neadods: (Default)
neadods ([personal profile] neadods) wrote2010-06-04 07:04 am

A profane rant and a tiny leap of joy

THE PROFANE RANT:
It always makes me apeshit when the price of gas goes up beyond the ability of people to, oh, afford to go to a job not near public transport in their reasonable-mileage cars, and someone starts snotting about how "You don't bitch about the price of milk or bottled water and they're even more expensive."

Of course I don't. I don't need the latter at all, and I don't need to buy 10 gallons of the former every week just to go to work.

So when I click a link about "if you use these oil-based products you are partially culpable for the BP spill" and read "sweaters, dresses, clothes" on it and I'm sitting here in second-hand all-cotton clothing, my immediate reaction is "you can back that bullshit down several notches right fucking now, mmmkay?"

Acrylic and polyester clothing are made of oil. That's only one of the reasons why they're not your best choice, another being that they don't breathe and thus will kill you the hell dead if you wear them for long outside in a Southern summer.

On the other hand, second-hand clothing businesses are thriving in this economy, and you can get some really good stuff for prices that match or are lower than the budget "straight from the Third-world sweatshop to you!" chain stores. And the quality is often better because it has *survived* to be sold for a second time. I'm just sayin'.

And that's before I get to the rant about how there's plenty of excellent old wood furniture and not-plastic tools out there.

THE TINY LEAP OF JOY
For once, a home improvement possibility that doesn't cost me lots of extra time and money! Long story short, the smallest sheet of linoleum I could buy for the 3 x 6 pantry was 6 x 9. Rather than spend the time and $$ refinishing (or hiring someone to refinish) the coat closet floor, I'm going to have plenty of leftover lino to put down there as well. And then I won't have to worry about the carpet cleaner leaking onto wood or the vacuum cleaner scuffing up the finish. I doubt I'm even going to glue it down; just use vinyl tape to make sure it doesn't crawl.

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-06-04 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I didn't do the thrift thing for years because the clothing was crap... but I've found one in the area here that not only has good things, it specializes in size zaftig.

I've done well with classics, such as blue jeans and T-style tops.

[identity profile] taffimai.livejournal.com 2010-06-04 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
... but I've found one in the area here that not only has good things, it specializes in size zaftig.

Really? Can I ask which store?

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-06-04 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Curve Appeal, 8258 Veterans Highway Ste 2, Millersville. 410-987-1623 "In the area" is a bit of an elastic term...

You can't see it from the road, but there's a Domino's sign on the road and it's in the back part of a little strip mall next to an insurance company.

[identity profile] taffimai.livejournal.com 2010-06-05 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, good to know. Bit of a trip, though!

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-06-05 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
It's (vaguely) near my work, but yeah - I don't go often.

However, the prices are right. I'm wearing a $3 top and $7 jeans.

[identity profile] taffimai.livejournal.com 2010-06-05 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
I usually go to Value Village -- not the best selection of larger clothes but good enough. Plus it's closer and has great prices.

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-06-05 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
I haven't been there in a while and need to check it out. But at least if I drive out to Curve Appeal, I know I won't be pawing through a lot of stuff that doesn't fit, or needs retailoring. (I've bought men's silk shirts and put darts in 'em!)