Yesterday I took two shopping bags full of clothing to Buffalo Exchange in Long Beach. They only bought a few things, but I was happy that I walked away with $44 in store credit. Not bad, I figured…even though I still had two mostly full bags to carry back to my car.

Last night I tried to bring the “rejected” apparel to the Buffalo Exchange in Costa Mesa, but I got there only an hour before closing, and they had already cut off the line to sell.

Tonight, not discouraged, I drove my two shopping bags all the way back down to Costa Mesa…and they bought everything else! (Well, everything except a few graphic t-shirts.) They would have given me $110 in store credit, but at that point I decided it was better to take part of it in cash…to pay for all the gas I used driving to Long Beach and Costa Mesa.

My mom’s neighbor has this turned wooden box, which was in her mother’s house for decades. No one can figure out what purpose it served, but it clearly served a very specific purpose. It has characteristics of a Victorian hair receiver, or a spice jar, but it just seems too complicated to be either. Anyone know what it is?

For the last few days I’ve been struggling to get my new computer to boot up. Then all of a sudden at six o’clock this morning, I woke up before with a new idea…and it ended up taking about five seconds to solve the problem. It’s so weird to me how much great thinking can happen while you’re asleep! I need to remember to do that in the future: When I’m stumped by something, I should think about it right before bed, and then my brain will keep working on it even while I’m unconscious.

It was like a cartoon was taking place in front of my halted car as I yielded to two octogenarian gentlemen with canes crossing comically slowly from the parking lot to the “Nifty After Fifty” fitness center.

Note to self: FIRST drink the Emergen-C, THEN eat the chocolate chip cookie. It’s not nearly as pleasant the other way around. Whoops.

Last week I downloaded the Yelp and Path apps on my phone, which let you “check in” to places much like the Foursquare and Facebook apps that I already use. It’s overwhelming. I think I need to delete them. I really ought to spend less time “checking in” with my phone, and more time “checking out” the actual real-life places I visit.

I mostly started over with holiday decorations for this year. The sleigh, miniature pine trees, and antique green coffee pot (which is my favorite) all came from Antique Station in Old Towne Orange. Outside I’ve got a classic wooden Santa and giant multi-color Christmas lights. I’m tired of plain white lights, and I think multi-color will make a big comeback this year or next.

I decided to move my office from the upstairs loft to the downstairs guest room. (I call it a “guest room” instead of a “bedroom” because it doesn’t have a very useful closet.) So for the past week or so, I’ve been working downstairs instead of upstairs, and I love it.

I’m getting tons of natural light during the day because it’s the only room in the house with a multi-window southern exposure. It’s next to the kitchen, which is terrific for snacking. It’s near the front door, so I can see when someone’s coming to deliver a package. It’s where Ilse’s food bowl is located, so she actually eats her food during the day while she’s hanging out with me (instead of waiting till midnight when all hopes of getting people food are dashed). Since it has a low ceiling instead of a vaulted ceiling, it stays warm in the winter, and since it’s on the ground floor, it stays cool in the summer.

Imagine having a party with the ten people randomly listed on your Facebook profile page. Would it even be possible? Are they in the same state? Do they know each other?

Mine right now are David G., Carrie, Courtney, Chelsey, Bequi, Lindsey, Kimberly, Casey, Michael C., and Ali. Bequi only knows Lindsey, Ali, and maybe Carrie. Casey and Courney are the only couple. Chelsey and David would have to fly here from New York. I’ve known Carrie the longest, and I suspect she knows more of the others than anyone else.

I refreshed my profile page, and the same ten people showed up, but in a different order. How the heck does Facebook calculate whom to show?

Normally I wouldn’t break the grammar rules by alternating between spelled-out numbers (“two”) and numerals (“2”) in the same title, but these are the actual trademarks, so I have no choice.

I upgraded my smartphone. Literally upgraded, because I simply went from the HTC Droid Incredible to the HTC Droid Incredible 2. I loved my Incredible, but I decided it was imprudent to delay upgrading, especially considering that I could get the newer version of the same phone for only a penny. The Incredible 2 added a larger screen, front-facing camera, newer versions of Android and HTC Sense, and far superior battery life.

Oh, and the coolest part, even if I never use it? It’s a global phone, so it can roam anywhere in the world. I can even unlock the SIM card and use it on AT&T or T-Mobile here in the USA, although I have no idea why I’d want to do that.