Cozy on a Rainy Day

Finally had a good nasty cold wet day so I built a nice fire, lit the lights on the Christmas tree and had a lovely afternoon. I like this week between holidays, when nothing much is expected of me and I can just wander around. 
I did venture to Macy’s in the morning to return something, and what an experience that was! Our little shopping mall was never a huge deal, but it was a decent place to browse; things have changed. The escalator in Macy’s has been broken for some time now and is walled off with warped sheets of plywood. The water fountains aren’t working, sorry for the inconvenience. The elevator makes alarming sounds both going up and coming down. Luckily there is only one floor to access. As in most places these days, there is not enough staff. And there are big gaps in the merchandise. Housewares was pretty grim. Maybe they just did really well before the holiday and were waiting for a new shipment of stuff, but the whole place had such a dejected shabbiness that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of it closing soon. 
Hot chocolate and biscotti at home in front of the fire set things right. I think I’m in for the rest of the year.