No Plaid to be Had?

I was at Fabric Depot last week looking for some baby fabric to make a gift for a friend. While I was getting the cute green polka dot fabric cut, I mentioned being partial to plaid while chatting with the woman at the counter.

This is what I hear in response: "We just don't carry plaid here. I think we have 2 types in wool."

Say what? HUH? I'm sorry I must have misunderstood. Did you say you DON'T carry plaid?

For those of you who are not familiar with Fabric Depot - it's a HUGE building on 122nd and Stark. Over an acre of fabric. For me, it's the fabric version of Powells. I get equally as mind boggled and overwhelmed in Fabric Depot as I do in Powells. Which of course leaves me two options: buy everything I see OR walk around in utter amazement and buy nothing...typically I do the latter.

There are fabrics with cowboys, cars, shoes, cupcakes, and for Pete's sake - green beans and carrots! How can you not have a classic plaid?

Would Powells ever say: "I'm sorry... Fiction...geez...we just don't carry that. We may have 2 books in the mystery section." It think not.

Fabric Depot needs to take a lesson from Powells. Searching their website for "plaid" actually returns 50 hits. 10 of which are specifically about plaids and tartans....and a few that look suspiciously like cheesy Scottish themed romance novels. The most interesting hit was the first: Tartan: Romancing the Plaid.

Ok, rant over. I need a customer comment card, I guess. "Please carry more plaid. Thanks" Signed - The Buchanan.

And by the way - that little picture there is the Buchanan Plaid.

March Forth..Oh the Irony!

I planned to use my down time today to pay bills, send important emails and catch up. I did get a
a few items finished and then I got side-tracked.

Like a good procrastinator, I decided to google search if today was a holiday here..or anywhere..of any sort.

According to Holidays On The Net: today is "March Forth: Do Something Day. March 4th...er...forth with your goals today. Do something, do anything. Just stop procrastinating."

I love it when the universe speaks to me. Nuff' said.

Culture of Fear

Another reason why I can't stand the local news. Not only do they serve up "snow storm panic" every year, but we also get "heat wave panic", "ID theft panic", and the ever so generic "see what can KILL you...in 10 minutes when we come back from break panic".

Now we have "earthquake panic". Yep, we live on a fault line. Yep, we are over due for "the BIG one". Yep, to say it would do some serious damage, is an understatement. Should we PANIC?! Nope.

Instead of focusing on how we can help people in Chile, or what is being done in Chile for their people. OR just providing the facts, we get story after story warning us that we are next. We will die. Portland will fall into the earth. Oregon will crack off the continent and fall in the ocean. UG - I say ENOUGH!

Get a grip for Gods sake!

What is it with this whole living in fear of what we can't control era? Swine Flu. Earthquakes. Meteors bearing down on the planet. ETC ETC ETC.

I've been wanting to read The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things for a long time. I'm going to get it at the library today.

I care about whats happening in the world, as do most of us. But, our local news sucks. I want facts, not emotional warnings and fear tactics.