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