kaching

Well today was the fourth day of VBS and especially stressful: i'm starting to just disconnect from it all, there's so much overload that i am opting to not go to parent's night tonight (this is also partially because i promised to be at a raid tonight in my new guild before i realized how late the program is starting). After VBS i felt a little shopping therapy was in order. First i went to Tangle and bought the size 4 dpns that i've been putting off for two months. Then i went and browsed at Brown Cycles (they have two locations now, with new bikes at the original store and used bicycles sold on consignment at Dirty Brown Cycles around the corner), but i didn't really like what i saw (the bikes were super expensive and i didn't like the feel of the store to be perfectly honest).

Next i went to the downtown post office and filled out the paperwork for my passport. i had my picture taken and then wrote a check, which they stapled to my application and birth certificate. That is supposed to take a month to arrive. The whole thing was rather anti-climactic.

i went to REI next because i had seen a lot of neat bags that customers have carried from there. i found several that i liked, but i didn't care for their pricetag; i just do not have the budget for a $40-60 purse. The passport carriers (both waist and around the neck varieties that are meant to be worn under clothing) were both overpriced and bleh. They came in tan and black and ranged from $15-35, but all looked like they had shoddy construction (many of the belts were merely cheap elastic). i feel that i could sew something myself for much cheaper that would be prettier and more comfortable. i did kind of like the oversized hiking fanny packs, but they were overpriced as well, some were uncomfortable, and the small cheap ones were UGLY. So i ended up buying nothing whatsoever. i'm wondering if i cannot use a purse, if i must have a fanny pack or cash hidden under my clothing, as it seems a little extreme to be tying a cord around my neck that i can be choked with for my cash and will, in fact, be visible even if it is tucked under my clothing.

Lastly i went to the Bike Shop and spoke with yet another sales person. i think the girl that i spoke to originally no longer works there. After test riding the same bike as last time, one a size smaller, and two other brands' hardtails, i finally decided to put a bike on layaway. The small Diamondback Response Comp '08 is apparently a better quality bike for less than a Cannondale would be, though it is also a bit heavier. The size was perfect and i loved riding it around campus, though of course i did not get to test it on any hills, there was plenty of rough terrain in the temporary parking lots. It doesn't have the trigger shifter that i really liked, but one where you shift only with your thumbs, but of course that means that i never need to take my fingers off the brakes. i feel kind of reckless buying it so suddenly, but it's the only model they have, it fits me perfectly, it's a nicer model for cheaper than the comparable Cannondale, and it's an '08 (so once it's gone, it's gone). The bike even looks good dusty. i didn't expect to purchase a red bike, but it's kind of a rusty color that is okay.

In other news i'm starting to wonder if i should start biking to work and school, if it's even possible without me getting up at 5 a.m. Meh, moving forward, right? i'm not sure if i'll be in a race in July, but i'm planning to be in at least one more race this season and continue training this fall and winter.