Merry Weekend

It is the beginning of the Christmas weekend and I have made my way to our local Barnes & Noble to take advantage of the free wifi.  I could not believe the checkout line when I was walking in!  YIKES!  I do have a 25% off coupon & there is a book I was interested in, but don't think there is anything I MUST have that would make me get in that queue!!!

I am enjoying a 4-day weekend!  WooHoo!  I started my break with a kickboxing workout and a much-needed haircut!  Both refreshing!!!

It doesn't "feel" like Christmas for me.  I think because we don't do the whole gift-giving bonanza, plus we don't have any snow.  It is cool & sunny ~ perfect winter weather as far as I'm concerned.  Yet, I wouldn't mind a dusting of the white powdery stuff for Christmas morning! 

We are going to the Dunes tomorrow morning for a guided walk at 10.  Don't know what to expect, but it will be fun to be out at Lake Michgan, drinking hot cocoa while strolling in the fresh air. 

I wonder, as I watch so many people out & about, are they shopping for others, themselves, perhaps a little of both?  It's a great time to shop for oneself!  I mean, there are some awesome deals, especially when you combine sales with coupons!  Come on, who among us doesn't shop for ourselves during the holidays??? 

Myself, I made a trip to Kohl's yesterday for the sole purpose of looking at a pink tulle skirt for my big 40th birthday bash next year (it's 80's themed).  It was on sale and I had a 15% off coupon, so what better time to give it a look, right?  I had to ask a salesperson if there were any left b/c I wasn't able to locate one on my own.  She made a bee-line for where they should be and behind a couple misplaced items, there was one ~ size medium, which I thought would work.  Just to save myself a trip, tho, I headed to the fitting room to give it a whirl.  And it fit!!!!  So, I now have one item toward my birthday outfit!  It feels good to know now how I want to look!  (My party is May 19th, leaving me plenty of time...but you know how you just know something is right, this skirt fits that bill!) 

For the most part, however, we have avoided the shopping meccas.  We don't desire to be in the hullabaloo of the traffic, parking, money-wasting madness!  If I hadn't needed to be out this way for my haircut, I would be at home ~~ away from the traffic nightmare that the day before the day before Christmas is today.  

So, the checkout line doesn't seem to have ended ... and that includes the one at the Cafe.  Barnes & Noble might have a record-setting sales day b/c it seems like many have waited to spend their hard-earned dollars at the almost last minute.  I wonder:  did many wait until today b/c it is a payday for them??  Christmas on a Sunday is probably good for retail ~~ leaves Saturday, a weekend day when many are off anyway, for Christmas Eve...the ultimate last minute shopping day!

I leave with a photo of our boy, who we miss everyday and who loved when the Christmas decorations were out so he had new places to explore! 

Caesar, Christmas 2008 ~~ He loved "hiding" in those trees; hanging with Frosty!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!