History, followed by shameless rampant consumerism. That might be Deep, huh?
Nine years ago I was walking through the ruins of the agora in Athens. It was a school trip, and I was with a bunch of other girls, most of them older than me, none of them particular friends. We'd been through the paved area and for reasons I don't even remember now we were rambling aimlessly over the grass. Which was about when we saw a little tumble of rock, and red poppies growing all around it. I think it was the first time I'd ever seen a poppy actually growing wild. And so we all took photos and exclaimed and picked a couple (they smell very odd after you pick them, I remember that) to wear. It seemed absolutely appropriate when we realised later that evening that it was in fact the 25th that day. I think we still had the poppies (very illegally) pressed into various notebooks and trip diaries when we ended up in Turkey a week later.
I can't make this segue in any graceful way into something more specific about Anzac Day, but I have been thinking about it a lot (electronics whoring below aside, obviously), and I might have more to say later, but just another thought I keep coming back to before I take off for the evening again - both my grandfathers fought in the war, and one of the few memories I have of my Australian grandfather is of being shown his medals when I was about six.
* * *
Shopping fairly successful, though I gave up (too tired! crotchety! must stop spending money!) before I got new work jeans (which, on reflection, possibly dumb, because I am 90% sure I can get reimbursed for new work jeans so it's not like real (ie, my) money) or a new wallet (mine is oh-so-slowly ripping in half, v annoying), but I do now have a working television, and twmr. It did end up costing more than I really wanted to spend (but I think that about everything that costs more than $200, so) and less than it 'ought' to have, by a cunning combination of the Anzac Day sale price and my wielding the consumer rights guarantee. I had a small but vicious fight with myself outside Noel Leeming after the first sales guy basically told me "no, it's the higher price" of the two stickers that were on it and completely avoided my weak hint about how technically that would be, oh, illegal, and I wasn't sure if I should push it (being 'nice' seriously sucks) but I went back in and waited until Guy 1 was busy with someone else, and asked Guy 2 about it, and he did bow gracefully to their mistake and let me have it for the lower price. So yay for him, and if they get commision then I'm much gladder that he got it than the first guy. He also gets bonus points for dropping the Talking to the Consumer spiel directly after I made it clear that I knew what I was doing with electronics, because nothing makes me more inclined to say 'flag it' and leave a store than a salesperson who treats me like a brainless girl (see here also: mechanics and anything to do with cars).
And then I wandered over to the Warehouse which I have realised is more or less the shopping equivalent of YouTube or wikipedia, because you wander in and somehow without your noticing three hours have passed. Oops. I found another copy of the Mummy Returns, which had ALSO been pinched, wtf, prompting me to mutter under my breath "oh god, how have I sinned against You that I am not allowed this damn DVD??" but then I found a third and not-five-finger-discounted copy, so YAY. Tis now mine. I also grabbed a four-pack of lemon lime and bitters because I remembered at the pub last night how much I like them, and it was five bucks, so I congratulated myself for being all frugal. And then I went to the supermarket to get milk for my brother and found single bottles of lemon lime and bitters for 80c each on the clearance table. *headdesks* (I, uh. Bought more. It's healthier than drinking coke! ...I think, anyway.)
I've been productively rewiring everything since I got home, and now it all seems to be working (whoo!) and set up well, and as soon as I can get a new S-video cable I can have everything hooked up at once without needing any rewiring. Which will be awesome. And, in true my-family and Kiwi style? I have the tv bungee-corded down onto the tv trolley just in case. CLASSY. LIKE. WHOA. :D
TV = very shiny. And pretty. People keep coming in to admire the picture!
And, in conclusion? REMOTE CONTROL FTW! :D
I can't make this segue in any graceful way into something more specific about Anzac Day, but I have been thinking about it a lot (electronics whoring below aside, obviously), and I might have more to say later, but just another thought I keep coming back to before I take off for the evening again - both my grandfathers fought in the war, and one of the few memories I have of my Australian grandfather is of being shown his medals when I was about six.
* * *
Shopping fairly successful, though I gave up (too tired! crotchety! must stop spending money!) before I got new work jeans (which, on reflection, possibly dumb, because I am 90% sure I can get reimbursed for new work jeans so it's not like real (ie, my) money) or a new wallet (mine is oh-so-slowly ripping in half, v annoying), but I do now have a working television, and twmr. It did end up costing more than I really wanted to spend (but I think that about everything that costs more than $200, so) and less than it 'ought' to have, by a cunning combination of the Anzac Day sale price and my wielding the consumer rights guarantee. I had a small but vicious fight with myself outside Noel Leeming after the first sales guy basically told me "no, it's the higher price" of the two stickers that were on it and completely avoided my weak hint about how technically that would be, oh, illegal, and I wasn't sure if I should push it (being 'nice' seriously sucks) but I went back in and waited until Guy 1 was busy with someone else, and asked Guy 2 about it, and he did bow gracefully to their mistake and let me have it for the lower price. So yay for him, and if they get commision then I'm much gladder that he got it than the first guy. He also gets bonus points for dropping the Talking to the Consumer spiel directly after I made it clear that I knew what I was doing with electronics, because nothing makes me more inclined to say 'flag it' and leave a store than a salesperson who treats me like a brainless girl (see here also: mechanics and anything to do with cars).
And then I wandered over to the Warehouse which I have realised is more or less the shopping equivalent of YouTube or wikipedia, because you wander in and somehow without your noticing three hours have passed. Oops. I found another copy of the Mummy Returns, which had ALSO been pinched, wtf, prompting me to mutter under my breath "oh god, how have I sinned against You that I am not allowed this damn DVD??" but then I found a third and not-five-finger-discounted copy, so YAY. Tis now mine. I also grabbed a four-pack of lemon lime and bitters because I remembered at the pub last night how much I like them, and it was five bucks, so I congratulated myself for being all frugal. And then I went to the supermarket to get milk for my brother and found single bottles of lemon lime and bitters for 80c each on the clearance table. *headdesks* (I, uh. Bought more. It's healthier than drinking coke! ...I think, anyway.)
I've been productively rewiring everything since I got home, and now it all seems to be working (whoo!) and set up well, and as soon as I can get a new S-video cable I can have everything hooked up at once without needing any rewiring. Which will be awesome. And, in true my-family and Kiwi style? I have the tv bungee-corded down onto the tv trolley just in case. CLASSY. LIKE. WHOA. :D
TV = very shiny. And pretty. People keep coming in to admire the picture!
And, in conclusion? REMOTE CONTROL FTW! :D