the yoga monster

Today I was happily walking home on Rue. Sainte Catharine in the shopping district downtown after a great discipleship group - the 1st year girls one @ McGill. We had a great time discussing different ways we can connect with God each week since it's easy to fall into the whole "I'm too busy slash bored with my normal routine" thing. I think we all really benefited from the ideas thrown on the table, anywhere from "Listen to U2, they're like sooo Christian!" to different authors to check out, different styles of journal-ing to incorporate your prayers, thoughts, struggles, etc. Truly inspirational and I'm actually listening to the song "Forty", performed live in Brazil by U2 (link ), and plan to have a nice time of reading my Bible and journal-ing in a minute as a result.

Anyway, I've got a bit sidetracked, the whole point of this blog wasn't to talk about DG, but oh it was a goodie. So I'm walking home passing such great stores promising 50% off or as they read: jusqu'a 50% rabais! en francais. I was feeling thankful for such a great DG and also that as the semester is coming to a close maybe I deserve a treat, not like a new winter coat or anything (read: I forced myself to not look at them because they were all glistening and gorgeous and my husband would kill me) but maybe just a new head band or something. You know, a treat, because it's been a great semester of hard work, but great progress at work and my parents always celebrated victories of progress with us whether it was a report card, a personal best time in track, or completing a semester of university unscathed.

So I turn into LuLu Lemon. JOY. I love that store. It's expensive, but the clothes are such amazing quality that it's totally worth it. We're talking AMAZING. Like 2 years ago I was in BC and my 4-year-old LuLu zip-up jacket that they tell you "don't EVER put in the dryer" was in the dryer for like the 32,423,0000th time, and the zipper FINALLY shattered. I mean seriously, I was asking for that, years earlier. I wasn't even that sad because the jacket was white-turned-yellowy-brown-yuck as I'd worn it out like crazy over the course of those 4 years. But what the heck, I took it to the local LuLu to see if perhaps they could replace the zipper. Because I have THAT MUCH nerve. But that's just what they did! They shipped it away to be fixed and sent it back to my home in Ontario 2 weeks later! Are they looking to be trampled on?? Because I felt like I was the abuser in an unhealthy relationship or something...

Nonetheless, I continued in my destructive ways, and the zipper soon thereafter was fraying from the bottom up. Again, I wasn't surprised nor disappointed. This jacket had given me all it had. I had abused it, over-worn it, and thoroughly enjoyed it for 4 years. It could go now. I'm ready. Turn off the machine.. I mean, wait. I'll try one more time to see if I can suck anything out of good old LuLu, maybe a free water bottle or something. Yup, there's no end to my frugality or nerve.

Apologetically the sales girl told me "it can't be fixed, there's nothing we can do". I saw this coming. What I didn't see coming were her next words... "BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU A CASH REFUND, IF THAT'S OK WITH YOU MA'AM". MA'AM!? You can call me whatever you want!! FULL CASH REFUND? FULL CASH REFUND people! And not even from the discounted price that surely it had slipped to in the FOUR years since I'd bought it. Full refund. The $115 was MINE again, after I had used and abused that poor jacket for 4 years, I could just turn it in for a shiny new one! I'm a MONSTER! A monster with a new teal zip-up jacket that won't show the stains (read bruises) as well as his deceased white friend.

So yeah, It's expensive, but this company is as loyal as my best friend Missy and that's saying a LOT. SO I wander in. Of course they're selling their glorious, long-torso-ed $54 and $58 work out tank tops for $29 and $39. Of course. So I try them on. Perfection. A black one and a coral one, both fitting perfectly, both flowing style over the stomach, so I could wear them if I had a baby bump, both needing to be owned by me. My mom shortly thereafter receives a text "so I found some great LuLu tops, and they're $29 and $39, so if you're looking for gift ideas..." My mother knows the value of a great LuLu anything, and I took those babies home where they will surely be used and abused until they simply cannot take it anymore, which is when I'll probably trade them in for a newer model and forget I ever loved them. Yup, I'm a monster. A yoga-clad monster.