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Gifts for Who?
Shopping malls are liquid TVs for the end of the twentieth century. A whole micro-circuitry of desire, ideology and expenditure for processed bodies drifting through the cyber-space of ultracapitalism.
-- Arthur Kroker, Marilouise Kroker, and David Cook, Canadian sociologists.
Tuesday, December 23, 1997
Today was my big Christmas shopping day. Because the Bellevue Computer Stop was having an 8 pm sale, I stayed on the Eastside and went to Bellevue Square, instead of going back home and shopping there, or maybe skipping the whole thing (I was feeling pretty punk).
I was surprised to have very little trouble parking, perhaps because I don't mind going up to the higher levels in a parking garage. My first stop was "Store of Knowledge," which I had never been to before. This is a combination toy store, video store, and fun stuff store. I was able to get some videos for my nephews, plus one for me -- the mid-eighties BBC version of "Sense and Sensibility" which I haven't seen. This set the tone for the evening's purchases, where I got far more stuff for myself than for others.
From there I went to Lane Bryant. I've like the things I bought last time I was there, so I wanted to duplicate them in other colors. The salesgirl was so happy! I'm sure she rarely rang up such a large purchase in so short a time. (Since these were all different "colorways" of items I already own, I didn't need to try them on.) I think I bought seven of the ribknit tops, and dresses of crushed velvet in burgundy and plum (for dancing) with a lacy top to go under each. These dresses (really nightgowns) are a bit too revealing for me to want to wear them with nothing underneath.
My last stop at the mall was to buy a CD of Christmas music for my sister's family. I was able to find what I had in mind. There are a whole series of carols written by Alfred Burt. He wrote one every year as a holiday greeting; the best known is probably "Caroling, Caroling," but there are many others. I was pleased to find a collection of these not-overplayed songs!
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Computer Stop is where I bought my current PC last year, and had my old machine upgraded to give to my sister's family. They have a good reputation among Microsoft people for good hardware prices and no nonsense. This evening they were having a big sale, so I dropped by.
I've been in the market for a digital camera, and I wanted one a little fancier than the ones at rock-bottom prices. After seeing and playing with the Sony Mavica MVC-FD7, I was sold. One neat feature: it saves the images to a floppy, so no problem transferring them to any computer. They were taking pictures of shoppers and handing them the floppy, which was clever marketing.
And it wasn't even on sale! But what the hey...
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