The running of the…
No bull.
Just them. Those.
It’s the Annual Running of the….
Not one to stick head in sand.
(1911.Valentine and Sons/US PD:publication date/no copyright/Commons.wikimedia.org)
NO! Not Members of Congress.
(Although with another break coming up they are off and running….mouths and other parts.)
Event preparations in progress.
“I hear streaks are in. Did you hear streaks are in? What color streaks are in?”
(Land Management Bureau/US PD:gov.employee/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Some heifers and fillies fidgeting in wild-eyed anticipation.
Hoofing it to be first.
Getting those glorious manes and pony tails done.
Weeks of covert planning: late night phone calls and interrupting tweets.
(Delete message after reading. DELETE. DELETE! Don’t tell the others!)
It’s the Annual Running of the….
Hey, cowboy. Is the bull really in charge here?
(Cszmurlo/ Commons.wikimedia.org)
NO! It’s not the Texas Legislature.
(Done finished gettin’ to the lesser stuff. Like highway funding. Helping Seniors.)
Thought it was clear: no bull….
Plenty of fear and exhaustion.
Persistence, a prerequisite.
Good judgment, not so.
Tiring. All the meetings in the shadows. Huddling over strategies.
Bickering over budgets and how the money should be spent.
It’s the Annual Running of the….
The elephant in the room: what the people want.
(Nils Rinaldi/Flickr.5157809483/Commons.wikimedia.org)
NO! It’s not politicians, the City of Houston, or Metro.
Those all too absorbed arguing over the routes for expansion of light rail.
Despite the voters voting years ago to build one down Westpark where there’s already land and room for it without bothering anyone’s home or business.
Politicians sometimes like a bull in a china shop. Busy thrashing around, ignoring the damage.
But NO! It’s even more…more…more…. Sin toro! Sin toro!
(It’s Texas. Get used to the Spanish.)
“Mom, I told you we should have gotten up earlier!”
(Oxley Library.Queensland/PD expired copyright/Commons.wikimedia.org)
It’s the Annual Running of the Credit Cards.
Texas Tax Free Weekend for back to school shopping.
Everything’s on sale to keep it under the price point of $100.00.
Plastic! Plastic! Arms full of plastic!
(Well, charge now, pay later is so easy. Bag? Yes, of course.)
Only the brave venture out into the battleground of mall parking lots.
(Lease a Hummer? Borrow the 150? Share a chauffeured limo for a real Girls’ Day Out?)
“Anyone see a parking spot, yet? Is that woman about to leave?”
(Hisgett, UK/ Commons.wikimedia.org)
Only the hardy brave the crush as the doors open at midnight.
(Open 24 hours for your shopping pleasure! Pleasure. Might want to check that definition.)
Only the strong hoist the newspaper packed with glossy beguiling ads.
(Odd all the cheaply made goods normally below consideration except during a buying frenzy.)
Only the jaded ignore the smart phone emails urging “special limited time offers”.
(Shop appeal. Peel that top price sticker off to check the sale price is lower than the original.)
Sure, it’s got a limited season, but what a bargain!
(2005.Saharadesertfox/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Only sensible thing to do?
Stay out of the running.
Destination beach.
Running towards empty.
No bull.
(Una cerveza, por favor. And turn those Hatch chilies on the grill.)
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.
See all those TSA lines were practical practice for something after all!
(1954.Oxley/Queensland State Library/PD:expired copyright/Commons.wikimedia.org)
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
A tax-free weekend??? Colorado should enact one…
Love your prose! Hilarious…
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It’s an insane weekend. The crowds and all the “rules” drive people nuts: lunch boxes are tax free but a thermos by its’ self is taxable. Shoes and athletic shoes are tax free, but shoes with cleats are taxable. So what’s a parent going to do after standing in line only to find out something the kid stuck in the pile is taxable?
Back to school adventures. Good reason to head the other way….hmmm, hiking shoes on line…
Thanks for running by
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Whooooooosh!
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It’s the same here with the “rules – they don’t make much sense to me. Our schools here started classes last week, but OKC and Lawton areas start next week. I’ll put off shopping until after the kids are back in school!
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Shopping after school starts makes so much sense – you have all the supply lists ( and, boy, have those list gotten long and costly) and the kids have a chance to look around at what the other kids are actually wearing instead of what the stores want to sell. (lessen the chance of buying clothing that never gets out of the closet)
One year the legislature had tax-free weekend after school started and the merchants went nuts and screamed like crazy. They want a looooong back to school buying season. Seems a little unfair to parents.
Anyway, it’s back to school frenzy even if it is 100 degrees. Thanks for dodging the crowds and stopping to chat
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Lord love a duck! What a nightmare of a weekend it must be. Not a fan of shopping to begin with, so if I were there I’d be joining you on the beach.
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It’s totally nuts – and the traffic will be crazy, too. Great time to go to the grocery store though. We’ll put a shrimp on the barbee for ya’. Thanks for lounging in sympathy
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Despite the deals, these are the type of events I bypass. I don’t enjoy shopping on a lightly populated day. But when the masses are hustling and bustling about? Well, you won’t find me there. 🙂
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The first couple of years there were bargains, then stores realized frenzied shoppers/teens/tired moms will buy anything – so they brought in lesser merchandise and saved their “new/trendy’fall” items for after the sales as they know kids always “need” more – and the odd “sales”price tags that were higher than normal prices started. Maybe saving $8.00 for every $100.00 is worth the struggle for some, but not me. If I had a huge family and all those supplies to buy, maybe. Good time to visit places where shoppers won’t be. Thanks for running by – have a great weekend
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LOL. I remember tax free week in NYC. It was intense. 🙂
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It’s always fun to read what is included as tax-free and what isn’t. Hand gel is tax free, but tissues/kleenex isn’t. It’s like a scavenger hunt with a list! Thanks for stopping by
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I tend to ignore the tax-free weekends here. But I know people who will drive to Delaware, which has no sale tax at all for their big shopping needs. You just have to bring it back with you. If they deliver a product to Maryland, you have to pay the tax.
What so many people don’t seem to realize is that all stores who have “sales” will mark up the “everyday” prices. So when no one buys at “full” price, do they really think the stores are taking smaller profits by having sales?! It’s no less a game than an exotic bazaar full of haggling merchants and customers!
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People here sometimes shop different malls for big ticket items to avoid paying higher city of Houston sales tax and the variations in surrounding county taxes. Everyday stuff, it’s not worth it. Guess Delaware probably gets lots of traffic during peak buying times. We actually had our sailboat registered in Delaware – but we did have family there, too!
Shopping is getting to be such a maze with all the marketing/pricing systems. It’s definitely buyer beware these days.
Thanks for rolling the comment cart over this way
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Interesting coincidence… I’ve been thinking about post on an odd form of animal conveyance and your first image just reminded me of it.
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I’ve seen ostrich races somewhere some time – Recently I’ve seen people actually riding them in races, but I thought the carts had 2 big wheels instead of 4…still looking. They area such funny birds…wonder if they steer of if you just have to go where they want? can’t wait to see what rides in over at your place
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Sounds as bad as Black Friday! In NJ most clothes and footwear are exempt from sales tax. I guess that spares us these insane tax-free shopping weekends and 7%.
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The event started out as a help with school supplies and basic clothing/shoes – then the list of items became more elaborate and odd – (one year underwear wasn’t included, but I think Victoria Secret did some lobbying). Back to school cost so much these day – unreal. Thanks for steering the comment cart this way
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I was thinking a tax-free weekend sounded like a good idea … until I read some of the comments. It does sound as bad as Black Friday, and I won’t go near a mall between Black Friday and mid-January. Glad I don’t still have kidlets around to shop for.
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It’s a good idea, but you just need to avoid the crowded mall and big shopping areas – smaller merchants/store offer savings, too and it’s easier to park. Target last year wasn’t a big problem. (Maybe the time of day?) One good thing is that there are fewer people at the grocery store. I pity the parents of teens who feel like stores this weekend are a great adventure.
Thanks for stopping by
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Back-to-school sales are sure to be more vicious than any rodeo or political arena!
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Some smart stores were letting people shop early and put stuff in lay-away to pick up this weekend. And some on-line retailers were having sales with free shipping and no tax in Texas. Creative shopping this weekend. Thanks for poking around the comment section
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Thanks for giving me a reason to.
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Well, speaking of shopping… If you haven’t seen this, you simply must. It takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud for real while reading the interwebz, but this did it.
The traffic around Target wasn’t too bad today, but I didn’t even make a turn into the parking lot. If I need anything, Wednesday afternoon seems a good time to shop.
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That was quite a laugh! Thanks for the heads up.
Odd the shopping mania didn’t seem as crazy as usual – but we stayed clear of the stores except quick stop at Target. On Friday Target had stuffed in rows of extra clothing racks – it had cleared out a bit by the time we got there. You know school is starting soon – the kids are wrapping houses belonging to drill team/band members.
It seemed cooler for 35 seconds this morning..inch by inch fall is arriving. Thanks for hopping over
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Clever! Here it will cost you 5-cents for each bag you want to put those tax free purchases in….
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Some places charge for plastic bags here – but it’s usually such a small amount it won’t encourage anyone to not request bags. Stores here in several states with plastic bag bans are trying to do about all the shop lifting being done with customer’s cloth bags. Hard to sort people out. Thanks for running over to chat.
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If only the experience of back to school shopping was as entertaining and delightful as your posts. The photo captions had me laughing. Tax free back to school shopping isn’t a concept Australia adopts… so it was quite novel to hear of it. but I believe (luckily not having kids do not experience) it’s still a stressful, expensive exercise. I do have childhood memories though of being dragged through the shops in late January. in the heat – no aircon back then, too late – only days before school looking for black leather school shoes that all parties would agree on.
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Back to school shoe shopping was an ordeal as I have narrow feet and shoes didn’t fit well. But my mother wasn’t a shopper and we didn’t get to wander around. It was more like find “something here or do without.” On line shopping would have been so welcomed! Thanks for stuffing a comment in the bag here!
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I “mostly” avoided all the crazed shoppers and then I decided “we NEED a small cooler” for no real good reason, but it became a quest. I think I may be alone in this, but when I hear tax free weekend I think “that’s a lot of elbowing to save $8.25 on a $100 purchase when I can save $100 and not get jostled!”
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Well, at the end of the summer who doesn’t need a small cooler? All those fall outings.
We headed to Target but stayed clear of the clothing and school supplies. It looked like the locus had already been through and gone. Whew! Now we only have to dodge the teen drivers during their final free days/nights….and those wrapping houses of band members/drill team under cover of night.
Yep, fall is here. Thanks for falling over to chat
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Too bad the taxes saved won’t cover the trip to the ER after being trampled. The concept is good, but crowds are not 🙂 Here, there have been stores that had ‘save the sales tax’ sales where they supposedly paid the taxes…I always figured they raised the prices to make up for it. I guess I’m a bit cynical.
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Considering the mark-up some stores place on items, they probably can afford to pay the tax? It looks like shoppers are being budget careful here. It is just mind boggling how expensive all the school supplies are – then clothes on top of that? An exhausting time of year for sure. Thanks for gathering up a comment for here
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