What is it about Bed, Bath and Beyond? 75% of their wares are either
absolute crap or gadgets and gizmos and the other 25% you can likely
find of better quality for a better price. So, why did I just drop
about $600 at BB & B last weekend?

I found 2 heavy duty indoor/outdoor tablecloths (one for dining table
- 60x102, one designed for deck umbrella table - 60x102, complete with
velcro fastener) on sale that were really cute [insert forefinger
twirling in nonexistent cheek dimple here] along with 12 napkins for
this weekend's soiree (US $93.95). Replaced (although that's too
strong a term, as what it replaced was much, much sturdier) a 40 year
old ironing board that was rusted to hell and a power struggle to set
up ($29.99), 2 on-sale beach towels (grandkids are coming to visit in
October and they're going to Dana Point's Baby Beach every day that
the weather allows) $59.98 - they are really, really thick, a granite
umbrella base for the deck table (our latest earthquake didn't faze
the thing, but you never know...and it was on sale!). Company-quality
stainless cake server, ditto punch ladle ($19.99 each). Kitchen rug
and matching slider rug, $47.98.

And this was just what was on my *list*.

Impulse buys: Insect dead chalk (claims to keep ants out for 8 weeks
simply by chalking the product around an ant's area of interest -
anyone in SoCal knows the problems we have with ants), $9.88; handheld
mandoline, $19.99 (looked really cool for slicing a modest amount of
stuff without having to dig out the big mandoline); mudslide mix (the
"adult kids" in the family seem to love this stuff), $5.99; rubber
ducky (replaces the one our 5 year old granddaughter swiped), $1.99;
solar lights "disguised" as rocks for the deck, $19.99; and a buncha
items that, 5 days later, I'm not sure what they are, but total about
$80.

And then we can talk about the makeup and hair products I bought and
never use...

P.T. Barnum was right.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"