December 14, 2009

Today is Monday, the beginning of a new week.

What will it bring us? What is awaiting for us. Last week was pretty bad in the bad news front. Two deaths in my immediate family. I hope now that bad news will take a long-long breather.


Yesterday in spite of the bad weather, it was raining all day, we drove out to a humongous outlet center not too far from our home. We had some business nearby so we thought we'd look around.

My wife bought me a pair of Ralph Lauren corduroy pants which I liked a lot. With the cold weather coming it will come very handy.

We also bought my wife a sweater at the Ann Taylor Outlet Store. That was it. That's as far as we went to help the economy move forward.

These two items were really good. But the garbage piled up in the stores waiting to be picked up by the holiday shoppers is unbelievable. They throw every unimaginable crap out there hoping that people who don't know any better and people who are convinced that company outlet stores sell only the good stuff, will buy them.

There are stores that always have crowds inside and then there are stores that only have the sales staff there. Nobody goes in, not even to look around. I don't understand how and why are they staying in business.

Coach Handbag supposed to be very popular nowadays. Their outlet store is constantly crowded. They don't let all the people inside, rather they make them stand in line outside and allow them in by groups.

People are crazy, they stand there in line like mules for hours on end. We wouldn't stand there even if they would give it away for free.

We were at this mall last year and the year before in this time period. Yesterday, we didn't see anybody loaded up with shopping bags like in years gone by. I guess people are slowing down their Christmas shopping sprees or got wiser about the quality of merchandise the stores are attempting to sell.

This outlet mall also has coupons. One can buy a coupon book for $5 or get it free with AAA or AARP membership card.

Years ago these coupons were really good. Now they are a sham. Very-very few stores offer any real usable discount on a purchase regardless of the total price. Most of them offer discounts for purchases over $75, $100 or even higher.

Ralph Loren offers 20% discount for purchases over $250. If they had gave me $250 and told me to spend it there I could not. There was nothing in that store worth that kind of money.

And the stores know this. They offer the discount coupons knowing nobody will be able to use it but they can always say hey, look at our discount coupons. Nobody could say they were not trying.

These businesses are so phony, they are making such complete fools of the buying public that I really don't feel sorry for them if and when they reach financial calamity.

Nevertheless, it was fun to drive out there and walk around. Even though it was raining pretty hard, the sidewalks were covered and this way we managed to stay dry.

There was so much rain yesterday and Saturday that it was unbelievable. They say rain is good for the crop and the harvest.

But we live in an apartment we have no crop, we don't harvest and all the vegetation we have are in pots. Alas, I hate the rain.