What recession?

It was raining when I woke up, so I spent a boring day making various purchases I've been delaying because I hate shopping. I hate Brookfield, but the fabric store there has the biggest selection in the area...so off I went.

Did anyone out there NOT go shopping?? Rush-hour style traffic. Cars lined up to get in the mall, which was packed. Ugh. The parking lot of every restaurant was full. I stopped in the Linens-n-Things to see if I could score a good deal on sheets (the answer was no, only 10% off) and it was packed full of people with carts full of crap*. Then, I had to wait 45 minutes in the line at the cutting table--and they had five women cutting. Mostly Halloween costumes (good luck, ladies!) but a lot of $20/yd stuff for home dec projects...

(I am making a Spider-Man cape for my nephew's birthday. Yes, I know Spider-Man doesn't wear a cape. YOU tell a four-year-old he shouldn't want a Spider-Man cape...)

Oh yeah, the economy's shot and everyone's scared.

I need to replace my 19" tube TV or get a converter box, and I dread even going out looking. Maybe I can put it off until football next year...

(Then I read stuff like this, and...bah. I feel sorry for the 3-year-old, because her parents are jerks, but that's it. I'll give you $100 for the HDTV...)

* I'm not sure what's sadder, that someone manufactures a special bowl to put your garbage in, or that people buy them. How am I supposed to believe the government needs to pay for everybody's HIV tests and abortions and toenail fungus cream when they can afford to buy that sort of crap??