I am not a person who just adores everything about the shopping experience. About once a year I succumb to my inner girlieness and succumb to a shopping "just-for-fun" day. I am quickly over the excitement of such things though. I had to run to the city for some shopping this weekend. I didn't want to go on Friday because I needed a little rest and relaxation. Also a storm was blowing in and I didn't really want to drive through the dust and fog it was kicking in to town. So I thought I would go on Saturday. Saturday blew with snowy weather dusting the mountains, the valley, and icing the roads. So I was left with Sunday to go to town. I woke up fairly early but new it was cold because of the number of times my heater clicked on in the night. I looked out at the icy roads and decided to wait until the sun had shone on them long enough to melt it a bit. I am usually not this cautious but I need to buy new tires and mine don't have a lot of grip left. I packed some extra clothes, just in case, you really can't plan well enough for shopping in the winter. So I left about nine in the morning. It was still very cold and it took a good 20 minutes to defrost my car. Then off to town I went. There was still some snow and ice on the mountain summits between here and the next town. The sun rose and by the time I arrived in the city if felt almost...balmy. Judging by their hat and glove wearing selves, I don't believe the city dwelling folk would agree.
I had to shop for our school concessions for an event we are having next weekend. It was the first time I have had to get the big orange flat bed cart at Costco. What made this worse was the amount of people also at Costco today. It was a serious traffic jam. I didn't look at the books for my own enjoyment as I usually do, or walk down the aisles of holiday decorations now on display. I tried to as efficiently as possible get everything I needed without running myself or anyone else over. I pushed my big orange flatbed cart out to my car. This thing was loaded and heavy. There was just enough of a slant that I couldn't let go of it or it would roll away. The car next to me backed out and drove off. I had to place the cart sideways in that spot and load it into my car. I did plan ahead a little better this time. I remembered my industrial sized Costco shopping bags. WHOO HOO! These are the best thing ever. Especially when you only shop once a month and have a steep flight of steps to bring all your groceries up.
I went to a couple of other shops and since it appeared that the whole city and I were shopping, I decided to head towards home! I had another stop in the small town a couple of hours from my town. I went to Wal-Mart there for all of the stuff I couldn't get or didn't need in bulky Costco sizes. Wal-Mart was jam packed as well. I was so relieved to get out of there load up my groceries when... WHAM! I forgot something on my concessions list! UGGH!!! I had to go greet the masses again. I still forgot something on my personal grocery list. But I decided it just wasn't worth going back again for it!
By the time I filled my tank and ran to the restroom the sun had fallen behind the mountains and I was driving in the dark. I don't know what kind of rat/mouse crosses the road after dark around here, but they are large with long tails. I don't know if I have ran one over but I see them scurrying across. I decided it is better than spiders.
I arrived back in town and had to stop at the school to unload all the stuff. It was soo cold. I had forgotten to leave a set of gloves in my car and my hands were numb. I usually keep a set in there this time of year. Since the weather just turned cold, I haven't prepared as well yet! I got my stuff brought in at home and breathed a sigh of relief. Shopping just isn't that fun! Well at least this kind of shopping. It is a chore. I am glad I have it done!
Tomorrow is a day off to honor our Veterans. I have been thinking about their sacrifice a lot lately. If you think of the number of veterans over the life of our nation who've made sacrifices I can't even comprehend, it gives you goosebumps. I hope that our nation understands not only the sacrifice, but why they did it. It seems like so much is taken for granted now. There was a cost paid and still being paid for our freedoms.
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