Keeping Up with Modern Technology

Yesterday was rainy, and I did not go out - it was also Laundry Day for me anyway, and I had enough to do indoors. Today the sun made an appearance again, and in the afternon I decided to go for a walk to the supermarket for a few items. 

Above: I stopped on the bridge across the river to snap a photo of yellow leaves dropping to the ground now (and into the water as well)... 
Below: Some very red Rowan trees next to a tall building.

 

For over ten years now I've been doing most of my grocery shopping online with home delivery (from the same supermarket that I walked to now); but once in a while I like to go myself for some speical item, or just to try to keep up with changes in the store. When I do go in person, I always self-scan the few items I bought (with a hand-held scanner), so don't have to stand in line to check out. I've been doing that for even longer than I've been using their home delivery service, and it's routine procedure for me. ... 

 

However, recently they have also made some changes to their self-checkout area; and for the second time this year, I found myself bewildered when getting there. I blipped my card at one of the stations and then clicked on what I thought was the right button that came up - but my self-scanned items did not appear on the screen. So I had to ask for help from a young girl (member of staff), who patiently took me through the explanations of how these check-out points were for customers not carrying a scanner with them through the store, but doing the scanning at the check-out; whereas those ones (pointing) are for customers who used a scanner along the way... 

It all suddenly gave me a feeling of being old and confused and out-of-date... (And in this particular case, I suppose that's exactly what I was!) ...  I'm not normally very chatty in stores, but it also made me want to explain, "in my defense", that the reason that the two different ways of "self scanning" had escaped me was that I do most of my shopping online these days! (Hoping somewhere at the back of my head, I suppose, that this might restore her opinion of me as perhaps not totally out of touch with the modern world after all...) 

After I got back home, I learned that there's also a third scanning method now - downloading their special app to my phone, and then scan a QR code at the exit to pay. However much they claim that to be "simple", I don't think I'll complicate my life further by adding that to my personal mix of options. I just hope that they'll continue their home delivery service!!

*Real* Shopping

... as opposed to a previous post on Pretend Shopping ...  ;-)

When going through my summer wardrobe recently, I did not feel any urgent need to go shopping for new summer clothes - which is just as well, considering the general circumstances just now. One accessory I still felt I really wanted was a new handbag/shoulder bag, though. (As one or two attentive readers might remember, I did have a peek at one such market stall last weekend but did not find any there that matched what I was looking for.) Yesterday, I tried my luck at a small shop in the city centre that sells bags (and only bags). The door was open, no other customers inside, and I found what I was looking for immediately - the right shape and size, weatherproof, and in a nice blue colour. The purchase took only a minute or two - my favourite kind of shopping just now. And it was on sale (25% off)!

Today, while pleased with the new shoulder bag, I realised that I also really could do with a new 'belt bag' (fanny pack or bum bag or whatever you call it)... I recalled that I had seen one of those in the shop yesterday as well, in the same colour and brand as the handbag. So I went back today and bought that one as well. 

 

Hi–Buy–Bye

We had rain in between my snowy Thursday post and the sunset Friday post, so the snow from Thursday is all gone now. But back to frost again this morning, and again partly icy and slippery streets…

I took the bus into town for a few errands, including looking for a new pair of winter boots. Since I only knew that I wanted them to be warm, comfortable and really nonslippery, I expected the search to probably take some time. However, this is how it went:

I went into the shoe shop that happened to be the most convenient place for me to start. Right inside the entrance, my eyes fell on this boot on a shelf. It was the very first item I saw. I took it down to inspect it further. It had a note on it, telling me that it had a sole with both metallic and rubber studs, which would permit me to walk both on icy ground and on hard indoor surfaces without slipping. Just the kind of thing I wanted; but did not even know existed. The boot I took down happened to be my size. I tried it on. While I was doing so, a shop assistant turned up and asked if he could help. I asked to try on the other one as well, and he fetched it. They felt really comfortable. I chatted a bit with the assistant while walking a few steps with them in the shop. (He praised them as well, of course.) Why look further? I bought them and left – and doubt I spent more than five minutes in the store! It may be my quickest footwear purchase ever! Now I just hope they’ll prove to be as good as they sound. (I haven’t tried them outdoors yet; but no doubt I’ll have the opportunity very soon…)

City Lights

The last weekend in October we set our clocks back to winter time (or “normal” ditto). While I do appreciate getting the lost morning hour back, the flipside of the coin is that instead the afternoons suddenly seem very short. Just now the sun goes to bed around 4:15 pm – and it will get worse before it gets better!

Having a choice, I usually try to do my errands in town while there is still daylight – and avoiding the afternoon rush hours. Yesterday, however, I happened to be out “late” (as in half an hour after sunset), which offered an opportunity for some “night” photography:

Only three weeks to go before there will be Christmas lights in some of the big old trees in the park as well!

The main reason I was out and about in town in the dusk/dark yesterday was another discount shopping night for club members at my favourite clothes shop…

Shop ‘til You Drop

It’s a tough job, trying to build up a new wardrobe.
As previously mentioned, I lost a bit of weight over summer, with the result that when I started needing my autumn/winter clothes again, I found that rather than just fitting back into them, I have shrunk out of them… Which is of course a pleasant change from the other way round; but it does involve quite a lot of “work”.

For one thing, because of limited wardrobe space, I could not just buy new clothes without also radically throwing out a lot of old ones. And what on earth was I to do with all those which no longer fit (and that I have no wish to fit back into)? Having no car, and a bad arm (not able to carry much), I would require help to take them to a charity shop (across town) …

One day a few weeks ago, while out walking in my neighbourhood, I was thinking about this and wishing for some place closer to home where I could leave them. Then, passing the recycling station on the estate where I live – which has hitherto only had recycling bins for paper, plastic, glass and metal – I happened to look up; and there, right in front of me, was a brand new container which must have been added this month. And it turned out to be for clothes; by courtsey of some environmental non-profit organisation. I don’t know much about them (I think they’re new), but I don’t really care. They have now got about half of my old wardrobe! … Which leaves me some room to go shopping!

On Thursday night this week, one of my favourite clothes shops in town had a special shopping night for members, after the usual closing time – with 25% discount on everything bought during those three hours. As among other things I needed a new winter coat, I decided this was worth a bit of queuing. I’ve never been to one of these club nights before, but it did indeed soon get very crowded… Phew! But it did save me around £45/$70. The items bought (that night) were the ones above.

That’s not the only shopping I’ve done this week. I also bought new shoes (not that I’ve shrunk out of my old ones – but I do tend to wear shoes out by walking).

However, even a new winter coat or good walking shoes seem fairly simple purchases compared to the major ordeal of the week, which was a vision examination followed by having to choose no less than four new spectacle frames (as just one pair of progressive glasses does not sufficiently cover all situations for me).

As anyone with bad eyesight (and not wearing contact lenses) knows,  choosing spectacle frames is an ordeal because one has to try on the frames without the correct lenses in them; which means not really being able to see properly how one looks in them.  And on top of that knowing that these frames will be part of one’s appearance every day over the next two or three years or more.

Have you noticed the change in spectacles fashion lately? I’ve actually been avoiding walking into opticians’ shops over the past few months (even though I knew I’d soon have to), because I was so afraid to find nothing but the kind of frames that seem to be turning up everywhere around me lately (especially on TV). That is: huge, thick, plastic ones, covering half the face. And I don’t want those!

(image courtesy of Google image search)
My apologies to anyone who happens to love them. They may of course look just awesome on you. I just don’t want them on myself!

Which is why, when I finally stepped inside a couple of weeks ago to make an appointment, I found myself in a big predicament, as the assistant behind the counter (offering to help me with a preliminary look at frames) was herself wearing a pair similar to those above. Only purple instead of yellow.

The predicament increased, when among the frames she picked out for me to try, were the very same big purple ones that she had on herself…

N.b. this was after my (obviously inefficient) attempts to make clear that I really did not want plastic frames at all, but was looking for metal ones similar in shape to the ones I’ve worn for the past 2½ years.

In my attempts to explain my reasons to the purple-framed shop assistant, one of the phrases I used was “been there, done that”… I doubt she understood what I meant, but I have proof:

(Any wonder I don’t want to go back there? This was 1977. I would not mind the better hair quality back, please – but not the glasses!!!)

I think she must have jinxed me or something, because contrary to my resolutions, I still ended up going home that day with three pairs of plastic frames that I did not like at all, on loan until my appointment this week.

By then I had come (back) to my senses, though. And luckily, it was also the optician herself, and not the assistant, who helped me make the final choices. And she seemed to agree with me (or at least had the professional skill to pretend to).

Which means all four of my new pairs will still be metal-framed ones of reasonable size. Actually the ones for allround use will be the exact same model as the ones I have now, only a slightly different colour. (I’ll show you when I get them.)

Take Off

(The photo above is from last year. I might have used it before, I’m not sure.)

This week has been school start week in Sweden. The weather is still summery, but at the same time there is an excitement of change and new beginnings in the air, both in nature and in city life. The buses are back on their normal time tables. The streets are buzzing with people. In the clothes shops there are signs with 50% off on summer sales prices, side by side with new items coming in every day.  In supermarkets and bookshops there are special tables with everything you might need (or want) for school: pencils and erasers, writing pads and book jacket paper, stickers and whatnots.

It’s been many years since I was actively involved in school activities of any kind; and yet I’m still affected by that special atmosphere this time of year.

I’ve not been buying school supplies, but I still have quite a busy shopping week behind me.

“Calories: Tiny creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes a little bit tighter every night.”

Because I banished the “calories” from my wardrobe this summer, I now have to do their job myself. Or buy new clothes.

We’ve had a long warm summer when I’ve mostly lived on “salad and strawberries” (take that with a pinch of salt, please!), while wearing loose-fitting clothes with elastic and/or drawstring waistbands, and staying away from the summer sales as well as the ice-cream.

When the weather began to grow slightly cooler again, and it was time to start thinking of getting back into clothes I hadn’t been wearing for three months (or more), I discovered that the same clothes I was thinking of getting rid of back in the spring because they were getting too small, now had to be either sewn in or thrown out because they’ve gotten too big!

After some not quite satisfactory experiments with the sewing machine, I decided last week that I probably needed to buy at least one pair of new jeans.

Trying on clothes in shops again was quite a disconcerting experience at first.  Truly, it was really hard to get my head round the fact that I needed to go down not just one, but two sizes compared to just a couple of months ago.

After having made sure that my one new pair of jeans had not shrunk in the bag on the way home (sometimes clothes seems to do that, have you noticed?), I had a major wardrobe clear-out last weekend.

And this week it was back to the shops again…
Tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

♫ S(pr)inging in the Rain ♫

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower
and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:10-12

Today is Ascension Day in the Christian Churches, and still a public holiday in the Swedish calendar.

I went for a walk in the spring rain, and passing popping into the supermarket on my way back (not to pretend to be holier than I am!) I could not help reflecting that this has become our main “temple” nowadays for a rainy day off… The car park was so full that people were queuing for a parking space – and for once, in spite of the rain, I was actually glad to be on foot (I only needed a few things and with self-scanning no queuing involved).

Traditionally Ascension Day here was/is a day for early morning outdoor services and picnics… Not really picnic weather today, though! But actually quite nice for a walk, in spite of the rain. Because today what we had was proper spring rain… no wind, and not too cold… and Nature is obviously just loving it!!!

Pursued by the Press

Today was a national Clothes Swapping day in Sweden, arranged nation-wide by the various local branches of the Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature. I’ve never partaken in one before, but since my wardrobe was in need of some clearing out anyway, I decided to give it a try.

The procedure is simple enough: Hand in (maximum)five items, receive one coupon per item, come back a couple of hours later and use your coupons to “buy” other items. (If you’re as lucky as to find anything you want.)

What I had not taken into account was the intense media coverage…

Arriving at the Swap Place around 10.15, I had hardly entered the room before I was attacked by a reporter from the local radio station, wanting to ask me a few questions. Taken by surprise, I agreed...

Reporter: Why are you here today?
Me: I read about it in the paper and thought why not.
Reporter (expectantly): So, do you do you do a lot of second-hand shopping?
Me: No, I can’t say I do.
Reporter: Do you have a lot of clothes hanging unused in your wardrobe?
Me: Er… Not really.
Reporter (getting a bit desperate now): But you think swapping is a good idea and people ought do it more?
Me: Yes, why not. 
Reporter: So are you here mainly to get rid of things or will you be back later hoping to make some finds?
Me: Mainly to hand in a few things. (Taking pity on the reporter, and the possible radio listeners, I added:) But yes, I’ll probably come back and have a look around too. 

End of Interview. (I don’t know if it was ever aired… If I’d been the reporter, I think I’d have made an effort to find a more enthusiastic interview subject!)

…

Coming back to the Swap Place around 1.15 pm. Once again I had hardly entered the room before I found myself approached by another representative of the Press:

Reporter 2: Hello, I come from the local newspaper, I wonder if I may ask you a few questions and take a picture?
Me (horrified): Oh no, please… I’ve already been on the radio this morning, that’s enough for one day…!

Mercifully she went on to someone else - and from what I overheard, had better luck there. (A younger and more experienced second hand-shopper…)

Myself I left within a few minutes, after quickly having established that there was nothing in my size that I was interested in at all. Which did not really matter to me – I was just relieved not to have to pretend that it did! (Frontpage headline: She Gave Away Half Her Wardrobe and Got Nothing in Return!)

…

PS. Found it best to pixellate my photo before putting it on here, as I did not ask anyone’s permission to take it!

Simple Pleasure

What a difference the Sun makes. I feel like I’ve been shut in by layers of ice for weeks and weeks…

(Sculptor at work inside a block of ice; from my archives.)

Haven’t dared to set foot outdoors without some kind of ice-creeper devices attached, and not been able to walk in normal-sized steps or strides even with them on.

  

It’s been over three weeks since I last dared try walking to the supermarket (1 km there and 1 km back) – until today. (I have been able to get to other shops. I’ve not been starving.)

On Sunday afternoon I tried to go for a walk but gave up after… I think less than 50 metres. Icy street, icy wind… Brrr! I turned around, went back home and lay down on the couch with an electric blanket on top to warm up!!!

Today (Monday) at long last we had a whole day of sunshine, and in the afternoon the temperature had risen above freezing point, and the sun was still “on”… I decided to be brave and at least do some reconnoitring. So I put on the less spiky and most walkable kind of ice-creepers (like the second pair above) and set out again.

And lo and behold, on the other side of the still very icy walkbridge across the railway, one of the pavements along the street leading towards the supermarket was almost ice-free.

More photos from the archives, but could have been today.

As it turned out, by criss-crossing from one pavement to the other at various strategic points, I was able to actually reach the long lost El Dorado... 

Oh joy. It might be the most thankful I’ve been for the supermarket since the day it opened… Not that I can shop much in one go, as I can’t carry much – but still! LOL

And guess what: I did not even have to put the ice-creepers back on for the way home. (I had to take them off inside because indoors on the stone floor they have the opposite effect.) (I managed the icy bridge by holding on to the railing.) Walking without them for the first time in weeks felt almost like being barefoot :)

Bag Lady

Handbags and their contents seem to be a popular blog topic this week. At least two of the blogs I’m following have brought it up: From My Mental Library and MacQue Blogspot. Ladies… You entice me… Today in town I suddenly felt that I needed yet another handbag!

(And a headband, and a pair of gloves.)

The thing is, I’m always looking for the ultimate bag. I tried explaining this to the saleswoman in one of the shops I looked into today – because she was the kind of salesperson who does not let you browse in peace but insists on offering help before you’ve had time to have a look around. So I said – meant mostly as a joke – that I’m looking for a bag that is tiny on the outside, but really big on the inside. (Those of you who read the seventh Harry Potter book… It’s really Hermione’s bag I’m looking for! Weighing practically nothing, but still able to hold everything from your whole library to a fully furnished tent.)

I don’t think the lady in the shop had read Harry Potter, because she started showing me regular mid-size handbags which were nothing like what I had in mind. I also specifically said I wanted a red one, whereupon she showed me a black one, and a grey/purple one. She obviously thought those would go better with the black jacket I was wearing at the moment. When I tried to explain that I also have other colours in my wardrobe, she clung even harder to the opinion that black would be my safest choice.

As I already own three or four black bags, I gave up (i.e. politely said I needed to give the decision a bit of thought) and went to another shop where they don’t keep following you around giving advice, but let you make your own choices.

Now, as for the use and contents of my bag(s)… As I’m nearly always on foot or going by bus, I usually also bring a backpack if I intend to go shopping, or if I’m going to be away from home for more than a few hours. If I have a backback I usually prefer just a small handbag (shoulderbag). But if I don’t bring a backpack, I may need a bigger handbag. So I usually have two or three different handbags “going” at the same time/season, all equipped with some basic stuff like paper tissues, comb, chapstick and a few loose coins (for shopping carts and public toilets and such). I then have a mini toilet bag that I keep up to date with basic medicines that I need or find best to always keep with me; and that and my wallet I move between bags.

My camera has it’s own little case with shoulder strap; and my phone goes either into the handbag or a pocket depending on what I’m wearing.

Because I do keep changing bags, I don’t really tend to accumulate a lot of completely unnecessary stuff in them, like old receipts and tickets or whatever. If I ever find myself out of small change, though, it might be worth while to search the various pockets of my handbag collection…

A Shopping Spree

One never knows what each day is going to bring.
The important thing is to be open and ready for it.
~ Henry Moore (British sculptor, 1898-1986) ~

Today I woke up to a nice summer day promising pleasantly warm weather, and decided that it was just the day for me to go ‘across town’ and play tourist at the big shopping centre.

By tourist shopping I mean leisurely browsing rather than hunting for things I’m desperately in need of.

There was only one ‘serious’ (or half serious) item on the shopping list in my head – a new swimsuit.

Bathing/working out in the hospital’s rehab pool twice a week  - most of the year - I actually literally wear out about one swimsuit a year. So a visit to a certain outlet at the shopping centre has become part of my summer traditions, whether the need is ‘urgent’ or not. It’s so much easier (not to mention more inspiring) to go shopping for swimsuits in the summer than in winter!

I was lucky and found one this year, too:

(You didn’t really expect me to show it to you with me inside, did you!)

I also came home with another pair of shoes. No, not those red high-heeled ones… A pair of soft black ones that hopefully won’t give me blisters…

And since I was touristing… I just couldn’t resist this summer souvenir, even though it was obviously not one of a kind :

Sold as napkin rack, but for me it will serve as letter rack to hold my summer postcards from friends.

While enjoying an outdoors McD hamburger with fries and Coke (another summer tradition) I was being entertained by these colourful young street musicians, part of some summer performance project (supervised by the woman in white in the background).

Weekend Reflections–SOOC

Weekend Reflections AND Straight Out Of the Camera Sunday

Saturday offered a nice and sunny afternoon and I was not the only one taking the opportunity for a walk into town. There were even people sitting outdoors at the riverside café. Presumably, most of them smokers! We are still having frosty nights and most of us still find it best to be properly zipped up when going outside. (Why I chose that particular expression you’ll hopefully understand if you keep on reading.)

Actually I was in town twice yesterday. First in the late morning, by bus, with my shopping bag on wheels, to get groceries from the only grocery shop in the town centre. So crowded that I heard more than one customer muttering to partner or friend: “Remind me never to go in here again"! I can only hope that they stick to their resolutions (and so diminish the crowd by a few people), because I know I shall have to visit the place again. It’s not my only option but the best from public transport point of view, when I want to shop a little more than I can carry. (And as regular readers know, I don’t have a car.)

Well, anyway, after that adventure: some rest, lunch, more rest, and I was ready to go out again. This time, free of burdens, I walked into town on my own two feet; with the main purpose of exercise and getting some sun; and the additional purpose of handing in a coupon at a clothes shop,  where they had been kind enough the day before to already give me the discount in spite of having left the coupon behind in my other purse at home. But I did have my membership card, so I asked.

No hassle at all, in spite of them not being able to check it by help of my card. I still got the immediate reply that they’d give me the 20% discount anyway; but if I could, they’d be grateful if I popped in some other day with the coupon, for their statistics. 

I’m sure that attitude is a lot more profitable to them in the long run than saying “sorry, no, we can’t do that”. At least with me it put me immediately in a good mood, both having made a bargain and being treated as a valued customer. It also made me actually take the trouble to go back with that little piece of paper; for which I received thankyou’s; which made me feel even more pleased with myself; so happy faces all around!

 

Now if anyone is wondering what it was I bought, it was a knee-length blue denim (‘jeans’) dress with a zip all the way down the front. Actually I’d gladly have bought it even at full price just because it fit, it feels like “me”, I can wear it with leggings, and with various tops underneath according to season, and I don’t have to be an elite gymnast to get in and out of it.

I took a few other dresses with me into the changing room as well, which might possibly have fit me (I’ll never know!) if I had had an assistant zip-upper/unzipper constantly at hand whenever I wanted to get in or out of it. Since I don’t, any dress with a zip (or buttons) down its back or even down the side is out of the question!