I have waxed, probably less than eloquently,
about my deep and defining love of online shopping. I take it as a measure of
pride that outside of groceries and my spiritual need for movie purchases I
revel in not having to darken the doorstep of retail stores anymore. This came
home to roost during our recent renovation project. I was dragged despite my
surly manner to a number of plumbing stores by my Favorite Panamanian as we
sought out the needed bathroom fixtures (in polished brass, of course). We
failed miserably which only stoked my deep held hatred of shopping
We then resorted to my favorite
hunting ground – the internet - and in short order had found all the required
items. My wife was a little skeptical until the items started arriving, usually
in a couple days. I became a big fan of a place called Wayfair, which I hadn’t
used before. We bought a number of items from Wayfair, including a very
expensive showerhead assembly. We received this back in late September and it
was consigned to the dining room staging area while Deckzilla Dude continued
his ponderous progress upstairs.
The showerhead was at long last
allowed to fulfill its destiny last week as the plumber was finally able to complete
all the connections. It was at this point he discovered the assembly came
without two needed mounting brackets. Since we didn’t want the shower head
hanging in space I was charged with coming up with a solution. I first had to
identify where I ordered the damned thing from in the first place (which was no
mean task) and luckily discovered I had in fact established a Wayfair account.
I tracked down the order and a phone number to call. In short order I was
speaking with an account representative as I steeled myself to be disappointed.
You cannot underestimate my complete shock when after a short explanation this
bright young lady promised to send me an entire new assembly for free because the
manufacturer doesn’t send parts. I protested (albeit weakly) that all I needed
were these two minor items but she assured me they had to do it this way. She
recommended I donate the parts not needed to a local charity. I’m guessing the
old philosophy of taking care of customers has infected the online shopping environment.
Whether that is true with all online vendors (I’m sure it’s not) Wayfair now has
a huge fan in me. I will go there first whenever I need something out of their vast
offerings. It’s nice to win once in a while, most especially if I don’t have to
go into an actual store.
Date night again last night with Mary
Poppins Returns. As with any child growing up in the 1960s I was extremely
skeptical going in to see the beloved icon from my youth, Mary Poppins, recreated.
This film tries very hard to re-capture the spirit of the original and almost succeeds.
None of that fault lies with the two leads, Emily Blunt or Lin Manuel Miranda.
They were both fantastic. The story picks up the original two Banks children now
as adults requiring the services of the mystical nanny after a family tragedy.
The best moment was the cameo by Mr. Van Dyke who still dances despite his
ninety years. Unfortunately that was the lone magical moment which is why this
falls short of the original. The songs were so bland with none of the original’s
emotional or whimsical depth. Granted it’s an immense challenge to meet the standard
set by Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
Feed the Birds, and my personal favorite Let’s Go Fly a Kite which is all I can
recall without looking up the others. That being said, it was a safe, welcome return
to Cherry Tree Lane as even just a smidgeon of Poppins’ magic is welcome these
days.
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RECURRING
CHARACTERS
BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR
- First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA –
Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé
& MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son
in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school
from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great
Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since
grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to
attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school
friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla
– our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine
and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US
sisters, my wife is the 3rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA
the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died
in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy,
son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals –
female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia –
inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived
& their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close
friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife
(of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday
of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at
work; Deckzilla Dude – senior
citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth -
members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all
are on public assistance along with demeanor issues
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