You know you lead a fairly dull life when the highlight of the week is a trip to Costco. Actually, I wasn't really planning to go inside the warehouse and buy anything--I just stopped by to fill up the tank on the family truckster (at $2.57 a gallon), but as I was driving off, I saw something as rare as Bigfoot and Elvis riding in a convertible down the Strip.
There it was, something I'd never seen before--an empty parking spot right in front of the entrance!
I had to have it.
So, the next thing I know, I was pushing a cart around in Costco, not really shopping for anything in particular (well, maybe a decent dinette set if they had one), but shopping nonetheless. The first stop was at the optical department. Since I got glasses a couple of years ago, my eyes have become very weak and now I must wear glasses when I drive, see a movie, or do just about anything that requires me to look more than thirty feet off in the distance. And since The Man revoked my benefits when I made the jump to the poker room, I'm afraid that my next exam and eyeglass purchase is gonna be expensive. My trendy Seven Hills doctor that I used to go to is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, and I didn't want to cough up four Benjis or more to get another exam and a replacement set of glasses that I'm sure I'll eventually need.
Browsing around, I found their prices to be pretty damn good, and the selection of frames was much more extensive than anything they offered at my old optometrist's office. So yeah, I'll probably pick up another pair of glasses--maybe two--in the near future.
Then I shuffled over to the cellphone kiosk, and came about thisclose to getting a new LG phone. There were a few stumbling blocks in the way, however. The two phones that were on sale today were butt-ugly, in colors that only a 13-year old girl would like. The one that I wanted was $89. And then, since I'm not on contract right now, in order to 'go legit' in the eyes of the bean counters at AT&T, I'd have to change my phone number. It's a complicated process, but I'm guessing it has more to do with the fact that I'm dealing with a vendor instead of Ma Bell directly. I'm gonna have to think about that one for awhile.
On the other hand, one of the gals who was familiar with the process told me that the phones *always* go on sale on weekends, so maybe if I check back on Sunday, I might get a better deal. Hmmm... By then I may be able to square myself with getting new phone number. We'll see.
After that, I just wandered a bit. Didn't find any decent tables, but the Christmas decor is already out in force. I spent a bunch of time browsing the wine selection, and while I love Louis Jadot vineyards, I have no experience whatsoever with Beaujolais. That was the only variety they had, and I was a little skittish. And I also like J. Lohr Merlot, but their Cabernet was the only thing offered, so I pretty much window shopped at that point, almost buying a bottle one can never go wrong with, an Oregon Pinot. Instead of wine, I just picked up a case of Sam Adams Octoberfest, having lost a bet with my buddy AC this week. He's a Dodgers fan...
I picked up a few other groceries, but the one thing I was most excited to bring home was a case of 'Hecho en Mexico' glass-bottled Coke. Made with real cane sugar instead of corn syrup. Oh hell yeah! Every time I mix that with some top-shelf rum and a squeeze of lime, I'm instantly transported back to a sunny place full of shady people. And it ain't bad straight, either.
In the meantime, I'm still in the market for a new dining room table, but after that, this apartment is DONE. My new headboard arrives tomorrow, as does the home-theatre system, and once all that stuff is put together, I can finally stop bleeding cash on home furnishings and maybe do something fun. Of course, I'm sure I can find other stuff that I'll want soon enough--kitchen gadgets always come to mind--but just the fact that I'll finally be done furnishing this place brings a great deal of satisfaction on it's own.
I just hope that when my lease is up next summer, they don't pop me for the regular price to renew. I got a smokin' deal on this place, and doubt I could afford to live here if they charged me the full-on normal rent. (I got $300 off per month for signing a 12-month lease). I like it here, and I certainly don't wanna move all this shiat again anytime soon.
Mikey
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