Not far from the madding crowd

This weekend was tax-free shopping weekend here in Texas and for some reason I heard the siren call of the shopping mall. Not that I didn't have a dozen other things that I needed to do, especially with the Charlotte show coming up in short order. Not that I didn't try to avoid it by going to the gym, and doing other work. Somehow, I ended up at the mall on Saturday afternoon.

I drove out there, thinking, "I'll park at the Foley's Men's store. It won't be too bad. I'll pick up a couple of pairs of pants, then get back home, no problem." When I got to the mall, I realized my mistake. It looked like the weekend before Christmas. The place was packed - even the Men's store. I decide to be undaunted and find a parking spot.

Task number one: (and here's where I prove my insanity) exchange shoes. Ok, not too bad. Put shoes back in car and head back into mall. Task number two: find pants and anything else. The anything else come up because we were out shopping last weekend with the mother-in-law and the store had this sneaky little promotion: spend a certain amount of money and get a $10 award card that is only good on the tax free weekend. So, between all of us shopping before, I collected a couple of these. The trouble is, I can only use them one at a time. So now, in the mad crush, I have to shop, buy, shop, buy, in order to make the most of my coupons. This I do; and combinded with sales and other coupons earns me a very nice originally priced $59.99 shirt marked down to (drumroll please) $2.91. Ahhhhh... yes all worth it. So, now DH patience with me being gone is rewarded with a couple of new shirts for him and I am gone from the mall.

Charlotte progress: The banner stands are boxed and shipped! All of the patterns are printed except for the last design, which should arrive from the model stitcher today. Order forms and freebies will be picked up from Kinkos tonight, and all printed material will go to Jo tomorrow. Except of course, for whatever has to go with me (the last pattern, catalogues, the like). I'm actually much calmer this week than last, though I don't know if I will stay that way.

Ok, time for a small rant. It will just be a small one I've just taken a look at the new book listings at Hoffman's and I'm almost glad I don't stitch other designs any more. I'd be so disappointed. Some of that stuff looks like I've seen it before. Ok, I'm grumbling because they still haven't picked me up yet. I've promised myself not to send stuff off to them again, at least not until after Nashville. I do have a distributor now- one of their competitors. pffft. Maybe I should wait for them to come to me. Ok, rant off. I'll be nice again.