The job was booked at forty bucks. So he takes a look at the carpet and explains to me that the forty dollar cleaning isn’t gonna clean this thing and that I’m going to need the “deluxe” package. Add $75 to the initial price. Sanitizing’s another $50 and…oh yeah…the little passage between the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom is considered a hallway so there’s another ten. And it keeps going like that. Anyway, with all the friggin’ taxes we pay in this country, I ended up spending a couple of hundred clams on this job. I mean…the landlord will cover it but I’m really fed up with all the bait-and-switch that’s going on nowadays.

I was pretty miffed at that situation so, after Mr. Carpet Guy fucked off with all my cash, I went out for a walk. I love walking around this city. Besides, I had to let the carpet dry out.

I went to a banking machine to get cash. Have you ever heard of a banking machine being closed? Well, I found one. Sheesh! Anyway, I finally got cash and went for brunch at a pretty nice little bistro. After that, I went down to cruise the pawnshops. You never know what you might find in those places. But I’m a bit fussy. Something has to really knock me over for me to want it. Nothing did.

So, then I waddled over to Yonge Street and went north. I love Yonge Street. I’m sure there are more entertaining streets in the world but Yonge street is right up there. I’m heading north and I come across a music shop that I used to frequent quite a bit about eight years ago. It’s changed a lot. It’s just jammed up with stuff so I checked out some guitars.

I was a pretty good guitar player in my youth. I haven’t lost the bug for the instrument, but I don’t play very much any more. I have some multi-track software that I noodle some tunes into some times. But I’ve always wanted a bass guitar. I’ve only played bass a few times in my life. I’m no bass player but I’d like to texture my recordings with one. Well, today, I saw a really cute little bass in the window of the place. I passed it up, though, because I was thinking I should be spending my money on something else.

A couple of doors down, there’s an art supply store. Well, I’ve been looking for one of those easels that’s attached to a wooden box that contains all the paints and brushes, etc. The whole thing collapses into a nice little package with a handle on top. They had ‘em on sale. Couldn’t pass that up. Three hundred bucks later, I was walking back to my apartment with my new easel.

Now, you’d think I would’a left it at that, but noooo! Not me! I was in a shopping mood now. Besides, the carpet was far from dry. So I walked up to Bloor St. and checked out all the snooty shops, high end audio, clothes, cars…There was a glassblower demonstrating his craft on the sidewalk in front of a kitchenware store. That was pretty cool.

There’s an HMV on Bloor that hoovered me inside as I walked past. That seems to happen a lot lately. I’ve been looking for the Twin Peaks Pilot since I bought the first season boxed set. I haven’t been in that store before so I thought I might find it there. Danged if they didn’t have it too. It was on for twenty bucks less than Amazon so I grabbed it.

However, once I get started in that place, I can’t stop. I found Baz Luhrman’s Red Curtain Trilogy which has Moulin Rouge which I was looking for anyway…*coughs*. (lifted from Ms-M). Got that! They had Underground playing on the hi-fi and I couldn’t stop my knee from moving. So I got that too. I’m such a slut.

After that, I went into a piano store to check out the latest Steinways.

Luvofmylife is a trained musician…unlike me. She is a phenomenal pianist. About a squillion years ago, we sold our piano so that I could go back to university. She hasn’t had a piano since. (guilty, guilty, guilty) So, I want to get her one for our 25th anniversary and her 50th birthday. They happen only weeks apart. And I want it to be a baby grand. Well, a new Steinway is $60k Canadian. Yipes! I guess I’ll keep lookin’.

But I will get her a grand piano come hell or high water.

Sooo....When I regained conciousness...

I went back to Yonge Street. I came across the Army Surplus Store. Ooooo I love those places. They have such cool gak. I’ve been looking for a particular kind of backpack for, like, forever. I wanted a large one that I can take to South America, that is relatively large, that can be made easy to carry as a suitcase (valise?), that can be handled by an airline without being ripped to shreds, and has a portion that can be removed as a day pack. They had exactly what I wanted.

The owner of the place had a voice that is exactly like the intergalactic pawnbroker in “The Phantom Menace”. You know, that little blue guy that flies around the shop with those funny little wings. I fully expected him to say something like, “Sooo, my little friend. Would you like to make a small wager?”

Another $250! On my way out, I swung back to the art shop because now I needed paint and brushes. Sheesh!

Of course, I had to go past the music shop again and there was that little bass guitar in the window. So I stopped in and asked how much they wanted for it. $200 CDN!!! A friggin’ bargoon. So now I have my little bass guitar and I’m killing myself laughing every time I pick it up. I’m easily amused.

It’s been an expensive day...but you know what? I’m very happy, so damn the expense. At least it takes my mind off missing my sweetie this weekend.

Arc