Monday, December 22, 2008

Does resting mix with XMAS Shopping?

This rainy day is a rest day and after a weekend of multiple parties, bike rides and runs I am ready for it. So today is a whole day of no swim, bike, run or heart-rate monitor attached to me.

Being that there are only two days left until Christmas I thought it a perfect day to begin my shopping! My grandma arrives tomorrow from Michigan. I have ZERO gifts to give anyone yet. Oh, and Christmas dinner is at our house. I can get this solved on my lunch break, right?!

I should have eaten a Cliff bar before heading out . . .

I stopped to get coffee, because really, can anything make crazy Christmas shopping crowds any more exciting?! I walked through sideways rain to get into the store, only to discover no shopping carts and two ladies having a purse-punching fight over a cart. It was impressive and I was slightly frightened!

I quickly decided I did NOT need a cart!

As I piled various gifts into my arms and wandered the store aimlessly, I noticed some perfect gloves for running and added them to the pile. And then I found a trash can for my recycled paper at work. And peanut butter chocolates, 'ohhhh, I need those!' I quickly realized I was purchasing more for myself than for others. Dangit, shopping trip is quickly digressing!

My toe got run over by a man pushing a large cart full of toys. He did not notice. But really, someone with that many children, or someone who purchases that many gifts for one child is probably frazzled enough and allowed to miss the girl in the blue rain coat with too much stuff in her hands.

An hour later I exited the store, with multiple gifts, a perfect one for my grandma, and the feeling I had just completed an excellent arm strength/endurance workout.

Here are my last minute shopping observations:
  1. Sales are better 2 days before Christmas, but the crazy people you will encounter may offset this benefit.
  2. The Internet rocks and all shopping should be done with this medium, ALWAYS!
  3. Shopping carts are over-rated.
  4. Since I never go shopping, last-minute Christmas shopping has the danger of turning into more of a personal shopping expedition.
  5. Shopping is more of a workout than I remembered and should not be done on a rest day!