named Epiphone. The name may not be as well known, but it is made by the famous parent company, Gibson. So, buying an Epiphone is essentially buying a Gibson, although I am sure that the materials and handiwork are not as high of quality as a true Gibson. My son knows that we cannot afford a true Gibson, but we can swing an Epiphone. It isn't cheap, but it is MUCH less expensive than a true Gibson guitar--and especially less expensive than a car or many other things that could have been on his list!

So, that is what we bought our son for his birthday: an Epiphone electric guitar. The one we bought him comes with an amp and other accessories. The guitar, plus some cell phone minutes, were all we could afford--and it wasn't cheap! While I was feeling a bit down because I am used to buying lots of birthday presents instead of just one, my son was thrilled to death with his one present! I kept telling him, if love were money I would buy you everything on your list AND a car, but reality made that impossible. I don't know what I was worried about--he was truly on cloud nine about his guitar!! I know, I know--it's the thought that counts and all of that. And there are many families who are having a tougher time than we are--I know that for certain. And we never were the kind of family who could throw expensive elaborate parties and buy luxury cars for our teens like they do on MTV--that has ALWAYS been way above OUR heads!! But still--I was hoping to at least purchase an inexpensive used car for my son to drive--just as my parents had done for me when I was 16--but we just can't. Times are tough right now--for almost everyone. As we watch my son's friends turn 16 this year, I wonder who will get their kids a car, and who will not. Many of his friends come from families who seem to be doing better than we are through this recession--but you never know. And it really doesn't matter what "they" are doing--We are doing what WE can during these tough times--that really is all that matters.

My son was VERY VERY appreciative of his new guitar! He told me that he really didn't care about getting a car--that this is what he REALLY wanted! He used his birthday money from relatives to buy some accessories, and he played his heart out! And he is really good! It will take some time for him to really get it all down, but he is a fast learner. One of the things he bought to go with the guitar adds special effects sounds to it--it sounds really awesome! Listening to him play reminds me a lot of the rock bands I liked when I was his age! I know--he still has a long way to go, but he is really quite talented! He has ALWAYS been very interested and talented in music, and he is really beginning to express himself a lot through music. I can't wait to see/hear what he does next! Happy birthday, son! I am very glad that your new guitar makes you so happy! :)

Happy 16th Birthday!!!

My son is 16 today!! OMG!! Sixteen years old!! He still has to complete his online drivers education course before he can take his driving test, so he won't be going to do that today. But soon...very soon! Maybe in a week or two--and then he will have to go through that awful stressful situation of driving for an examiner and getting rated on his every move. Aahh! Remember that? I don't envy him! I do know that he should practice parallel parking a lot more before he goes--one of his friends failed that more than once! I will write about it all, and I will especially write about how I feel when I give him the keys and he drives alone for the very first time. OMG! I cannot believe that this day has arrived!!! He says that he wants to take a "road trip" alone once he gets his license. I am leaning more toward a day out alone, or a few hours out alone! But it does remind me of that awesome feeling of freedom when you first drive alone. Those of us who have driven for years sometimes get bogged down in the drudgery of it all. Sometimes we groan and complain if we have to drive somewhere, don't we? But remember that feeling, when getting in the car ALONE and driving to the store ALONE was about the BEST feeling in the whole wide world?!! My son is just days away from experiencing this feeling for the first time. It is both scary AND exciting, coming from a parental point-of-view. And I know that every minute that he is out on the road, I will be sitting at home worrying and watching the clock. I still cannot believe that I am on the OTHER side of this whole equation!! Mom and Dad, now I FINALLY am beginning to understand how you felt when I was this age!! It is a very different feeling when you are waiting at home for a teenager to return safely, and I know that the thought will never even cross his mind--he will be having so much fun enjoying his new freedom that he won't give a single thought to how I feel about it all!! And that, my friends, is the whole ball game: we remember what it was like to be their age, but they have NO clue what it is like to be us!! Happy Birthday, Son!! Even though I may embarrass you by saying it, I love you and hope that you have a wonderful day!! :)

Starbucks Holiday Drinks

I enjoyed a few of Starbucks Holiday Drinks this weekend, and they are delicious! I tried the Gingersnap Latte and the Peppermint Mocha Twist. Both were very yummy! My son had the Caramel Truffle, I think. He said that it was good. My daughter stuck to just plain hot chocolate--she is not really a fan of coffee like her brother and I are. I know that we can't indulge in these too often, but we did enjoy them very much! Way to go, Starbucks! Two thumbs up! :)

James Bond Movie: Quantum of Solace

When my daughter and I went to see "Four Christmases," my son decided to go to the latest James Bond movie. He really enjoyed "Casino Royale," and this was the sequel to that one. He said that the plot continued just a few minutes after the other one had ended. He liked it and was glad to have seen it, but I couldn't get much more of a critique from him beyond that. If you like Bond movies, I am sure that you will like this one, too! :)

Holiday Movie: Four Christmases

My daughter and I went to see "Four Christmases" over the weekend. It was funny! Maybe not the absolutely BEST holiday movie, but it was cute. It kind of reminded me a bit of "Christmas with the Kranks"--a lot of "slapstick comedy" and overall silliness. I guess the main thing I liked about it was seeing how UN-traditional holidays can be for many people today! In this story, both sets of parents are divorced, so they visit each parent separately--and much mayhem ensues at each house. If each family and household could be described in one word, it might be something like this: young couple--non-traditional, his dad--redneck, his mom--hippie, her mom--cougar, her dad--doting. Interestingly enough, there really didn't seem to be any "traditional families" in the bunch! So, even though this young couple had to deal with many issues, one issue they seemed to escape was traditionalism! Everyone has their own axe to grind, I guess. For me, my holidays used to be spent trying to explain why I did not want to be "just like them" or do things "just like they do." As time went on, though, it seems that NON-traditionalism has won out, at least in my family! Maybe that is why I liked the movie--a bunch of people doing things VERY differently than "how we've always done it." It was fun to see the craziness that ensued when everyone "did their own thing'! :)

Thanksgiving: Image vs. Reality

Did your Thanksgiving look anything like this? I know that mine certainly did not! The funny thing is, some of my older family members tried very hard to have that "Norman Rockwell image" during the holidays when I was growing up. We would all gather at my grandmother's house--we were expected to wear our "Sunday best"--we sat around the formal dining room table(although there WAS a "kid's table" in the kitchen!)--all of our table manners were used and critiqued--and the older adults usually set the tone and conversation for the day. In some ways, this image was very similar to the way things went when I was younger. But time moves on--people change--older generations pass on and younger generations take their place. Now, in my family, there are no longer any "Norman Rockwell holidays." This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. That particular image was created around the middle of the 20th century--a bit earlier than that, really. Now that we are deep into the 21st century, it seems a bit silly to try to make our holidays look ANYTHING like this severely outdated image! Sometimes advertisements try to hold on to those images, though--they try to tweak our sentimental side and get us to thinking that it "should" look like that--and if it doesn't, maybe WE did something wrong. But the truth is, the only thing "wrong" with not "living up to the image" is the image itself. America needs to move on. This can apply to many things that may fall into the categories of "the American dream" or "an American tradition." That was then, this is now. Life is not going to look the same, nor should it.

When I am the age of the grandmother in the portrait, my holidays aren't going to look anything like that--heck, I don't plan on looking anything like she does, either! I want to LOOK like a "modern grandmother"--not a "traditional" one. And I don't plan on having traditional holiday celebrations, either. I plan on living in a small apartment or condo, so I won't be inviting all of my relatives over to my place. If my grown children want to host the holidays in their homes, I would love to visit them and do things THEIR way--not mine!--and NOT my ancestors traditional ways. If they do come to visit me, I would love to take them out for a nice dinner at a nice restaurant--no cooking for me, thank you! There won't be any "family recipes" because they died with the people who created them--and no one in my generation wanted to keep the tradition. Either store-bought, ready-made, or catered for us! And that's ok! No--I don't think that I will EVER again be part of that scene--no more traditional "Norman Rockwell holidays"--and that's fine with me. And my teens are even more accepting of this than I am because they have never really done things that way. The whole idea of "1950s traditional" is beyond their comprehension--never lived it, why start now? We are starting our own new traditions in the new century--and the next generation will probably toss it all aside and create THEIR own way of doing things. That is how life should be--moving forward into the next generation. So happy Thanksgiving, however you celebrated it!