No You Didn't!

I wasn't planning to blog about this today. I had a totally different piece in mind, but I got distracted by something I saw in a no-frills food store today. You know, the kind of store where you bring your own grocery bags and bag your own food. (Please don't judge me because I like a good bargain.)
Anyway, as I pushed my shopping cart down the aisle and tried to decide on pretzel rods or low fat chips for my snack tonight, I noticed a neatly-dressed man hovering by the cookies. He kept moving back and forth near the cookies and looking around. Well, as soon as I see a person looking around, I automatically pay attention, because maybe there's something about to go down that I need to know about.
The man mumbled to no one in particular, opened a bag of chocolate chip cookies a little bit, slid a cookie out, and ate the cookie!  He carefully replaced the bag on the shelf. He looked around some more, walked away, walked back, and did the same thing again!
My first impulse was to say,"You're not supposed to do that."  But, something kept me quiet. Then, he noticed me looking at him and moved on to another part of the store. I heard him later speaking to a store worker in a very intelligent manner, asking where some other product was in the store. He even had money, I saw later at the checkout.
I'm not usually caught off guard, but today I was.  I would feel so guilty if I opened packaging and ate food I didn't pay for, but this guy was totally at ease.
What would you have done?
Take care,
Sylvia

Hoops Found

I found my hoop earrings! Yay! In fact, I'm wearing them right now. I wrote about this in a 3/6/13 post called Hoops, and it worked out just like I wrote. I stopped searching for them, and they turned up. Not like magic, of course. They were in a small purse that I often use when I go to the gym. I grabbed this purse last week after not using it for awhile, stuck my hand into a side pocket, and there were my 14K hoop earrings. I did a little dance when I saw them.
I said I'd keep you posted, and now I have. Hope you find the objects you're looking for, too.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Aspirin

I was in a dollar discount store a couple of weeks ago. When I got in line to check out, I noticed a young lady who looked to be between 15 and 18 years old. Sometimes it's hard to tell, but her conversation sounded more young than old. She was buying a home pregnancy test and I think she was telling the 2  older male workers  at the cash register how nervous she was about the possible results of the test. One of the men appeared to offer comfort by saying she'd be okay. Since I came in on the tail end of this conversation, I wasn't sure about all that was going on. Then, the young lady took her purchase and walked out of the store. The two men looked at me and shook their heads, like they felt sorry for her. One of them said, "I told her to take an aspirin for that in the future. Take an aspirin, place it between her knees and keep it there the next time she feels tempted. That way, she won't have to go through this nervousness about getting pregnant."  
I don't think he meant any harm, but I felt some kind of way about his statement to me. By the time I paid for my purchases and left the store to catch her, the young lady was gone. 
Take care,
Sylvia

Bad Files

As I work at my computer, my phone rings. I usually let the caller leave a message when I'm working, but this time I  answer the phone.
"Hello?"
"Yes, this is ---- from XXX Computer Services, and we've discovered that you just  had harmful files downloaded to your computer. These files can give your computer a virus or can make your computer run slowly."
"Who are you, and where did you say you're calling from?"
"I'm calling from XXX Computer Services, and I want to help you clean these bad files from your computer. If you'll just turn your computer on, I'll tell you how to remove these bad files from your computer. Please turn on your computer at this time."
I can hear many other people talking in the background, and the person who called me is trying to keep to a script. I envision a room full of cubicles, with a person in each cubicle trying to sell something or scam someone. I think, "If this person doesn't know that my computer is already on, she is probably up to no good. Not today."  I end the call, and shake my head.
As the old folks say, "I didn't just fall off the turnip truck."
Smiles,
Sylvia

Hoops

Like many of us, I have my casual go-to items that  I wear often. I get a lot of mileage out of  a certain pair of jeans, a couple of tee shirts, a certain coat or hat, a certain house coat, some favorite socks. You know, the items you reach for when you're hanging out at home or running to the store right quick, as they say. I have a pair of 14K hoop earrings that I wear almost daily when I'm out and about. They are just the right size, they stay hooked, they don't snag on my coat collar. I like the way they look on my earlobes.Well, I had these hoops, until a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to find them, and I miss them. I have a habit of taking my earrings off when I talk on the phone, but I usually place the earrings in the same spot when I do this. I must have put them in a different spot, because I've searched for several days and can't find them. Maybe I'll do what people used to say when I was small. "Stop looking for them, and they'll turn up when you're least thinking about them." I'll keep you posted...
Smiles,
Sylvia

Writing Inspiration

Many people I meet provide the inspiration for characters in my writing. Today I spoke with a woman whose flavor is recreated in a scene from Beyond Church Doors.  She is reading this, my second novel, and paid special attention to one character's traits and conversations about her hobby.

"That sounds like the way I think about crocheting, Sylvia. How did you capture the feeling and the details so clearly?"

"I listened to you when you spoke to me about your crochet pieces and how carefully you work them. I just listened."

"No, you did more than that, Sylvia. You really heard me and got me! In this character, you show how important these crocheting projects are to me. Thank you."
I was both thankful for and humbled by her reaction.
Take care,
Sylvia

Bingo

In a conversation today with a female acquaintance, the topic turned to things we do for recreation. She told me she likes to play Bingo once a week. I think she said the games are held in a community or church hall. I used to play Bingo as a child, and my students enjoyed the game. With the students, sometimes the winner would win a small treat (pretzels, small bag of fruit snacks, cookie, etc.). Other than playing Bingo with children, I rarely play it anymore. However, many adults I know say they have fun doing so, and Bingo prizes  now include designer purses and considerable sums of money. So why was I surprised when my acquaintance today said if people are not in the hall/game room by a certain time, they can't enter? The doors are locked at the start of the game and no one can enter until the game is over. She said this is a security measure because the winnings are "cash money" and, in an urban area, this measure keeps certain uninvited people from taking what does not belong to them. (I'm writing this in a politically correct way.) Wow...I guess I'm being naive. I never connected Bingo with getting jacked. (I did not write that in a politically correct way.)
Take care,
Sylvia