Sweet sweat

I'm delighted. Lately I've been getting lots more comments on the blog and lots more pins on the map. Not only does this give me the satisfaction of knowing that there really are people out there reading my thoughts, but it gives me entree into a whole new world of other people's blogs. What a wonderful world it is. The world of other people's thoughts and ideas. This intimate, yet open forum that gives you the kind of communication I've always been seeking - pass up on the social chit-chat and straight into people's deepest feelings. A recent map pinner is Tech from the USA and this blog will receive many more visits from me - sensitive posts and glorious photos - check it out!

What I really wanted to write about tonight is shopping malls. What is it about them that drags you in, spins you around for pointless hours on end and eventually spits you out, footsore and uninspired, desperate to sit down for an hour to rest your aching feet. I hate to be sexist, but I think this virtually only applies to women. Men tend to go to a store (in a mall or not) to buy one item. They walk into the appropriate store, buy the first generic representative of the group of item they are looking for and go home. Not so females. We go in with a list of things we want to buy, or just look at with a view to future purchase. We wander, at first purposefully, then aimlessly around numerous stores all selling similar things. We can't quite find the particular brand or just the right shade or whatever. In the meantime, we stock up on loads of other things we needed, wanted, half wanted or had no idea we wanted until we saw them on sale. Hours later we drag our weary bones toward the car, pushing an overloaded trolley which quite possibly does not contain the most important item on our shopping list but is damn sure going to take at least two trips from the car to the house to carry inside.

That was my day yesterday. I spent 4 hours walking around the local shopping mall. First I visited the library to change some books but while there I noticed a sale of ex-library books, so I absolutely had to inspect them minutely, one by one, to see whether there was anything of value in there. Next I set off to replace a canvas footstool. To do that I checked out the $2 shop, camping store, K-Mart, Big W ... in between I replaced three items of make-up that had 'almost' run out, bought a big bag of potting mix and a punnet of parsley seedlings, a couple of birthday cards, slacks and stretchy work-out pants (on sale of course) and about 15 grocery items, which, being an unfamiliar grocery store, took 3 times as long to find as they would have at my local Woolies. I found a canvas stool at the final stop and bought it, knowing full well it was taller than the one I was replacing and would not be comfortable, and guess what...it's taller than the one I replaced and not comfortable!!!! grrrr! - I hate malls.

Tech's beautiful blog, 51313 Harbor Street, has inspired me to post a picture. I'll look for a lovely sunset one. Thanks to everyone who has dropped by - love you all!