Three unrelated vignettes, if I may be so bold.

For those of you who have not seen a Victoria’s Secret retail store, they decorate entirely in pink. Not really a soft, inviting pink (though that would fit in with their merchandise perhaps a little better), but a shocking carnation-of-imminent-doom pink. The few times I have visited a mall in recent years, I have commented on the evidence that the color pink stimulates the most regions of the brain at once. This brain exercise is of course only complemented by the exciting undergarments for which the store is famous. With synapses firing loudly enough to rival a gatling gun, it is my fondest wish to walk into such a store. Inside, I would wander aimlessly, innocence plastered on my face. When, cautiously and unctiously, a customer service representative would approach, my expression would brighten in epiphany. Before the shapely saleswoman could say anything, I would cry jubilantly, “I have become … a genius!” and race from the store to some mysterious purpose.

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The passing of Ernest Bruns, MHG’s grandfather, was a sad event indeed. One concern that has plagued MHG’s consciousness is that of who will bring in ducks for Christmas dinner. A sporting, energetic chap, Grandpa had performed in this task even into his late eighties. Since no one else in the faily has vounteered, MHG has taken it upon herself. Several young persons, including me, have offered to tag along for such a thing. I still have my hunter’s safety license. While I was never able to bring myself to kill the deer that crossed my path in the wilderness, I think duck hunting would be right up my alley. The sympathy I feel for the literally doe-eyed, dubiously majestic mammals would not apply to such creatures. In fact, my feelings for avians larger than my own hand are such that I have opted to call the activity “duck killing” rather than “duck hunting” to further motivate myself.

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I received an order of inexpensive technology today from a confusingly named warehouse company, TigerDirect. This company has served my needs well on several occasions, and I’ve even noted improvements in their website over the last few months, indicating a true devotion to customer service. Whether one can actually purchase anything tiger related is beyond what my research can tell. Their dedication to constant revision of their website may have backfired a bit, however, as I noticed in the catalog included with my order some “Add to cart” buttons beneath the items. How am I to use these, do you suppose?