REALLY?

Did you read my post about my mysterious trip to Michaels, how I walked in and two hours later pulled two very large shopping bags full of crafts I will never do, not to mention the 78.62 price tag?  Well, my son asked me to go back for rubber bands for his loom, and I waited because frankly, I had to pay my mortgage and not spend it in Michaels!

What am I talking about?  The Rainbow Loom

The new nirvana of children, the obsession as you make rubber band bracelets.  Why?

Because you can show that special girl you like her by making her a bracelet.

You can sit and cry when you Cobra weave doesn't work and you did it exactly the way the kid in the YouTube Video told you to do.

You can show how cool you are by the intricate bracelet designs on your arm.

In my son's case, you can get paid by other kids to make bracelets that they then give to the girl of their dreams (yes, he takes after the better half)

So yes, before you judge, I have a son that looms, or weaves, or makes bracelets.

Back to my trying not to drop a mortgage payment in Michaels this time around.

We walk in with a list of the different color bands he wants and imagine my surprise.

Not a single loom in the store.

Not a single band in the store.

Really, who are all these kids weaving their bracelets?  Didn't they realize that my son was running out of black and he will make my life miserable?

He looks at me and I frantically look around store, "What?  No looms, no rubber bands?  What is he supposed to do, weave human hair?"  I yell at the cashier.

She calmly says (I guess i'm not the only Mom freaking out), "You can sign up for our loom waiting list, but if you register for the Rainbow Loom Retreat October 18-20th in Asheville you get a free loom with registration.  It is a wonderful time, there will be looming, meditation and detoxing.  All of our Looming Thursday Group kids love it."

I am speechless.  OK, I'm not the only freaky one - we leave the store with me giving myself a point for not signing him up for the Rainbow Loom Retreat JUST TO GET A LOOM BECAUSE BANDS COME WITH IT.

For now we are in a holding pattern, one woman says to me as we leave, "If you hear of any one with non see through neon green bands, I'm prepared to pay top dollar for them."

I smile at her.

I feel your pain honey, I really do.

ANOTHER Black Hole

In my family, we have these places called Black Holes - where you enter said establishment, and a while later finally stumble out with a shopping cart full of shit wondering how that huge dent got into your wallet?

I found another one today - Michaels Craft Store.

My sons asked for a Rainbow Loom - yes, they have jumped on that bandwagon as it sped by and want to make bracelets out of what looks like braces rubber bands for their friends.  That my friend, is a whole new blog post.  They wanted this Rainbow Loom - 16.99 and exclusively at Michaels.

I noticed a different smell as I entered the store - was that?  Pumpkin Spice?  Immediately I am confronted by the display of Pumpkin Spice Candles, Pumpkin Spice Wax Melts, Pumpkin Spice Car fresheners - well, it's that the smell of the season?  I add a few to my cart.

The Rainbow Looms are hidden behind the How to Use The Rainbow Loom books, the unique storage case for your Rainbow Loom and tools AND the new sets of BLING to add to the bracelets as you create them.  Who am I to not boost the creativity of my children as I add a few bags of braces rubberbands, some bling - then tell myself I am being frugal because I am NOT buying them the unique carrying case----they can use the unique Silly Band carrying case they still have from the silly band phase.

In order to exit the store, you must walk down one aisle, up another past all the wonderful sights and smells of Michaels.

I added some blue and gold silk cloth with different color jewels for a project I have in my mind.

I thought, "How wonderful if I buy these 200 packs of blank cards and envelopes, then this wonderful celtic shamrock stamp to create my own line of stationary for all the handwritten notes I plan to write?"

"Oh, and who can pass up the LIVE, LOVE, LAUGHTER stamp to go with it because isn't that my motto?  And, I must add the ink pads for the stamps, and LOOK, here's a professional set of pens - what writer can live without THAT?"

I feel a tickle in my throat and pick up a bag of cough drops as I stand in line for the cashier then a bottle of water because shopping can just wear you out.

My 16.99 dollar loom cost me 78.94 in the long run.

Problem is....

When am I going to find the time to great the unique gold and blue thingy I have in my head.  And seriously, am I really going to make and stamp my own cards when I send only emails now?

And did I look or did it say in big letters that the loom came with bands?  What are we going to do with 4200 bands when neither boy has braces yet?

I think that Pumpkin Spice smell in Michaels was laced with LSD causing all of us women in there to walk around like zombies throwing as much shit as we can into our carts.

Yup, a black hole that grabs your wallet, holds you hostage for a few days then dumps you with a cart full of crap you eventually hide in your hoarder closet because you feel guilty you didn't create that beautiful card.

Don't hold your breath if you waiting on a LIVE, LOVE LAUGHTER stamped card from me.