Today was a “boring” day in that it consisted of running errands, cleaning, and dinner with friends/coworkers (the same 2-3 I always socialise with). Well, “boring” is not the right word - perhaps “usual” or “not-forecasted-to-be-eventful.”
Well, my shopping excursion took me to BHV (where else), for which I followed my usual BHV routine : (1) wake up way earlier than I would like to on a Saturday ; (2) bus 69 to Hotel de Ville ; (3) treat myself to Starbucks ; (4) be standing outside the doors just before 9:30, waiting for BHV to open.
As for point (4), I realise this is as close as I will ever come to the excitement one must feel when waiting for a store to open on “Black Friday.”
As for the shopping .... (a) I wanted to buy sheets for the guest bed I finally bought. Granted, I don’t have any visitors forecasted until the last week of March, and that’s still tentative ; but, I want to be prepared. I’m still in shock, and still doing the math in my head ... how can a top sheet, or a fitted sheet, be 70-100 Euros???? NOT the set, no pillow cases included. Even with the sales of 20-40% off, it was still ludicrous. (Remember, you have to multiply the Euro amount by about 1.35 to get the USD amount!) For that price, they should come with a special service where someone comes and makes your bed every day and washes/irons/folds the sheets. Bed Bath & Beyond, here I come in December!
(b) I am always amused in the bathroom fixture section, where they have all the sets of matching toothbrush holders, soap holders, cups, etc., there is also a section with some nice, shiny, gold and/or silver trash bins and such. But 493 Euros for a trash bin????? That had better be gold, and it had better come with someone who empties it, or better yet, who sits there with their hands over it so that no trash touches the bin. (And, just around the corner from this craziness is the magnifying mirror section ... prices from 50-200 Euros. For.A.Magnifying.Mirror. No joke.)
(c) I wanted to get box cutters because of all the boxes from IKEA from my recent purchases. Previously I had used one of my Swiss Army knives, but that kills the blade I think, and isn’t as easy. Yes, I know, I should never utter the phrase “I bought box cutters and will use them”, but I did and I did. But does there really need to be this many choices?? (sorry it's sideways!)
(d) One of the whole points of my trip was to get a lightbulb to replace the one that went out in the ceiling (recessed bulb (is “recessed” the correct word here?). Anyway. I had taken the bulb in to work two weeks ago thinking I would go to the hardware-esque store (Castorama) in La Defense at lunch or after work. Nope, not yet. Of course, I left the light bulb at work, and light bulbs are so different here (shape, size, plug base, etc.), that you really have to have it before you buy. And, also, because there is no way, if I bought the wrong one, that I would do this whole routine next Saturday morning!
On the way home, I stopped on Rue de Bac at the store Au Nom de la Rose to get another rose scented candle. I had received one from a coworker/friend for my birthday and I loved it (and I usually hate all frilly smelling things like that). But when I went to get back on the bus, the “next bus arrives in” board said 30 minutes. So I walked a few blocks to catch another bus.
I was standing behind Le Bon Marche and saw :
1/a Bentley drive by
2/a car leave a parking space directly across from me, and then a Smart Car came up, drove in front of the space to back in and parallel park. It took the Smart Car driver about 3 adjustments to get in the space. Granted, this space was so big that both in front of and behind the car, two people could stand side-by-side and not touch the bumper of the Smart Car or the car in front / behind.
3/a Ferrari drive by
4/a car with California license plates drive by
After I deposited my purchases at home, I met Sybil and we went to Rue Cherche Midi to the consignment ships, Chercheminippes. Cheap DVDs, French books, random jewelry, handbags, clothes, shoes, accessories, sheets, towels, furniture, etc. Sybil said the merchandise changes daily so one never knows what one will find! I bought a few DVDs ... now, if I could just find the time to watch them!!
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