Booming Banter

Today it was announced that yet another famous retailer Forever 21 had gone into liquidation.

Not so long ago this was the destination for anyone hip today it’s Crinkled. The company just couldn’t move fast enough to compete with the H&Ms and Zara’s of this can’t wear it twice world.

A days shopping is just no longer a destination it’s a necessity to be undertaken as quickly as possible! Not so long ago when Crinklies were smoothies you’d get your steps walking from shop to shop rather than on a treadmill. There even were routes you’d take the one I remember started at Wallis and ended at Miss Selfridge and often we did several laps too!

Forever 21 is not the first or even the most significant of the major chains to bite the dust. The one that caused the first gasp of shock and horror was probably Woolworths. The place of dreams for kids with loose sweets and many toys just got old!

Shops like Littlewoods and British Home Stores that catered to the fashions of Moms and Grannies, Dads and Grandpas also bit the dust. Why? Well because while faces of the 80s Moms and Dads may have crinkled as they became Grans and Grandpas their clothes did not. They refused to wear what they were meant to.

Crew necks and elasticated waist just won’t cut it. We crinklies want our fashion! Just thinking of what I’m wearing now I couldn’t imagine even in my wildest dreams that my Mom would have ever worn this!

So what will the future hold? A vestige of Littlewoods has survived as an online catalogue business and we all know Amazon is taking over the world. Maybe that’s it for shopping to come phone not foot!

Or will an outing to Macy’s and Marks and Spencer of the world endure? What will keep them on trend and relevant. Personal shopping services helping you find what’s just right for you perhaps. Food? Or if the latest news is to believed it will be recycling. Sections in the store for designer bargains of the gently used form! Would you buy it?

Blessing # 475 – Fresh Starts

Do you subscribe to a newspaper or magazine that’s delivered directly to your door?

We don’t but our neighbors do they take the local Columbus Dispatch and the Wall Street Journal. They read them within a few hours and then pass them on to Krishna. He loves it!

Sometimes they get People Magazine which they also give to us and that makes me happy. So it was today that Krishna got his papers and I got my magazine for a good old Sunday afternoon read.

The last time we had a subscription was way back in the 1990s when we took Time Magazine. We bought the Sunday Times too but not a daily paper.

Back in the 1970s living with my parents it was a very different story. We got the Belfast Telegraph delivered by a real live paper boy every evening. My Mum got the People’s Friend each week from the newsagents and on Sunday we got a selection of papers local and national. These were broad sheets and my Dad read them from cover to cover.

Teenagers too had their own weekly a magazine called Jackie. If anything defined an era it was this. Filed with pop stars and gossip with fashion and make up and of course teenage agony aunt it was a must have and the source of much discussion the next day at school.

Around the age of sixteen Jackie seemed a little immature so some friends progressed to Cosmopolitan. This was too deep for me and had way too many ads so it was that Woman and Woman’s Own became a staple. To this day when I go to the UK I’ll buy these. Krishna fondly refers to them as my Masala or spice!

What they offer is variety. Some real life stories mixed with celebrity interviews and gossip. A little fashion and beauty for real women not supermodels and of course a few recipes, diet tips and just enough health and wellness to give you hope you can shape up.

They are very middle of the road and what they do is offer an hour or two of light diversion.

There is something so relaxing about flipping through colorful pages rather than scrolling down a screen. Best of all you can take them to the bathtub without risk of suffering major financial loss! Each article is no more than a five minute read just ideal for a quick peak in bed before lights out too.

How long will this last? Is paper destined for extinction or is its future bright. What will crinklies of tomorrow do? Just think of all the stress relieve they might miss!

Blessing # 474 – Comfort Covers

John, my cousin Norma’s husband, commented on yesterday’s banter that there is nothing to beat a fish supper especially if it’s served with a can of Sprite or an Iron Brew. Fully agree on the food but will have a Diet Coke if you don’t mind!

Thus inspired what else to talk about today but Crinkly beverages to match our favorite take aways.

Iron Brew is a unique composition developed by none other than the Barr’s of Scotland. There must be some link there to the family tree! It is popular in Northern Ireland too and perhaps the North of England but outside the UK it is virtually unknown. It has a unique flavor slightly metallic and is definitely an acquired taste.

The first sparkling drink most Northern Irish Crinklies will have had is lemonade. We were big drinkers in our small household and had a crate with a dozen bottles delivered to the door each week. Can you imagine the calories that packed in! We distinguished between white and brown lemonade and our preference was the brown variety.

At Carols house we had Cream Soda which was a sweet vanilla like concoction. It wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy the foaming Creamola they served.

With the arrival of teenage years we progressed to Coca Cola thinking it was the next thing to heaven until we discovered diets and sugar and the need to loose weight to get into those tight jeans.

Just around the time we started slimming the world was introduced to the magic of TAB a calorie free cola that tasted so weird. We drank it though until it’s much more palatable cousin Diet Coke hit the market. You can still get TAB here in the USA so there for sure are some Crinklies out there who must love it.

There are a few other fizzies worth an honorable mention. LILT with the Totally Tropical Taste that had everyone humming when it launched. Bet you’ll be humming that tune all day!!!!!

In India there is Thumbs Up the original cola of the nation and still competing strongly with the soft drink giants.

Last but not least in the USA the unique Dr Pepper which is absolutely horrendous to anyone who didn’t drink it from childhood.

What makes all these drinks so great with fast food? Their sweetness perhaps to accentuate the grease or the bubbles to cleanse the palate. Whatever it is they make a significant mark in our lives and we love them.

Name your favorite and share the reason why it’s Top of your Pops!

Blessing # 473 – Thirst Quenchers

Everywhere you look today there is a fast food place. They are so plentiful that it is a complete mystery how they make money.

Aaron has a preference for one called Canes Chicken and frequents it on the way home from school for a light 1000 kcal snack to tide him over till dinner.

Growing up in Belfast in the 1960s we had Fish and Chips or Fish and Chips. The most famous Fish Salon was Longs and it’s still going today. A trip to the Odeon or ABC cinema was just a stones throw from Longs so there was often a trip for a supper after the show.

We became very hip in the late 1960s with the arrival of the Whimpy Bar where Carol and I would go to have a plate of thin crispy French Fries so different from our usual chips. They came with ketchup which was a novelty and if we were celebrating we’d have a burger too. This was like a thin piece of rubber sandwiched between two dry pieces of bun. No matter how it tasted we took a long time to eat it so we could drink in the atmosphere!

With the success of Whimpy local burger joints started popping up. One of the most popular was Kens at Knock. Kens burgers were highly rated because they had cheese as well as lettuce and tomato on them. They were so juicy they dripped  when you bit into them. What made Kens extra special though was that in the days when Fish and Chip shops closed at 10:00 pm Kens stayed open till the ridiculous hour of 3:00 am. Heading home from a disco or party, not having eaten anything more than a pack of peanuts since your dinner served at 5:00 pm sharp, it was a heavenly outpost

There were a few other options if you didn’t stay out too late. The curry chip from the Chinese was a perfect combo after a movie and by the 1980s there was Spuds where not only burgers but baked potatoes filled a tummy or too after an evening in the pub.

The Combo of day was the event with the food stop rather than the menu from which you’d choose.

There was no such thing as a value meal or meal deal. Choice was limited but Crinklies sure knew how to end an evening in style!

Blessing # 472 – Perfect Pairings

Krishna and I have been out and about in Aarons new car. It’s a wee dream and so clean!

After dropping Aaron at school we took Scooby for the snip. He is already out of surgery and recovery and is ready to come home later today. All went well!

Since Scooby is having a snip I thought I’d have one myself so after doing Zumba and the weekly grocery shopping I dropped Krishna at home to put things away and took myself to the salon. A girl needs a treat now and then especially after the trauma of the past few weeks.

The hair had had no color over the summer lest it go green with chlorine so it was white. I hesitate sometimes if I should leave it that way but then I take the head staggers and decide if senior citizens like Oprah and Anna color why shouldn’t I.

I mess around with dye myself but it’s great to get it done professionally once in a while. All that TLC showered on you and all that crinkly tin foil too.

You really look like a trusted up old bird!

Who knows maybe I’ll even get slightly stewed later at our Zumba girls night out now that my personal Uber driver has a vehicle again!

Blessing # 471 – Makeovers

 

After much reflection we took the decision to trade in Aarons car rather than repair it.

He was very much in love with his car. It was definitely a sporty looking model but far from reliable. We spent almost as much on repairs as on the original price.

So this time we, that is Krishna and I, decided we were going to take the advice of the dealer and invest in reliability over style. As you can imagine Aaron had other views and wanted a souped up Dodge. Since we were writing the check he got a Honda that had one very careful owner. It is pristine!

Next time he can choose what he wants because he’ll be paying!

My first car was an old Mini  hatchback. It was more like a van than a car. My Dad paid £200 for it in fall of 1978 and I thought I was the bees knees driving it.

Alas it didn’t last long! I piled six people into it and broke the subframe going over a speed breaker!

My Dad as you can imagine was not impressed because we weren’t exactly rolling in money but shortly thereafter he got me a little Mini Cooper also costing £200.

It had its own air conditioning a hole in the floor. That car was as reliable as clockwork and ran like a dream. It never once caused any problems. Only once did it stop in traffic when I let it run out of fuel!

Better yet we sold it for $200 too.

What stories that car could tell of parties and boyfriends of evening fish suppers by the seaside.

Fortunately it was like all crinkly friend it listened and watched but soon forgot!

Blessing # 470 – Vintage Vehicles

 

We need a break! It’s like we are having one thing thrown at us after another.

Our poor baby Scooby is suffering from tummy troubles. He was eating great and digesting well until yesterday. All of a sudden he stopped eating and had a explosive event this morning. Fortunately outside not in!

We have tried everything today. Rice, egg, beef burger even Frosted Flakes but he’s having none of it. He’s still Frisky and up for his walks. Maybe it’s anxiety because we have had to leave him alone several times since Sunday.

If he is not back to normal tomorrow morning it will be a trip to the vet for sure. He is scheduled for the snip on Thursday but that’s looking less and less likely.

Scooby is an adolescent. He is certainly adjusting to his new home and establishing himself in the household. There are so many other dogs around too so he has to deal no doubt with his place in the pecking order.

Most adolescents go through these same steps. They have to get to know there peers, find those they click with, have good days and bad days and build resilience.

Quite honestly when you’ve done this don’t you think your you?

I have very clear memories of being a real tom boy as a preadolescent literally beating the boys up! Next I went all soft and shy. Finally around fifteen or sixteen I started feeling happy. What helped? Good friends that you gelled with who were equals not walk overs.

Once this pinacle was reached honestly I cannot say I’ve changed a lot even if I’ve got really crinkly. That’s me the person of so many years ago is the person in my head!

How about you? When did you reach your self?

Blessing # 469 – Stuck in Time

My friend Lorraine, who is an endless source of fun and laughter,  sent me this little message this morning.

It definitely resonates with me and with perhaps a few of you too. Sometimes I go upstairs to find something, get distracted and forget why I’ve gone there!

So for the next few weeks let’s make light of laughter lines or as my Mom would the “case of too many birthdays”

What do like most about getting older? Anything at all?

Do you feel more comfortable in your own skin even if it’s sagging? Do you like that you don’t have to please everyone and just say what you think?

What do you like least? I know for me it’s mirrors and the shock they give me sometimes. Another of my mother’s favorites rings so true “can it be I at all”

Recently Carol and I took Aaron to the Game of Thrones exhibition. One of the interactive features is a face down photo that is taken and then projected with a large group of other images on the wall. It’s like a three dimensional mug shot. Aarons was picture perfect with his plump cheeks and not a wrinkle in sight. He look like a movie star. Mine was grotesque and Carols not much better! Holding the head down reinforced the dropping skin and the shrinking eyes even more than usual!

So far the thing I love most about being a retiree is being able to get up early and have a little quiet time and then take a sweet little nap in the afternoon. Not sure though if this aids with sleep at night which is very definitely not what it use to be.

Share your wisdom on the subject!

Blessing # 468 – The Good The Bad and The Ugly

 

This has been a momentous month. Variety was not lacking. We covered the entire spectrum.

The best thing has been the arrival of Scooby. He will of course never take Dibley’s place he will make his own.

We love that he has brought a surge of energy into the house. All the ball chasing shoe chewing antics of youth have returned.

Good long walks are also back with force in the daily routine. It’s so wonderful to see the excitement that a squirrel brings and how meeting other dogs is such a source of joy that the whole body wags.

Late night and early morning outings for big business brought the chance to take in a view of the stars and see the colors of sunrise more than ever before in Ohio.

So many new adventures with a young man clearly in the PINK!

Blessing # 467 – New Boy Toys

This has been another day of challenge in the month of PINK. Just before 8:00 Aaron and I both left home. He for work and I for a meeting. It wasn’t ten minutes later that I got a call from Krishna to say Aaron had been in an accident.

So I turned around and headed in the direction of his work. Shortly afterwards I came across the Police who had closed the road.

I knew Aaron was OK but it was clear the accident was bad. When I got up close to it I was shaking like a leaf.

It wasn’t him. What had happened was he’d been diverted by this bad accident and got into a fender bender minor incident with a truck.

The man driving the truck and Aaron had exchanged details and all was OK except the axel of Aarons car was bent.

So we called the AAA to come get the car and tow it to a garage. Three hours later we were still sitting waiting!!!!

Fortunately there was lots of fruit in the car to munch on as that was meant to be my contribution to breakfast at our meeting today.

The AAA must have been coming from that recently discovered PINK exoplanet some 57 light years away that I’d thought of bantering about today!

My patience was wearing very thin and my face beetroot when they arrived. To make matters worse after fifteen days of no rain the heavens opened just as the tow truck pull into the parking lot where we’d taken refuge.

So off we go again!

Blessing  # 466 – Better Late Than Never