Lenten Check-in

When I committed to Compacting for Lent, I made a number of caveats. I was going to let myself buy a couple of beachy items I thought I would need for an upcoming Caribbean vacation: shorts, a swim suit, and a rash guard to keep my pasty skin from burning as we snorkel and surf.

As it turns out, I didn't need all those caveats. The outdoor sports store, unbeknownst to us, stops carrying sunshine gear like rash guards during snowboarding season, so buying one of those here is not even an option. And my shorts do still fit me, as does my one piece bathing suit. I have a couple of bikini bottoms that fit slick, though I could do with a slightly larger bikini top (am I a late bloomer, or just more modest than the last time I wore that thing?) But alas, REI does not sell orphaned tops for two-pieces, and all the tops at Target are those irritating halter styles that always give me a welt where the knot digs in to the back of my neck. Maybe we can find a nice nude beach an obviate my search for a top piece.

At any rate, either through lack of need or lack of opportunity, no pre-trip retail for me. Through no effort of my own, the Compact lives on.