Jacob Have I Loved - Until Now

Here in Canada, we have a clothing company by the name of Jacob. a little basic, a little trendy, mostly work-compatible, but also carrying some good basics and some fun stuff, it's been one of my go-to sources for clothing since... well, I wore Jacob in high school, and I still shop there often. Until now, as I mentioned above.

You see, Jacob told me the other day that they don't want my business any more.

How's that, you ask? Well, I was noticing that there were no dresses in size large, a dress I wanted to try on, as it looked promising, and I am in the midst of my annual spring dress binge. I asked, and was told to my great surprise that Jacob is phasing out size large in much of its merchandise. Not extra-large, mind, just large. So they now sell extra-small, small, and medium. Apparently they feel that large doesn't sell, or their demographic doesn't wear large, or some such thing. Large which, in their case, fits about a 12. incidentally, the average size of North American women. So it seems that their demographics have nothing to do with that of the continent on which they do business?

Which was not my case. Me, I had in the last 4 months bought 6 sweaters, two pairs of jeans, and a dress from them. But apparently, they don't want my business any more.

Does this seem insane to anyone else? It does, frankly, piss me off, and not only because I can't shop in one of my favourite stores anymore, but also because I'm being told that my business isn't worth their time. That I'm not the person they want in their clothes. That I am not their audience, never mind how long I've been wearing their clothes. That they want someone thinner, younger, hipper.

So now we're breaking up, since Jacob is leaving me like a first wife, angling for that fashionista trophy wife, instead. It's a shame, Jacob. I liked you, but now I'm pissed, and I kind of think you're an asshole.

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And I think I'm going to write a nasty letter to their head office. Anyone else annoyed by this and feel like joining me? Here's their contact info:

Boutique Jacob Inc.
6125, chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse,
Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4T 1C8 Canada

1-877-731-8877

Good Question, Kid.

"Why do Disney princesses all marry boys?" she asked.

"Take a minute, here." I thought to myself.

And I launched in. I started the discussion on media and advertising and bigotry and pleasing other people that I want to be having with her throughout her childhood and adolescence. I want her to be media aware, to know why I'm not a fan of companies like Disney, and not to necessarily dislike them herself, but to understand a bit about their motivations and choices. And so I started it.

I talked to her about how Disney is in the business of making money by selling a story and lots of toys and things to go with it to as many people as they can so that they can make a lot of money.

I talked to her about how Disney would not want to make a story that would make some people unhappy, because they would make less money if they sold less tickets, books, and toys.

I talked about how some people didn't think that it was okay for a girl to marry a girl. That we think so in our house and in our country, but some people do not think the same thing.

I talked about how people who were bothered by the idea of a girl marrying another girl would not spend money on that story, so it was in Disney's best interest not to do anything that might make people not spend that money.

And I talked about how I hoped that one day, it would be considered so normal that even a company as bound to pleasing the most conservative as Disney is would not see a problem with a princess-princess love story.

I'm glad we started that talk. It's the sort of talk that's tough to start out of the blue, because you just don't know if they notice, if they care, if they are going to listen and hear you at this point in their growing. So mostly, I'm glad she was curious and asked.

Good stuff, Pumpkinpie. I love that you are seeing that as weird.

While I Was Out...

Hey, there. How are you? No, really, I am wondering, because I miss my online friends.

And I will just pass over the part where I complain about how tired and busy and blah blah by just saying I feel like I've spent every minute either working, yawning, yawning at work, doing laundry, or staying at home to look after whoever is sick, be it me or some small person in the house. It's run me down.

We have had simply gorgeous weather the past few days, though, and I even managed to have a couple of them off. So recharging. Reminds me to lift my head up and look around, which may just be the thing that made me realize how much I missed being here, with you.

I managed to catch up on laundry, get some posts planned for Shelf Candy, visit my friend Alberta and go to the park with our kids, and spend a day with Misterpie where we walked Pumpkinpie to daycare and had coffee together, later went for lunch, and still later, watched a recentish movie! A little touch of badly-needed reconnecting. I wish we had time for more before the whirlwind starts again, but it was a nice moment to spell us until we can snatch another few hours like that again. (We really need a date night.)

This spring is stacking up to be extra-busy, though, with work, swim and soccer, and Misterpie signed up for a course. It's a good thing, him doing that, something he has been planning on for a while now, and there won't be a "good" time for it for ages, so it's as good as any. But it's making me look ahead and think about barreling through, about making it through the spring. I hate that. I love the spring, I love the ages of my kids right now, I love my job right now. I wish I had the energy to enjoy it more.

I recently cleaned my house - a LOT. So maybe the trick is to let it go to hell for a month or two again and just enjoy this. Getting outside makes such a difference. I want to go for more walks this spring, bundle the kids into PJs and skip a bath now and then to go for a stroll, breathe in the warmth of a spring evening. I want to make a point of picking up more fresh produce. Of taking those walks to the fruit stand, maybe, instead of the ice cream store. I want to make time for more walking or shredding or biking or something for me, too. I want to keep my kids home a little later and walk both of them, now that it's a warmer trip.

I just want to... not miss it.

I think this will be my challenge this spring. Who's with me?

Things Currently Annoying Me

I think I'm extra cranky these days. Little things are ticking me off entirely more than is warranted. If only I could shut off my brain and ears and eyes and not register them, I'd be so much happier. Missing a bunch, too, but still, maybe happier.

So aside from Pumpkinpie's current round of testing the limits (oh hell, when does this stop? Ever?), what else? Oh, there are plenty of small burrs under my saddle. Here's a couple:

Music lyrics:

"My name Wale"
Really? We are now too cool for verbs?

"unstoppable together, we're like Bonnie and Clyde"
Unstoppable? Just what does this fool think happened to them when they went down in a hail of bullets, hmm? for my money, they stopped. Of course the next two lines suggest that perhaps rhymes and clever turns of phrase are not in fact his strong point:
"Damn I miss my aunt, I wish she was still alive
Nothin to do with the song, but her name was Bonnie"

(Also begging the question of why he's taken on a career writing songs, but never mind.) Seriously. WHY did I hear this on the radio the other day? Should we not just pretend it's not there and not play it, radio people? Please?

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And thanks to Slice TV (who?) for this subway poster:

I could have gone my whole life without seeing that graphic.
Blech.