Vacation shopping

Though most of our vacations have involved some wandering around in little shops, or even outlet malls, few of them have involved more than a small amount of actual purchasing. But this time we went a little nuts. I feel a bit bad about it, because it's hard economic times and some people I know are feeling the pinch, so what am I doing blowing money on frivolities? I reassure myself about the reasons why it's okay, how I got to this point, etc., but I still feel a little bad. Then again, spending is part of the economic recovery, right? I'm just a tiny little stimulus package. (Don't worry, that's not self-serving rationalization, I'm being intentionally ironic! You just can't tell that because you haven't installed the Tone Of Voice Neural Implant Link add-on for your browser yet.) So, here's what we got.

• Citadel Games: A few Space: 1889 books, most notably the long-out-of-print Conklin's Atlas Of The Worlds (now available in a two-for-one book with another book I already have). Plus something else I won't say here because it's a surprise for someone someday.
  
• Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center: A pair of salad tongs hand-made from sustainably harvested olivewood. They're beautiful, eh?
  
• Bestemor's: Some ligonberry jelly. I have no idea why.
  
• Best Buy: The PS3 games Rock Band, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and The Bourne Conspiracy, all for $9.99 each. Meanwhile I ordered a $13 guitar from Amazon which arrived the day we got back. (Spent some time yesterday playing Rock Band, it was fun enough to order another guitar and a cheap set of drums.)
  
• Saybrook Yarn: Yarn, of course.
  
• Black and Decker Outlet Store: A right-angle electric screwdriver that fills a gap in my tool collection between the low-end screwdriver that's no good for driving screws into wood, and the drill that is way too fast for the same. Discounted price on a discontinued item at an outlet store, tres cheap. Already used it to help me fix a latch on a door.
  
• Le Gourmet Chef Outlet Store: Some more silicon cupcake cups and another silicon baking sheet. One of the amusing things we didn't buy: a one pint crockpot. Really.
  
• Corningware Corelle Outlet Store: Some pyrex pie pans.
  
• Wilson's Leather: We never buy things in these shops, we just like to look. But there was a snazzy fanny pack of the same size as my el-cheapo $20 vinyl one from Walmart, plus it had a cell phone holder that fit my PDA, made from actual leather, and it only cost $20.
  
• Pepperidge Farm: Coooooookies. Plus free goldfish. Tanger Outlet Center made a big fuss about how AAA membership got you a free coupon book, but they also printed a coupon in the local attractions map for a free copy of the coupon book, and then they had those area attraction maps on display right outside the office where they sold the coupon books. The only coupon we got to use was the free goldfish, though.
  

Incidentally, I had gotten a bunch of discount certificates from Amazon from the purchases I made to buy the home theater system, so I used them to buy some good sunglasses with real glass lenses. They didn't arrive in time to take with me, though, but they were waiting when I got back. They're the classic Ray-Ban Aviators. Now I have to see how well I can take care of them.