Braving the Wilds

I admit it - I still haven't done a stitch of Xmas shopping! And I'm still completely uninspired as to what to give the relatives...

However, this afternoon I'm going to have to suck it up and brave the Mall. We need food for the week to come, I have some payments to make and a bank transfer. All of which can't be done at the mini-mall just down the road. We have to head into the Wilds of the Big Mall.

And believe me at this time of year it's WILD. With our out-of-towners descended, the Xmas madness taking consumerism to a whole new level, and dire warnings of price increases ahead, you can bet the cash changing hands in that one place alone is immense. Add in crowds - and my pet peeve, those who not only walk, nay wander, 10-abreast, but stop unexpectedly and block foot traffic - and it's going to be more stress than fun getting our shopping sorted today.

As to the Xmas gift shopping - I really don't know when I'll get that done. Perhaps I should sneak down early one day before the holiday masses awake, with a list in hand and a concrete plan, do a run-through and then retreat.

My past strategy has been to stock up on non-perishables weeks in advance, get the perishables from a small store nearby, and have the Xmas shopping out the way by the end of November. I must have slipped up badly this year! :-)

Anyhow - if you don't hear from me this weekend, please send a search and rescue team to haul me out of the crowds and fix me up. Just look for the disoriented chick standing in the middle of nowhere with confusion all over her face, clutching a bag of groceries.

::update::
Well, that wasn't so bad! The mall was a whole lot emptier than I expected, and I actually did all my Xmas shopping (bar one thing that I must get without the kid) in about half an hour! It's nothing fancy, but it's gifts, and useful ones at that. Can you believe, I actually forgot it was payday... :-)

Next week we are definitely working half-days, so any remaining things can be done in the afternoons. Like taking the newly-serviced car back to the mechanic to find out what's rattling in the engine, why it won't start easily and why it's jerking now and then. It's actually worse than before it was serviced!!! I've had a look, and although I recognize even more engine parts than I did the last time I looked under the bonnet, I can't see the problem. Only he knows what he fiddled with. This will probably be the last trip to him (bar sorting out backlashing diffs in Jan), so I'm going to have to get my hands greasy in two cars hereafter.

Talking of which, have just done one thing in the Landy that has me smelling like fuel again... kinda clings to the skin! :-)