From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom
If you haven’t already, chances are you’ll soon be receiving one of those tax rebate checks from the government, intended to “stimulate our economy.” I think that’s just fancy talk for “buy lots of stuff” and I plan to do just that. Not sure how to spend yours? If you’re coming to L.A., there are many ways, depending on who you talk to…
If you’re my husband, the first stop would be Amoeba Records in Hollywood. I’m not sure what happens, but immediately after walking through the doors of this cavernous record store he gets a glazed look in his eyes and then disappears for hours, lost in the aisles of vintage vinyl and import cds. I’m betting if he had a supply of water and granola bars in his pocket he could stay in there for weeks at a time.
His next stop would be Guitar Center on Sunset. Even though it’s a chain, apparently the only true Guitar Center experience can be found in its flagship store in Hollywood. I have to agree, since from what I’ve seen the metal rockers there really do have the biggest hair.
My tween daughters would have a totally different plan for their windfall. (This of course, would be a fantasy sequence, where children actually had a say in how their parents’ tax rebate checks were spent.) They’d grab their Hello Kitty purses and head straight to Sugoi Life in Northridge, a mecca for anyone who loves manga and anything Japanese. They’d buy a few Pokémon figures, indulge in some Pocky Sticks (thin wafer sticks dipped in chocolate) and buy at least one plushy from their favorite movie, Totoro.
Then they’d talk me into driving across town to Menchies, where they would get the large, not the small, size of frozen yogurt. It’s a serve yourself place, where you dispense any one of their eight flavors of yogurt (they change daily) and then pile on your toppings, everything from caramel sauce to fresh fruit to Cap’n Crunch. They charge by weight, and with the remainder of the stimulus check burning a hole in their pockets my girls would heap on the gummi bears like there was no tomorrow. I’m thinking each of their cups would weigh fourteen pounds.
As for me, I hate to admit it but I would go straight to Target and spend at least half of that check. But for once, I wouldn’t spend it on detergent, or toothpaste, or Swiffer cloths or anything even remotely practical. No, I’d spend it all on myself – purses, clothes, big rings and that cute Mizrahi jacket I was eyeing the last time I was there buying detergent.
With what is leftover I would make a no-holds-barred trip to a good sushi restaurant, either Yabu or Matsuda. Usually I restrain myself from ordering too much since the bill at either of these pricey joints can easily run up into the hundreds. But with that rebate check sitting pretty in my new Target bag, I wouldn’t have to choose between the spicy tuna with jalapeño or the Kobe beef tataki – I could order it all.
How will you spend your rebate check?
This is a guest post from Yvonne Condes, a blogger in Los Angeles who specializes in gluten-free baking. She and her husband and two young boys look for moderate to easy hikes to enjoy together on the weekends. Note the many places where you can get a spectacular view of the ocean.
