In Search Of...Jumping Beans??

This is normally what happens when I am in "In Search Of" mode. Not only am I obsessed about whatever it is I'm searching for, but often when I think I've found it I can't shake that nagging feeling that it's still not The One. (I'm sure a psychiatrist would have a hey-day with that one...) Remember how I *thought* I had found the perfect winter coat? The sleek black Eddie Bauer jacket that I bought in black, even tho I sort of pined for the impractical white? Well...what I failed to mention is that there was also a 'caramel' colored coat that was also originally in the running, but even though I LOVED that color most of all and did indeed LOVE the style, I talked myself out of it because it was a: more expensive. b: dry-clean only. c: maybe a bit warmer than I thought I needed. So I get home and show my husband my new coat. He takes one look and says, "yeah, it looks like you. but....do you think it's warm enough? look at the one you're replacing, it's warmer than that one...." Eeeeek! He's right! I should have gone with Ms. Caramel after all! Before you can say 'return' I was back at E.B. doing an exchange. And may I just say that they have great customer service? I had used a coupon from the catalog which I figured I had probably lost, but they still let me apply it to my other choice. Nice. Now I can say that I am truly happy with my coat. Really. I mean it. This is The One. (until next year...???)

Still looking for the Holy Grail of foundations. The Lancome was not the right color match, per Stephanie, who I completely trust when it comes to suggestions with anything fashionable since she is the HG of beautiful, fashionable women. So! For now I am back to my Neutrogena brand that I originally bought but wasn't sure about, until I can get back to the make-up counter and try an Estee Lauder kind, also per Stephanie's suggestion. We shall see....

But enough about that. Yesterday we took another trip to the Science Museum, which was a reward for Sullivan earning his chore chart goal of 40 stickers. I love that place! This time we breezed right passed the anal probe--been there, done that--and went right to the rock exchange counter. This is very cool. A kid can bring in a rock and trade it in for points that can be spent on something they have behind their counter. Let me tell you, chances are their rocks will be cooler than yours. The more you can tell the museum folk about your rock, the more points you get. Our guy was very generous to Sullivan--Sullivan's knowledge of his indistinct rock was that it 'stood up well' and 'had scratches on it'. He couldn't even remember where he found it. (no surprise there...he has a huge box of rocks.) I think at one point Sullivan mentioned that it wasn't a 'conglomerate', or something of that scientific sort and that earned some huge points. Then because it was a Halloween thing, that we knew nothing about, the counter guy told Sullivan if he could make a face or something he could earn even more. A dance in my sunglasses got him up to 3500. :-) Before he knew it, Sullivan was the proud owner of a Cephalopod fossil and a beautiful shiny chunk of pyrite. He's been carrying them around ever since.

Remember these things? They used to be called "Mexican Jumping Beans", but in our PC world, now they are simply "Jumping Beans". Ridiculous in my opinion, because they do indeed come from Mexico--so what's so offensive about that?! Anyway. I had some as a kid and they were just magical to me. Even though I know what they really are now, they are still magical. I can tell I REALLY need my puppy to hurry up and get here because I can't stop holding and talking to these stupid beans. The sound of their little 'click clicks' they make as they move around in their container is quite comforting to me. I don't even care that they are really little worms inside nuts that have fallen from a bush. Indeed, Jumping Beans are actually little seeds or nuts and have a caterpiller worm inside, and the noise you hear is them moving around in there. Eventually, if one is lucky and with proper care, they will actually transform into a tiny 'Mexican Jumping Bean Moth' . They'll make a hole in the nut and fly on out of there. Cool! Who knew there was so much to these little guys?? I never even knew you could find them anymore, so I was thrilled to bring some home again. Totally retro!! Blast from the past, fo sho.