GARBAGE PICKING

When I was clearing my tray at lunch today in a Downtown Chicago cafeteria, I saw something that tugged at my heartstrings. Although I was throwing the remains of my meal into a bin, a very elderly woman who had a cane resting nearby, was pulling food items out of another. For a moment, I thought maybe she was rescuing something she'd thrown in by mistake, but then it dawned in me. The poor lady was scrounging for food from garbage left over from other diners.

On the floor not far away was a plastic bag filled with other bags and items inside, which led me to believe she was probably homeless. I'm not sure how she found the cafeteria, since it's below ground in a bank. Maybe another unfortunate person tipped her off. Anyway, I felt sorry for her plight.

It's not unusual to see down-on-luck people rummaging in garbage cans along the street, but this was the first time I'd seen someone in an actual cafeteria doing it. It did make me stop and think. Where was her family? Did she have one any more? What a shame she had no one to take care of her.

On the commuter train coming home, I saw another lady. This one was not hard-on-her luck at all. She was dressed very nicely. She sat in the seat in front of me, but suddenly dashed up to the small garbage container in front of the car. She triumphantly picked up a newspaper page and brought it back to her seat. I caught a glimpse of the page and it was loaded with coupons, and said something about saving $150.00. She had a huge grin on her face as she stashed the paper away in her tote bag.

I've seen other people grab newspapers out of the containers on the train when the train stopped Downtown at Ogilvie Transportation Centre, the end of the line. It's not an unusual sight and I don't think anyone believes these people are homeless for doing it. It's just a thing to do on the train.

Also, in our neighborhood, homeowners often put unwanted items, such as old sofas or dressers out to the curb a day or so ahead of time. That's to give anyone who's interested a chance to grab them before the garbage men arrive. Before the truck comes around, many times the items have already disappeared.

People aren't the only garbage pickers. Squirrels, birds and other wildlife have the pesky habit of going into garbage bags when they're out on the patio or at the curb.

Garbage picking is fascinating. It's kind of the old-fashioned beginning of the going green fad, which seems to be catching on lately. Although I included street people in my mystery, Two Wrongs, I didn't think of making them garbage pickers. It's an idea for a future novel.

I confess. I did grab some extra Daily Heralds from the train where I had articles featured. They were on the top of the pile, with no food or drink spilled on them, so they were clean. That was a while ago, before I decided to concentrate on fiction.

What about you? Have you ever garbage picked? If so, what? Or, have you seen someone garbage pick? What?

SNOW Is A Four Letter Word

View from the train window at one of the stops on the way to work. Note the wet window pane and the reflection of the light from the opposite side of the train. That light is kind of annoying. So is that awful white stuff outside.

Finds and Bargains

My husband likes to go to a store, buy what he came for and hightail it out as fast as he can. I, on the other hand, view shopping as an adventure. I'm easily and happily distracted and conned into buying items I hadn't come to buy. In other words, I'm what store owners love - an impulse buyer.

Not so fast---Before you think I'm a mad shopaholic, I'll qualify what I just called myself. I look at an item, examine it carefully, and think hard about whether or not I really can use or I really want that item. Sometimes my want overtakes my common sense, but most of the time I know my prices and know if I can afford to make that purchase, or if I should wait for a better bargain to come along. When I do find something I care for, like a pair of slacks or shoes with a perfect fit, I usually buy more than one. That's because I know that if I really like something it will never be found on the face of the earth again once the original is worn out.

Today, I examined the Sunday ads. Strangely enough I found something at Walgreens that both my husband and I wanted to buy. I don't know anyone who's watched TV in the last year who hasn't seen the commercial for Pedi Paws.

Since Rascal is a real baby when it comes to getting her nails done, we decided to try the product. We zoomed into Walgreens and wonder of wonders, there were massive quantities of Pedi Paws to be had. How strange, a sales item in stock and in plain view! We grabbed one, paid for it and rushed out, before I could look around for StickNClick, which was also on sale,but not as much of interest to the DH.

Of course, hubbie wanted to test the product right away, so Rascal got her nails filed a few hours later. I must say the product worked quite well. Although she wasn't exactly pleased with the sensation of the rotating filer, the process appeared painless and didn't take long.

Afterward, I read the instructions - why read them beforehand? They suggested to get the animal acclimated to the product in short dosages first and use treats to associate good stuff with the Pedi Paws system. It may be too late, but maybe we'll try that before her next session to make it a more pleasing experience for her.

So, Pedi Paws was my find for the day. Has anyone else run into a great find they were happy with, or maybe disappointed in? Did anyone get any good bargains lately? Please share.

Oh, if you get a great find or bargain later on, feel free to add it as a comment on whatever blog I've got up that day. I do want to encourage bargain hunting!

Cutting Back

Thanksgiving is over. The Christmas Season began with Black Friday as people waited in line at ungodly hours for bargains.

With hubbie working part time, we're now paying real money for his insurance. Not as many dollars are coming in as going out. Also, his 401 k is way down, and I have no idea how much money is left in my profit sharing plan. I may not know for months.

Every year we send out Christmas cards. This year I'll try something a little different. I'm sending out poscards ordered from Vistaprint where I downloaded a photo from the local park, and one of Rascal. At least this way we'll save on postage.

Fortunately, the nieces and nephews are now of a convenient older age, so they've all been added to the Christmas grab bag, and we won't have as much to worry about for presents. However, I just realized today I'd missed one nephew's birthday on November 23, we've got hubby's step-mom's birthday on December 9, plus brother and sister-in-law birthdays also in December. Then there are special friends to buy for. In other words, Christmas will still be a bit costly, but with the help of credit cards and careful planning, we should make it through all right.

I've already decided to check my closet and dresser for sweaters I bought last year to make sure I wear them. It's so much more tempting to buy new, but I think I'll be more practical this year. That's not only for everyday wear, but also for Christmas. This year I will get my Christmas sweatshirts and sweaters out early and wear them and not wonder afterwards why I didn't remember I had them.

What about you? Are you cutting back this season? Or maybe you've never sent out cards or done individual presents. What are your thoughts and plans?