some things never change

This morning I went out to get a D.D. coffee. For whatever reason it's tradition with me that if it's early enough (which it was) and the traffic is just before the morning rush commute (which it was), I usually go get a coffee because I know there will be little to no line, and the coffee will be fresh.

The coffee was good.

~ ~ ~

I will no longer be buying Champion tee shirts. Last year for Christmas I got six of them. Two whites, two blacks, two greys, and two greens.

In under a year, this is what's happened:

I had to throw out one of the greys because a food stain got on it that I couldn't get out (even when treated). The other grey has already got frayed edges on the collar and cuffs.

Both blacks have kept most of their black but the fade is noticeable.

The greens are still in relatively good shape.

The whites have faded somewhat. How does a white tee fade, you may ask? It loses its "gleam" from being washed over time.

I mention all this because each one of these shirts cost around 15 frickin' dollars. They are supposed to last. They are supposed to keep their color. But they don't.

And bear in mind I just wear the shirts. I don't run marathons or anything like that. Just plain ol' daily wear.

I have tees that are non-Champion that I bought over four years ago that still look good - and these Champion tees wear out in less than a year?

Lesson learned (again): Buying name brand clothes is a complete waste of money.

Now I wear plain ol' Fruit Of The Loom pocket tees, as in the ones that come in 4-packs in a bag. They fit proper and only cost 10 bucks for 4 of them. That translates to $2.50 per shirt.

Even if I wear out 3 shirts in 6 months, it's still more cost effective than buying 1 Champion tee.

~ ~ ~

Today I used my truck how a truck should be used. A former neighbor of mine who moved into a new apartment called and said I was the only guy he knew with a pickup truck; he needed help moving a couch he bought at the thrift store back to his new place.

All I asked was a few bucks for gas and he said "Sure!" So I stopped by the thrift place, we loaded the couch into the pickup bed, secured it with bungee cables that I had and drove it back.

And what do I mean by "how a truck should be used"? It's a utility vehicle and should be used as such. Today it was. 🙂