Bored and Prosperous

Covid-19 has greatly diminished the number of places we can go.  For much of the spring I would go to a state park, fishing gear available, and have some solitary time casting into the pond, reeling back and calling it a day when my line snaps after the hook latches onto an immovable object.  Or I planted my garden.  As the summer became more humid, air conditioning became more essential, though I made two trips downstate to the beaches.  More recently chores, not the moving ahead type, have gained traction.  I edited a book for a friend, repaired a driveway crack, and sent my July and August tzedakah donations on time, all productive things and transiently satisfying, but all done at home.  I needed to get away, and do when I go to Shop-Rite or Trader Joe's.  I have no interest in coffee shops, dining out, or picking up a slice of pizza or a hoagie for lunch.  I tour Boscov's, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's near me, sometimes the New Castle Farmer's Market, but like Georgy Girl, I'm always window shopping but never stopping to buy.

My fortunes may have changed this week.  I needed a putty knife to repair the driveway.  Best price and easy was the Dollar Store, which has remained open since the start of the pandemic as they sell food.  Not being in a hurry and knowing where they keep the putty knives, I leisurely traversed each aisle.  Total charged to Visa:  $21.   Other than the two putty knives I didn't really need anything.  But it's school supply orgy.  I had to get multicolored pens, ball point and liquid gel styles, I can never have enough ear buds that break within a month but for $1 they break no faster than those from Five Below for $5.  Needed some flossers, saw bandanas, two for a dollar, that would make for adequate Covid-19 protection, or at least not get me thrown out of places.  I can be a real sucker for Dollar Store snacks.  But in keeping with attention to weight, I limited this to one box of granola bars.  No creme filled cookies, chips, candy.  Interestingly, a lot of the lower priced edibles that I would expect a hechsher did not have one, like sugar wafers or boiled peanuts or some of the mincakes.  No loss.  I also did not pick out a birthday card for my son, but I still have time.  What they offered for 50 cents or a dollar just did not match my concept of what the recipient might find amusing.

Shabbos came and went, followed by a productive Sunday morning at home.  I needed to get away again, this time opting for Walmart.  Wending my way through the aisles, starting with mens wear, I came across Phillies and Eagles logo face masks, sold in packages of two for $14.  I could use a new face mask, and was planning to go back to Boscov's soon to get one that looks like a cat's face for $5.  I really don't want to spend $14 on myself for something like this, but since I am visiting people in St Louis soon, I would be willing to spend that much on a gift that they cannot find there.  Later, I found masks ordinaire, $4 for two, which I bought for myself.  I'm a sucker for back to school but more restrained since retiring.  I started recording at the end of each day three favorable occurrences on the back of my daily plan.  Maybe it would be better to record this in a marble notebook.  For 50 cents I can't go wrong.  And I got a dozen pencils too.  I looked at expensive stuff, taking a liking to desk chair but I did not see a price or an unopened box.  I don't need a desk chair.  I don't need to replace my keurig maker, but if I did, they had one for a good price.  They also have the best price on licorice, one strawberry, one black.  Walmart's probably a better place for me to bring a credit card than Total Wine.  I feel a little more fulfilled knowing I could get anything I wanted but restrained in what I chose to buy.