091908

Had a pretty good and productive (and expensive) day today.
I had today off from work because of last Saturday's 14-hour day for the concert but I had a lot of errands to run.

First, I slept a little bit after Steve went to work which was very nice. Ahhhhh. Then I went to Don's Car Wash/Lube to get the car in shape for the drive to Helena. I and the dude at the lube place were surprised that the car didn't need as much done to it since it had been a long time since it had last been in.

Then I went to the library to drop off some books and pick up a couple others more on that later. Then, deep sigh, I went clothes shopping because I'm in desparate need of pants for work and yes, the MNA presentation. I don't go often so when I do go shopping for clothes I wind up spending much more than I want or intend but it is usually necessary shopping done every couple years so I suppose if one averaged the amount I spent over the two or so years it comes out to be an okay spending spree I just happen to do in one shot. I usually have good fitting choices at CJ Banks which was the only place I went. After trying on pants in the size I thought I was, it turns out I needed one size down which is not bad news at all -- I haven't gained back ALL the weight I took off since spring. The colors apparently for this fall are brown, black and orange/yellow/burgandy. Once I got the right size, I wound up getting five pairs of pants and I would have gotten one more if I'd found a decent fitting khaki. A beautiful black shirt/jacket that felt almost suedy but not. And a reddish button shirt and three shells (one white with a collar, one white without a collar, and a pattern black/white) that I need now that I don't have anymore white ones. Yeah, pretty much kinda a wardrobe but not really because I probably could have gotten more. After spending a mumble amount of money, I still had to get groceries and damn how expensive that is now! I'm going to have to be very careful until the next paycheck is all I'm going to say.

So I got home, had some lunch because it was almost 2:00 by then. Walked Tug, found out we didn't have Doritos for taco salad tonight so took him to get those and top off the gas in the car for the trip. As I say, a productive day. Good thing I had it off today because this stuff had to be done before going and I don't think it would have gone as well on a Saturday.

Reading: Jesse Kellerman's THE GENIUS turned out to be a DNF for me. I was a little bit into the second cd of the audio and realized I just didn't care about the story or the characters. The reader was very good with voices and all the accents but I just didn't want to spend more time on something I wasn't interested in. I read his first novel and liked it somewhat until the end which didn't come off as well and I didn't read his second and now his third I'm DNFing. Guess I'm done with this author. Finished the Gerritsen last night. Pretty good, pretty good. Not a priority series for me but I liked it. Now I'm kinda auditioning what's next. I picked up the second in the Virginia wine country amateur sleuth series by Ellen Crosby, THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE. I'm in the mood for that but I also want to get a histmyst going because I miss me some histmyst. I don't know if I'll go with the Jecks, Davis, Gregory, or something else. Tonight may decide it. I picked up, also, some audiobooks for the drive to Helena and back. The cd's were picked over at the library but I found Ellroy's THE BLACK DAHLIA which I haven't read yet and in cassette a Nora Roberts which is always fun and a Ruth Rendall A SLEEPING LIFE for something classic. Don't know which of those will be the winner either.

TV: I want to remember to watch Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. For some reason, Fridays are difficult to remember. Ooooh, and No Country for Old Men is on Encore, and in HD. Hmmmm...

Tomorrow, I have to get laundry going and cleaning for the weekend done. I could go to Borders and get Steve an anniversary present as that is coming up next week and I have a coupon for 40% off boxed DVD sets. I don't think he has the last season of The Wire yet -- have to check that -- but maybe he'd like an oldie but a goodie like Magnum PI. Hmmmm, think think think. I would like to pick up The Tudors second season for me. But I don't have the money to spend right now.

So that's about it. I like days away from the office and weekends in general. Ahhhhh.

Much love,
PK the Bookeemonster