The shopping gods were with me.

On Monday, I bought 3 long-sleeved T-Shirts at The Gap; as I picked up the pen to sign the charge receipt I remembered something. "When does tax-free week start?" "Tomorrow," the clerk replied. I'd have to do a return and re-select... I guessed it was the price I'd have to pay for my "senior moment" (what girl forgets a sale?) "But if you call this 800 number and do a survey, you'll get a code for another 10% off." That made me feel better.

So, next day, before I go make the return, I go to pick out 2 new shirts and, look! 2 for $30 instead of $19.50 each. I could get 4, these are such basics. Here's a white, and I didn't see this pink yesterday. I'll get one of those. But I can't find my other colors (or, more accurately, non-colors: black and grey). Salesclerk (or maybe she was a manager, she had a busy but helpful air of authority) told me that I had 2 different styles and that the others were on the other side of the floor, by the cash register (and what's that machine right next to you called?) and I could pay for everything over there (Yes, that is a very nice way of saying, "leave me alone, I'm busy!").

So I pick out 2 more shirts, and the salesclerk (the real one, on the other side of the floor at the real cash register) starts ringing things up. Return, return, return; purchase, purchase, purchase, purchase; discount, discount; tax rebate; oh, and special 10% off everything. My total came to -$1.44! I got paid for my trouble! Buy 3 get 1 free! Bonanza!