I went back to the store today to obsess over the pink Lilly Pulitzer shoes. They still had them in a size 7 and - lo and behold!! - they had been marked down further to $34. I bought them. Done.

Then I went to Target and spent the extra $ on a new notebook.

Another quirk of mine: I love when it’s back-to-school shopping time. I love seeing the new notebooks and pens and binders and all other types of office and school supplies all over the place. It makes me happy… even better than the feeling I get walking into a Staples or Office Depot-type store.

I walked into Target, saw the big die-cut pictures of rolls of scotch tape hanging from the ceiling and smiled because it meant that THE STUFF was there. And I walked back and they were actually still putting out the various products on the shelves. They have some really cool nicely-designed notebooks and stationery items. I could’ve easily spent much more money than I did. As it happened, I bought a notebook (just one - wirebound along the top, fabric embossed cover, college-ruled… I only ever use college-ruled or smaller) and a pack of gum. That was it. Pride welled up at my self-control.

When I got home, I watched one of my newest Netflix rentals: “The United States of Leland.” It was really good - it grasped my attention and thoughts much like “American Beauty” did. While both movies feature Kevin Spacey, he wasn’t a huge player in “Leland”. Don Cheadle was great, as was Ryan Gosling. I’d never really seen him in anything before, and his performance in this prompted me to do a little imdb stalking to see what else he’s done/is doing. I recommend the movie.

Now I’m going to settle in with my newest piece of reading material: “Cotton: How a Humble Fiber Created Fortunes, Wrecked Civilizations, and Put America on the Map”.

I’m that nerdy. I’m adding this to my roster since I already read the history of diamonds, salt and the penis. Next on my list will be cod or the potato. All these books exist. Seriously.

OH! Almost forgot. Today at work, we threw a bridal shower for a chick who’s getting married. She’s a huge Rick Springfield fan, so some of my co-workers put an ad on Craigslist to find a musician who had Rick Springfield songs in his repertoire and hired him to perform a few songs at the offices today. It was awesome - she was laughing and happy and surprised. I brought cupcakes, someone else brought creme brulee, yet another person brought cupcakes and chips and champagne, etc. We ordered in a big sub sandwich and enjoyed that. It was nice… and one of the reasons I really like my job. People can come together and celebrate that craziness.