RETAIL ROUNDUP

There only seems to be one, and we don’t know if he will be “a

leaping,” but Lord Piers Anthony Weymouth Wedgwood will be signing pieces

of Wedgwood china and collectibles at Macy’s in South Coast Plaza from 6

to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

His lordship is here to show off a $17,500 figure, not his of course,

called “Britannia Triumphant.” It is one of four depicting a woman

holding a portrait of King George III and a triton with a fallen figure

at her feet representing France.

Odd choice of statuary to bring to a country that beat the pants off

of George III’s troops during the Revolutionary War, making the British

concede at the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Guess there’s no historical accounting for taste.

Not the stud finder we were after

The people at Home Depot are so helpful to us during the holidays.

Knowing that we had no date for the yuletide season, the people in their

public relations department provided a solution. Why not buy a Zircon

iSensor Compact Electronic Stud Locator for only $9.99?

“Small -- about the size of a candy bar -- yet powerful in

performance,” the press release enthused.

We were so disappointed when we found out that the device was meant to

help you find places to drill holes in your wall. Oh well, the search

continues.

It always leaves a bad taste anyway

“Have you tasted passion?” asks a blue and white flier from the people

representing Alize, an alcoholic drink combining passion fruit juice and

cognac.

Not recently, as the previous item will attest.

To keep our mind off that subject, we are thinking of entering the

drink-maker’s Culinary Mentorship Challenge II, a contest in which

participants must create an enticing recipe using one of the Alize

products as an ingredient.

The prize, which will go to a woman chef, is a scholarship and a trip

to Le Cordon Bleu in France. Unfortunately, we do not have the requisite

two years of experience in a culinary school or restaurant to qualify.

Nor do we actually cook, preferring the ring of telephone takeout to the

ring of an oven timer.

But it was a nice dream while it lasted. Interested parties can call

the contest organizers at (800) 628-2921.

Something to make merry about

If reading about alcohol is enough to give you a hangover, we suggest

you see a psychiatrist. But if you have a real hangover, perhaps from too

much holiday happiness, the National Headache Foundation sent us some

tips we are happy to pass along.

First, drink alcohol in moderation. If you need to keep reading this

column for hangover advice, then you obviously skipped that part.

It is recommended that you drink fluids containing minerals and salts

-- margaritas do not count -- to help with the dehydration.

Sweetly, the foundation suggests that you eat some honey before or

after you drink. It supplies fructose, which helps the body metabolize

alcohol.

Also, a cup of caffeinated coffee will help the headache by easing the

dilated blood vessels in your brain.

For more tips, go to https://www.headaches.org.

That’s what we plan to do. Our temples are pounding.