A Broad in America

Spare a dime?

Spare a dime? You probably can since a dime ain't worth, well, a dime these days. One of the things I’ve been getting used to is how much things cost here. For a long time, when the pound was two to one against the dollar, visiting the U.S. was like going to one giant clearance sale. I didn’t have to pay too much attention to how much things like coffee and groceries cost when I was only here a week at a time.

Now that I’ve moved back, I expect everything to cost the same as it did when I left seven years ago. But there’s this little thing called inflation…so I’ve been experiencing some sticker shock. I did some research to find out the cost of things then and now.

First class postage stamp: then $0.37, now $0.44 = 19% increase
Gallon of milk: then $2.75, now $2.99 = 9% increase
Loaf of bread: then $1.00, now $1.38 = 38% increase
Gallon of gasoline: then $1.46, now $2.99 = 205% increase

That seems like a huge increase for gas, but then again, it's still cheaper per ounce than Starbucks coffee.

It happened

My first earthquake. There was a 4.1 earthquake in the South Bay (Milipitas), but it reverberated all the way up to San Francisco. All I felt was one quick shake, about the same magnitude as if someone came along and slapped me on the shoulder. The neighbors' dryer shook the place more.

Tea, Earl Grey, Hot

If there's one thing I should have learned while living in England, it's how to make a proper cup of tea. Under no circumstances, should this involve using a microwave. But today, I did just that. What can I say? We don't have a kettle yet and I didn't want to wait for the water to boil on the stove. I am so ashamed.

Say "Cheese"

When I was at Best Buy the other night, I spotted these "Dentures by D'Wayne" for sale in the lobby. This is something you would never see in the UK, for the sheer tackiness and also for the obvious reason.

Check out the "Purdy Gums", "Gold Digger" and "Daisy Tooth" styles. There are 12 styles in all! Who knew there were so many ways to describe bad teeth?

I also love that you can try for the "limited edition Whistle Teeth". Marketing at its finest.

 

M.I.A.

Last night we finally got a TV! If you don't hear from me in awhile, I've probably just been busy searching through the on-screen menu for re-runs of "Models, Inc."