Lucky Shopping!

Yesterday afternoon, a meeting request was sent out for a group off-site scheduled for today. In my almost 2 years with the company, we’ve never had an off-site. Other groups manage to have them on a seemingly regular basis (even Finance!) but our group? Not.

Last year, a golf off-site was scheduled, so I took all these lessons to prepare, but they were all for naught. It was cancelled at the eleventh hour because we were in the midst of due diligence for an M&A deal and to this day, I'm still irked by the wasted expense. I could have used those funds on something more meaningful to me...like books...or a pretty handbag...or shoes...

Our V.P. kicked it off this morning with a meeting on-site, outlining our group’s focus and mandate for the next 6-12 months. We then made our way north to Lucky Strike Lanes for lunch and bowling.

I hadn’t really thought much about whether or not I would enjoy myself since I’m not much of a bowler—I was more concerned about whether or not I would even make it to this off-site since I was committed to helping Finance out for the short-term.

It turned out to be a lot of fun. They mixed it up a bit by adding in all these criteria for the first game. They included bowling with your opposite hand, bowling with your eyes closed, bowling without standing on your feet, etc. I’ve always been a fluke player, so it was no surprise that I scored better in that first game then I did in the second one, when I played “normal”. I managed to halve my score in the second game, that’s how bad I am.

Afterwards, I went shopping. I’ve never been to Vaughan Mills, and if it weren’t for this off-site, I don’t know when I would have come up to shop since it’s quite the trek. So, I decided to take advantage since we finished around 3:30.

Oftentimes, I find it’s riskiest to shop when I’m alone and not looking for anything specific because I can take my time trying stuff on that I perhaps might not normally, just “for fun." And that’s when the trouble starts…

My one goal was to hit Holt Renfrew Last Call and UpCountry, so I started walking towards that neighbourhood—that’s right—the mall’s so freakin’ big that they call the sections neighbourhoods. By the time I got there, I’d already bought a pair of really cute espadrilles and a pair of black pumps called Venom by Charles by Charles David. I love them in gold but they were only available in black at the store. :( I also bought 3 tops, 3 pairs of pants and a belt. I was on FIRE—which is kind of funny since the fire alarm went off in between our two games and the loud, shrill beeping forced us to seek refuge outside in the sun.

If you take a look at the map, I didn’t travel very far—I didn’t even make it through half the mall! But by the time I got to HRLC, I was tuckered out. I walked into the store, and faced with all the racks before me, I turned around and walked right out. I couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm to hunt up designer bargains. I went next door to UpCountry and sat in a lot of different chairs and sofas. I stayed long enough to file away some furniture ideas and to summon up the energy to make the drive home, and then I took my leave.

Now I’m feeling the discomfort of bowler’s arm and must rest. I am sure I will get quite the ribbing tomorrow from the rest of my team if I tell them how much trouble I got into after I bid them all good-bye…Perhaps I’ll just keep mum about the retail therapy I didn't even realize I needed...