Black Friday

It’s 5.55 AM. I’m reading email from a friend, informing me its snowing outside. I can’t see out the window because its pitch black. As soon as the eastern sky gets light I’m out the door on my skis. Gotta leave early otherwise the snow gets sticky. When will it get cold?

I’m using odd poles. The still operable lifelink ski pole and my only surviving komperdell trekking pole, which I bought as a pair nine years ago. Its twin broke last summer. I have brand new, light weight komperdell poles, which were on sale, waiting for me at the MEC store on Broadway. I’ll pick them up in couple of weeks. I’m still bummed about having to spend $360 on new bindings, and now new poles. I keep thinking I should just use the old mismatched poles and forget about buying new ones until those break, except the new ones are on sale and I probably couldn’t get a better deal later.

My parents never indulged in mindless shopping sprees, so I’m blaming my tendency to think twice about what I’m buying and why I’m buying it, on them. Although agonizing over what I’m buying is good because I end up with stuff I really like and use a lot, until it breaks or in the case of clothes are so full of holes they wouldn’t even make a good rag.