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I went to Walmart to satisfy my multigrain cheerios craving.
I'm leaving the store, pushing my cart down the isle of the parking lot, and this 70 year old man hops out of his pick up truck to pick a fight with an innocent man who happened to lightly beep to let the guy know he was almost about to back into the the other guy's car. This causes a traffic jam, cars backed up both ways in the isle. Nowhere for me and my car to go, stuck behind the car that lightly beeped---the target of this 70 year old man's rage. Mind you, he's a fit 70 year old man, not frail. He's screaming and yelling and looking for a physical fight with the guy in the car.
It happened so quickly and out of my mouth loudly came, "O.H. G.R.O.W. U.P!" That's all I said, but I'm sure you can imagine the tone. The crazy guy sets his eyes on me, points and snarls, "YOU shut up!" and starts to move closer to the guys car (I was behind it) As he was advancing, his eyes were darting back and forth between the guy in the car and me, like he couldn't figure out whose a$$ to kick first. When he locked eyes with me, I calmly pulled out my cell phone and stared back at him. He immediately backed down and quickly jumped back into his truck. You gotta love technology.
Geeze, I need to stop going to Walmart. They're filled with Appalachian rednecks! In turn, it seems to bring the Appalachian out of me too!
Nothing like that at my Walmart. Now that it's 110 degrees nobody is standing in the parking lot looking for a fight. We're all running from our cars to the front door like our pants are on fire.
Nothing like that at my Walmart. Now that it's 110 degrees nobody is standing in the parking lot looking for a fight. We're all running from our cars to the front door like our pants are on fire.
Pittsburgh is "special." Seriously, that was the slogan a couple decade ago: "Pittsburgh, Someplace Special!"
It's not called the "Paris of Appalachia" for nothing. You don't have to go far from the city to be in rural areas.
It was my fault for not going to the Walmart closer to my house, but it has another set of its own issues.
My local Walmart is very high-end. (As much as a Walmart can be high-end.) They have a lot of "got-bucks" retired guys who drive their Ferraris, park in the handicapped spaces, then go in and block the aisles while they look for their coupons. For a while they had a lobster tank. We also have a low-end Walmart which smells like popcorn. I don't go there. Everything you bring home smells like you've been at the circus.
BTW Hopes: Bristol Palin is going to have a book signing at the local Barnes and Noble. Wanna come see if Momma Palin shows up to see her baby?
OK, so here's my parenting gripe du jour; marketing based on gender! Most things geared towards girls are dumbed down, and unless your interests are horses, puppies, kittens, and ballet, you are SOL. My DD and I keep looking for kick-ass girl stuff, and it's just not out there. Books and video games for girls are particularly putrid. Most stuff is not even gender-neautral any more, which is even sadder. I remember loving reading The Hardy Boys when I was a kid, now it is published with bright blue covers, and is covered in remarks about boys enjoying the stories. What is up with that?
OK, so here's my parenting gripe du jour; marketing based on gender! Most things geared towards girls are dumbed down, and unless your interests are horses, puppies, kittens, and ballet, you are SOL. My DD and I keep looking for kick-ass girl stuff, and it's just not out there. Books and video games for girls are particularly putrid. Most stuff is not even gender-neautral any more, which is even sadder. I remember loving reading The Hardy Boys when I was a kid, now it is published with bright blue covers, and is covered in remarks about boys enjoying the stories. What is up with that?
Same here! I have a "tomboyish" almost 9 year old who will play Barbies with her sister, and will occasionally play house, but she could really care less about "girly" stuff...she like science and chemistry, but you're right: it's all geared towards boys. She made her dad a robot for Father's Day.
Same here! I have a "tomboyish" almost 9 year old who will play Barbies with her sister, and will occasionally play house, but she could really care less about "girly" stuff...she like science and chemistry, but you're right: it's all geared towards boys. She made her dad a robot for Father's Day.
You are right, isn't it indeed sad than anything scientific is geared towards boys. Lego is another one. The demand for ultra-girly stuff must be there, but I am somewhat surprised there is not more demand for gender-neutral.
You are right, isn't it indeed sad than anything scientific is geared towards boys. Lego is another one. The demand for ultra-girly stuff must be there, but I am somewhat surprised there is not more demand for gender-neutral.
I swear DD was made more girly than she naturally is just because everything is pink and princess if you are a girl. She likes being a bit different than others, but occasionally I will hear her say something like "but Mommy! It's for a girl so it has to be pink." or something along those lines. It annoys me to no end that companies have basically brainwashed our kids. I try to fight against it, but there is only so much I can do when there are no other options for a little girl.
Also, why is it so hard for clothing companies to make clothes without butterflies or bunnies or other super girly things. It is so hard to find a basic pair of jeans or shorts or even a t-shirt without something on it that makes that pair of jeans match only that one shirt. Or so that she can't wear the turquoise shirt with those jeans because of the giant butterfly trail up one leg. You have to buy twice as many clothes because none of it is mix and match. Not only that, but what if DD hated butterflies? Good luck finding any clothes.
I swear DD was made more girly than she naturally is just because everything is pink and princess if you are a girl. She likes being a bit different than others, but occasionally I will hear her say something like "but Mommy! It's for a girl so it has to be pink." or something along those lines. It annoys me to no end that companies have basically brainwashed our kids. I try to fight against it, but there is only so much I can do when there are no other options for a little girl.
Also, why is it so hard for clothing companies to make clothes without butterflies or bunnies or other super girly things. It is so hard to find a basic pair of jeans or shorts or even a t-shirt without something on it that makes that pair of jeans match only that one shirt. Or so that she can't wear the turquoise shirt with those jeans because of the giant butterfly trail up one leg. You have to buy twice as many clothes because none of it is mix and match. Not only that, but what if DD hated butterflies? Good luck finding any clothes.
I have a 4 month old..the other day, we were Costco and one of the samplers said, "oh he's so cute! how old? what's his name?" Ok...it is hard to tell gender at 4 mos, and SHE is a girl...so I said, (very nicely) "She's 4 mos, her name is Evangeline." He said, "oh...she's wearing jeans. I thought she was a boy."
So apparently if a baby wears jeans, it's a boy.
I've never been a big bow, dress person anyway. I wasn't offended, just thought it strange that he thought because she had jeans on that she was a boy.
And, yes, I'm tired of pink. My dad found a bunch of outfits for her in greens, blues, oranges...I'm so happy. I like pink, but enough already. Everything we have for her is gender neutral-orange stroller, red car seat, green bouncers.
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That's all I said, but I'm sure you can imagine the tone. The crazy guy sets his eyes on me, points and snarls, "YOU shut up!" and starts to move closer to the guys car (I was behind it) As he was advancing, his eyes were darting back and forth between the guy in the car and me, like he couldn't figure out whose a$$ to kick first. When he locked eyes with me, I calmly pulled out my cell phone and stared back at him. He immediately backed down and quickly jumped back into his truck. You gotta love technology. 
Most things geared towards girls are dumbed down, and unless your interests are horses, puppies, kittens, and ballet, you are SOL. My DD and I keep looking for kick-ass girl stuff, and it's just not out there. Books and video games for girls are particularly putrid. Most stuff is not even gender-neautral any more, which is even sadder. I remember loving reading The Hardy Boys when I was a kid, now it is published with bright blue covers, and is covered in remarks about boys enjoying the stories. What is up with that?