Ah yes -- like the time I thought I'd check out the "Bridge" lines at a department store -- turns out, they are the bridge between normal expensive and CRAZY expensive. So yeah, no. That shit was real nice.

It sounds like a great visit, though.

I finally have double-cranberry muffins in the oven.

Also, I'm watching Criminal Minds, and it's real funny to see Parker scared on a roof ledge, with Dawn holding the gun.

was I with you that day, Jesse? Lord & Taylor?

I'm sure it was L&T, but think I was alone? But also maybe!

The real problem with me looking at really expensive things is it makes the $500 dress store by me seem more reasonable.

Brian was saying how he never uses fabric softener because it wears out clothes faster and I just wryly shrugged and said that most of my clothes were so cheap, they either wore out or developed holes from my rough wearing of them that I doubted FS played much of a role. He tut-tutted me.

This is the guy who cleaned up the laundry area when he came over to use the dryer when I was out of town. And admitted to cleaning up after the cats when he came in one day and they'd cleared the coffee table of all the debris on it and knocked over every trash can in the house. And grinned sheepishly when I teased that the real reason he swept the laundry area was cause he couldn't stand the chaos. He probably thinks me a hot mess. But we enjoy each others' company.

Devi's sneezing. Finally. And at the moment, breathing better, though the need to sneeze seems to be uncomfortable, the way she's holding herself. Or maybe she's just exhausted. I'm pretty sure I overreacted today (inasmuch as there is nothing that can really be done but hope the anti-bs work, and if it is a tumor or polyp, then it gets real hard,) but it was the steady torture of every breath being this laborious whistle that I think did me in. But maybe the pred helps. I don't know.

I should have gone swimming. And to DC. I AM a hot mess.

Why am I hungry? I've eaten an absolutely normal amount of food today and done not much, there is no reason for me to be ravenous.

Fortunately I have some jello made, that should tide me over.

Expensive clothes, I don't know, probably it's best if I'm never exposed to them up close and personal and don't really know what I'm missing. I do dream of having one excellent designer outfit, maybe a suit, but I'd need my size to stabilize so I could theoretically wear it for many years and, y'know, money to spend on that.

Also, I'm watching Criminal Minds,

I just finished watching, and I think Reid just won the Woobie of the decade award.

I get real hung up about expensive things sometimes, mostly because I chose my current income level. Like I simultaneously want them, can't believe people spend that much on them, and also don't really understand what they are. With houses, for example: nice houses have basically all the same things as mine, but the surfaces are all nicer. For example my wealthy friends with the unbelievably comfortable pull out sofa. That's the kind of thing that money makes a difference in quality.

But clothes and fashion, I sometimes understand and sometimes don't. Better materials, a better cut. Better tailoring for sure. But I have never understood buying the name. I'm like that William Gibson character who was allergic to brands--I used to cut the tags off my clothes.

I guess ultimately it's the class status thing. The things that I'd buy that are expensive I'd never actually buy because my lifestyle is very rough. I spend a lot of time on my knees. I haul wood and shovel ashes. I practice archery in subzero weather. Quality clothing is important, but in a very different way.

I think part of it is that I would have expensive tastes if I could. I bought a $600 down coat in Santa Fe this year...because it was on sale for $99. (It's gorgeous. But was too big for me already and now that I've lost weight is just about unwearable, so I should probably sell.) So I buy expensive things at normal prices and normal things at dollar a bag prices.

I get real hung up about expensive things sometimes

I once explained to megan walker that the difference between a $40 haircut and a $65 haircut was in the 10% of time finessing the details. And I think that's kind of true with most things - finishing the surfaces, creating the subtle connotations of "Quality!"