Two Saturdays ago, I woke up, turned off my alarm clock, quickly grabbed breakfast and then hopped into the car to drive off to REI for one of its Attic Sales. An Attic Sale is, essentially, the store getting rid of its returned inventory at madly crazy low prices. REI has one of the most liberal return policies on the planet; a customer can return possibly
anything, regardless of whether it's been used, gently or otherwise. The caveat is that Attic Sales are open only to coop members (yes, REI is a coop). But, it turns out that a good number of coop members are bargain hunters, and those attending Attic Sales must have a game plan. I'm not kidding. I'd love to get a "used" Osprey Aura pack,
see image at left, but the bags section of the back room was entropy at its worse.
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| New boots! |
So, I went to the racks and racks of shoes, the purchase of which requires more diligence than the purchase of bags. For starters, to get the best selection, one needs to get to the Attic Sale right when it starts: 10AM. But anyone who knows better knows that you're not really supposed to shop for shoes until the afternoon, when your feet have swollen up. To make a long story short, after trying on at least 8 pairs of shoes, I walked out of REI with a pair of brand new non-Gortex Merrell boots that cost $30. And a pair of new insoles that cost more than $30. Oh, the irony. But hopefully, my feet will be destroyed, like they were on my hike in to Havasu Falls, after my trip to Copper Canyon in Mexico later this month.
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| Destroyed feet. |
I promised one of my loyal readers (I think there are only two) that I would post a photo of what I spent my Sunday doing. I had the opportunity to get a gallon of one of the new Benjamin Moore Aura paints for free. These things are not cheap - around $50 - but it's supposed to have lower VOCs, etc. I wouldn't know because I'm such a hack painter that I needed to have a can of paint thinner nearby. Good thing the weather was gorgeous yesterday, and I could open the windows while painting. I can say that I swear by Benjamin Moore paints; the bulk of my apartment is painted with that brand's paints except for the bathroom area, which was a big mistake. With Benjamin Moore, I can get away with as little as one coat of paint. With the inferior competitor, I needed close to four. So, the new additions are the darker wall in this photo and the little indentation part. The indentation is supposed to be a lighter hue than the main part, but it's really tough to discern. Alas.
Okay - my first attempt at a triple strand necklace. Craftsmanship isn't the best, but it's a solid start.