Ski or Stay and Shop?

That was the decision I had to make on Sunday. I wanted to head out to PA and get in my first day of skiing this season. After putting my skis in the car, warming up with a cup of java, and filling up the gas tank, I headed out of town and into... rain. So the season is starting slowly. Really slowly. This time last year, I had made 100's of runs. It makes me more thankful for my days on the slopes in New Zealand this past August. I posted a pic. above of Mount Raupehu- where I skied the sides of an active volcano. Normally I post pics on this site for my readers. That one's for me. Here's hoping I'll be strapped to my planks soon.

After doing a U-eey at the NJ turnpike tollbooths, I decided that if I can't do want I want, ski, I might as well do what I have to. It's that time of year again. Time to head to the malls, the outlets, and the grocery store. Time to spend my hard earned cash. Time to go shopping.

If I had to rank every activity of my life on a scale of one to sucks, shopping would be close to sucks. Now, before you start thinking Christmas Grinch, I have sound reason for my angst. See, I'm the guy that stands in line behind the woman that buys a four dollar item that doesn't have a bar code, the guy behind the man at the Starbucks that can't decide what kind of tea he wants, the guy behind the lady who chooses to sign up for another credit card, and the guy at the deli counter waiting for the couple buying an 1/8 of a pound of 14 different meats.

I'm sure some of my luck has something to do with my lack of natural shopping savvy, though much of it has to do with where I shop. Living across from NYC, I shop at some of the largest and most populated places. So this year, I will do my best to grow my grinchy christmas heart. This year I have decided to limit my exposure to shopping mayhem. This year I am going to exclusively shop in Hoboken. I will support my local businesses while trying to maintain that elusive holiday spirit. Walking into Hoboken's "mom and pop" shops feels so much different than Macy's. And frankly, the gifts tend to be more thoughtful. So while we wait for snow, I'd suggest you do the same. Happy holidays!