I love September

September in the Willamette Valley is the best time of the year. The weather is warm without being oppressive. You can usually count on some sunshine every day. People have relaxed into summer and are relishing the last of it.

On Saturday, DH and I got up late and went to Sully's for breakfast as usual. Then we headed out on a search for estate sales. the first one we found was a hideous dissappointment. Everything had years of grime and dust on it, and was priced at least twice too high. The second sale we stopped at had cheap prices, but really crappy stuff. Stained sheets and chipped china sort of things.

But the third sale was a treasure! I found a shoebox full of cups and saucers for a dollar each. I got four new sets. I do NOT NEED more cups and saucers, but these just cried out to me to release them from durance vile and let them come out into society again. DH found two battery operated wall clocks to mount in convenient places at work for a mere $2 each. And the lady who was running the sale was so cheery that she let him have the Coast Guard Buoy-tender patch for nothing just because he knew what a buoy tender was and knew his brother would cherish the patch for his military insignia collection.

Frome there. we cruised through thw summer day for a while longer and stumbled across another sale that was a wildly mixed bag. DH found a brand-new gas grill in the box for $12, and a 1958 car-repair manual for $2. But, checking his wallet, he didn't have $14. He had 3 ones. I, however had a checkbook. The guy running the sale was a big, gracious hispanic fellow. I gave him a saucy grin and asked, "Would you take $7 for the grill?" His eyes lit up, and we began dickering. We agreed on $9.25, with great pleasure on both sides.

From there, we went to the mall. We have a sleep number bed which has a fairly expensive matteress (and oh has it paid off in sound sleep and healthful rest for us!) I have been reading in the paper about the bedbug infestations sweeping across the nation, and one of the things suggested was to put bedbug-proof cvers on your mattress ao you don't have to replace the whole mattress when (not if, but when) the nasty critters visit you. (It's not a matter of personal cleanliness. Anyone can pick them up. they're everywhere! Eeeewwwww!!) The Sleep Number store does not yet have bedbug-proof mattress covers, though they no doubt have them in research and development. but they suggested Bed Bath and Beyond, so I will check there later.

But since we were already at the mall, and it was lunch time, we decided to try California Pizza Kitchen. Delightful surprise! Good chow, decent prices, and a charming waitress.

Then on to the pet store for kitty treats. While there, I asked at the attached vet clinic for an appointment for Squirrel. They could take her right in, so we ran home and got her. She needs to be spayed. They kept her overnight and will take care of her today. Maybe, when she heals up, her pheremones will no longer annoy Pepper, and we can have some peace in the house. Otherwise, we'll need to find another home for her, because she doesn't deserve to live under seige. Pepper will spend hours lurking outside Squirrel's hidey holes and attacking whenever the poor newcomer sticks a paw out. I have to close Pepper in another room for Squirrel to get some food, litterbox access, and human companionship. We are hoping that when Squirrel quits smelling like a fertile female, Pepper will relent and let her join our household.

So that's the long and the long of what we did with our Saturday. Woohoo, do we know how to have fun or what?