In Which I Converse With A Stranger Whilst Thinking Of One Particular Emoticon

July 15, 2014January 9, 2017 / Ally Bean / 24 Comments

WHILE WAITING AT HONDA in the customer service area for my car to be repaired, a stylish 60-something woman spotted me reading my book, sat down beside me and started chatting.

That’s what they all do the minute they see me. They start talking.

She told me more than I wanted to know about her: she was retired, single, living on a fixed income, buying her sheets at one department store but her towels at a different one, preferred olive oil from upscale cooking stores rather than the grocery, and watched [nameless] funny TV shows each night.

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COME TO FIND OUT, this woman had brought her car into Honda Service, without an appointment, because the remote transmitter battery in her car’s key was failing. The battery needed to be replaced.

To me, this seemed simple enough. To her, however, this was a big deal.

What this woman did not seem to understand was that even when the battery part of her key went dead, she could still insert the key into the car lock and turn the key manually to open the car door.

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NO, SHE THOUGHT THAT when the car key battery went dead she’d have to have the car towed from who knows where and replace the whole lock– which was going to cost hundreds of dollars.

So there I sat a victim of chit-chat overload, dumbfounded by what I’d heard. Somewhat baffled, almost wordless.

I was about to explain to her how locks work when the service department called her name indicating that they had completed her repair. So I said “good-bye” and was left to wonder why it is that the clueless people find me– even when I’m minding my own business, they. find. me.

A Blog Post Confirming That Responsible Adults Do Not Lead Interesting Lives

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 / Ally Bean / 34 Comments

Nothing to see here. Move along.

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It is Tuesday morning and I am without a single topic or event to share with you, my gentle readers. Usually something happens in my life during the week, something that prompts me to write a story, add some photos, share a few links, ponder a thought.

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But today I am without flapdoodle, images, twaddle or pithiness. ‘Tis a sad day, indeed.

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Instead of something interesting to talk about, my responsible adult life of late has revolved around:

annual doctors’ visits;
watching painters paint the exterior of our house;
car & SUV repairs;
hand-washing dishes in the sink because the dishwasher is leaking;
haircut + skin care;
cleaning out the garage;
a few martinis; and
planning a couple of social events for later this month.

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So let me ask you, my gentle readers: what have you been up to lately? Do tell in the comments below.

Doesn’t Everyone Have A Sofa In The Middle Of Their Kitchen?

June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 / Ally Bean / 27 Comments

I’ve gotten away from talking about our home redecoration projects here on The Spectacled Bean. I don’t know why, because they continue on behind the scenes and influence my life every day.

Often because the project is in the middle of everything.

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That being said, now that I’m in the final days of NaBloPoMo June 2014 and I need something to write about, I’ll revert to my blogging roots and tell you what we’re up to around Chez Bean.

In July or August when furniture goes on sale, we are going to buy a new sofa and chair for the TV room. This is why the current sofa got itself moved into the kitchen. I needed to get an idea of what the TV room would look like without a large blue object influencing me.

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Now having seen the TV room, sans blue, with my makeshift ottoman-esque example of what a khaki-gold sofa might look like against the wall, I think that a neutral-colored, nubby-textured sofa and chair will look great in this room. With lots of colorful pillows, of course.

So that, my gentle readers, is what’s going on here… right now… in the middle of our kitchen.