NO MORE Anna Nicole Smith "news" (and I use that term very loosely)!

Last week, I spent the day with three friends shopping (what else?). They are good, smart, caring people. But early on, one of them asked the rest of us, "So what do you think of the whole Anna Nicole Smith thing?"

I thought I would head off the conversation by immediately saying, "I don't even want to talk about it." Did anyone get the hint? Of course not. For at least the next 10 minutes, I had to hear everyone else not only give their own opinions but also rehash all the details that I already (unfortunately) knew. I'm sure none of them realized I didn't offer one more comment.

Stop the madness! Get a life! Refuse to discuss anything you're sick and tired of talking/hearing about! Hey, I just decided to stop talking about the weather . . . at least for a while - I don't want to seem too uncaring/unfriendly/boring (or any other descriptives that people will think).

Other than "her" or the weather, what topic do you want abolished from your conversations?

Love those lyrics....

Have you ever bought a CD (or a record or tape) just because of the lyrics of one song? I have many times - sometimes it's the only good one, sometimes they're all great.

I love the Canadian band "Bare Naked Ladies." (A future post will be about band names.) I thought I had all there CD's, but while shopping in a Chicago resale shop recently, I came across a 2003 one entitled "Everything to Everyone."

(time for you to imagine the CD cover image I tried to upload)

I love all the songs, but had heard only a few of them before. But my favorite by far is called "For You." (Pity you if you're in the store when it's playing, because I turn up the volume and will replay it four or five times before moving on.)

This song is, I think, about a man in a possibly fairly new relationship with a woman and it seems like he wants to be whatever she wants him to be. But he obviously sees the error in this...a recurring line in the refrain is . . . "If I hide myself whever I go, am I ever really there?" (A future post will be about song lyrics.)

Isn't that cool? Have you ever found yourself trying to be what someone else wanted you to be? Either in a relationship, or a business or networking situation, how about during a job interview? Doesn't hindsight make you think "if you hide yourself, are you really there?"

Hmmm, some food for thought. What's your story?

Sorry for the "down" time.

There's nothing more boring that checking out a blog and finding nothing new. So I apologize to my friends and colleagues for being so blah lately.

The problem is my trouble with uploading photos/images. Since I also think it's tiresome to read a blog without photos, I always want to include them. Therein lies the rub. My "upload" skills have "uploaded" and abandoned me! I'm going to give it another try right now so we'll see what happens. Forgive me if I fail again.

A sale for all ages . . .

Last Sunday I held my 10th annual Super Bowl Sunday sale, which I affectionately call Let Him Get His Own Beer sale. I had just held another sale 10 days before so I was concerned about its success.

Not to worry - it was awesome. I am so grateful to my friends and other regulars for their faithful support.

Now here I attempted to insert a photo of my friend Paula's adorable daughter, Bridget (can you tell I wasn't successful?). She entertained herself by playing with the tinker toys that I have for customers' kids (their boredom otherwise interfere's with Mom's shopping and/or my tolerance of unruly children).

But I was most pleased that a competitor, Patricia, who owns a women's resale shop in another city, (another unsuccessful photo upload attempt) came in with a friend and boughts lots of stuff! I had literally just met her two days before. We "clicked" and a budding friendship is in the works.

Thanks to all my customers, colleagues, supporters and "budding friends."

Now will someone PLEASE help me upgrade my blogging skills? (Thanks to Merri, Debby and Angie for all their suggestions.)

And is there therapy available for "computer-related stress"?