You'd think a guy from the West Coast could stay up for a game played out there.
I accept California baseball as a necessity for the sport to be our national pastime, but you'll understand if I don't cheer when the Red Sox travel out West, resulting in games starting at 10pm, Boston-time. And with the score tied in the ninth, this threatens to go into extra innings, keeping me up until two or something. At this rate, I'll be napping tomorrow while trying to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the furniture store. Do any sofa shops other than Jordan's stores in the Boston area have IMAX screens, or is this just a wacky local thing? I have to say, it raises some high expectations - as in, the most comfortable seats of any movie theater ever.

Of course, we're not just going to see the movie - Chet sort of damaged his roommate's recliner while eating, so is replacing it. There are other stores closer, of course, and he may not actually make a purchase tomorrow, but why not check out this unique combination of businesses.

Observation: If Chet's cooking can cause that much damage to a leather chair, what must it be doing to his esophagus? I'm glad he hasn't cooked for me yet.

There should also be nifty, if weird for me personally, news sometime this weekend. Which is good, because I'm both sick of holding it in and nervous.

-Marti

(Why is Kevin Millar coming into this game that Chet is sleeping through? He sucks at everything! Who in the Red Sox organization did Roberto Petagine upset?)
- posted 1:06 AM - (1) comments - (archive use only)

 
Shopping
Tax-free day is crazy. Seriously, when you think about it, it's crazy. If the state thinks not having sales tax for one weekend is going to make a significant enough amount of difference to business's bottom lines that they'll make what they lose back up in income taxes, why are they even collecting sales tax to begin with? Although when you get right down to it, any increase in business between Mass residents is probably good for the economy, just to have the money acting.

But the enthusiastic people who go out to shop because of it - what's wrong with us? Is an effective 4.76% discount really a big deal if there's no other sale going on? I was with Kate yesterday, and she spent $250 on shoes, and she'd been waiting for this weekend. She saved $12.50, which, sure, got her a movie ticket and popcorn, but is it worth not having the shoes for the past month? I don't know. I can't say I didn't get swept in, since I did buy some stuff I might not otherwise have bought, but it was total herd mentality - I was shopping with Kate and Jen, and they kept suggesting things, and you can only say "no, I don't really need this" so many times before you start to think you may be hurting their feelings.

Oh, and by the way - you know how at the movie theater, the sign says that concession prices include all applicable taxes and stuff? Popcorn wasn't any cheaper this weekend. I bet the theater is just pocketing the difference.

I was wiped out at the end of the day, though - hot, humid weather doesn't combine well with lugging shopping bags from one end of town to the other very well. The air-conditioned theater at the end of the day was very nice indeed, although it just meant that the heat hit us like a wall when we came out. We were too tired to do anything afterward.

And then there was a whole other day of it today, although I can't really talk about that other than, yeah, I did get good and soaked during the flash thunderstorm because I never have an umbrella. I will say, though, that the expedition I was dragged along today made good sense, what would it being stuff that's expensive and doesn't go on sale when you need it to. I'd say more, but it's sort of not my news to break.

-Marti
- posted 3:38 PM - (5) comments - (archive use only)