MALL RUN: We did something today I'm loathe to do on any day. We went to the mall (shudder, shudder). Either I'm in the minority or a whole bunch of other people forced themselves to go to the mall today, because the place (Alderwood) was absolutely packed. We got the last parking spot between Sears and Macy's. You would have thought it was Christmas Eve.
Inside, as I watched the crowds mill around, I wondered why the place was so darn busy on a Wednesday in April around noonish. I'll never know the answer. Maybe everyone was there to check out the limited edition My Little Pony offerings at Build-a-Bear Workshop. That's why we were there, and there was a sizable line snaking through the store of kids waiting to get their lifeless ponies stuffed.
CJ and Annabelle snatched up their ponies (Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the only two ponies offered, but fortuitously the kids' favorites, and got right into that line.
Fortunately, the Build a Bear staff are friendly and efficient. We didn't have to wait much longer than five minutes before it was time to bring the floppy ponies to life.
First, a friendly salesperson suggested we add chips to the ponies that play the MLP theme song (that's called upselling, right?) . Of course the answer was 'yes.' The inserts to give the ponies a heartbeat were free,' however.
Annabelle and CJ each got a turn stepping on the pedal that pumped fiberfill into their ponies.
They (the ponies) plumped up right before our eyes.
After the ponies had theme songs, hearts, stuffing and were sewn shut, it was over to the grooming station.
After they were cleaned and primped, it was time for them to get dressed. (Yes, ponies need clothes apparently. Gala gowns, specifically.)
Dressed to the nines, the ponies were now ready for their paperwork. The kids input the data to get them (the ponies) proper birth certificates.
And after paying a fortune for them (the ponies), I was free to leave the store, two happy kids and two pretty ponies in two.
Actually, CJ and Annabelle still had about $50 apiece from Christmas, so we're counting this splurge as burning those bucks up.
All things considered, the ponies are super cute, and the Build a Bear Workshop staff and set up do a nice job of making it an 'experience' rather than 'just' buying a super expensive stuffed animal. But we won't be going back there any time soon. Well, at least until August - a staffer tipped the kids off today that two more limited edition pony would be introduced then.
KEEPS ON GIVING: As we walked to the park tonight, I noticed a bunch of tall, bushy carrot tops sticking up from our garden.
Those carrots just keep growing and growing.
Which reminds me, we probably need to get some seeds started pretty darn soon!
MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE THE ISS: At 10:30 this morning we tuned into a press conference on NASA TV. The presser was news of the first Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) results. AMS is a cosmic ray particle physics detector on the exterior of the International Space Station. AMS was taken to station on the very last shuttle (Endeavour) mission, STS-134, on May 16, 2011.
CJ was super interested in the news, especially when they started talking dark matter, as he's had an interest in dark matter for years now. While the experts at today's press conference stopped short of saying they have conclusive evidence of dark matter, the AMS has spotted millions of particles of antimatter, with anomalous spikes in positrons, which certainly have their attention. AMS principal investigator Samuel Ting said, "These observations show the existence of new physical phenomena," and told viewers there would be other announcements after scientists have time to study the data further.
If you visit the AMS Web site (http://ams.nasa.gov/), you can see a meter showing how many cosmic rays AMS has measured to date, as well as learn lots more about the spectrometer.
And this video will give you a brief overview of AMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KrAk0KmDwwE
My dad harvested root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips, ...) all winter.
ReplyDeleteHe did? BTW - Spring Break causes a "glut of people" at malls. There are probably lots of school districts in the north end on spring break.
ReplyDeleteYou must be right, Ruth. There were lots of teens there, that's for sure.
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