Unfriended

I just found out that I was unfriended by someone on Facebook. This isn't the first time that I've caught someone in the faux pas act. I'm not even surprised that he unfriended me, but I'm still a bit stunned, but I don't blame him. If I where him I would have considered unfriending me. Though, since I am myself, I wouldn't do any unfriending because I think information is useful. To avoid any unwanted heartache I would simply make his or her profile dormant and move on with life. Later, after I felt better, I could go about snooping and knowing.

Even though I remember his profile being sparse, I'm like soo curious to read it, but he has his privacy settings on high. That [+1 add as friend] button is killing me! I just want.. to.. press it! And then when he rejects my friend request I want to press it again and again, until all he can do to make me stop is tell me to buzz off or leave me in friend limbo. Why do I have the desire to do this? Why can't I just let this guy live his social network life without me?

I'm gonna sleep on it.. and then I might wake up and friend away!!!

VS Promotion Pantie

OK- let's talk about this. I just need to talk about how I feel.

Victoria's Secret sends promotion postcards about, hmm.. every month to advertise new merchandise. Sometimes it's relatively signification new products, such as a new bra technology, other times it can be seasonal and other times it's just because they want you to get in there and buy more stuff. I can absolutely understand the marketing strategy: get customers in the store to get their freebie, while they're in the store hook 'em on with the promo and/or something they just realized they can't live without. As it turns out, I'm much too smart for this to really work on me.

Putting aside all marketing and product production costs knowledge, as a plain jane customer- I have a beef and Imma tell you my beef. If only I hadn't used my coupon today, I could have recited the restrictions verbatim, but I'll just have to wing it, which shouldn't be a big thing I feel like I've been reading these restrictions all my life. The most consistent and important ones as follows:

FREE Pantie, value of $8.50 (no purchase necessary)
$5 off a bra (limited to select styles) or $15 off 2 bras (cannot be combined with other promotions)

1. not redeemable for cash (well obviously)

2. cannot be combined with any other promotion, expect for VS rewards points (<-- how kind of them)

3. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase

4. limit one pantie per customer

5. LIMITED TO SELECT STYLES, while supplies last

I know that they're offering something to me for free, but UGH why! do they only offer the boring styles and colors? I should be thankful that they have at least expanded their color range from the standard selection that limited us to nude, black, white. It is a baby step to include all colors and prints, but a step never the less. If color in print weren't enough, I swear my most nearest VS location purposefully orders lower quantities of size medium just to tork me off. OK- fine, I get it, I can only choose from the limited selection of cheaply produced, basic underpants, that are like, so unsexy, I doubt I could get laid wearing them, but for cripes sake, could you at least carry a decent quantity of my size? I'm not asking for a 6X here, just a flippin' medium.

I can't find an appropriate paragraph for this fact, so I'll just spit it out: the freebie has nothing to do with the hot new merchandise being advertised on the promo coupon. Don't be fooled.

Alright, I'm done being the ungrateful customer pissing and moaning about her free VS panties. Remember how I said I was too smart for to be sucked into purchasing additional merchandise when I show up to retrieve my freebie? Well, it's true, I just show up... act like I might purchase something and the not allow anything to "work out for me"... but while I'm already in there "I might as well pick up a free pair of panties". To be quite honest, I feel like such a schmuck when I do it. Thus the act about buying something instead of b-lining in an out- it's just too obvious and I'm just not that bold.

I've been getting these flippin things for quite a few years now, believe me- after free panties + the semi annual sale pantie binge, I absolutely don't need any more underpants (or bras either, and that's why it was oh so easy to not purchase one.. or even two today). Furthermore, most of the free panties I don't even wear. They typically fall into the B-grade selection of the underpants drawer. Why? Because they're plain old cotton, the style is boring as hell and the cut almost always shows pantie-lines regardless of what size I get or what I'm wearing them under. Unless of course once choose to get the v-string option, and lets be honest, while you might think "you can never have enough v-strings" truly, you really can have enough. I, in fact, have enough v-strings.

By now you have to be wondering what the deal is. If the panties are so subpar and I'm too ungrateful about the free merchandise, why do I even hustle in there retrieve them? I have a few reasons...

1. Because they send me the promo! Something about "free" gets me, it just doesn't always "get" my money. I like making VS follow through on their offer to give me something for free. IF they didn't want me to walk out without spending a dime, than "no purchase necessary" should be omitted from the promo.

2. I just like new panties. Even boring panties that aren't sexy.

3. There is the rare occasion when the selection includes one other style, and that style is actually stylish.

4. Six months ago I ventured in for one of these free pantie hunts. That particular hunt I was also in the market for a new bra, so I purchased the promo bra with the free panties. To my surprise, the woman looked at my heart shaped coupon and said, "You're eligible for any pair of pantie in the entire store, no restriction on color or style". I was like, in. heaven. I probably took 15 minutes to decided what I wanted: uber sexy? awesomely practical? the most expensive pair I can find? I went with the most sexy/expensive pair I could find.. truth be known, I don't wear them all that often. I thought perhaps it was because I used the bra promo. I purchased a bra the following promo, but didn't reach a similar result. I don't' know what it was, but I secretly hope that it happens again.

So *sigh* today, I searched and re-searched each of the 3 qualifying table of panties to find the best option for my freebie. See photo for my final selection. Yes- they look "cute enough", that's because I hunted like a mad woman and compromised the size. Oh yes- they are a large, but heck, maybe the pantie-lines won't be as noticeable.




















A quick FYI: If one were to purchase one pair of regular priced panties at VS the lowest priced pantie would be $8.50. I would kill to know exactly how much profit they make on these underwear, particularly basic freebies that run $8.50 apiece. This particular batch was made in India. As of 3/2/10 $8.50 USD is 388 Indian Rupee (Google). What I don't know is how far 388 INR would get someone in India, but someday I will. Enough petty customer banter, back to
business.

The Good Catholic

I am not a good Catholic. However, this year I was inspired to participate in the Lenten season, inspired by mom and surprise! Janelle Domeyer. Janelle, I know it's a bit creepy, but I really dug your blog post, best of luck with your vegetarian endeavor. :)

I can't remember the last Lent I actually "gave up something" or refrained from Friday meat eating or even had ashes smeared on my forehead. Last year I got a real tickle out of proclaiming that I was Jewish while the entire department ordered Hardee's yummy greasy fish fillets and I munched on a roast beef sandwich. Of course, I'm not really Jewish, just a Catholic on the sidelines.

I'll cut to the chase: I'm giving up Facebook. Six weeks, 40 days, countless hours all without the beloved Facebook. Initially I thought it was a great idea. So many times throughout the year I'd find myself thinking, "Facebook is such a waste of my life" as I'd hit my cursor on the log out button.

It's Fat Tuesday, the eve of Lent. Instead of eating a bunch of food, getting drunk and flashing my chest, I'm writing my farewell to Facebook. Carpe diem, right?

I kind of want to take the whole thing back. What if I'm plagued with overwhelming curiosity of a minute detail about someone I haven't spoken to in years? (that happens more than you'd think) What if I NEED to contact someone and Facebook is the only line of communication I have to them? What if... someone offers me the most dreamy fashion job of my life and I miss out because they used Facebook message? What will I do?! Oh God, what was I thinking? Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, but he didn't deprive himself of social networking..ok, yes he did, but I'll be honest- I'm getting cold feet.

There's no going back now. I've already told a variety of people. I've already told the Good Catholics: my mother, the spunky redhead my sister goes to school with, the women at work, the priest.. jk, I didn't tell the priest. :) And now I'm telling you, there really is no going back.

Ok- enough. It will be a sacrifice, but isn't that the point of Lent? It's 40 days and 40 nights and lots of hours earmarked for better uses of my time. It's not like I'm giving up the internet. I'm keeping Twitter, social networking site that only sucks away my life in 5 minute increments, at most. I'll still be connected through email, phone and permanent address. Note to self: you will not be stuck in a desert sans wifi connection.

Please contact me via other portals if you need or want to. If I'm not replying to a wall post/messages/friend request, it is not because of my usual terrible response etiquette, it's because I'm actually fasting. And feel free to email me to say hello, or that you're pregnant, got an awesome job, thoughts on a current event, or that you are just going tanning after work... jk, I don't care about your tanning schedule. ;)

You can also request my mailing address to say "what's up" the old fashion way. :D

email: martaeng [at] gmail [dot] com


Happy Lent, see you on Easter!

Have I ever told you...

how much I dislike the following phrases?

It is what it is
I know, right?
Take care

Well, I don't like them.

Just another day with the CEOs and Republicans

Wow- it's been a while.

Yesterday Chuck Grassley had a town hall meeting at Dupaco. Everyone was surprised at how packed it was. There were about 125 people that showed up... it was a tiny room though. I will say, I was not surprised. The meeting was set up Q/A, the questions were mainly about health care, some about the economy and a few about abortion. Unfortunately, nothing about student loan repayment. :(

Anywho, I helped greet and usher the hour before the meeting. I basically stood around with the credit union big wigs, I felt a little random. To top of the random-ish-ness this photo was taken right at the end with high up credit union people... plus the random n00b in a yellow dress. I almost was right next to Mr. Senator in the in the photo, but then Jose dude decided he wanted to stand there. The whole thing makes me giggle.

Oh- and I shouldn't forget, my "males under 30 radar" picked up a hottie-boom-body that made the whole event about 50% more exciting. We made eye contact a few times, but I think it was only because I was looking at him first. :D

Oh Love, what are you?

Valentine's day was just a day last year, this year it was more of a season. Maybe the talk of love, cards and excessive candy has always been around weeks before the 14th and I've been too wrapped up in day to day stuff that I had never noticed. A few thoughts on love that caught my ear or eye this season:


The first two acts of This American Life
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=374

"I don't know if you're the only one for me, but I think you have to be at least 1 in 100,000"

The first time I heard this it was from an old doctor's wife that liked to travel. I was a senior in high school and she told me, "Hunny, you can find someone anywhere you go."

"The story of struggle of pain, fighting through and over coming- the story of how you stayed together."

Ok- so really, this is hard to understand because it's taken so much out of context. What I liked about it was that it was a story about two people who had to "work" at love after their being in love bliss faded. I was "touched" by the fact that the couple stuck it out. Naturally, I just think, if you have to work at it, what's the point? If it's not going to work easily, I don't want to deal with it. That's a pretty bad attitude, huh? This couple gave me hope, that love isn't perfect or always glamorous .

_____

The Mess of Love

We've made a great mess of love
Since we made an ideal of it.

The moment I swear to love a woman,a certain woman, all my life
That moment I begin to hate her.

The moment I even say to a woman: " I love you!"--
My love dies down considerably.

The moment love is an understood thing between us, we are sure of it,
It's a cold egg, it isn't love anymore.

Love is like a flower, it must flower and fade'
If it doesn't fade, it's not a flower,
It's either an artificial rag blossom, or an immortelle, for the cemetery.

The moment the mind interferes with love, or the will fixes on it,
Or the personality assumes it as an attribute, or the ego takes possession of it,
It is not love any more, it's just a mess.
And we've made a great mess of love, mind-perverted, ego-perverted love.
--D.H. Lawerence, English 1885-1930

____

But finally,

"He who would know the secret of both worlds will find that the secret of them both is Love." -Attar

Extracted

The best part was being put under. The red stuff is a periodontal ligament. I still feel like a chipmunk.