La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
San Geraldo suggested Saturday that we go shopping at El Corte Inglés for the items we still need for the wedding in 11 days. I’m still on the fence about a new pair of pants. San Geraldo’s pants range through three sizes because over the years San Geraldo has ranged through three sizes. The three pair of pants he has for his sports jacket are the smallest size. They fit, but snugly. And he hates snug; he always wears one size larger than he needs. So he’d like a new pair as well as a new belt.
We browsed for a few minutes until I had a bathroom emergency. El Corte Inglés is a good place to be if you have a bathroom emergency. Large, clean, mostly unused bathrooms on every floor. I left SG to shop and when I returned, after I popped two more pills, he was bored and ready to go home. It happens. He hates to shop. I had a great 45-minute walk before meeting him, we had lunch upstairs in El Corte Inglés before sort of shopping, and we had a nice walk home. And we still have to shop.
Thanks for all your kind comments regarding the weekend post about The Kid Brother. I mentioned in response to some that I was embarrassed because it sure seemed like I was fishing for compliments, something my mother always accused me of when I was [often] self critical. I didn’t appreciate that I had never told Chuck’s story here. When I started my blog, my mother was still living and read it devotedly. The telling would not have been the same. So, the telling this time was cathartic and even enlightening for me.
San Geraldo sugirió el sábado que fuéramos de compras a El Corte Inglés para comprar las cosas que aún necesitamos para la boda en 11 días. Todavía no me decido sobre comprar un pantalón nuevo. Los pantalones de San Geraldo abarcan tres tallas porque, a lo largo de los años, él ha usado tres tallas. Los tres pantalones que tiene para su chaqueta deportiva son de la talla más pequeña. Le quedan bien, pero ajustados. Y odia la ropa ajustada; siempre usa una talla más grande de la que necesita. Así que le gustaría un pantalón nuevo, además de un cinturón nuevo.
Navegamos durante unos minutos hasta que yo tuve una emergencia en el baño. El Corte Inglés es un buen lugar para estar si tienes una emergencia en el baño. Baños grandes, limpios, y en su mayoría sin uso, en cada piso. Salí de SG para ir de compras y cuando regresé, después de tomar dos pastillas más, estaba aburrido y listo para irse a casa. Sucede. Odia ir de compras. Tuve una estupenda caminata de 45 minutos antes de conocerlo, almorzamos arriba en El Corte Inglés antes de ir de compras y dimos un agradable paseo a casa. Y todavía tenemos que comprar.
Gracias por todos sus amables comentarios sobre la publicación del fin de semana acerca de El Hermanito. En respuesta a algunos, mencioné que me daba vergüenza porque parecía que buscaba halagos, algo de lo que mi madre siempre me acusaba cuando era [a menudo] autocrítica. No me gustaba no haber contado nunca la historia de Chuck aquí. Cuando empecé mi blog, mi madre aún vivía y lo leía con devoción. Contarla no habría sido lo mismo. Así que, esta vez, contarla fue catártico e incluso esclarecedor para mí.
• La entrada de este estacionamiento me sirvió de refugio mientras esperaba un séptimo taxi durante la reciente tormenta eléctrica (haz clic aquí).
• El cercano Avenate coctél-café. Iría solo por la decoración. Fondos estupendos para fotos.
• Simplemente no lo sé. Me retracto. Lo sé perfectamente.
• Dos escaparates enteros de esta farmacia estaban llenos de este expositor. A primera vista, pensé que era Preparation H (ver más abajo). Aun así, no entiendo por qué tanto alboroto. ¿Están de moda las varices?
• Koelreuteria paniculat. Uno de sus nombres comunes, apropiadamente, es árbol de la lluvia dorada.
• La lluvia dorada.
What is simply odd thing for a window display. Even for a pharmacy I think I could have came up with a four better more creative windows play than that . As for the three forms in the window, that must be the same thing as Lily Pulitzer for Spain.
Mistress Maddie:
I’ll get a shot of all the windows together. It had a bold, graphic look. But, yes, odd. And, oh wow, that is SO Lily Pulitzer!
I am glad that you told Chuck’s story on your blog the other day. His story is part of your story, and in my opinion, your blog should be about what you are thinking and feeling. In no way did I think you were fishing for compliments. I understand why you feel that way as my brain works in exactly the same manner.
Michael:
Thanks so much. I’m glad I told it and have a lot more to tell.
Shopping for clothing, is painful if you have more than a 36 inch waist size. Often we write and post, what we need to do to sort our thoughts.
David Godfrey:
That’s exactly what SG says. He has to try everything on. Most don’t fit. He’s limited to specific shops and then a specific department in El Corte Inglés. I can understand him hating to shop. Even shoes are a nightmare. I usually just buy off the rack without a care.
I’m SG in the shopping story. I hate shopping. I go in with what I want in mind and if I can’t find or they don’t have it, I’m out in a flash.
Maybe they ordered too much Thrombocid???
Is that Golden Rain or Golden Showers. Inquiring minds …
Bob:
The golden can be whatever your little (big) heart desires.
Maybe the shop window is new brutal style, translated into window display. Or they were out of ideas.
I’m glad you wrote about your brother. He’s a big part of your life and of who you now are. Boud
Boud:
I’m going to get a photo of the complete view of the windows. The look is actually cool. The product is an odd choice for a cool window display.
I’m glad you told Chuck’s story, and never thought for a moment that there was anything self-serving about it.
Ha! I see the Preparation-H connection! Strange that they made a whole window display out of this product.
I’m looking forward to seeing the final result of actually shopping to buy the needed pants (and belt!) for both of you 🙂
Judy C:
I suppose I’ll have to go with SG again. He needs moral support. I’ll just find something for myself.
That sounds like many of my shopping trips – set out with an objective, get sidetracked into the bathroom, get bored when I don’t happen on my objective immediately, give up. Then on the actual day of the occasion I was shopping for feel baffled that I have nothing to wear. I do like all the window shopping however, lots of stuff to look at if not buy.
I also thank you for your brother’s story. Lots of empathy on your part, your light shining a bit.
Ceci
Ceci:
Thanks so much for commenting. I enjoy shopping, usually. Especially cool boutiques. SG hates it.
And then the seed pods turn pink and every seed that falls sprouts. We had a rain tree ar the back of the property and I had a love/hate relationship with it because it was one more tree that prolifically sprouts everywhere like the pecans and the hackberrys. When Texas had that first arctic vortex that gave us 20˚ weather for two weeks it died but the roots didn’t and it tried to come back over and over but I kept cutting the new growth off at the ground until it stopped that nonsense.
And telling an honest truth is not the same as fishing for compliments. Oh, and those clothes, what are they thinking? The stuff here is just as bad.
ellen abbott:
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. The good thing here is that these are mostly planted in plazas and don’t have much opportunity to seed and spread. They make a beautiful golden carpet that I’ve been unable to capture this year because the wind off the mountains keeps blowing them away.
I have to say I do not hate those clothes although I doubt I’d wear them. And like Mistress Borghese, I too thought of Lily Pulitzer when I saw them.
I am not sure why but I am at the point where almost all of my shopping tends to be at thrift or resale stores or online. I can’t handle the big stores with so many items and all the overhead lighting. I get overwhelmed. And the little boutique shops always seem to have someone hovering who wants to help and make suggestions which drives me insane because they have no idea what my taste is.
I, too, am glad you wrote about Chuck. I am sure it helped you in ways you’d not thought it would.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I hadn’t thought of Lily Pulitzer until I read Maddie’s comment. Absolutely. For me, the clothes were borderline. A classy shop, well-made, but just off in my eyes. If I could find clothes like you find in resale stores, I’d be happy. I never find anything, and the shops for men aren’t very big here.
Hey Mitchell. I just caught up with your post about Chuck. Thank you for sharing it with us. Despite all the years we’ve been blogging friends I didn’t really know the whole story of Chuck and his growing up years. You are a blessing to Chuck and have done more for him than your parents, even. My heart aches to think of how responsible you felt for him from his birth. That wasn’t fair to you and I’m sorry.
I’m glad you and Chuck have each other and love each other. You are a good man and an even better brother. I can only dream of having a brother like you. Chuck is so very fortunate.
Love,
Jennifer
Jennifer:
I now realize I had never said much about Chuck’s condition except for stating way back that he was learning disabled. My parents were responsible parents and made sure Chuck had what he needed, but my father sat back a bit. Interestingly, he was never the one to express expectations of me with Chuck. (He instead set expectations for me with Dale!) Thank you again for your kindness towards Chuck. He refers to you as “your friend with the bird.”
I was thinking of Chuck just the other day. My son is visiting his daughters in Bushwick next week and wondered
how to take the subway from JFK. I thought “Chuck would know”. Last time he was in town I told him to go
to the Transit Museum and they loved it.
We also need to make note that Jerry has been a wonderful partner for all these years, loving Chuck as
you do. You both do what many cannot. Thank you.
jacquie
jacquie:
Oh, yeah, Chuck would know! I’m sure your son will figure it out, though. It’s really not that complicated. I just don’t find it all that pleasant, so always take a cab. I’m so glad they enjoyed the transit museum. That warms my heart. I’ll tell Chuck about that! The Brooklyn Museum and, next door to that, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are great experiences, too, if they want to get to know Brooklyn.
I love clothes shopping. Madam A does not. I tend to go shopping on my own…
As for that clothes shop window, I am reminded of Constance, Countess of Trentham: “Difficult colour… green.”
Maybe the varicose vein ointment is on a “buy one, get one free” offer?
Jx
Jon:
Yes, I tend to go shopping on my own, too. I think SG needs moral support this time around.
Ha! I, too, always think of that line “Difficult colour… green.”
I love the cocktail cafe decor, and I even like the window of green clothing. But then, I’ve always liked prints.
I am mystified by the drug-store display. Maybe that drug company is giving them some kind of hefty fee to promote their medicine? Or maybe they figure it’s summer and people will be more self-conscious about their “very-close” veins?
I have to buy Dave some new pants too, and I’m not looking forward to it.
Steve:
Convenient for you, the cafe is just across from the clothing shop. Ooh, I would NOT enjoy buying pants for Jerry!
Hahaha…. I saw Preparation H, too!
Kelly:
Immediately!
Unless I know what I am shopping for, I am with SG.
On the ‘right’ person those prints could work. IMHO
LOVE that Golden Rain tree.
Jim:
I enjoying shopping (buying). We have about 8 golden rain trees in the plaza below. They were stunning last week. Then began to carpet the plaza with golden rain. THEN, the wind came and blew it away before I could get a photo!
I always liked Cortes Ingles for shopping. Nice stores and good displays.
larrymuffin:
As far as higher-end department stores, it’s all we’ve got.