In which I take a day trip into town with my housemate on an unbeknownst flat tire but that’s fine, because I found jeans that actually fit, so I consider that a win.
Thursday July 6, 2023
Say what you will. The 90’s was a lot of things – middle parts, cargo pants three sizes too large, Brendan Fraser, and the zeitgeist of angsty teen soaps, beginning with the trend-setting “Dawson’s Creek.” Even so, you gotta admit it the spirit of deconnade and of just going for it full tilt (i.e. mesh clothing and Furbies) is the stuff of nostalgic legend.
One of those beloved 90’s things I unabashedly miss is the Spice Girls. Before Destiny’s Child laid the foundation for Beyonce’s solo career, before the Cheetah Girls took Barcelona by tormenta, before the Kardashians erected an empire, before even the Powerpuff Girls punched the Jojo out of Mojo. . .there were British girls in teeny dresses and lip gloss. And my, did they have a dream. I had their cd, their video cassette movie, heck, I even practiced the impronounce-able bridge of “Wannabe” (you know exactly which part I mean by that). Taking five different personalities of grown-ass women preaching about the power of girls going for it out in the world? It was out there. And I’m still all there for it.
The truth is, my male housemates are great, stand-up guys. But just like they need their bro time to bro out, we hoes need to hoe out.
And we do that best with retail therapy.
What began as a bargain hunt and fashion show through the pile of donated work clothes downstairs ended as a goal to hit up the secondhand store downtown. So Ellie and I grabbed a bike, and off we went.
Turns out there is a whole other path through a neighborhood on simple roads. Showing off the beauty of the countryside, it was breathtaking to see a whole different side of the town I hadn’t known before, including the train tracks skirting around the town, rimming the forest.
It was also taking my breath. It was becoming hard to pedal. When we came to the library, my tire was flat as a pancake, and I mean like a French crepe one, so realllly flat. But we found great stuff at two secondhand stores.
Finally made it inside, to Ellie making homemade gnocchi. I sort of picked 8 plants’ worth of potatoes instead for two, so. . .there may be a metric crap ton of potatoes in a bucket, ready to be used. We were all brainstorming potato recipes to try aka use the potatoes in all ways, shapes and forms.
But I digress. It was fun seeing what kind of tv shows we like, what similar things we know of, despite our disparate locations and upbringings. Turns out we both love the Great British Bakeoff and survival shows. Because she hadn’t seen Survivor before, we watched some on YouTube as we ate the delicious vegetarian meal she prepared.
Highlights:
-Sorted the infamous sock pile from the upstairs corner with Francesco. Some of them actually matched, to my unending surprise.
-Found I had a flat tire as soon as I got into town. That would explain why it was so freaking hard to pedal. . .
-Found jeans that fit. Ellie also found the perfect pair of army green cargo pants she’d been hoping for. I told her last night I don’t have luck in most things, but I am lucky when it comes to thrifting. Thrift stores are like buffets – you may not like everything present, but there’s at least one thing out of the many that you would. She did indeed find luck when with me at the store, so take from that what you will.