I tried, and I was good. I vacationed in consumer paradise. T-shirts, hats, pins, all manner of souvenirs; I resisted them all. I browsed pens and notebooks, and I left them on the shelves. The family shopped a lot and bought a little, but I held fast to my pledge.
I did buy a bit of candy on Day 7, but that’s expendable. It wouldn’t be coming home anyway.
Then on Day 8 the family went into a jewelry store. I pulled up a bench outside to watch the shoppers stroll by in the sun. There was nothing I could possibly want in there, and the weather was wonderful out here. That’s when I noticed it. . .
The spice and tea store.
A quick browse couldn’t hurt, right? After all, tea is expendable. A bit of fresh Earl Grey would not be breaking my vow.
The Earl Grey is fine. So is the Oolong I bought with it. I have no excuse for this though. (It does allow me to brew loose leaf teas, but. . .)
As pennance I have retired both of my old iced tea pitchers and my ratty Mr Coffee Iced Tea Maker. One in, three out.
It’s like a diet. Failure doesn’t mean the end, just delayed success. The 30 day clock has restarted on the experiment as of 2/21. Today I bought nothing. Tomorrow’s plan is trash bags and kitty litter. I should own stock in the kitty litter company.
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CLM update:
C: blogged, developed film, scanned one roll
L: I didn’t work on my Spanish today. I did read another chapter of An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
M: one camera shipped to new owner, plus the above mentioned pitchers leaving
Notes from Mosquito Hill 