More Than I Bargained For

Our apartment building runs monthly promotions with area businesses. This month's promotion is with a salon. I got a flyer detailing the discounted services and massages are 50% off. I have not admitted this yet, but I am a sucker for coupons and rewards programs. Every time I get emailed a Borders Rewards coupon I feel the need to buy a book. If Express mails me a coupon I find something to buy at the store. I am the reason why marketing companies come up with these promotions. Instead of thinking logically and economically, I think that it would be such a waste to not use the coupon. No wonder credit card companies love me.

I brought the salon flyer to work with me and looked at it on my desk for at least a week. I debated between taking advantage of the great massage discount and between being smart about saving money for my wedding. After putting in 42 hours of work in 4 days, I caved. The voice inside my head trying to tell me to use the coupon started screaming at me to book an appointment. I called and got a massage appointment for Friday after work.

I love being pampered, so I was looking forward to my massage all day at work. I was totally spaced out during the massage, so I was not fully coherent when the therapist asked me a question. I thought he asked me if I wanted him to work on my heels. I was a bit confused and managed to blurt out an um, yeah. Imagine my surprise when he hiked the sheet up higher on my leg and started massaging my hips. This was a bit too close to persona areas for comfort. I guess he really asked me if I wanted him to work on my hips, not heels. I really need to improve my listening skills. Despite the few uncomfortable moments, the overall experience was fabulous. I am going to try to convince Joe that I need to budget for one massage per month. The therapist did tell me my ligaments surrounding my need were very tight and they needed to be releases. Maybe this explains the knee pain I experience during my workouts.

I got kind of annoyed when I was trying to pay for my massage. All I wanted to do was head home, make some dinner and enjoy a glass of vino. The salon employee was really testing my patience when a man walked in and he struck up a conversation with this man instead of finishing my sale. Next thing you know I am shaking the man's hand and he is inviting me to happy hour at the hotel bar (the salon is in a hotel downtown). I weighed my options and decided that a glass of wine with strangers was a heck of a lot better than going home and drinking a glass of wine alone. It might have been one of the most random things I have ever done.

The night got even more interesting when I joined the happy hour group. I met some really important people in LA. (I still need to verify their importance. While consuming adult beverages, everyone claims to be someone big and important. I plan to research their companies on their business cards.) I walked away from that happy hour with an invite to a wedding, an invite to USC tailgates and an invite to lunch at a famous steakhouse. Either this group was very friendly or they were very tipsy. I am betting on the latter. None the less it made for an interesting evening. There is never a dull moment in this city!

Watch Out For the Yellow Puddle!

Grocery shopping is quickly becoming my least favorite activity! We have a great grocery store downtown, but it is a process to go to the store. Since I don't drive to work, I don't have the luxury of stopping by the store on my way home. I have learned the hard way that is it not smart to walk to the store when I only need a few things. Who really ever gets a few things? Some milk and fruit always turns into $40 worth of groceries and several heavy bags to lug home for a mile. Believe me doing the grocery bag shuffle from arm-to-arm is painful! The more comfortable option is to walk home from work, get my car out of the garage and drive the mile to the store. Sounds easy right?

2 problems...1) When I get home after a long (my first meeting at work is at 7am everyday) day at the office all I want to do is put on comfy clothes and take a nap. It is brutally painful to avoid going up to our apartment to head to the garage. 2) Driving 1 mile in downtown after work can take 15 minutes...annoying (I could have walked to the store quicker).

I had to make the dreaded trip to the grocery store this evening (I ate my last banana this morning. I can do without a lot of things, but a banana is not one of them. How else do you think I crank out a morning workout?). I opted for driving to the store since I knew it would be a big trip. I decided to reward myself for going to the store by buying a bottle of cabernet. I also got some olive oil and I planned on having a divine appetizer of dipping oil (olive oil with garlic, pepper, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning) and bread while I enjoyed a glass of vino.

As I was unloading my bags, I noticed that one was extremely heavy. I monitored the handles (I had a bad feeling about the strength of the plastic bag) of this bag as I struggled to make the trek in from the garage and up to the 9th floor. I noticed a hole in the bag and quickly cradled the contents, so I wouldn't loose the precious cargo (the wine!). As I was fumbling with my keys to access the elevator, I felt my load in my arms get a little lighter. I watched as my delicious bottle of olive oil came crashing to the floor (why would the bagger put all of the glass items in one bag?!). The bottle hit the floor, and for a brief, hopeful moment I thought it wouldn't break and then crack. The bottle broke in two pieces and the contents gushed out all over the hallway floor.

My taste buds cried since I could no longer make the dipping oil that I had been lusting for the entire 15 minute drive home from the store. Even worse, I was not sure what to do about the mess I made given that I had armloads of groceries and there was no trash can in site. I went upstairs to unpack my groceries. I tried to find the phone number to our front desk, but had not luck. I had to go to the lobby to admit to the security guards that I made a giant mess on the 3rd floor. I think they were relieved to see me, because they had been looking at the surveillance video (exactly why I admitted my mess. Every move I make is caught on tape.) and wondering what the yellow mess was on the 3rd floor. You better believe they were pretty happy to know the puddle was not pee.

After this evening's grocery store excursion I dislike grocery shopping even more! I might seriously consider a service that delivers my groceries. If one doesn't exist in downtown, can someone please start one? At least, I didn't loose the wine. That would have been grounds for going right back to the store to complain to the manager about the horrible bagging efforts of his/her staff.