Dumbest Trip Out Ever

Today, I was starting to get cabin fever. I've been staying in with the baby because I've been pretty tired. She's been a little more difficult to get to sleep for the past few days. I think she's going through a growth spurt, and her schedule is a little thrown off. She's been skipping her first morning nap, and as that's also my morning nap, that makes for a tired Kathy.

Anyway, I was looking for a new place to explore, and I found a website for a lovely-sounding street of antique and curio shops. I got directions, printed them out, packed up the forty-five pounds of baby equipment, and headed out.

I found myself on I-70 for part of it, snickering at the signs that dub it "Mark McGuire Parkway". Just seems strange to name major roads after sports stars who retired less than a decade ago.

After inching through a traffic jam, I found my destination. I was so proud of myself for finding it without getting lost even once that I didn't really look around before I parked the van and got the stroller and the B out and started to roll.

Tiny little narrow, two-story shops. Each and every one of them sporting anywhere from one enormous step to four or five just leading to the front door. Narrow, heavy doors. Lots and lots of signs saying "no strollers".

So, the baby is over twenty pounds now. Her fully-packed diaper bag is at least eight or nine more. I can't just carry her around. So, I went for a stroll up the street, looking for a shop that wasn't entirely impossible to get into.

I squeezed into a used book store, finding that the books therein are all considered rare works of art by the proprietor, even though they are regular old battered, used books that weren't especially rare. I almost laughed out loud when I checked the price on a softcover Dr. Seuss book and saw it was $27.50. It wasn't even a first edition softcover. Unless it was signed by the Grinch himself, I can't fathom what the thinking was there. I was able to get through two aisles of the bookstore before I found the rest were too narrow for the stroller.

Did I mention it was also a million jillionty degrees outside today?

I topped off my trip with a visit to the wacked-out cafe on that street, owned and operated by a few hippie-lookin' people. Now, I've got nothing against hippies, but I do have
something against hippies who make shitty food. The B had fun though, and she had her regular lunch, so her meal was great.

I finally admitted defeat and headed back home. I considered stopping at Target on the way home, but in the end, I really just wanted to get home and relax.

Worse. Trip. Out. Ever.