Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Marketing Strategies

Still itching here. I lay in bed in the wee hours of the morning and wondered how much longer I would have this insane itching to deal with. Some areas no longer itch, but look like an angry diaper rash. Inflamed and hot to the tough. I continue to smear various remedies on the affected areas. The Ivy Dry spray burns like acid, but is effective in temporarily stopping the itch. Benadryl comes in many forms and I have used them all. The spray burns like the Ivy Dry, but the ointment is soothing at first, then seems to make the fevered skin even hotter. The cream makes my skin feel tight. The capsules, well they make me drowsy and dumb.

I have been offered so many remedies to try. Hot showers, cold showers (I prefer the cold). Bleach baths, vinegar baths have been suggested. I might give vinegar a try. Pepto Bismol didn't work, neither does antiperspirant applied to the affected area. I am resigned that the only thing to do is tough it out or call the doctor and get steroids.

Undergarments are uncomfortable and I have been wearing the oldest loosest ones I can find. I knew I kept those for a reason. The areas most affected are the areas of your body where sweat pools. The waistline and the bra line. My arms are pretty bad and one ear itches like crazy.

Speaking of crazy, I had been holed up here in my raggedy britches for too long. Nothing in the pantry or freezer looked appealing, so I put some proper foundation garments on and treated myself to a trip to town. I treated all the itches before I left the house, but didn't take any Benadryl. Driving, you know. No sleepy drugs and no holey underwear.

I meandered up and down every aisle of the grocery store. Small store and I was bored. I always wonder about the marketing strategies in different stores. Everybody knows that eye level is the best selling space, and you generally find the lower priced items on the bottom shelf. It is also a good idea to pair items that are often used together in a recipe. I have a prominent display in my little camp store of Hershey bars, marshmallows and grahams for s'mores. Hanging on the side of this three level display I have skewers for roasting the marshmallows. Self explanatory.

This store has some odd things thrown together that make me wonder what they could have been thinking. The oddest one was on the petfood aisle. One side of the aisle was devoted to dogfood in all forms. Directly across from the dog food they have crackers .... for people. Further down on the cracker side is cat food, going right into pet toys and treats and slap in the middle of that, at eye level, among the pet supplies is a row of mega green tea supplements for weight loss. 

I did a double take (I told you I was bored) and even picked the box up to make sure it was for people and not for pets (I have a fat dog). I was baffled, but starting to itch, so I made my way to the check out and paid for my groceries and headed home, still pondering this marketing idea, or mistake.

5 comments:

msj09027 said...

When out in the woods working I like to use Fels Naptha Soap to make sure the poison oak oil is cleaned away. Cold showers are the ONLY way to go as you don't want the oils getting into your pores anymore than necessary. You can get it from Amazon, CVS, and possibly Walmart. It's usually in the laundry aisle.

mj


Joanne Noragon said...

Can you buy a dozen or so of disposable hazard overalls to have on hand for your next onslaught of poison anything eradication?

Kathy's Klothesline said...

mj - I use the soap regularly. I keep a bar at my kitchen sink, one in the shower and one at the bathroom sink. If I even think I may have touched anything poison, I wash right away. I just stayed in that particular garden too long, determined to get the root out, before I showered.
Oh, I also use the Fels Naptha soap and make my own detergent.

Val said...

I am so sorry to reveal that I am immune to poison ivy. My sister and my dad used to get it if somebody merely said POISON IVY. They toughed it out with calamine lotion. I'm sure they did not have such a severe reaction like you.

Hope somebody can offer a remedy to take away your misery.

Kathy G said...

Glad to read that the poison ivy hasn't affected your mind :-)