Tuesday, March 07, 2006

All Tripped Out

Well, it's confirmed...

I HATE TO SHOP!!!


Did I just say "I hate to shop"? I've always known this about myself but I guess my fellow humans of the female persuasion can't comprehend how much I hate it. This trip to Gatlinburg was mostly a shopping trip. I knew this but still thought it would be a good time to spend with everyone and it was. I just can't comprehend spending an entire day shopping. One of the girls with the group frequently travels to this location for the mere purpose of shopping.

Now, I'm not trying to bash shopping - we do need to go to the grocery every now and then. But, we didn't even go to the Smokies! We were close enough to touch the beauty of God's creation and everyone would rather drop money on useless things that will end up in the landfill than drive up to the mountains. All I could see through MY eyes while driving down the strip to eat lunch at "
The Mill" was all the nastiness that "man" has built just so people will have something more to do besides take in the natural beauty of this area. Because we can't stand to be bored. We have to have something to do.

In the past, we spent most of our time in Townsend - the peaceful side of the Smokey Mountains. We mostly went to take in the sites via constant attachment to the seat of a rice burner. We belonged to the HSTA (Honda Sport Touring Association) - loved it. Every year in September we would all gather together at a dive of a motel (all we did was sleep there anyway). We'd ride all day and sit around in the evening and talk about the ride and where we were going to ride the next day. Good times. We didn't dare shop. Oh, maybe a little. First of all, how are you going to get it back home when all you have room for in your saddle bags was for what you brought in order to stay clean? We would always eat at the "Pancake Pantry" on the last morning before haulin' tail back home before work on Monday.

Well, I'm sure I'll try to go again next year when they make their annual trip back to the mega-mall but you can guarantee I'll be making sure we take a tour through the park at some point.
Here's the one and only photo of me on my cheezy camera. There were ten of us in 2 rooms.
After this shot I decided to let others take pictures with their cameras. Only problem is, I don't think they know how to e-mail them to me. Until then, I guess you have to look at this one. How do you like them curlers?

11 comments:

Bar L. said...

I LOVE THIS POST! I love the fact that you hate to shop (me too) and that you have a photo of yourself in curlers. Your my kinda friend - and your so pretty, even in curlers!

Anne said...

Barbara - actually, I hate to shop unless it's something I'm interested in. We DID find a Scrapbook SuperStore there and I FINALLY got to have my own time in that place. BUT, I DID have an agenda - I was looking for Boy Scout stuff.

Badoozer - I didn't get much sleep the first night but finally passed out the second night from all the shopping. Two of the girls snored but it was more like snorkle sounds. I know about the "zone" but it doesn't happen to me very often because I always have someone with me - like 2 kids.

Anne said...

By the way, those rollers were not hot. They are quite soft. They're like velcro - you just roll them in your hair and they stick. I use them more for lift than for curl. I curl my hair with the curling iron after I take them out.

Whistle Britches said...

anne, can you tell me how far away from morristown tennesse you live?

Suzy-Q said...

You know I would have been reluctant to go on a trip like that too....i am weird. I am glad you had a good time, but your motorcyle trip sounds WAY more fun! I would love to have a motor cycle someday...it has been a secret wish since i was a kid. Do you think I could get Joe to ride on the back??

Anne said...

Uncle Joe - I am nowhere near Morristown, TN. I live in the Louisville, KY area. I USED to live in the Nashville area until we moved back home about 5 years ago. It took us about 4.5 hours to get to Gatlinburg. Can you believe people would drive that far just to shop?

AJ - I used to ride mini bikes when I was a kid and loved it. Only learned to ride a motorcycle because The Hubbs rode - I always rode on the back with him until he finally talked me into learning. I took a two weekend long beginner motorcycle training course and by the time it was over I was VERY comfortable on a bike. They even teach you how to skid in a turn and stop. I graduated 2nd in class. It's the one major thing we truly enjoy doing together - hopping on the bikes and takin' a ride. It’s not financially possible right now and doesn’t look too promising in the future.

Badoozer - do you ride hogs? They're kinda stinky and muddy aren't they?

Foo said...

I never had a motorcycle, and now that I live in Psycho Hummer Land, I doubt I ever will. But back in the mid '80s, I wanted a Yamaha Maxim like this one, but I just never had the money for it.

I'm not a big fan of shopping, myself.

No, wait. That's not quite right. Get me in the right kind of shop, and I can have a great time browsing around, momentarily coveting and then abandoning all the nice Things I can't afford. What I hate is malls and the lobotomy victims who shuffle slowly and aimlessly down their aisles. Ditto for grocery stores, with their four-hundred-pound mounds of flesh mesmerised and drooling in the middle of the macaroon aisle.

Fortunately for me, Sweetie braves the stores so I don't have to—which is saying something, considering how much of a hassle it is for her to navigate with a shopping cart. I will occasionally go along to push the cart, but mostly Sweetie just sneaks out when I'm not around and takes care of things.

This system works so well, I haven't assaulted a mall zombie since we've been married.

Anne said...

Badoozer - you are just too funny. I saw that "hawg" of yours.

Foo - that's a cool bike. Do you know the owner?

So you're one of "those" kind of shoppers. I know this kind - my mother-in-law. She likes to pack the shopping cart full of stuff and at the end of it all, she finds a nice little spot in the store where she digs through all her gathered goods to dispose of what she doesn't want to purchase. I blame this habit on shopping at the good will. You have to grab it when you see at that place or it won't be there when you decide to go back for it.

Foo said...

No, I don't know the bike's owner. I just remembered the name and make of the one I liked back then, and I Googled 'til I found one that looked like it.

Actually, I think the one I was interested in was an '82 in sort of a non-metallic maroon color (the one in the picture I linked is an '85). It was a 650, though.

Suzy-Q said...

Foo, what does your shirt say?

Junosmom said...

Hi Anne, nice to "meet" you. Glad you found my blog and I yours. I'll look for your homeschool blog, too.

I also homeschool and hate shopping. Sounds like a good start to a friendship!