Mud Bath

This weekend's children's resale event at the DuPage County Fairgrounds is legendary amongst local frugal parents. How I've escaped attendance these last 2 1/2 years is beyond me. This morning I braved the weather, heading out with a wallet full of cash, high hopes and wheeled luggage to help me schlep my loot. With a departure time of 6:45 a.m. I was either fully committed or crazy. What's not to like about the idea of reduce, reuse and recycle? Particularly when it comes to the short-lived items in a child's world. My sedan certainly stuck out in the caravan of minivans leading to the fairgrounds. Lines of rain-soaked mothers toting laundry baskets and hampers sporting a steely look of determination pushed past. Once inside, it got ugly. Elbows were being thrown. It was like Gizmo had been fed after midnight. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the hunt and I love a good bargain...but I ended up leaving thirty minutes later with $7.50 in merchandise and my dignity. It turns out I left just in time. The parking lot had turned into mud, mini vans were spinning their wheels and I was thankfully headed home.