Heatherina

An addiction?

My boyfriend thinks I have a problem with online shopping. Maybe I do. I just recently discovered online shopping thanks to my roommate, who could have an Olympic gold in it. Here’s the thing: I absolutely, completely, to the depths of my soul, HATE shopping. I have about a 1 hour shopping tolerance (unless it’s at a grocery store). And shopping in New York City is the biggest nightmare imaginable. That last statement may be confusing to those who don’t live in the greater NYC area because everyone makes pilgrimages to NYC specifically for the great shopping. However, that’s what makes shopping here so terrible. Do you know how annoying it is to try to buy something simple after work when every store is milling with mesmerised tourists? And even if the stores aren’t filled with tourists, they are still usually filled with people. I got a run in a pair of tights (tights, not hose, there is a difference) one day, so I ran across the street to K-mart to grab another pair and it was a 20 minute process to check out because people don’t understand lines, conveyor belts, or credit card machines. So, magnify that process times 50 when you actually need to buy clothing. Particularly if it needs to fit, which requires going to a fitting room where the high school kids running it could not care less that there are 5 open rooms and a line of 30 people who’ve been waiting at least 10 minutes because the running back cheated on the head cheerleader.

So, more out of frustration than anything else did I first start my online shopping. And it turned out really well. I shopped only at places where I knew exactly what size I would wear and I didn’t bother with things that needed to fit perfectly like jeans or blazers. And I found that if you order with well-known stores that do alot of online business, they make returns really simple.

Well, as of recently, since I’ve been confined to my apartment, I’ve been doing ALOT more online shopping. But not just clothing shopping. I shop for everything online from drapes to specialty marinades to heating pads to books. I really like being able to read reviews and compare prices with the click of a mouse, but really I like the freedom of not having to rely on anyone else. Since I can’t leave most days, and when I do leave I need assistance, I think I like just being able to do things for myself. And ordering online allows me to be totally in control.

Lately, though, we’ve been getting boxes from various shipping organizations daily, leaving Jesse exasperated. He actually said, “I just wish there was one day when we didn’t get a box in the mail.” Which is understandable since whenever something arrives he has to run down the 3 flights of stairs to sign for it and then haul whatever it is I ordered back up those 3 flights. But in my own defense, my birthday just recently passed, so not everything we’ve been getting is something I ordered. I also receive my medicines via FedEx, so they take some of the blame. But while perusing online recently at Target.com, he said to me “I think you have an online shopping problem.” So now, I’m hesitant. Do I have a shopping problem? I mean, I can justify all of my purchases, but can’t any addict justify their behavior? Or at least make excuses?

So I’m taking a break from online shopping. My last purchase is going to be the vegetarian cookbooks I’m ordering from Amazon. And I’m shifting my focus. Instead of researching the best closet re-organizers, I’m going to research recipes with new ingredients and work more on my diet and health, which I’ve let go.

Since I haven’t been able to get around easily, I haven’t done alot of my own cooking. And although I try to make good choices and vary my diet, I hate letting other people control my meals. And even the healthiest take-out, isn’t as healthy as cooking fresh foods yourself. So now I’m looking into doing more easy-prep meals that involve either casseroles or oven-roasting and meals in the slow cooker so I can sit and chop all my veggies and just put everything in one pot or pan that I don’t have to constantly monitor or stand over.

Am I an addict? I don’t know. But it is fun to open packages!