Hairspray has been in my life for decades. Like many a public school girl, at one time I used hairspray to ensure no locks would move atop my mane from when I left the house in the early morning till when the bus brought me back mid-afternoon. Later in life hairspray became something I kept around more often in trial size, as a "just in case". Nowadays hairspray shares similarities with white vinegar and the occasional "blue Dawn". I've learned how to use it for rush repair jobs. Specifically ink stains. A while back I had a pen break, or burst, on me; I happened to be wearing a navy blue skirt, therefore I was able to remain wearing the skirt for the remainder of the day. With it being navy blue, even after washing it, it was difficult to closely inspect the fabric's fibers for traces of any remaining ink.
Again, just days ago, I learned that a pen stashed in a front pocket of mine had basically been writing on me the entire time I worked on a project, keeping the pen nearby. The pocket had a hole underneath where the pen stuck out & as I would keep standing, squatting, kneeling, etc., the pen would shift as such. This wasn't a navy blue skirt. This was a khaki skirt. This was also the very beginning of a long day. Oops.
My first thoughts were to retreat back to my wardrobe; I quickly thought differently of this knowing that it would waste too many minutes & wouldn't necessarily establish a solution. A nearby Goodwill Store would be a closer option. At Goodwill I would, hopefully in short time, locate another coordinating skirt. After all, how difficult could it be to pick out another khaki skirt?
In short time I located a few options. The best one, not being khaki, rather a solid army green. It looked great with my top & my tights, as well as my dark brown flats. Easy peasy. ...Not so fast. The checkout was in the way between my "skirt to the rescue" & the rest of my lengthy day.
I passed an associate on the way to the checkout line. Familiar with retail, I knew there was as good a chance as any that this associate's duties might have them anywhere but at the registers. I got in line. I was third - behind the customer being waited on, who had at least a dozen items to be scanned, some of which appeared, from my distance to potentially be a bit fragile & needing extra wrapping, & a customer directly in front of me, who, like myself, didn't even have a cart or basket as she planned to purchase just a few small items.
I spent a half hour in Goodwill. Ten or more minutes happened to be in the checkout line. After the cashier, who worked at a pace that said her only customer was the one she was waiting on, finished with the original customer, she began waiting on the customer in front of me. Two pieces of bagged jewelry. That's all the lady had. One scanned properly, the other did not. The customer volunteered to quickly get another bag. That bag didn't ring up either. The cashier found a suitable bar code behind the counter. No associate backup had been called at this point. A few customers suddenly arrived in line behind me. And that associate I had passed on my way to the checkout line walked behind the counter offering for the next-in-line to step to the next register. The associate directed the customer behind me. As I turned, that customer offered to me that I go, so I did, thanking that customer as I did. Moments later it would be her turn with the original cashier.
I was all ready to go. I had my cash out, my hanger removed from my skirt, & I was ready to say I didn't have any discounts & I didn't wish to donate that day either, nor did I need a bag. My purchase was simply a "scan & go". I had been so tempted to wear that skirt out of the dressing room & hand the tag to the cashier for purchasing. I'm glad I didn't try that; I'm sure it would have caused some confusion. Instead, I managed to wiggle out of the penned skirt while in the store's parking lot & simply stand up just outside my driver's door to finish zipping & clipping my new skirt in place.
Once my long day ended I quickly found my hairspray bottle & began to drench the khaki fabric in hairspray. Along with a little lukewarm (not hot) water, the black ink, even in this thick khaki fabric, diminished. An ordinary run through the wash along with the rest of my light & white clothes freshened up this long, thick fabric skirt back to square one, ready to keep me warm on another cold day.
No comments:
Post a Comment