OMG, I think I'm gonna puke...

I just got home from a trip to Sears with my darling brother. Some of you may remember that I did a major renovation in my basement a few years back. I STILL don't have a stove or new refrigerator in my new kitchen. Hey, it's only been 3 years, don't rush me! I also could use a new washer and dryer, since mine are both hand-me-downs (like my fridge) and are really old. Part of the reason I haven't replaced them yet is that, thanks to the quality workmanship of the past, they all still work just fine! Yeah, they're a bit of an eye-sore, but since I really didn't have the disposable income to just go out and replace them, I haven't.

However, I decided a couple of weeks ago that I needed to just bite the bullet and finally get a stove. The other 3 things could wait, as far as I was concerned. The stove, however, is a necessity. Part of the reason I did a second kitchen is because of my LOVE of baking and cooking. Well, mostly baking. ;-) When I was planning the basement, I fantasized about all the baking I'd be able to do for the holidays, especially with TWO ovens going! I purposely had a GIANT island built for the basement kitchen so I'd have plenty of space to roll dough, and cool cookies, etc. Yet, here I am, three years later, and I haven't made a thing down there because I haven't had a stove. Argh!

Like I said, I decided it was time to buy a stove. I spent some time researching prices online. I even went shopping on Veterans' Day, as there are always so many sales. (What that has to do with honoring veterans I'll never know, but that's another post all together...) I found a basic, no-frills stove at Sears that was very reasonably priced - $319. How do you beat that, right?

My brother has a friend who works for Sears. While I was shopping, I texted my brother the model numbers of the stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer I liked, and his friend was going to see what he could do for me. While I was waiting to hear back from them, I decided I was only going to get the stove because, who the hell did I think I was, spending so much money that I didn't have, on things I didn't really need?

My brother and I made plans to meet at his friend's store, and when we got there, I told my brother that I was only going to buy the stove for now, since that's the only thing I really needed. The other things were 'wants' not 'needs.' Long story short, I walked out with a receipt for a (nicer than I picked out!!) stove, refrigerator, high-efficiency washer and dryer, ALL paid for by my baby brother. Hence the title of this post.... I'm seriously sick over it. I've had a knot in my stomach for an hour now, accompanied by some delightful nausea. I don't like to spend that kind of money on a whim. Even if it's not mine! Now, my brother did owe me some money, but these things came to 3 times what he owed me. He said the rest was a "thank you" for lending him the money in the first place. He is something else, that guy.

If all goes well, my showroom of new appliances will be here on Tuesday. Maybe by then the nausea will have subsided....