Kat with a K

It's beginning to look a lot like...

On my lunch break today, I went to the Wal-mart down the road from my office. Now, I don't go there often - Target is my discount store of choice - so I'm not familiar with the store layout and what it's usually like. But wow, it was difficult. There were lots of people - I can only imagine how it is during peak shopping hours - and it seemed practically impossible to find anything. It took me quite a while to even find the Christmas section, which you'd think would be, you know, bad for business.

Although I went in looking for a Bratz comforter (my gift for the church Giving Tree) and some ingredients for shortbread and a tin to carry it in, I of course found a variety of other things that I did vaguely need but hadn't really been looking for: small slippers for my trip this weekend (I'm going carry-on only), a snowflake turtleneck to wear under a sweater, things like that. And when I finally made it through the lines and got it all out to my car, I realized that I hadn't been charged for the $3 salt and pepper shakers I'd picked up. Sigh. It was only $3, but I knew I'd feel bad every time I saw them if I didn't go back and rectify this. So I went all the way in, and luckily was able to do the transaction at the customer service station instead of getting back in line.

Speaking of guilt, the Salvation Army bell ringers are really bothering me this year. Now, I know it's a good cause. I do. But I plan out my charitable giving, and I simply cannot be donating to them every single time I go into or out of any store. (Today, for example, I was in fact at the store to buy a gift to donate in the first place.) If I have change in my pocket, I will usually drop it in, but otherwise I am just left feeling guilty and un-Christmassy. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Is it just me? It seems like there should be a better way.