Walking Backwards

Joe is going to kill me. No really, he is. I went out today to buy all of my mother day cards, gifts, and Amber's graduation gift. I ended up spending just over $300 on Amber's gift. I didn't mean to. I don't know what to do. Joe and I has decided to get her jewelry and had set a one-hundred dollar price limit. That should have been fine as what we were looking for had several items at or under that price on several jewelry store websites. So I went to the mall with my super cranky toddler in tow and started shopping. I bought all twelve of my mother's day cards and a cookie for the little one. The entire time I am nursing a fairly nasty sleeping-pill hangover, mind you. Well, it turns out the first and second jewelry stores don't have anything similar to what we're looking for. The third jewelry store offers to have some of their pieces reset to match what I'm looking for but it might take two-three weeks. Finally, at the ninth jewelry store I find what I want. Nicholas is screaming and writhing around in his stroller, throwing half-masticated bits of cookie at me. The jewelry store owner comes out to look at my screaming baby. I ask the sales clerk to see four pieces of jewelry and for the prices of each. I swear she said it was ninety-nine dollars. So I say wrap it up, sign the ticket and try to run out the door in the most dignified way possible. As soon as I get to the car, I pull all of the receipts out of my pocket to put them in my wallet and see that the item I bought wasn't ninety-nine dollars, but two-hundred and ninety-nine dollars. I have no idea if I can return the item, or what to do if I can't. Today is the last day that I have a chance to shop for her gift as well. Today has not been my day, and I have yet to tell Joe. That is going to be a fun phone call.