Window Shopping is Good for the Soul

Okay, I'm feeling better now. I left earlier fully planning on going to my meeting — on time, even — when the person I was meeting with called me, wait for it, FIVE minutes before the scheduled time to say that she too had to reschedule. Five minutes? C'mon now! I called her two hours in advance, and she gives me five minutes notice? This was absolutely absurd to me, especially because she called right as I was boarding the bus down to meet her. So I was kind of trapped into going somewhere; luckily I felt better about the situation because the payment machine thingy on the bus was broken and not receiving change, so I got a free ride. :D I decided to take some time to relax and go with the flow of the situation, riding the bus all the way to the downtown station... I felt some quality window shopping time was needed. (Hehe, yes, needed.)

I really enjoy window shopping in the center of downtown because that's where all the coolest, smallest, funkiest shops are. This town does a great job of supporting small business owners (especially when they have their shit together). The best part of window shopping here is that all these awesome stores are contained in a square block, so it's really easy to take a stroll around the block and discover dozens of new things. I stopped at a world import store that has some beautiful loose-fitting linen pants (with cool Asian designs down one leg) that I've been coveting. I didn't dare check the price tag though; someday. Also found a bevvy of cool wood and ebony carved earrings, small enough that I could wear them in my second (normal sized) piercings. A couple doors down is a small used/new book store, and they had a few carts out front with $1 books. Heck, I just saved a dollar on the way down, so I thought I'd see what I could find. Most of the titles were obscure, old, and well worn. I did find one decent looking book in good condition: Mistress to an Age by J. Christopher Herold. It's a biography of Madame Germaine de Stael; I didn't read much about it before buying it, save this sentence from the Editor's Preface: "Her personality, as expressed in her love affairs, in her politics and in her writings, forms one of the most valuable keys to that large portion of the modern spirit that issues from the Enlightenment." The reviews on Amazon are good, so I think I'll enjoy it. When I went to check out, I walked up to the counter, smiling and saying hi to the man working. He didn't look at me, didn't respond, just started ringing up the sale. He set my bag on the counter and as I picked it up I said "Have a nice day!" to which he replied "Yeah. Bye bye now." ?!?! What kind of customer service is that? I wanted to turn around and tell him he was being rude. He came off as a snobby gay intellectual; I wonder why he was working in that lowly downtown used book store.

Book in hand, I crossed the street and went to a vintage/used/new clothing boutique that caters to alternative clothing styles — punk, vintage, retro, industrial, emo, etc. etc. I don't like the guy who runs the shop much because not only have I heard some odd things about him but I've overheard a few strange conversations; when I asked him where he got a funkky bowl he said "a bunch of lesbos" from a town north. I know some people are really comfortable using such slang, but he seemed to be pretty liberal with it, just throwing it out there. But there's some really fun never-find-it-anywhere-else stuff there and that is probably the reason the shop has been a success. Like genuine leather assless chaps from 1975. And gas masks. Now I know a good place to head next time I'm in need of really quirky fetish wear. Next door to that is a more upscale, posh women's boutique that I always love browsing, but am convinced that none of the fashion would look good on me. I also went to a little food mart on the corner of the block and found a fabulous pair of chopsticks finished in a shimmering bamboo-like green. They're a really good size and weight; perhaps when the budget allows I'll go back and pick up a few more sets for guest use.

I'm glad I took that time to just relax and have no obligations. It put me in a good spirit for the rest of the afternoon and I think the vacation from thinking gave me some energy for the remaining work to do here at the apartment. Now I just need to get up and do it. :P