Start walkin’, boots!

A surprisingly busy afternoon! First I stopped by my doctor's office to get the H1N1 shot. But Beth, you ask (that puzzled look on your face is so adorable), why now? It's not a big deal, so why bother?

I had planned to get it all along, but since I'm not in a high risk group any longer, I decided to wait until the vaccine was readily available to everyone. (If I were still working in the lab, I'm sure I would have had it some time ago.) Although the risk seems to have passed, I've written before about how viruses are pesky little mutants, and there is no telling what this thing might do. It could come back in a second wave; it could come back in a more virulent form. While this vaccine might not protect against a mutated virus, it could offer some protection. I've also read that this could be a part of next year's seasonal flu vaccine, so that might give my immune system a jump on that.

So I called yesterday, popped in this afternoon, and bada bing, bada boom, I was out of there in no time. My arm is a little sore, but nothing different from the regular seasonal vaccine, and I have to say that I feel fine. But if I behave erratically in the next few days, or act all emotional and junk, or get all sarcastic...I'm blaming it on the H1N1 vaccine. I hear those are rare side effects.

After that, I went shopping. You all know that I'm not a fan of shopping, but I wanted to get some new bras that fit better. (TMI? Too bad. More in a moment.) I did not go to the mall. I hate the mall. Instead I went to Kohl's. As much as I hate the mall, that's how much I love Kohl's. That's why I do my best to stay away.

I found some excellent bargains. A cool pair of leggings with skull and crossbones on them; a nice black suit jacket for like 80% off (would look nice with slacks or jeans); the kind of Colts shirt I wanted to get, a fitted T-shirt with 3/4 sleeves; and my absolute favorite bargain today...these BOOTS!

I'd been wanting a pair of boots for a while. Low-heeled black ones that would look good with jeans tucked in or left out over them. These were 60% off, and they were really comfortable, and just perfect! I love the chain on the heel. I'm very pleased. As for the bras (guys, you can stop reading here, if you like)...did you know that 70% of women are wearing the wrong size? I read up on how to measure, and got some general guidelines. No substitute for actually trying them on, and I think I must have tried on two dozen of the bastards. Not a fun way to spend an afternoon, believe me. I also discovered that the guidelines are just that; there were several different sizes I tried on with various success. Some just didn't feel good and some just didn't look good. Some caused spillover and some felt like I had my tits in a vice. I finally found something comfortable and cute, a Candie's "balconette" bra. No, I won't be providing pictures, but you can Google "balconette bra" to get an idea. :) It made me wonder if it has anything to do with the balconies in the French Quarter in New Orleans, because walking down Bourbon Street on a weekend night, you see plenty of balconette bras and plenty of the contents of said bras! (Equal time on the guys, too. The full moon was out, and sometimes the full monty.)

On the upside, I found out that...well, I ended up with a bigger size than I thought I'd need. Yeah, baby! That made my day!

[Disclaimer: Yes, I realize that this was a frivolous entry considering what is going on in the world. I also realize that my search for a bra doesn't matter one single iota in the face of such misery. I also realize that to focus entirely and ceaselessly on that misery is more than I can bear at times. We all need to break away at times, and this was my time.]