Much-Needed Stuph

I worked out in the gym yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks (remember, I played ultimate three times in six days last week). I decided to try using free weights instead of a machine to exercise my pectoral muscles. I didn't overdo it, but it was more workout than they've been used to for a while. So today they're sore.

Ow.

Every so often I do something I regret in a small way, but that I tend to blow out of proportion in my head.

For instance, a couple of months ago, on a whim (and since I got a discount at the time), I got a charge card for Mervyn's, a California clothing-and-home-stuff department store where I buy many of my clothes. As soon as I walked out, I sort of regretted it. What am I ever going to use a department store charge card for? I use my Discover card as much as I can to get the cash back. What a waste!

I needlessly berated myself for this flaw in my otherwise perfect judgment (HAH!) for several days.

Well, this month my watch band broke (you know, I've never seen the metal tab that the strap loops through actually fall off a band before), and it's been a drag carrying it around in my pocket. Plus, last May my large suitcase's zipper broke, so I need a new large suitcase. It turns out that Mervyn's sells watch bands, and also suitcases, and their prices are not only lower than Sears', but they're having a 40% discount on suitcases this month.

Moreover, I read in their ad in last Sunday's paper that this week is "Cardholder's Appreciation Week", so I can use my card to get an extra 10% off!

Of course, first I had to find my card, as when it had arrived I'd still felt dumb about getting it and it had gotten buried under the stuff on my dining table. But find it I did, and today I went over to Mervyn's and bought a large Samsonite suitcase and a new watch band. I saved $95 on the suitcase in their regular sale, and then another $15 on the purchase as a whole thanks to the card.

So, sometimes things just work out, I guess. I'll keep using the Discover card when it's the best option, but maybe I should keep an eye out for Mervyn's sales...

Oh, and I also had the experience of putting the watch band on myself, which was a new one for me. It turned out to be pretty straightforward, although getting the old band off took a little scrabbling around.

So, missions accomplished!

My goals for today have otherwise been modest: Do laundry (done). Mop the floors in my apartment (done). Clean the master bathroom (didn't get to it). Keep catching up on my stack of periodicals (I haven't read last month's Analog, and this month's just came out!), maybe catch up on my taped TV some more (didn't do either of these).

Not a bad set of goals for the Saturday a week and a half before Christmas.

Anyway, John's roommate Kim called around 6:15 and asked if I wanted to come over to dinner. John had apparently gotten in a cooking mood and they had more food than the two of them could eat. Seemed like a good idea to me, so off I went. Anders was also there. John made chicken breasts with a lemon sauce (I think it turned out stronger than he'd planned, but I thought it was fine), tasty potatoes, and broccoli. He also made relentless fun of the fact that I don't really eat cheese (he'd made some cream-based cheese sauce for the broccoli; I passed). All-in-all, quite good.

Afterwards we pigged out on ice cream and cookies and watched This is Spïnal Tap, or, as I put it afterwards, "Another cultural icon experienced." Yes, I've never seen this seminal satire of '70s rock bands. The array of cameo appearances was impressive (Angelica Houston, Billy Crystal, Patrick Macnee, Fran Drescher - I hadn't realized she had done anything before The Nanny! - Dana Carvey, Howard Hesseman), and the cultural references were both hilarious and a bit scary (picture Black Sabbath meets Queen meets Styx and you'll get the picture). All in all, quite satisfying.

While watching it, it occurred to me that George R. R. Martin's novel The Armageddon Rag is sort of the serious flip-side to this film: A dark fantasy of a 70s rock band gone horribly wrong for reasons mostly external to the band, and taking everything deadly seriously. It's no less good, though.