Shopping and self preservation

It's kind of a shame nobody's ever going to win a tourney in my name, reigning has GOT to be simpler in some ways than all the involuntary leadership games I've ended up playing over the past six months. Someone is supposed to be taking up a collection for step down gifts for Themselves. Investiture is a week away and I, as The Designated Shopper have not only not seen a dime of it, have no idea how much has been collected and am already out of pocket* on one purchase. I spent this morning pricing some of the items previously discussed with Designated Collector and fired off a note to her this afternoon with the results and the suggestion that it might be best if she get something for them locally, even if it's just gift certificates to the nearest fabric store. (I'm already in for two fans, two silk jinbaori and an empty pile of sake bottles as it is.)

Reconnaissance completed, I took myself off to Barnes & Noble. Having finished enjoying the BBC Bleak House, I was hoping to see if they had Little Dorrit. They not only did, but they were doing a buy-two-get-the-third-free special on all DVDs, including boxed sets. I picked up the formative Elizabeth R (one of two BBC miniseries I credit with kick starting my love affair with history) and Postwar Kurosawa as well and went to the register. The cashier exclaimed, "Oh, this is a Criterion," and suggested I put back the Kurosawa and get something else as they were going to be doing a 50% off special on Criterion Collection DVDs in a couple weeks. Right, then, the boxed set of  Horatio Hornblower it is! (I blame crimsongriffin .)

Took surface roads home, picked up some dessert at Crixa Cakes - there's a slice of walnut roll waiting downstairs in the fridge. Finally, after years of driving past it, poked my head into the People's Bazaar. Not for the claustrophobic, the place is a warren of old furniture with all sorts of random knicknacks stacked ontop or inside it. I had to move sideways down the canyons formed by massive oak dressers and china cabinets. However, I did find a two-tiered basket set in decent condition. There was no price on the thing. The elderly lady prowling the aisles said it was $45. We haggled - I got it for $30.(I'm not sure if it's Japanese or Chinese, but I think the latter. I think I did pretty well. There are some comparable "Chinese Wedding Baskets" up on Ebay for more than $200 right now.  I want to give it a thorough wipe with some Murphy's Oil Soap, which should help remove some of the dust and crud and maybe restore a bit of much needed moisture to the thing if the vegetable oil will penetrate the varnish.

Came home, had a nap which I apparently needed, then re-watched the bits of the first episode of Dorrit that I'd fallen asleep through. Started the laborious process of straightening up the living room, which looks slightly less like a bomb-site. I figure if I take something upstairs to put away each time I come up here, it'll be finished tomorrow.

Now, what to have for dinner....