Retail Therapy

On Sunday Leif and I decided that it was time for a Momentous Purchase: Our Gumboots.

For those of you not in the know, Taihape is in fact 'The Gumboot Capital of the World'. Being newcomers to such a town we figured that life without gumboots in this town is like living in Montana without a cowboy hat. Most shops have hand-written signs asking patrons to remove their gumboots before entering.

I had not anticipated the array of gumboot choices I would be faced with. Remembering London's fad for dinky gumboots last winter I thought the biggest decision that I would face would be what colour to go for. Well, let me tell you - in Taihape gumboots come in one colour: black. None of those prissy pinks and mauves round this place. Do I go for knee-high, mid-calve or ankle? Steel caps, pure rubber or part neoprene? Snug fit or loose? Red-band, Skellerups or Sloggers? Cleated, molded or mud-grips? Lace-up or not? Overwhelmed by the selection I decided to post-pone my purchase to fully consider all the options. This was not a decision to be taken lightly.

On my way out the door I was drawn to a big Ice Breaker sale. I managed to gather in excess of $500 of goodies but couldn't decide on the colours. I asked if I could purchase them and return the ones I didn't like the next day. The woman just said to me - oh don't worry about it, just tell me your name and phone number. And so then I was allowed to take it all home without any deposit based on her trusting me. I was pretty amazed.