Ow. That makes my brain hurt.
I’m having trouble finding potting soil right now. Of course, no one is gardening outside yet, but I have a plant. In a pot. That I want in a bigger pot. Why the hell can’t I get potting soil for a pot?!
Exactly. My six-month old has plenty of clothes, a ton of 3-6 month winter clothes, and a few 6-9 month winter clothes. I went looking for new 6-9 month sleepers and 9-12 months sleepers - WARM ones - a few weeks ago when it had gotten into subzero temps here because I had no idea he was going to grow as fast as he does (he’s been in 6-9 month sleepers since he was 3 1/2 months old, and has just about outgrown them, length-wise).
Everything at Babies R Us, Target, Kohl’s, and Dillard’s? Spring. Short sleeves. Short pants. Spring and summer clothes. :rolleyes: He’s nearly outgrown his winter hat and gloves (a 0-9 month thing), so I’m hoping we can make it just through the rest of the cold snap before he fully outgrows them.
I guess it’s my fault for not knowing that my baby was going to grow ahead of the curve. In the meantime, thank goodness for friends at Old Navy in other states with an employee discount who hoarded a bunch of sale merchandise and sent it to me.
E.
Last Tuesday, I was going to be standing outside in freezing weather (yes, it was only 30F or so, but dang it, this is Texas and we ain’t used to it). All I wanted was a long-sleeved T-shirt to wear under my clothes to keep myself warm.
Nothing at Target. Nothing at Wal-Mart. NOTHING.
Who the hell stops carrying long-sleeved T-shirts in February?
If there are no garden centers open this time of year in your area, you can almost always find potting soil at a supermarket or discount store. Lowe’s or Home Depot should have it, right next to the brand new displays of lawn furniture and suntan oil. 
No, winter didn’t sneak up on me. I have gloves. Four or five pair actually. My boyfriend can’t find his gloves. He hasn’t needed them yet because this winter has been quite warm and comfy. This recent snow was our first actual winter event. While the snow didn’t take him by surprise, the fact that he couldn’t find his gloves did.
Just remembered something. This is New England. The fact that this is February does NOT mean that we won’t be needing snowblowers in six weeks. The fact that we’ve only had one snowfall this year doesn’t mean the rest of the winter will be easy. We could have one snowstorm after another until June. So, I don’t understand why they’d get rid of the snowblowers. Mainly, I don’t understand because they know that our customers will not buy a snowblower until the snow is actually falling. So, if we don’t have our first snowstorm until April and we’re only selling grills, a lot of people will be up the creek without a snowblower.
In the midst of the blizzard last week, with the wing howling and the snow swirling, I got an email from Sam’s Club urging me to shop now for the best deals on outdoor furniture. Which would have blown away if it had actually been outside. Which, even if I would have bought it, I would be unable to store in my shed because the snow was too deep to get back there. Which I couldn’t have bought anyhow because the roads were too bad to actually get out to the store, and driving in a blizzard with your trunk full and secured by a bungee cord would be stupid.
On the other hand, when I decided I needed to upgrade my glove situation when I lost one pair and the other pair unraveled, I found a great clearance sale at K-Mart and got two pair of gloves, a hat and a scarf (as if a new knitter needs a scarf) for less than the original price of one pair of gloves.
At least the snowblower store was doing a booming business on snowblowers when I finally shovelled myself out enough to get a part for mine…not a mower in sight!
Its neither stylish nor trendy, but its orderable on-line and in-stock:
Being that I am neither stylish nor trendy, I’m fine with that. 
I’m planning on getting some since I have started going camping more, particularly in this cold weather. It’s just that having thermal underwear in Texas just seems so silly…
You can always justify it as a national security expense: The pants can be strung between small trees and used as a slingshot in case Mexico attacks…
I don’t like this game they play in retail either, but by my age, I’ve certainly gotten used to it. I just buy stuff when I find it, and put it aside until the season actually arrives (but still get frustrated by those unforeseen circumstances like lost gloves). Come to think of it, my snow shovel broke last week in the chinook winds - I hope I won’t have a similar experience going out to get a new one now. We still have a good two months of winter left; I probably won’t find anything but lawnmowers either.
WHyNot, the nurseries are usually open year round around here in a limited capacity; not only do they have potting soil, but it’s good for your soul to go to a nursery in the middle of winter and see and smell all the houseplants.
THAT’S what I want to know. Who the bleep buys shit in advance like that? I don’t buy bathing suits until it’s at least warm out; by that time the only ones available are on the sale rack. Who exactly are these stores catering to by stocking barbecues in bleeping December and wool sweaters in August?
Well, these are the same stores that have the temperature cranked up to sauna levels when all the shoppers are dressed for -20 temperatures, so interfacing with reality is not a big concern of theirs, I’m guessing.
For those of you with children – if your sensibilities allow it, you can find in-season clothes at resale shops. It’s generally in very good condition at national chains like Once Upon a Child and Children’s Orchard; very much like something your own child might be wearing this very minute. Give it a try!
I work in ordering at a home depot store, and I’ve been frustrated about this almost every day. Our systems want us to buy tons of flowers and trees and whatnot while frost is still certain, meanwhile ice melt, which we sell in huge quantities when we have it, has been deactivated by someone without a brain in headquarters.
I’ve even talked to one manufacturer and heard from some others that they can’t sell us winter products (like snow blowers) now because lawn mowers and other summer items are all they are producing now, and that’s been the case since mid January
I guess these stores are just trying to keep alive the Lost Art of Thinking Ahead. What with cell phones and internet access and stores and restaurants open 24/7, the trend in society is to have everything available instantly when you want it, so that you don’t ever need to plan ahead or wait for anything. By forcing you to think now about what you’ll be using several months from now, these stores are just trying to build your character. You should thank them.
Yeah, there’s a big one near us that I mostly try to avoid. Not only are they overpriced, but I have huge issues with spider mites on anything I get from them. Right now, I’m spider mite free, and I hate to jeopardize that. (Not that I know if spider mites can travel on a bag of soil, but you never know…)
But the rubber plant desperately needs repotting, so I guess I’ll have to brave the Home Depot. shudder Place gives me the willies.
I found a few bags left in the KMart garden section, after having no luck at WalMart. Even in winter people need to repot inside plants!
Probably people like me and cwPartner, who once tried to buy an air conditioner in August and were told by the straight-faced, befuddled clerk, “We don’t have any more. That’s a seasonal item.”
See, this is why you need to move to Canada. Being warm during the cold weather is stylish and trendy here.
Another person who feels the need to point out that it’s February in NY. Even if it is the last day. It could still snow at least 3-4 times in march, big huge gusts of snow. And we had our first huge snowstorm on Valentine’s Day this year. I have two pairs of gloves - one which I wear to work, as they’re leather, elegant, and very rpetty, and a big fluffy pair that I use to clear the snow off my car. They are about 10x warmer than the other ones. I could definitely see someone needing gloves right around that storm.
Not to mention I lose crap too.
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.