Yesterday was a long day.
I needed to take my faithful Suzie Cube to the dealership to have an 80,000 mile service performed. There were several items on that list including something about 'throttle bodies' and 'control arm replacement'. I had to ask my youngest son what they all meant. Other things involved an impressive list of various vital fluids that needed to be replaced with brand new ones.
I was happy to do it, as I want to keep her running as long as humanly possible. Since the dealership is 85 miles away, and they told me it would take most of the day, it turned into a bit of an odyssey. As I have a fear of sitting around with nothing to do, I took a tote bag with a journal, a book, and my iPad. They had a shuttle driver who took me over to the mall for the first leg of my wait.
I walked around for a while just looking at this and that. Some of the stores weren't open yet. I didn't see many people and I wondered how this place stays open. Well, I found out. As soon as 11 o'clock rolled around, the people started showing up. I know you have all heard stories about malls closing all around the country, but for some reason THIS mall is getting a lot of traffic. I mean it was a random Thursday in August. Pretty soon, the place was full of all kinds of people. Children, elders, teenagers shopping for school clothes, families having lunch at the food court... you name it. I was amazed.
After eating some very nice falafel with some quite decent pita, I started shopping in earnest. I ended up walking three miles in that place! I was looking for a white sweater and couldn't find one in any store. Neither could I find a pair of walking shoes that suited.
Finally, I set myself up at a table by a bakery shop, where I bought two very mediocre cookies. (I threw one away). I sat there for a while reading on my iPad and watching people go by. When I couldn't sit any longer, I wandered into the Macy's Home Goods store behind me. That's when everything fell apart.
I walked by a display of Lennox dishes that were so ME that I ended up touching everything. Here's a link to the entire collection.
Search results: 203 results for "butterfly meadows" (lenox.com)
The clearance table had nowhere near that many items. It sort of looked like a yard sale to tell you the truth. But I spied something I thought I needed. When I took it to the cashier to ask the price, and he told me... I thought he was kidding. But there it was in my hand, in all its beauty... Alas, I succumbed and handed over the cash. I can only put it down to the fact that I had Mall Fever. Not having been to one for at least four or five years, my immune system was a little wobbly I guess. I'm not much of an impulse buyer to tell you the truth, so, buying this thing without due deliberation threw me off my stride. But I regret nothing... I mean look at it.
Now I have something to put hot or cold drinks in my car without fear of ANY spillage. There's THAT.
I called the shuttle driver to come get me right away as I was a little worried that I would make some other imprudent purchase while under the influence.
I retrieved my newly spiffed up Suzie, paid the kinda eye popping bill and drove home. While on the way a promised weather front had arrived and decided to POUR rain! It was glorious! I'm pretty sure that this storm is going to put out the remaining fire south of us that has made our air so unbreathable for so long.
It was a good day.
My bank account took a hit.
But it was a good day.
