Have you ever tried to pass something off as something else? I don’t mean outright lying about something, but like buying a knock-off brand name item hoping others will think you have the real thing? My mom used to tell me that the cheap sneakers I got at K-Mart were the same as the expensive name brand shoes (Puma’s was my choice back then). My mom would say, “They’re the same thing.” In my adolescent mind I’d scream back, “No they’re not.” Notice I said in my mind. Arguing with my mother always resulted in me sulking and my mom telling me to stop sulking. (God, I miss my mom.)
I do try the old switcherooney here at the inn sometimes. People ask for Tabasco sauce and I give them Louisiana hot sauce. Are they really the same thing? No, but I assume people just want to spice up their eggs, so the subtle difference is fine. Or, when folks want sweet tea and I give them unsweet tea and a few packets of sugar or Splenda. “It’s not the same thing,” my husband says. It’s sweetened tea. Of course, it’s the same thing. Apparently, for those who drink that nasty stuff, there is a difference. Personally, I can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi, but my husband tells me, “It’s the same thing.” No, it’s not, but yes, they are both cola. Same – not same.
My guests think 2:00 and 4:00 are the same thing. Check-in starts at 4:00. They arrive at 1:30 or 2:00 and want to check in. I politely tell them they’re early, that I’ll be ready for check-in at 4:00 and they say, “well, we’re here now, can’t we just check in now?” Um. No. It’s not the same thing. Your room may not be ready. The bedspread may still be in the dryer. The floors may still be wet. I need those extra two hours to be ready. So, no, they are not the same thing.
My husband has a very different idea about how I spend my days. Here’s what he thinks I do all day:
Here’s what I actually do all day:
And, here’s what I hope to find an hour or two each day to do in between doing all that other stuff:
So, you see, it’s not the same thing at all.
What have you guys tried to substitute that maybe was or was not acceptable? Swapping honey for sugar sometimes works, but is it the same thing? I don’t know, you tell me. Do you and your significant other have varying opinions about how you spend your days? Please tell me I’m not the only one in that predicament.
Word of the Day: Heliostat
Fun fact about me: I enjoy experimenting with recipes.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, October 2020. Images by Google.
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My wife and I buy store brand equivalents for name brand products anytime we can, with no sense of shame. Why pay more for the same thing?
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I do that all the time. But, I will say, Kroger brand cola is NOT the same as Coke or Pepsi. I still buy it (on occasion) and I still drink it (on occasion) but I so much more prefer Pepsi.
Obviously stuff like toilet paper, facial tissue, that kind of thing, there’s no way I’m paying top dollar for that stuff. I don’t understand why anyone does. But, that’s just the miser in me I guess.
Thanks for sharing today. I hope the computer didn’t give you too much trouble when you tried to comment today. I always enjoy seeing your smiling face.
Patricia
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Husband does most of the grocery shopping now and tries the “it’s the same thing” routine with food. No, no it’s not the same. The knock-off face moisturizer isn’t the same. The store brand Cheez-Its are definitely not the same. I think it’s all tied up with how important that particular thing is to each person because I’m sure that off-brand beer tastes exactly the same as Hefe, no matter that I don’t drink beer. 🙂 And all those pictures you posted of what your husband thinks you do, I’m convinced that’s exactly what Husband does while I’m at work.
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I’d have to agree with you about the importance of something as to whether or not a knock-off is the same. I’ll drink store brand cola, but I prefer Pepsi. Beer and wine I’m very picky about but to me, tea is tea. I love tea and I drink it all the time, but every flavor tastes the same to me. It’s tea.
As far as Jack goes, I’m pretty sure he’s home planning out how to offend people. He’s good at it so he must practice throughout the day. Although I find his FB posts hilarious most of the time. I can’t vouch for the eating or television viewing though.
Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Patricia
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Hahaha! I’m quite sure stirring the pot and riling people up are his new life goals.
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Somehow missed this post, Patricia. Sorry.
As for knock-offs, you’ve heard the saying “if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” I grew up in a very poor family so back then I’d paraphrase that to “if it weren’t for knock-off things, I’d have no things at all.” Nowadays, when I do occasionally splurge on expensive brand name items, I feel a little guilty, but not for long.
As for your daily activities…..”you are woman, I hear you roar.” Women are so much better at multi-tasking than men. My wife accomplishes far more in any given day than I do. Thank goodness we husbands are lovable, cuddly, and waifish so you keep us around.
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Oh Al, husbands do provide a certain sort of amusement on occasion. I will agree that women are better at multi-tasking, but men are better at not finishing projects. So, you’ve got that going for you as well.
Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation even if you’re a bit tardy. Sometimes it happens that way. I’m just glad you didn’t skip over me completely.
As always, thanks for your friendship.
Patricia
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LOL. I’d stay around to chat longer but I’ve several projects to not work on. He, he, he.
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