Shopping!!!! :D

I really love to shop. It just makes me incredibly happy. I'm sure it's a serious personality flaw, but oh well. I'd like to claim that I'm simply doing my part to stimulate the economy, but the truth is, I just love to spend money.


From the title you can probably tell what I've been doing today. My intentions were good when I started out. I was going to run a couple of minor errands and shop for that oh-so-elusive 80th Birthday gift for my Mom. I did do those things .... too.


Here's how the morning went:


I left the house about 8:00 am, and started out by taking clothes to the cleaners. I think this may have been the only stop I made today that I didn't buy something, and of course I will buy their services when I go back to pick up those clothes. Next was Walmart for a hand vacuum, a current/voltage detector and a couple of surge protectors. Then I ran over to PetSmart to stock up on cat food and cat litter, and stopped by Staples while I was near to get some sheet protectors for trading cards. Next I went to Michael's (crafts and hobbies place) and got some poster frames because I ran out in January hanging calendars. Then I went to the Mall. While I was at the Mall I stopped in Barnes & Noble (bought a book ... yes, only one), J.C.Penney (bought clothes), Christopher & Banks (bought clothes) and Macy's (bought clothes) and window-shopped at multiple jewelry stores. I managed not to go into any jewelry stores, so no purchases there. Ah! I went into Things Remembered and didn't buy anything, so that was two places this morning where I didn't spend money. After leaving the Mall, I ran by Fry's Electronics for a possible gift idea and bought it. Then I stopped for gas (bought gas), and stopped at a fast food place to pick up lunch (bought food). I pulled back into my garage about 12:10.


*laughing* Not bad, huh? That's nine stops (counting the Mall as one), or 13 places I went to where I could have spent money. And I did spend money at 11 them. Pretty good average. And in only four hours. That's what I call a productive morning. I'm lucky all those places are within about a 5 mile radius of my house.


No, there's nothing wrong with RoboVac. I've been wanting a small hand vacuum for those small spills of cat litter or other things that I hate getting the upright or Robo out for. Robo still does a great job. Zoe is getting to the point that she doesn't run and hide whenever it's running, although she still stays well clear of it. Addy ignores it completely.


It's nice and sunny out today, if somewhat cooler than I like. It's about 45 degrees, give or take a few degrees. I'm watching the morning temps these days so I can drag the aloe vera back into the garage if necessary. This morning it was 38. It's supposed to stay above freezing until Tuesday, then hit 26 again. We've had a LOT of freezes this winter. We usually get one, maybe two good solid freezes a winter, so this one has been unusual. We call those "hard freezes". That's a Southern term and it means a freeze down into the mid-20's or lower, as opposed to a freeze right at 32 degrees or hovering just below freezing. I'm not sure where the term "hard freeze' started, but Northerners don't use it, so I suspect it originated with the citrus growers. Probably if it's going to be a 'hard freeze' they have to start countermeasures to save their crops. Just a guess.


Hmmmmmm. since I was so productive this morning, maybe I'll continue and get some house chores done.

Later.