Topic: This and That
Doing Business In Harrogate
A couple of weeks ago, Larry needed some rank sewn onto his soft cap. I asked our local dry cleaner for a recommendation for a seamstress. I was directed to one that's literally right around the corner from my house. Wonderful! I take the cap and the rank over, as well as a cap that's already been done, as an example. The lady there tells me the cap will be ready the following Tuesday. I ask if she would like me to leave the other cap behind, and she says no. Tuesday rolls around and I go to pick up the cap. It's not ready. I come back the next day to find the rank has been sewn on upside down. (There was a reason I offered to leave that other cap!) I come back the next day to pick up the cap and pay for it (four freakin' pounds, which I honestly think was steep, especially considering it wasn't ready when they said it would be, AND they messed it up the first time around). I didn't have any cash on me, so I wanted to pay with a credit card. They wouldn't take my card for only four pounds! They said it would cost them money to run the card, and suggested I go get some cash. I told them it would cost me money to go use the ATM! So I left and came back the next day armed with cash Larry had gotten on post (where we don't get charged to use the ATM). You've got to love this: THEY DIDN'T HAVE CHANGE!!! (I had a ten pound note.) Honestly, before I even had set foot in the shop, I KNEW that was going to happen! At least they were bright enough not to tell me to go get change. Some hurried digging around in purses went on in the back of the shop, and they managed to dig up six pounds in change. I can say with certainty that I will definitely NOT be going back to that particular seamstress! (To top it off, the rank wasn't even centered, and Larry will at some point have to have it redone.)
A few days later, the battery in my sports watch died. I bought a new battery at the bx. I opened up my watch to try to replace the battery. It has some weird latch in it I couldn't figure out. I looked in the instructions which said, "We strongly advise having a jeweler change the battery." Hmm... So I took my watch and my battery over to a nearby jeweler. I walked into a tiny shop and walked back out again. It was one of those places that didn't have very much in the front, but all of it was antique and probably very expensive. I don't know why, but I decided to turn around and walk back in. A man came in from the back of the shop. I asked if he could replace the battery and he said yes. I asked how much, and he told me four pounds. I thought that was a bit much, but since I was there, I kind of felt committed, so I went ahead and gave the man my watch and battery.
He disappeared into the back, and in the meantime I tried to justify to myself my decision to spend four pounds having my watch battery replaced. I was very pleasantly surprised when a few minutes later, the man reappeared and told me it was only two-fifty, since I brought my own battery in.
I would like to mention that I've been seeing Christmas stuff in stores now for at least a couple of weeks now. Yikes! It's not even Halloween yet!
Ryan
Ryan did something for the first time that for some reason cracked me up: he looked at me like I was stupid. I guess it was just the thought that a two year old could look that way that did it. What did I do to bring that look on? Ryan came up to me with something in his hands and said what sounded like, "Opee." I didn't know what he wanted me to do. (Hence the look.) After a minute (and after I got done laughing at the look on his face), I realized he was saying, "Open." He wanted me to open whatever it was.
I figured that Ryan would look at me like I was stupid at some point, but I was thinking it would be more like around adolescence! I quit laughing when I realized it might have been the first time, but it certainly wouldn't be the last. I also realized it'll be progressively less funny the more it happens (which hopefully won't be very often - yet).
We've got those Baby Einstein videos. Ryan loves most of them. We were watching Baby Wordsworth, and the word "piano" came up. Ryan took his little IKEA chair and pulled it up to the coffee table. He then picked up his little four key toy piano, put it on the table, and started to play! It was really cute! He hadn't done that before.
This next item is for Larry. (He said I had to put it in my blog!) Larry was messing around with Ryan and was trying to pull Ryan's pacifier out of his mouth. Larry gave it a good tug, and a nice toot issued from Ryan's behind! :P
Larry
Thursday Ryan and I dropped Larry off at Manchester airport once again. He's got permissive tdy to run the Army Ten Miler, which took place in Washington DC today. There are 24,000 participants. It's by far the biggest race Larry's ever run in. I'm excited to hear how it went.
Protests
Friday I went on post to run a bunch of errands. On my way in, I saw someone on a corner with a big American flag turned upside down. The next day, there was a protest outside MHS. There were people with a bunch of "Peace" flags, and a bunch of upside down American flags. I hate to see stuff like that. To me, it just shows how ignorant those people are.
Weather
We've been pretty lucky with the weather, considering it's October. Wednesday was the first actual cold day here, and it hasn't been too bad since. Friday night the moon was really, really bright. We had a nice, clear night sky, which stayed that way far into the next day. We had bright sun until around 1pm, which I really enjoyed.
Middleham Castle
Saturday afternoon, Ryan and I went with Carissa and Tom and their two boys, Nathan and Thomas, to Middleham Castle. It was a gorgeous day, and a beautiful drive getting there. The castle was at one time home to Richard III. It was fun to explore. The weather held out just long enough for us to spend an hour to or so there. As we were getting ready to leave, it was starting to get dark and cloudy, cold and a bit drizzly.
We drove back to MHS and got pizza. Yum! Since I don't live on post, I almost never get to have the pizza there. It's very good!
I had a good time hanging out with Carissa and Tom, and seeing the castle. Ryan had fun running around the castle ruins, then later playing with Thomas and Nathan's toys! (I will get more photos up as soon as I can.)
Autumn Feast
(That's what they were calling it.) Today Carissa went with me and Ryan to a farmer's market in Skipton. The website said it was indoors. Carissa and I were thinking something along the lines of the Yorkshire Showgrounds. Instead it was inside a "cattle mart." I'm not sure what the proper name for it is, but it's one of those industrial barns, with cement floors and pens for animals. The floor was corrugated for drainage, which made it rough going to strollers and wheelchairs. However, there were still some interesting local vendors there, selling things like meats, cheeses, nuts, jams, etc. (I bought some cupcakes, some rum, and a couple of other odds and ends.) There were also crafts there, quilts and jewelry, etc.
Not long after we'd gotten there, a lady with a clipboard approached me and asked if Ryan would want to make pizza with a chef at a demonstration that would be taking place shortly. I thought it was odd that she'd ask, since he's so young. Then she told me she had to come up with 50 names. Ah. It becomes clear. I went ahead and signed up, just to see what it would be like. At the appointed time, we showed up and the demonstration was already in progress. There was no way Ryan and I could get near the small table that the chef was working at. It was completely crowded with all manner of little kids. There were probably only about a dozen or so kids. I don't see how anywhere near 50 could possibly participate.
Carissa and I wandered around a bit. Ryan was pretty fussy (we've been doing a lot lately and he hasn't been napping except in the car), so we didn't stay too long. I'm glad we went though. It was nice to get out and see the market. It was of course fun to hang out with Carissa. :)
Photo
This morning I opened the door for Ryan to get in the car. He crawled into the driver's seat! He hadn't done that before (at least not that I know of), so I took a couple of pictures.