After breakfast I sat in the sunbeam in the living room. I had nothing to do for an hour when I was planning to head to the gym to work off the maple syrup.
I don't remember the exchange of words that took place, but some how I proposed an impromptu shopping trip across the border as a way of spending the rest of the day.
"Bye," my dad waved.
I looked over at my mom, my travelling mate. Surprisingly, she was game although I think she thought I'd have sober second thoughts. I drove back to my house to pick up my passport and pack some winter driving rations (protein bars and almonds). When I got back my mom asked if I had changed my mind.
"Nope, I still want to go," I said. So my mom hurried to get her coat and purse. We got in the truck and got started on the twelve-hour adventure.
Knowing that whatever I bought would be eligible for duty charges I exercised some restraint. I passed up shoes and some good Bath and Body Works deals. My resolve crumbled a bit though at TJ Maxx where I couldn't pass up a great deal on jeans ($29.99 for 7 jeans and $16.99 for Levi's). I also indulged in a gift box of soap that smells like a boozy cherry-vanilla dessert and one litre bottles of shampoo and conditioner that are paraben and sodium laurel sulfate free. They too smell delish, somewhere between lemon meringue pie and the yellow Mr. Sketch marker. Before checking out I added to my haul a new journal ($4.99). It has a Paris-themed cover and features the sage words, "Follow your dreams" in black script. My friend "Delores" told me the same thing not long ago after I poured out my heart about my career woes. I like to set an intention for every journal I begin and I believe these words will do nicely for the upcoming chapters of my life.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," I told my mom when she cautioned me about the likelihood of us getting charged duty on our purchases. They usually only assess the GST on the Canadian value of the total. With the dollar flirting with parity these days this is little more than a service charge. My total at that store alone was $86.
I thought we would be heading home by six or seven because A) the stores would be closing early in honour of President's Day (they did not) and B) because my mother would fret about driving home in the dark. Mom was happy and carefree though so we didn't leave town until 8:30.
My total for the day was $143.28 and my mom's was $55 but we sailed through at the border. Perhaps it was because I assured the guard that most of our purchases were clothing and a quarter were "soap and stationery". He asked me if I realized that we were over our limit. I nodded and answered affirmatively, not at all shy about the touch of pride in my voice. We shopped, we had a great time and we were fully prepared to be hauled inside to pay our few dollars in duty in exchange for the brief vacation from the mundane. But he just handed me back the passports and sent us on our way. Woo hoo!
Other highlights of the day:
- Eating at Five Guys Burger and Fries, a first time experience for both Mom and I
- Finally putting a check next to my to do of trying a Culver's frozen custard flavour of the day (it was marshmallow Oreo, very yum)
- $2 knee high socks with a big red heart on the cuff that I found at Kohl's
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