Stimulated

It was a slow Friday at work. In this economy, slow is the new pretty busy. With not much to do, and some time on our hands, Joanne and I made a decision. We were going to get stimulated.

It is very easy to not spend money in these hard times. Jack Benny could be a poster child for today's economically inactive. For those of us with a natural reluctance to part with George Washingtons and Abraham Lincolns even in the salad days, reaching deep can be a very difficult exercise in 2009.

We have learned the hard lesson that when the economy stagnates, we all lose. So, when our dryer decided to bid us adieu earlier this week, we looked for the first opportunity to introduce a newer, better model to our home

We actually made 2 purchases on Friday. We stopped at a carpet warehouse that was essentially deserted. We were looking for an inexpensive replacement for the carpet that had slipped through our fingers and into our daughter's apartment when we made the mistake of showing our prize to her. We found a carpet marked down from $1299 to $99 and had our first new possession of the day. Has there ever been a carpet that was sold without being marked down?

The dryer proved to be a slightly more difficult acquisition. With no 90% off sales as in the carpet store, our selection did not present itself on a platter. However, after about 30 minutes, the dryer of choice stepped up and introduced itself to Joanne and me. As the credit card slithered through, and the sale rang up, I wondered if the President would have been proud of our having taken a part in his stimulus plan. One small step for man...

It felt right to spend, even in bad times. There was something positive in bantering with the salespeople and taking part in an activity which we had taken for granted not so long ago. Our personal stimulus package in effect,Joanne and I headed home, spent. There is always a price to pay for being stimulated these days.
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