How Do I Always Do This!?!?

as i was standing in line this evening at old navy in new york, returning a hat and pair of gloves and buying a lovely charcoal grey cotton top with pleats, the girl at the register next to me jubilantly exclaimed to her friend that the white coat she was buying was extremely affordable (i won't say how much, just yet.) i looked over -- and was quite impressed by what i saw. when i complimented her on her purchase, she smiled, and mentioned that she'd just seen another one on the rack that was in my size.

having asked her where exactly i might find it, i went out to meet shabad at penn station like we'd planned, and then dragged him back to the store immediately to help execute yet another excellent old navy sale heist.

original price of coat: $99.50
on sale online for: $58.99
on sale in store for: $38.99, according to the orange sale-price sticker
really on sale for: $19.99 (50% off, since the coat was on clearance)
what i paid for it after i used my $10 old navy rewards card: $9.49

see said coat here: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlfish1303/4296462583>

completely serious, shabad informed me that if i came back to the store on tuesday and returned it, then bought it again using my gap credit card, i would get an additional 10% off due to a store special deal that encourages tuesday shopping. plus they've also given me a coupon for 10% off on my next purchase, which i could also (mildly unfairly) retro-use. now, i'm not sure i want to spend 20 minutes in line to save an extra $1.70 -- earning in us$ has spoiled me -- but can you imagine getting a $100 wool-blend coat for $8 (instead of $10)!? whoa, america, whoa. you fill my little greedy clothes-horse/sale-loving heart with such joy.

Morning, Miserable

the first three headlines on my NYT newsfeed:

"bomb explodes in central pakistan"

"suicide bomber strikes near hotel in kabul"

"car bombs strike 3 sites in baghdad"

can they just stop already!?

Cupcake Lady

i'm a cupcake fetishist and a food-truck fan. as such, i've been following this woman's tweets <http://twitter.com/ButtercreamPhl> for weeeeeeks now, and stalking her website (<http://buttercreamphiladelphia.com>), and even sending along excited email updates when she'd posted that she'd appear at clark park farmers' market about a month ago...

but i've never actually had one of her baked delights. seems i'm just never in the right place at the right time!

in fact, today i actually rode by 34th and walnut at exactly noon, and didn't remember to stop! oh despair!

well, i hope she's serving next wednesday, the day before thanksgiving, because i'll *definitely* be in the neighbourhood at noon!

Yummy Doodles

cake and cupcakes have been on the brain lately, what with the NYT doing a piece on the hilarious cake wrecks blog (<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14cake.html>), and free chocolate cupcakes on the corner of 34th and walnut this past tuesday just as i was in need of a quick pick-me-up snack before biking to a philobiblon meeting in center city, and the buttercream cupcake truck (<http://buttercreamphiladelphia.com>) twitter stream now part of my google reader feed, and kristen roth '05's amazing cakey confections...

and then, this: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlfish1303/4014215141>

slurp!

An Evening Frittered Lightly Away

take:

1) a convenient, if somewhat loud and snotty, location (mad mex, on 34th and sansom -- rock music in the background about 20dB too high, plus they had the most intense ID-checking machine and weren't afraid either to use it or to chase down evaders).
2) a delectable wine (a glass of potent chardonnay).
3) good company (wim). and
4) deep, relevant, honest conversation.

mix well. consume. walk away happy, contented.

totally worth the mediocre guacamole and the one wharton gent who spent part of our evening blow-own-trumpeting to us.