Executive decisions and complaints

Decisions that make me happy....
So, my friend's band is playing tonight at the pub which is only a five minute walk from my apt. and for the last hour and a half i've been mentally preparing myself to go. then i just came up with the radical idea, and the executive decision, not to go. all my friends are there, and my man (he's the manager for the band) and i just can't get it together to leave my apt. am i getting old? these days i can find too many reasons not to go out and too many to stay in. honestly, is it really that i'm 30 going on 50? but i know some 50 somethings who put me to shame!
anyway, my pyjamas are only seconds away and that book on my end table gathering dust....i'll have to undust it.


As for the executive complaints-
i have lived in france for six years now. i love it but the honeymoon is over. and this feeling of missing the states is (this time anyway) for the most commercial of reasons.
simply put- i miss being able to buy cool stuff for not expensive. oh let me count the ways
target, t.j. max, filene's basement, walgreens and on and on and on. let me give you some petty examples.
i like to use real ribbon sometimes on my presents. there isn't a so-fro or jo-ann fabrics store here. what i'm saying is i can't find big spools of ribbon. you can find ribbon don't get me wrong, but you have to buy it by the meter.
GIMME THE GODDAM SPOOL!
and i want choice - i was at our local equivalent of Wal-mart and they were selling spools of okay christmas-y ribbon (the skinny fake scratchy synthetic stuff) for 2euros for 2meters. don't do the calculation, it's ridiculous. i wrapped three presents with that ribbon.
and wrapping paper! ohh pretty wrapping paper, you can go anywhere in the states and get wrapping paper that is pretty and cheap and in like fifteen foot rolls. here the sheets are not very long and choosing the prettiest of the lot is not always easy.
CRAP I SAY! GIMME PRETTY WRAPPING PAPER!
yes this is the voice of frustration. and of course my happiness doesn't hinge on ribbon and wrapping paper, but it would be nice not to feel sometimes like i live in a second world country (i couldnt say third world, that would have been a bit insulting for those who DO live in a third world country)

one last indulgence - slippers. slippers in the winter are capital.
to illustrate : yesterday while i was experiencing super christmas shopping frustration i was in a boutique that sells fun wacky items, sorry i can't be more specific than that. and there they were, slippers in the forms of animals. they had bears, st.bernards and one other. but the moral of the story is that you can get those in the states at payless for cryin' out loud. here they were in a cute boutique like they were some exotic unfindable item. and yes they were a bit pricey.
GIMME SOME GODDAM CUTE ANIMAL SLIPPERS!
which reminds me in college i had some slippers that were sheep, cute as anything and so warm. not to mention that both pairs of slippers i have here have come from the states.
apparently this is not a country for finding a large variety of slippers. but you know, when you want something....you want it. period. this is where my frustration comes from.
so maybe next x-mas i'll try to come home. i've done six here, maybe it's time.

i won't go any further with my petty commercial christmas wonton-ness..... i have pajamas that are calling.

thank you cyber space for being mine, if only for a moment.