# "Seasonal" and "In Stock" apparently don't mean what I think they mean

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasonal-and-in-stock-apparently-dont-mean-what-i-think-they-mean/392788>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 19, 2007, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasonal-and-in-stock-apparently-dont-mean-what-i-think-they-mean/392788 "2007-02-19T05:34:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasonal-and-in-stock-apparently-dont-mean-what-i-think-they-mean/392788/41 "2007-02-28T19:35:21Z")

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[QUOTE=Anaamika]  
WhyNot, I make it a point to keep some soil aside from my outdoor gardening activities every year, so when winter comes, I have some for my pots. I feel for you.  
[/QUOTE]

I will remember to do that next year. I just wasn’t expecting to get a huge fabulous rubber plant for $7 at Aldi in the middle of winter, you know? The only thing wrong with it is its pot is way too small for its poor little roots. It’s a 7 inch pot, and the plant is at least 24 inches tall!

But, hooray, Target is putting out all their lawn and garden stuff this week. Not only did I get a bag of soil, but I’ve got my herb and flower seeds already! (Yes, I checked, they’re this year’s stock.)

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**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seasonal-and-in-stock-apparently-dont-mean-what-i-think-they-mean/392788/42 "2007-02-28T20:20:16Z")

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[QUOTE=Juliefoolie]  
That reminds me of a friend I had back in University. There was never bread in his house because his mother said “Well when I buy bread it just gets eaten.”  
[/QUOTE]  
I’m going to plead guilty to this phrase, but I have an explanation, your honor, which may suffice.

I went from living alone to living with a roommate to help defray costs. I’m the type to rarely run out of stuff, such as milk. When I’m the only one drinking milk, I will know when it is time to replace the milk _before_ I sit down to enjoy a bowl of cereal.

My roommate, however, would just drink the milk. So if I bought milk on Thursday, expecting to have some for breakfast on Saturday, I woke up to an unpleasant surprise. Despite my requests, he neither replaced nor gave me any warning that the milk was gone.

So, I stopped buying milk (except for small, personal containers on an as needed basis) because it just got drunk.

Now, many many moons later, my in-laws live with me and Mrs. D\_Odds, and I have a teenage daughter. I’m still the only one who believes that you shouldn’t wait until you are completely out of something before replacing. Many is the time I’ve gone shopping on Saturday, only to have Mrs. D\_Odds ask me on Sunday to run out and buy some detergent/fabric softener/etc. I’ve become much better trained, though. What Mrs. D\_Odds wants, Mrs. D\_Odds gets. Same (within reason) for D\_Oddsette. The in-laws can fend for themselves.

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