Mugged while Christmas shopping

I mentioned that we'd gone shopping on Black Friday -- something I ordinarily never do. 

Our trip turned out to be both entertaining and productive.

We didn't set out until at least noon, after having a pleasant morning drinking coffee and talking.

There was no more traffic than usual, and when we got to the stores, they were no more crowded than any normal weekday.

We speculated that maybe lots of folks had gotten the majority of Black Friday shopping out of their systems the night before. Because for years, Black Friday has started on Thursday. Just go with it.

At any rate, I was hunting for gifts for my sons-in-law and TG. My son-in-law Joel was with us and I asked him to go and find a few things for himself because it was clothes and he's particular about his outfits, and I was glad to just get him whatever he found that he wanted.

While looking around, I saw a mug that was bright red and featured an adorable snowman wearing a big black floppy hat. Our Brittany loves the snowman motif, and the mug was inexpensive so I got it for her.

There's a wee bit of a backstory.

At another store -- okay, it was Walmart -- week before last, I happened to see a sleep shirt that was in a beautiful shade of burgundy -- that color which TG still calls maroon, like we did in the '60s and '70s -- and which featured this sentiment on the front:

COFFEE

NAP

SPARKLE

REPEAT

All in white block letters, and the word "sparkle" was actually sparkly. So I was all, like, I need to get that for Brittany because that is SO Brittany!

As you do at this time of year.

But I didn't, because as I said, I am done with my Christmas shopping. And although I wasn't quite done on that day, I was done with Brittany's Christmas gifts. Andrew's too.

All done.

(This is that potentially dangerous time when, having shopped aplenty for everyone, you're in the stores and you see little tiny things you know they'd like and who can't use just one more stocking stuffer, and similar to when you try to even up the leftover cake by "straightening" the edges with a fork which then goes into your mouth carrying bites of cake, or when you try to trim your own bangs and they just get shorter and choppier until you resemble the addle-brained cousin of Edward Scissorhands, you can do serious financial damage attempting to "even up" what you've bought for everyone.)

Takeaway: Pick a dollar amount and stick to it. If you can. I can't but that's another blog post.

But of course I couldn't keep from telling Brittany about the sleep shirt, and her face just lit up because she loves to wear burgundy and it looks well on her, and naturally "coffee nap sparkle repeat" with a sparkly sparkle suits her like little red sweaters suit puppy dogs in the snow, but ...

I didn't get it because I'm done buying for you! I blurted out, and then realized it didn't exactly sound the way I intended.

And that haunted me so much -- are you like me, replaying your words and fearing that you sounded like a monstrous malicious mean-spirited meanie when you didn't mean to? -- that, when I spotted the snowman mug, I grabbed it because I was going to see her that night and she and Andrew have bought a new place and they just moved in and I hadn't technically given her a housewarming gift.

See how that reparations thing works? Guilt can be expensive.

So anyway when I was claiming the snowman mug for Brittany and had put it in my basket, I saw another one that caught my fancy and since they're so inexpensive, I picked it up to add to my own collection of Christmas mugs. I'm sort of locked in to getting one new mug per year, even though I have so many now, I can only bring out part of them each holiday season.

This particular Gibson Home mug was adorably curvy, pale blue with Christmas red trim and creamy white on the inside, and it depicted a rustic red pickup truck with a wreath of festive greenery affixed to its grille, parked in the snow. All over the the mug were tiny white raised-up bumps of snow falling from the sky. So charming.

I took it home, removed the tag from the bottom, asked who wanted coffee, counted hands, made a big pot, and poured some into my darling new mug.

Only, while I was drinking my coffee, I noticed that my mug had a crack. I could feel it with my fingers on the outside and clearly see it on the white creamy inside.

*SIGH* It's always something. How did I MiSS that?

I drained the mug of coffee, then washed it and wrapped it back up in its protective paper and returned it to the bag, with the receipt. The next day -- a rest day for me -- TG gallantly offered to take the mug back to the store. While there, he gave a great deal of effort to finding another one exactly like it, even enlisting the help of a saleslady. But to no avail.

He did not, however, come home empty handed. As he gave me the package containing a new mug he said:

It's not the same one but it's Christmas and it's a car.

Which I thought was so very special of him, to match the general idea if not the identical mug.

As you can see in the picture above, this one has metallic glitter coming down as snow. That's my favorite kind of tissue paper too, at Christmas: the white kind with tiny pieces of glitter all over. I can't get enough of it.

I sure hope I can remember to never put this mug into the dishwasher, because that metallic glitter will melt right off (I've never had that problem with the tissue paper because I'm not tempted to put it into the dishwasher). I've ruined two mugs that way and generally avoid metallic designs on mugs because it's clear I cannot be trusted, but this one is worth it.

You may also have spotted in your eagle-eye fashion that I was steeping Chai using not one, but two Twinings tea bags. I always use two, and two Splendas, when I drink tea, which happens maybe two afternoons a week. More as it gets nippy outside.

And did you also see that thing sitting on top of my cup? That, luv, is a Primula Tea Bag Buddy. Patent Pending. It secures your tea bag(s) while covering your mug as the tea steeps, keeping the liquid hot. When you're ready to drink your tea, it squeezes the bag(s) for you, then holds them in a little crater when the gizmo is turned upside down.

It's silicone, so you don't burn your fingers. Sure beats using a spoon.

I think you need one. Or you know someone who does. But if you're finished shopping for them, don't start nibbling. Be strong.

You're welcome.

And that is all for now.

=0=0=0=

Happy Wednesday

Comments

[sally]

Girl! You had me worried for a minute - and, wondering if you were hurt when you got mugged. :)

I like the mug that TG got for you; it's so cute!

Yes, I've had moments when later I wondered 'did I say that right'? Like over the weekend when Patti went to the hospital, she had told me 'no visitors' which I relayed to my sis-in-law in a text. Well, seeing as how W, for some reason, likes to 'visit' people in the hospital, I was a tad afraid she would take that wrong. :)

xoxo

P.S. Good for you, the shopping being done. I've not bought one thing yet. :)

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... I don't know what got into me this year, to get it all done before December even dawns. But boy will I enjoy December! No pressure of the gift-buying kind. You've got plenty of time though. And I hear you about "how we sound" in texts. I sent a Bitmoji to one of my kids the other day and then worried that she'd taken it wrong ... so silly. She hadn't. And I'm sure your SIL didn't either. xoxo

[Mari]

That mug is so cute! I have a few mugs, but I don't drink coffee or tea, just maybe two cups of hot chocolate a year so I don't need many.
I am just like you. I so often say things and then overthink it later, wondering if it was taken wrong.
However, Brittany knows your heart, so I'm sure she understood. :)

[Jennifer]

@Mari ... you remind me of TG, who also may sip at a mugful of something hot twice a year. Y'all don't know what you're missing. Yes, Brittany's got us pretty well figured out. That's what I'm afraid of, haaahaha! xoxo

[Donna (Texas)]

Hi girl! Yes, I've been bad...
Love that he brought home a prize for you...the mug is too sweet.
Have a super day!!
hughugs

[Jennifer]

@Donna ... YES you've been so bad! I was standing at the window with my cup of coffee yesterday, thinking about you and wondering where in the world you and Larry are, and missing the days when you'd drop by my blog. I miss you. Have a wonderful Christmas. xoxo

[Barb]

Those snowy mugs are a little like my everyday life. Now I want one of those silicon thingies for the tea. I love this post, Jenny. You need to compile them into a book.

[Barb]

PS - also love the title!

[Jennifer]

@Barb ... you've got all that lovely snow! I'm a trifle jealous. Maybe I will compile these into a book someday. I need to write some sort of book, that's for sure. TG is always reminding me of that. xoxo