Von Maur is a department store. It's actually one of the few last department stores that actually FEELS like the kind I remember from when I was a kid. They are definitely slightly "upscale" - I've been told that the salespeople work on commission, which is probably why the times I've shopped there, I've gotten far better and more attentive assistance than at other stores. And the clothes seem to be a cut above in quality. I can't usually afford to shop there a lot, but if I want something special, or if my dad tells me he will foot the bill for something I need....that's where I go.
The one in Normal has a pianist who comes in and plays on a semi-regular basis, and there is a sitting area with chairs for the spouses who prefer not to shop.
It's nice to see them expanding a bit.
***
I had a couple "anxiety dreams" the night before I was to come back here and I realized something in the morning - nearly all my "anxiety dreams" center on the same theme:
I have a problem, I need help, and either no one is available to help me, or no one is willing to help me.
I don't know why that's one of my fears in life, but it is. I suppose it's the flip side of being extremely independent; you don't build up that network of people who expect you to call them when you need help (also, I have a hard time ACCEPTING help). Or who you feel comfortable calling if you need help.
(I had another one of those dreams last night, one where a faculty member from another department - who is known in real life to be difficult and hard to work with - started insulting and belittling me in a meeting, and I looked around frantically: please, someone speak up in my defense. Please, someone tell the guy to sit on it. But no one did. Now, I suspect that if that happened in real life that someone - most likely my chair, as she has slightly more authority - would stand up and tell the guy to can it. But I do realize now that being in a situation where I need assistance, and not getting it, is one of my fears. I'm not sure quite what to do about it; there actually have been a few cases in my life where I expected or needed help and it was either slow in coming or didn't come at all)
***
I actually had a situation slightly related to that this morning. The cuff on my blood pressure monitor crapped out over break. I was able to use my dad's for a few days, but of course, once I returned home, I needed to replace it. I thought, easy peasy, I'll go to the place where I bought the monitor, and buy a new cuff.
Nope. The woman there (and I had to wait quite a while for her to be free) said they had "tried" to order separate cuffs, but found them not available. (That seemed odd to me, but whatever. I can see the company wanting people - or their insurance - to spend $70 for a whole new monitor, rather than $25 if the cuff goes). I asked if she knew of anywhere else that might have them. She gave a couple of names, one being the pharmacy at the local hospital.
So I drove over there (it was on the way here) and stopped in. Greeted by a cheerful pharma tech. I explained what I needed, and said, "Can I buy one here?"
Her response: "Oh, I suppose you can, but they're not in on Saturdays...."
Oh. Okay. (I would be less concerned except I have a checkup Tuesday and I want to have a couple day's good readings to give to her).
So I tried calling the other two places once I got to my office: same story. No one opens up on Saturdays.
I ordered one off of Amazon, but as it was from a third-party seller, I (a) got dinged for $12 shipping. TWELVE. DOLLARS. and (b) it will come closer to the end of the week next week.
I could have called places in Sherman and planned on driving down there, but that would have taken even more time. And likely most "home health supply" places take Saturdays off, if 3/4 of the ones in my town do.
But you know? I didn't feel like fighting it any more, or waiting until Monday and calling all those places again, just perhaps to be told that they don't carry the brand I need.
So I won't have current accurate blood pressure readings to give to my doctor, which makes me unhappy. (I also forgot to go and get blood work done, which I think she had suggested I do at my last appointment. Oh well. I can go for the Trifecta of Fail maybe: if I've gained weight, if my blood pressure is wonky, and if I don't have bloodwork results. The problem is, feeling like I've failed makes me feel worse, and makes me anxious....which leads to bad blood pressure readings. Ugh.)
I COULD go to those places with in-store monitors, but the thing is, sitting in a noisy store with people milling around won't exactly give me a reading comparable to those I take at home. I think my readings in the office are always higher because I've been sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes or so first. (Maybe I'm allergic to other people, and that's what affects my blood pressure.)
But really: sometimes, things that seem like they should be easy are just HARD. And I think living in a small town, as much as it has its charms, often leads to things being harder than they would be in a more populous area.
***
I brought in my big Mercy Corps calendar (the one premium they send out in return for donations; unlike some charities they don't inundate you with junk that makes you wonder how your money is being spent) and wrote in the dates of exams and due dates for everything in every class I teach.
Oh man. That calendar is awfully full. I don't think there's a week between January 27th and mid-March that doesn't have me writing (and grading) an exam. (And then again the same after Spring Break). Well, I suppose that's better than having weeks where I give and grade three exams, and weeks when there are none.
(I would have used a freebee calendar that my mom got from LA Burdick - which has nice pictures of delicious chocolates every month - but I forgot to take it with me when I left Illinois. Oh well. The Mercy Corps one has smiling pictures of people from around the world that have been helped by the charity, and maybe someone will ask me about the calendar and I can tell them)
***
Pictures of finished items will begin next week. (I left my home computer running - downloading updates - and I'm hoping it will still cure itself. Or that I'll be able to get a new one, and figure out all the weirdness that Windows 8 allegedly is, shortly).
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