Since James worked last Saturday, he had a day off coming this week, which was today! And we were able to "sleep in," all the way until 7:30! Then we drove over to the NAPA Auto Center using both vehicles. James was dropping the truck off to get two new tires; the left rear is very badly worn and the right rear has a slow leak—we have had to pump it up every few weeks either at the QT (where air is free) or with the bicycle pump. We also had his vehicle inspection done, and they did mine right away, so we could leave after James gave them his key.

We stopped for breakfast at Dunkin Donuts—yum, bagel!—and then headed for the freeway. It was a bright—very bright; the sun bugged us all day—blue day, chilly when we left. We listened to the latest "Splendid Table" on the way up.

Our friends Matt and Kelley are always talking about a used bookstore called McKay's in Chattanooga, so we finally decided to check it out. It is in a stand-alone building just northeast of the Hamilton Mall complex. Kelley said it was big, but we were very surprised when we walked in and found out just how big. It's as least as big as a good sized Barnes & Noble, and has a balcony all around the store which holds CDs and records! We were there over two hours and I never did get upstairs to the balcony! James bought a few books as well as some interesting CDs, including the Boston Pops playing Celtic music and a Celtic Christmas music album.

I was really surprised at how many used books they had that were practically brand new, so I was able to pick up six Christmas gifts in one fell swoop!

My own haul:
• Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, which was my seventh-grade English teacher's favorite reference work. This was only 75 cents!
• One of the Holly Beth Walker "Meg" Whitman mystery series, Mystery of the Witch's Stairway
• Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female With Mass Media (this was in bad shape, but only 75 cents, too)
• Quirky QWERTY, about the typewriter keyboard
• Seasons on Harris, about a couple on the Hebrides
• An unfortunately uncovered copy of The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery
• Another travel book, A Walk Through Wales
• When Television Was Young

Oh, plus a nice Blu-Ray copy of Arthur Christmas, for only $11.

We finally headed out about 1:30, looking for something to eat. We found a Hibachi Grill and had a nice buffet; this one had pork loin and also coffee ice cream in the ice cream case. No coffee-flavored chocolate cake, though; just strawberry. Next we fed the car, because gas was ten cents cheaper a gallon in most places in Chattanooga, then we drove past the mall trying to find what sounded like it might be a stitchery shop, but it seemed to be gone. We did find out what replaced my lamented A.C. Moore (ironically a JoAnn Crafts) and the Books-a-Million (a Big Lots).

Finally we checked out Chattanooga Hobby Depot, which is mostly a train store. (I wandered around thinking that Sheldon Cooper would have loved it.) They had a cute Christmas train in the front window, with a locomotive with a red headlight and antlers (yes, it was labeled "Rudolph").

Headed home about 3:30, with rush hour already starting in Chattanooga, listening to another "Splendid Table." We had enough time to stop at Office Depot on the way home to pick up James' new printer. (It's a hell of a thing when it's cheaper to buy a new printer than to buy printer cartridges for it!) Then we went by the NAPA place to pick up the truck. James' credit card went "squeak" because while we were at McKay's they called him to say that squeak he heard when he hit the brakes was trying to tell him that they were shot. He had all four done. Ouch.

Since we had a big lunch, we had pot lucks for supper, and relaxed. Big Bang Theory was new tonight, and we had a surprise when we watched Tonight for "Headlines": Jim Parsons was a guest! Also watched an Extreme Couponing, and part of The View which had a performance from the new musical version of A Christmas Story, which is being produced by "Ralphie" himself, Peter Billingsley.

Only two more gifts to buy!!!!

Labels: books, cars, food, shopping, television, travel

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