Retail Therapy

After the first full week of school, I had to reward myself with some shopping:

• A trip to Alaskan Dames, one of our local consignment shops. Thanks to a late summer purge of the closet and a certain someone's move to China which meant I took some leftover loads to the shop, I had a whopping $76 in credit to spend at the store. I didn't make it. I did, however, get three things. Including a cute pair of halibut earrings. Total expenditures out of pocket: $0.00

• A very brief stop at Friends of the Library Amazing Bookstore, one of our local used bookstores. Teachers get free books to use for school, and I walked away with a copy of Whale Rider, which I needed desperately, and a small handful of other books for my students to read. Total expenditures out of pocket: $0.00

• Costco, where I had to stock up on some three ring binders to pass off to the kids who don't have them and can't/don't get to the store to get them on their own. And some blueberries. And some yummy looking lettuce. And a giant pack of white-out dispensers. Total expenditures out of pocket: $70.42. (hey! I made it out under $100! I get a gold star!)

The afternoon culminated with some free reading and some phone chats, all combined to make almost anyone forget that it's still raining out there!

And then the rain stopped for two brief moments - enough for me to walk down the hill to the movies and back up the hill after. Yeah!