Consumerism, Car Culture,& Gift Cards

Just got back from our annual trip to Michael's (the crafts store) in Clackamas on 82nd. Every year we go and every year the strip is clogged with cars, brake lights glowing like the bulbs on Satan's Christmas tree; my blood pressure shoots up; I sweat the reliability of my jalopy; I swear I won't do it next year.

After 82nd we stopped at beloved Powell's on Hawthorne and what a difference! Found a parking spot a few blocks off Hawthorne and walked in the light rain to the bookstore (which was clogged with people, but that's a helluva lot better than cars), did our shopping, stopped at another shop to pick up fresh noodles for dinner... It was still hectic and overpacked, but on a human scale. Point being I think America can successfully survive the death (or crippling, at least) of the car without giving up it's love of consumerism -- a love I happily admit to sharing.

Except for gift cards.

One of the reasons we went to Michael's this year was to get a gift card for Barb's sister. I have decided I hate gift cards. If you want to give a gift card to someone, cut out the middle-man, save a piece of plastic from the landfill, and send a goddamn check. What is the difference, really? The big difference is that every penny of the amount on your check will be used.

We got a Visa gift card (basically a debit with our money on it) for my brother and there was a $5.95 service fee. I would have sent a check, except my brother can't easily cash one for reasons we don't have time to go into here.