Tracey and I just came back from a day trip down to Bellingham. I didn’t get enough sleep last night and I’m exhausted from that and all the running around in Bellingham today. As soon as I walked in, I was overwhelmed by how much crap is cluttering my closets and stuff and there’s no room for the new stuff we got, though, I have to say, I didn’t get that much myself!
So, my intention to make room in the hall closet for some of the coats hanging behind the front door quickly turned into a mad purging spree in the two closets, my dresser, etc. I threw out like a ton of shoes, clothes and such. I didn’t vacuum at all last week so i feel like it’s particularly gross in here, so I’m going to spend the weekend (or at least one day of it) dusting, sweeping, mopping (not much area to sweep or mop – mostly carpet) and cleaning the bathroom. I gotta try something else to unclog the sink in the bathroom so it drains fast enough that I can actually clean it without the cleaning water standing in the sink too long. *sigh*
While we were in Bellingham today, we went into REI and I got new boots again! I am addicted to shoes and coats!
lol Luckily, i just threw out several jackets and such so I can hang the nicer stuff up and not have it piled on the hooks behind the door. READ MY LIPS: No new hoodies from Old Navy from here on out! The boots I got are so fucking cool – they’re Keen Dakotas in black. These are they: http://www.rei.com/product/740602
Had fun because we – well, mostly I – caused a little mayhem in REI today. They sent out an e-newsletter thingie saying that they were offering $20 off a purchase of $100 or more, so I told everyone I saw in the store and a bunch of people in the lineup so they could ask for their $20 off, too. 🙂 I know of at least two people – plus Tracey and myself – that I saved $20 each. I felt like a real, live good sumaritan! Tracey did two transactions – bought snow pants, hat and head lamp on one and snow jacket on the other – and saved $40 total….all cuz I read my email! Ain’t technology grand? The boots are my second pair of Keen shoes – they fucking rock! They’re a little funky looking and have oodles of toe room which me likey, especially with the ingrown toenail thing I have happening right now! Damn, it’s been ages since I had to deal with that and I can honestly say, I liked it better not having to worry about it or suffer the pain of a really swollen big toe! *whining*
We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant near REI while we were there. It was gooooood or maybe it’s because I was hunnnnnnngrrrrrryyy. I liked it, but there was different sauce on the enchiladas than the red sauce that’s usually on enchiladas when I’ve ordered them at other places. It was more like gravy. It also had this weird salsa buffet thing
where you go and serve your own chips in the little plastic basket and then you can select one of the probably half dozen or so salsa offerings they have, as much as you want. There was the average one they bring to the table automatically but also ones that were super hot, some that looked like ranch dip or something and then one that was mostly just chopped up tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
I was so tired after leaving REI because we were there for a crazy long time! Best part of it all is that I’m gonna get a yearly 10% or so dividend from REI that includes all my purchases AND Tracey’s. lol Shit, I took the initiative to buy the membership (only $15 for a lifetime membership, but still!), so why shouldn’t I reap the rewards? 😀
We went in Barnes & Noble to look around and I’m thinking of buying my mom an autobiography journal. It has questions she could fill in because i’d like to know as much about her as possible while she’s still around to tell me. I’ve been feeling pretty sad about not seeing her for Christmas this year. I wish I just had the money to fly her up here! I worry that she won’t be around much longer and I’ll feel like crap for missing what could be my last holiday with her around. I sent her a ton of photos that I took of things like our trip to Oregon, me and Laina carving pumpkins, some old pics of Granny Bush and Granny Stringer, mom and Aunt Betty and some of the snow here and my snow bird sculpture. I also sent her one of Joyce and one of Cherie from the photo shoot last week. Tracey gave her one of the wallets that we got from her mom’s stuff that had never been used and I put the two pressed pennies that I made in Seaside and a money order for $150 in there. I hadn’t planned on sending her the money, and my account’s a little low right now, but I felt it was the right thing to do and it will be a nice surprise for her. I told her I put three things in there for her, so to be sure and look. Told her that two things were from Oregon and one from here – the one from here being the money! But, I didn’t tell her what they were. I also sent her a grey zip-up fleece hoodie from Old Navy that says Canada across the chest. I bought myself a blue one like it as well. They were only $15 and so cuddly!
In dealing with my throwing-out-of-stuff spree, I think I’ve decided to resume bringing my pop cans, beer cans, etc. downstairs and either putting them in the recycling bins or leaving them next to them in neat bags so people who are more ambitious than me and less annoyed by clutter can take them and get $2 in change.
The reason we went down to Bellingham today was to pick up the snowshoes we ordered from BackcountryGear.com. They fucking ROCK! They are Atlas Elektra 1227s – top of the Atlas line. I can’t wait to take them out for a test drive! Naturally, we neglected to mention our slight overage in allowable purchases for a day trip when returning to Canada! Screw Customs and Revenue Canada – they get enough of our money, damnit! The two pairs of snowshoes were like $416 together…then add in $97 for my boots (after $20 savings! lol) and $350 for Tracey’s pants/jacket and such, plus our grocery stop and minimal Walmart purchases. We’ve gotten wise…if we need to keep a receipt, we mail it to ourselves from the States. lol
I’m getting tired now, coming down from my manic cleaning spree high….most of this entry has been a copy/paste/slight rework of my conversation with Frank.
Going to try to brush the onion smell out of my mouth – French Onion Sun Chips are SOOOOO good! – and head to bed.