My Manchurian Codephrase

There's a phrase that Lisa and I utter to each other, five syllables that spring us both to life on the rare holiday we both have off: "I'm totally broke."

And with that, a bright light appears, our eyes glaze over, and we turn into catatonic robots and are forced to go shopping.

(Actually, it works on non-holidays too, as we have found from past experience.)

So shopping we went, she for a job-interview outfit and a birthday gift for her mother-in-law, me for myself as usual. I bought a new cordless phone to replace the one I bought maybe a year ago for almost a hundred dollars. Said old phone displays the term "Out of Range" when it's sitting IN ITS CHARGER. And runs out of NEW battery life within 20 minutes of talk. (Am I a professional justification technician or what?) Then we bought girlie primping items at Walgreen's. Lisa's spell was broken for a moment, when she stopped me from buying a $6.99 lipgloss at 2 for 1. "It will still be on sale next week, o broke one." *Note to self: Must have Lisa re-programmed because something is obviously leaking.* Then we had yummy Mexican food at a hole in the wall with a line out the door.

When I got home, I had a message from a man interested in buying my treadmill- I put signs up in all the laundry rooms at my condo complex a month ago with ZERO response. Turns out, my sole caller was the security supervisor on the premises! He came over, I showed him the treadmill and how multifaceted it is, and we agreed on a price. I think I clinched the sale when I explained how the steep incline will tone his butt. He will pick it up tomorrow and I will be NOT SO BROKE til payday after all! :) Buh-bye, big behemoth living room hog!

See!! Shopping motivates the God of Windfalls in my money house. It does so!!! (See previous comment re: prof'l justification tech).