Cool Thrifting and Cool Flicks

It's been a while again. It's hard to blog during the week with internet only at work.

Anyway, I got to stop at a thrift store in Pullman WA and they had, for 3$ an organic cotton Blue Canoe brand tank! Very nice. Doesn't appear to have been worn much. And they had a Mouli (from those infomercials in the 1970s) in the original box with all the blades and the instructions. I love crap like that. It was cheap but now I need to get rid of something else out of the kitchen of similar size and/or use. I've got more coolers than I use so perhaps one of those can go.

Then I tried the Goodwill in Moscow ID and they had a Patagonia shirt for 2$ with no visible wear or stains. Who gets rid of clothes this expensive without wearing them out? Everyone but me? This shirt IS artificial fiber, but I'm hoping the idea that it's made out of old beverage bottles and that I can drop it or mail it to Patagonia for recycling into a new product when it's worn out shirt-wise will help with that.

I clearly need to buck up my outfits at work. I'm not offended by worn clothing but apparently other people are. When did we decide that things had to be new? Why do they need to be new?
My brown work pants are in fine shape other than some wear and tear around the hem. They are carhartts with double fronts so will last years (for 30$ new that isn't bad at all). The color is still fine, except for one bleach spot by the knee. And yet, wearing those with a button down Columbia shirt and my brown shoes, I was told that I was looking sloppy. I really don't get it. I work partly outside and the dress code is "attire appropriate to your job". I figured sturdy pants and a clean shirt with no inappropriate parts hanging out should be fine for someone who just came in from inspecting a wetlands location. I think I'll start keeping some "slacks" and a linen shirt in the office for when I'm supposed to meet a muckety muck. If they show up unannounced, which is the more common event, they can just deal with my outfit. Still, I'll try to wear things that look newer. We'll see if that satisfies people.

Speaking of thrifting and clothes. I saw this old old man at Value Village (a thrift department store chain) yesterday with an amazing t-shirt. It was one of those old-man undershirts like Gramp used to wear. Short sleeved and crew neck. The seams and collar were the only parts of the shirt that were clearly visible! It was SO WORN and SO THIN that you could see his old man moobs (that's what the kids are calling "man boobs") and skin through the shirt. He was entirely pink with white-ish seams around the sleeves and across his shoulders and a collar. I looked closer and saw that the slightly less worn parts of the shirt were making it look sort of "pink heather"...some areas a bit lighter pink. You could have read newsprint through that shirt. But it wasn't ripped and he was still wearing it. I wish I could have gotten a photo.

I did have to buy something full price yesterday. AND it's not biodegradable. I still needed a helmet for riding my trike. I tried to find used, but no go. Probably in the fall after bike season and maybe when the college kids are leaving in spring. But, my timing was off. I also did not want some shiny aerodynamic thing that makes it look like I'm trying to shave 2 seconds off my time on the Tour de France. I'm a fat middle aged woman on a bigwheel. I'm not shaving time off anything. But, the less douchey looking helmets cost a lot more. So I got the normal bike helmet shape. Black with gold flowers. It was that or pink with white flowers. Puke. Oh well. There are some very cool helmets that are just head shaped and have hat shaped covers going over them. I think those say "I'm wearing a helmet and I know I look like a moron so I added a cover for extra douchey-ness". More honest.
Perhaps I'll put one on my christmas list and then pass on the one I've got. Or I'll get used to the one I have.

Now for the cool flicks:
I watched "Harold and Maude" again. It really is a great flick! Everyone go watch it now. The Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam) on the sound track is amazing. And I realized that I dream of becoming Maude, though without the singing and dancing. I want to live in a weird house with a bunch of weird crap and not care what gets stolen. And if I bag a 20 something when I'm 80, so be it. I also liked her theory that 80 is a good time to go (TO ALL THE OLDER RELATIVES: I'M NOT RECOMMENDING ANYTHING FOR YOU! JUST TALKING THEORY HERE). 75 is too soon and 85 you're just hanging on. 80 sounds about right. Unless you're in good shape and still having a good time.

I also watched a few foreign films which I'll have to review later as my wash needs hanging out and I'm running out of time on the free dial up!

I want to put up a photo and garden report too. Maybe later today if I can mooch some wifi.