About to Be Bad....

.....Very, very bad.

I was at Ben Franklin Crafts on Saturday and instead of just getting the frame I needed, I veered into the scrapbook and bead aisles.  $47.00 later I emerged with a bunch of Canadian travel themed stickers and doo dads, in preparation for the photo album of the pictures of Victoria that I haven't even taken yet.  

I got home and got online and started looking for additional British Columbia travel stickers and papers.  That lead to my googling 'scrapbook stores in victoria' which algorithm also gave me links to the various and sundry souvenir stores in the Inner Harbour area.  It never occurred to me that souvenir stores had their own websites.  I love kitschy stuff.  I love to buy the souvenir shot glasses, pins & key chains, as well as items made by local artists as well.  But when I'm in those souvenir stores, it's like overload and I don't end up getting anything b/c there's so much to look at.  On a website, however, you can take your time, and see closer up examples of some of their wares.  I had no idea that one shop I always visit, Maple Leaf Gifts when I'm in Vic, and I never noticed that they had an entire section devoted to officially licensed RCMP items.  

So instead of planning on only purchasing the 3 things I really want/need, I now find that I've made mental notes to get a few other items as well.  This is where I get that angel/devil on the shoulder thing going.  The angel is telling me that my photos are going to cost so much to be processed, that I shouldn't be throwing $ around on junkie souvenirs up in Canada, when I really can't afford to be going as it is.   The devil, on the other hand, is telling me I deserve this trip, if I'm going I should just shoot the works b/c I may not be able to return again for a few years.  Go ahead and buy the stuff I always took for granted that I could get, 'next time', because there may not be a next time, what with the economy and the all around misery in this world of ours.  To just go and have fun and shop if it makes me happy.  I've had so little to look forward too and I've been sooooo good with our budget.  If I'm gonna go for less than 36 hours, and potentially in bad weather too, then I'd better make it count.

As you can see, the devil makes some extremely persuasive arguments.  But then the stupid angel chimes in with, yeah but what happens after I get back.  When Brian's unemployment benefits run out for what I believe will be the final time.  Just in time for the holidays.  And him absolutely incapable of working with his crushing panic attacks and other health issues.  I truly don't think he will ever be able to go back to work, unless he can find something from 10-2 here in town, because those are his best hours, and I think we can all agree that's not gonna happen.  We'll be down to living on one income.  And now I've just gone and spent money we didn't have on kitsch I don't need.  

I found out from Harbour Air that unless 2 more people inquire about a seaplane tour on the afternoon I want to go, they won't do the tour, cause they need 3 to make it worth going up.  If I don't go, that'll save me some cash.  I guess all I can do is play it by ear.