And then I found a corner to cry in...

I got my Christmas Bonus from work and decided that this weekend was going to be my shopping weekend. First though, J needed boots. So, Friday night, I brought home dinner, and after we ate, J and I loaded up in the family truckster and headed off to Gabes. Here's the thing, when Bee's kids are alone with me in the car, it's like someone has slipped them a truth serum because all they do is talk. And talk. And talk some more. Pouring out their souls, or just talking about what this one kid, in Mr. so-and-so's class did that was OhEmGee hilarious.

Anyway, we found boots for J, Boots for BFF Rose, boxers for Bee, and a pair of gloves all for the bargain price of $20 American dollars. Score one for me! The rest of the night was pretty uneventful.

Saturday, I needed to go to the grocery store because we were having people over. Plus, I had more than $15.00 in my account and before a Christmas Present was to be bought, we NEEDED food. To quote my mother "What do you feed these children? There is nothing in the cupboards? They can't survive on air alone" Now, we had the staples (Pasta, sauce, half a loaf of bread, and PB&J) but really, we had NO food. Bee was happy to keep it that way. Says if we had food in the house all the time, everyone would be 700lbs because I "cook too damn good". Hmmm. Well, he is not the one who stresses all day long about just what idea will I pull out of my rear to feed them tonight.

Now, the problem I face when having to shop is this: The money burns a hole in my pocket and stresses me out. Then, I go to the store and I shop all willy nilly and the devil may care, until it's time to check out. Then, I panic, thinking I've spent way too much, and start putting things back. When I am happy with what's in my cart, I check out. Then, as I walk out to the car I have a small panic attack because "OH MY GOD WHAT DID I JUST DO! WE WILL BE HOMELESS AND I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MONEY BECAUSE I SPENT $27.00 AT THE STORE." Even if it's stuff we need.

I believe the word you are looking for is crazy.

Now, Bee? He can go to the store and come home with a carload of stuff for $80.00. Plus, when he is with me, he keeps the leash tight and I tend not to go over the side of the proverbial cliff. So, I asked him sweetly, and with a bat of my eyelashes, if he would join me on my trip to the store. He agreed. So, in the end, he decided that Saturday we would go to Walmart. Buy the things we needed for our guests Saturday night, PRE shop for Christmas, and then do our actual shopping Sunday. This idea is foreign to me. What is the point of walking up to the object you want to buy. Picking it up, looking at it, making a note of it's price, setting it down, and walking away, only to come back the next day and buy it. I could understand if we were comparing prices somewhere else, but we were not.

It was all well and fine until he had to use the restroom and set me loose. I filled the cart in the 10 minutes he was gone. But whatever. Our guests came over Saturday night, we ate and had a great time, then they left and we went home.

Sunday, we got up and went to the grocery store. I'm not going to lie ya'll. It was an experience. I almost sat down and cried twice, I had a small melt down over peanut butter, and may or may not have had an argument, with MYSELF, over corn. I really am surprised Bee still wants to be my boyfriend. In my defense though, we had to park in the very last row, two spots from the end because EVERYTHING was full. We walked in and there must have been at least 800 people in the store. You could not even walk through were the registers were because it was full of people waiting to pay. You could only make it halfway down the aisles before being blocked by those in line. I was crowded everywhere I turned and Bee and I had to walk single file, not next to one another where we could discuss what it was we needed to buy. I felt pressured to get my stuff and get out of the way and I couldn't look at anything longer than 1.5 seconds before someone was bumping you or trying to get around you.

I hate being rushed. Then, we had to actually PLACE an order for our lunch meat and come back because the line was so long. I am not sure if it was because Christmas is in two weeks, it was SUNDAY before a FOOTBALL game, people were preparing for the HUGE blizzard we were about to get, or a combination of all three. Whichever it was, I was thankful for Bee. He reined me in more than once and calmed me down. I had to calm HIM down though when he saw the total. Ha! I had to remind him though, this food will feed us good for the next two months.

Then, it was off to Walmart, where one would think, especially anyone who has been to a walmart near where I grew up, that it would be ten times worse there, but you know what? It was busier than it normally is, but there were still scarcely anyone there! Bee and I walked around, shopped, relaxed and had a great time. It was well stocked, clean, and we found almost everything we needed! We finished up the kids with the exception of one last present for J. All I have left is Bee, mama, poppy, siso, my brother and niece. AND, Bee has to shop for me and I promised the kids I'd let them buy something small for each other. Ugh. I am nowhere near being done and the money is slowly running out! I would have finished yesterday, but that  big ole blizzard hit and rendered us all trapped for a day. Oh well, I will just have to set limits and stick to them!

This weekend is Cookie Extravaganza 2010 and if need be, I can give cookies as presents :) Hope you are all moving along with your wrapping and shopping!