Walgreens; it’s a Walk in the Park

You may know that I like to walk. Many years ago in our first Omaha nighborhood, near 55th and Jackson, I met up with 2 other walkers for an hour long, 4 mile urban hike at 6 AM. We had an understanding that we would never give a wake up call to each other. We would just show up or sleep in. It remains one of my life’s happiest episodes. We called ourselves “The Walkie Talkies”, so named by our super creative member, Nancy.

I love a good walk. There is never a time that I regret getting outside for a walk, short or long. I especially like it when there is a purpose – to get groceries, a haircut, or go to a Dr.s appointment at the NE Med Center.

Lately, since our neighborhood grocery store (Wohlners) closed last September, I’ve enjoyed shopping at Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens! For me, it’s a 5 minute walk through Turner Park, and a couple of street crossings (with reliable and fast “Walk” lights, or more accurately, a walking figure).

Still, you must be wary. Some drivers are in their own world. Some may politely wait for you to cross, but an idiot behind them thinks they’re too slow, so lays on the horn. I apologize. I should not call them an idiot just because they somehow can not see the reason the car in front of them is not moving (me).

They SHOULD see me. I try to carry my little orange “Whispering Roots” (an Omaha aquaponic nonprofit) bag, or wear a brightly colored scarf that blows in the wind. Can you see me now? Ha ha!

I lose my cool sometimes too. When the honking is insistent, I throw my arms up in their general direction and pantomime a yell. I don’t want to create too much chaos.

Anyhow, it’s a joy to find certain necessities of food or drink at my neighborhood Walgreens.

Here are some of the items I found and carried home:

A dozen eggs, Greek yogurt, a can of Contadina chopped tomatoes, Jiff creamy peanut butter, Starbucks coffee, a pound of butter, a jar of roasted unsalted peanuts, OJ, and a Savignon Blanc (which required the worker to unlock the display refrigerator-no problem).

Walgreens had Quaker oats and M&M’s for this favorite recipe.

Another time, I bought security business envelopes and one heavy pack of printer paper in the office aisle.

The freezer case had ice cream and frozen blueberries for me. I love them on my homemade granola.

It also had tortellini, something I had never bought before. I was thrilled!

Another thing I was thrilled to find was a package of olives. That’s something we rarely have in the house because I’m the only one who eats them.

What more could you want? I suggested to a worker that a bowl of simple, fresh fruits (apples, oranges, bananas) would be fabulous. She said that corporate wouldn’t do that because of the items’ expiration date, which made me laugh. But she would ask.

Some people don’t like it that I walk to shop. They think it’s dangerous somehow, with traffic and maybe strangers asking for change. I work that out by going at less busy times of traffic, and by being watchful.

I like the new signs outside the store. They say something like “No loitering or panhandling. Cameras are on”.

One time, as I was leaving, there was a person who could not read the signs, or willfully ignored them. Hector, at the checkout, went out to explain that the police would be called if he continued to hang around and ask customers for a handout. I appreciated that.

This Walgreens is no longer open 24 hours. The workers told me that has helped to keep the riffraff away.

Before I started getting a few groceries at Walgreens, it was the only place in town for a certain man’s favorite hair product, Vitalis super hold hairspray. Then, it disappeared and could be found nowhere. The company stopped making it. Just for fun, I looked it up on ebay. Yikes!

Other times, I found little Christmas gifts and cards. When I hosted a lunch for my quilting friends at The Cottonwood Hotel, I requested that we be set up in the Orleans Room, at the poker table. We weren’t going to play cards, but I had fun setting a brand new deck at each place, purchased you know where!

There were interesting themes to choose from. This one alligns with my stargazing hobby.

That’s enough about walking and shopping in my neighborhood. I hope you can enjoy the satisfaction of getting a few items at a little store within a short walk, wherever you live.

Onward,

Shirley

Oh No, Vertigo!

“Spin Cycle”, Studio Art Quilt, Cotton, by Miriam Nathan-Roberts, 1998.

Last night, I told our daughter that we are all vulnerable, thinking about how a health episode can change plans.

I didn’t tell her then that I woke up at 5AM with a severe episode of vertigo, while still in bed. This changed my plans for the day. What I had planned was to go in early for a fasting blood draw for my annual physical next week.

Instead, I stayed home because I wasn’t sure I could use the elevator (we live in a condo); would it make me dizzy?

Also, could I drive safely? I decided it was better to wait for another day this week.

So, I moved gingerly throughout our home, doing laundry and dishes, baking bread, making a small painting, napping and showering. It happened a few more times that day. I tried to do knee exercises laying flat on my bed. Oh no, Vertigo! I grabbed the covers and held on as the room spun around me, waiting for it to pass.

The point is, we have to keep moving if we can. We might not like how we have to adapt, but we accept it, and hope it will be temporary.

It had been about a year since I last experienced this. It comes on suddenly, and makes me mildly nauseous until I talk myself out of that. Inner ear crystals are the culprit, moving away from their usual position keeping us balanced.

I do have a certain way of dealing with the dizzyness; I look straight ahead, with no sudden head or eye movements up or down.

During the next night, it happened twice, as I changed positions. Apparantly, I don’t have to be on a ladder or tower, as in this 1958 thriller film (below). Lucky me, it comes on when my eyes are closed and I’m safe in bed.

The next day, I did get in for that lab work. Dan wanted to take me. I suspect that was because of the breakfast out possibility, as well as him being a very good caretaker.

The NE Med Center is an exciting place. It’s a huge inner city facility, with new buildings, walkways, busy traffic (cars and pedestrians). We went very early, 7:00 AM. Dan stayed in the car in the parking garage, enjoying his coffee and cell phone news in there.

I went inside and took in that whole experience, observing:

The active hallway, with patients, medical staff, and cleaning crews, walking in 2 directions.

The line in the waiting room, checking in, where a sign tells us, “Please don’t line up in the hallway, come on in.”

The person checking me in, not smiling, all business, until I thanked her by name as I left (her nameplate was on the counter). She gave me a big smile.

The old man who smiled at me as I came out of the blood draw room-maybe it was because I smiled at him first? Or perhaps it was simply acknowledging the camaraderie of our shared experience.

New signs lined up along a wall, “Wheelchairs Park Here”, one sign above each space. This reminded me of the new signs in an Okoboji neighborhood: “Golf Carts Park Here”. Both places are organizing transport vehicles.

A patient and I started a conversation as we were leaving. She was very turned around on her directions. I said, “Don’t ask me, I have vertigo”. Ha ha, I didn’t really say that, but I was on hyper alert for it to occur and grateful that it didn’t.

It was a rainy dark morning. We thought going home for breakfast would be best, until Dan said, “It would be nice to have someone else make our pancakes.” I agreed.

The place he had in mind was The Saddle Creek Breakfast Club (still at its original location along Saddle Creek Road, since 2017, and planning a move soon).

Everything made me happy there.

SCBC, 1540 N. Saddle Creek Road, Omaha, NE.

What I especially liked:

Being in a neighborhood where you park your car a block or two away, and step out onto grass because no sidewalk is there (normally I love sidewalks).

The packed interior-we got the last table for 2 in the back corner, my favorite spot anywhere.

The music. I recognized a Sublime song and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”. Both brought back pleasant thoughts. The first, driving Conor in the car pool, and the second, when Brandon was born in 1976, I saw that music video on the hospital TV.

The food, the coffee, our friendly server, and the view out the window, it was all perfect.

When we got the receipt, I saw their slogan at the bottom, “Good morning, Honey Bunny”, with an outlined bunny drawing. Delightful.

Sign at soon to be new location for SCBC, in Countryside Village.

Is my vertigo cured? Probably not, but it left me for a few glorious hours this morning. Who would have thought that this ordinary day in Omaha would elicit such happy feelings?

Yours till Niagra Falls,

Shirley

On the Dove Campaign for Girls

In recent days, a friend shared a film on social media. It is heartbreakingly sad, and important, titled “Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film/ Dove Self Esteem Project”. Maybe you’ve seen it and cried over it yourself. I’m posting the link at the end.

My Grandma Schelle used Dove, and so did I on overnights there. It’s in my daughter-in-law’s bathroom now. It’s most famous as a moisturizing Beauty Bar, containing 1/4 cleansing cream.

In 2004 Dove began its Campaign for Real Beauty, followed by the Dove Self Esteem Fund in 2006. On their web site, a statement says, in part, “for over a decade, we’ve been working to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety”.

This is a very good marketing idea, and makes me want to go get a Beauty Bar immediately.

I looked up its origin and found out (from Wikipedia) that Vincent Lambertie invented it as an American chemist working for Lever Brothers. Dove soap was introduced on March 8, 1957. Unilever now owns Dove Soap Company.

Here’s something I wrote on 10-23-2010:

On the Dove Campaign For Girls

A friend sent me a link, which was an ad by Dove about Media’s message to young women on how to be more beautiful. At the end, it says, “Talk to your daughters before the media does.”

It made me think of my own impressionable preteen and young teen years. Back then, in the 1960’s, I was so impressed by London fashion and beauty. The Beatles were big! So was Yardley of London cosmetics, Twiggy, and British fashions. Seventeen magazine was a favorite, with its many, many ads.

I remember tearing one out of Lauren Hutton in a bikini and scotch taping it to the fridge. It was meant as inspiration and incentive to keep me from reaching in to the refrigerator too often.

Lauren Hutton, as a young model. Found online.

Plus, I admired Ms. Hutton for her famous desire to keep the space between her top two front teeth. Just like mine.

Getting back to the Dove campaign, I remember my mother talking to me, before and after media exposure.

Some of the things she said, re-inforcing our inner, personal beauty (something ad campaigns can never give us) were:

“Always wear a smile.”

“Boys like clean soap smells, not so much cologne!” Ambush, Tabu, and Emeraude were my favorites to douse myself in.

“Don’t kiss your boyfriend in the middle of the day, in front of the house.” “I didn’t. He kissed me,” I responded.

And, she took down my Lauren Hutton bikini pic. It was too revealing for a family kitchen.

All good lessons for young women.

Here is the video that reinspired this post: It’s titled, “Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film/Dove Self Esteem Project”.

You are so Beautiful.

Remember your Spirit,

Shirley