This and that

Just a casual sort of day in these parts. Woke up a little late, and the boys enjoyed playing with their new toys. I got grumpy early, when I couldn’t take pictures because I’d had to rob my camera of its batteries to power Sam’s Didj, so I decided to go by Walgreen’s for more batteries…by way of a 7-mile running detour. What? You ungrumpify your way, I’ll do it mine. The sidewalks were very slick, thanks to sleet last night, but the roads were fine enough for me to take off my YakTrax halfway through; for some reason, the metal coils on these new ones are beginning to break a bit and snake off the rubber, making me have to stop and rethread them. I don’t imagine they were really designed to be run upon for 35+ miles a week, every week.

After I got home, we decided to head down to some outlets for sale exploring. Mom and Dad’s gift to the kids was installed, making for an eerily silent road trip, truly. No more bickering, no more arguing over which radio station, no more “He won’t stop humming!” Bizarro-world.

Anyway, the sales were magnificent, but the crowds weren’t biting. I was surprised at the short lines, considering the number of racks in every store marked 50% off or more. My current running shoes are coming to the end of their life, and I got some new ones at a very, very good price; Sam, too got some new sneakers, which took some prodding, since he wasn’t willing to admit that his current beloved pair was far too tight and beginning to disintegrate completely. Also picked up, for cheap, a warm-up suit and a lightweight wicking hooded jacket. Good haul for great prices!

Then we let the boys spend their holiday gift cards. They were very appreciative, especially Sam, who loves his new math game for the Didj. I’m embarrassed to admit that when I tried it out, I was actually stumped for what I consider far too long by what I’m calling a trick question: “How many fourths are in this set?” For some reason, selecting “four” seemed just a little too easy, or perhaps it was the evil-looking droid breathing down my neck while I was figuring…

Gabe says, “Tell me when it’s bedtime.” It’s the third time he’s said it, so perhaps I need to take the hint now.