Drinks

Things mostly are not cheap anymore anywhere. Even at the "99 Cents Only" stores, many items in their inventory now exceed that price. Indeed, they all do, as the cheapest price now is 99.99 cents. Knowing that, it is a surprise to me whenever an item sold represents any kind of a bargain. I even lose perspective on what a bargain is, and a four dollar beer at a bar can sound pretty good. That is, of course, no bargain whatsoever.

There are still bargains out there, and one in particular comes to mind. I don't shop at Trader Joe's often, though I probably should. It would be good for my health (though I fear it would be bad for my checking account balance, the name of which I must confess I wince while typing). They have many find offerings, but there are only two that I have had great enthusiasm for at any time. One is their bread, which is pretty good. I can't eat as much of it as I used to.

Been A While

Something I haven't done very much of in some time is shopping at malls. When I was younger, the mall was indeed the center of social life away from the school. One spent time there eating, shopping and seeing movies. It was where one went to interact with peers even if one did not have any money to spend in order to have legitimate reason for being there. Since I've been out in LA, I don't know that I've been in a mall more than two or three times.

The malls I've spent a lot of time in are in Arizona, from which location I am writing this. I did happen to get to the mall the other day, and I insisted on walking around shortly before it closed in order to get a sense of what had changed. Since its heyday, the mall had fallen into decline, and had recently emerged to attempt a comeback. I was very curious to see how that had worked out, and there were certainly some surprises to greet me.

First Through Third Resorts

I don't really do too well with a lot of small, mundane things. I danced on camera for a rap video and the part of the day that struck the most fear into me was driving a car maybe fifty yards and parking it. It's those smaller things that are tough. Shopping for things is like that for me. I have a very short time limit when I need something, and when time's up I will either have what I need or do without. I often do without.

There are really only three places I really have the motivation to go when I need something. The place where I hope most of all to find things is the grocery store. I go there all the time, and it's very close to home. I would probably rather have some cheap, chintzy version of something from there than a good one or a better-priced one elsewhere, because it's quick and simple that way. If what I need is food, I'm good. Outside of food, they're not so strong.

My Pants

I know that I have commented on my antipathy towards clothes shopping, but I must go to the well once more. The story begins some months ago when I accidentally left behind my black slacks on a trip to visit my family. I struggled on for sometime in the absence of that very practical garment, but ultimately hit upon a situation in which I could not do without them. I was asked to play a stagehand in a comedy sketch, and was game to do so. I borrowed a pair of pants to do it, but decided I should just buy some when they asked us to perform the sketch a couple of more times two weeks later.

The thing to do was to patronize a thrift store, I imagined. I had no luck at the two nearest my home. An employee at one was apologetic that they had little in the way of such subtle and understated clothes, specializing as they do in more garish articles. The other just didn't have much of anything. Off I went to the next nearest, at which I would surely find something. It's times like this when I know Einstein's theory must be correct, for what could have been no more than an hour felt like ten.

Procuring Supplies

Grocery shopping is an anxious activity for me. Shopping of any kind is tough, but doing so for food happens the most often. There are a few places I do it, and none of them are terribly satisfactory. My primary place is Ralph's. For the most part, it's a good chain, but the one near my home is not a good one. It's not incredibly nice in there, and they lack a good selection in some areas. My main problem is with their bakery, such as it is. It's just not good. I like buying and consuming french bread. White is ok, but I like their wheat better. The trouble is that they have one or two loaves in stock at best, and frequently have none. Sometimes even the white is out of stock. Not cool.

The Most Painful Game

I depend on clothes as much as anyone, both to protect myself from the elements and to cover myself. I'm not entirely unparticular about what I wear. I like some things more than others, and have some interest in being fashionable. One of the hardest things for me to do, though, is to shop for clothes. First I have to decide on what I want in general, from which the selection of store follows. Then, I must decide on what I want exactly. A lot of decisions are involved. And then the time comes to find what fits. This last thing is easy for most articles of clothing, but is tough for pants and about impossible for shoes. I hate clothes shopping.