random (not at all deep) thoughts

* Why is it, when you have a gift card to spend in a store, you almost never can find anything you really want? And the reverse is usually true.
I just wandered through Barnes and Noble with a $50 card burning a hole in my purse, and the only thing I got was a $2.50 caramel apple cider. (it IS yummy, though!) I successfully resisted the urge to buy Lizzy something in the kid's section. She has enough books, for now. And it's MY card, darnit. Some few things must remain mine. She tends not to agree with that sentiment.

* Speaking of Starbucks: I'm really glad they (it?) dropped last year's holiday slogan. I'm not sure what the specific name of the grammatical mistake was that they were (it was?) making, but said mistake 'bout drove me crazy.
("It only happens once a year.")*

* Have I stated here, for the record, what an unexpected delight it was for me to discover that Patrick Stewart is the voice of the Great Prince, Bambi's father, in Bambi II? This factoid is not even mentioned on the packaging. WHAT! I'll watch just about anything -- including 'I, Clavdivs,' and 'X-Men III' -- if my beloved Jean-Luc is involved. I'm embarrassed at how long it took me to recognize his princely voice, though. *hangs head in shame*

* Seriously. If I thought the world were as amoral and corrupt at Michael Crichton appears to, I would be tempted to give up and end it all right now. That man has some issues. And that is (I promise!) the last I'll say about that book, except that I was delighted that one of the monkeys in the book does, in fact, eventually throw poo. Because, as I explained to my mom, you can't have monkeys without including a little poo-throwing. (right, Ryan?!)


* If you're scratching your head, wondering what the mistake is, "only" should come AFTER happens. What the phrase is saying in its current form is that the only thing that happens -- ever! -- is "it." Once a year. Nothing else ever happens. As opposed to, "It happens only once a year." Just the once. "It" does not occur at any other time. Other things might well occur, but not "it."