Well, it's every climbers favorite time of year, REI dividend time! I had gone over in my head what I wanted to spend my dividend on. A few cams? A tent (after all these years I still don't have one)? A rope (ended up buying this a week ago... before dividends...)? Well, today I decided on new boots. So, I headed down to my friendly neighborhood REI to try some on. There were a few pairs I was eying while helping Matthew pick out a pair. The first pair I tried was terribly uncomfortable... So, I skipped over it. I ended up buying the
Vasque Switchback. They immediately felt comfortable. I imagine that after breaking them in, they will simply be an extension of my foot. Way better than my original boots that I got about three and a half years ago. The sole is actually Vibram rubber, the tread pattern way better. More ankle support and such. Good stuff.
The cost of the boots is $160. Kinda steep, but worth it for a really good pair of boots. I used a 20% off coupon however, so that brought it down to $128. Add on a $6 can of water repellent, and the total was $143.11 with tax. Enter dividend! I received a member dividend of $125.36 this year. That is huge! I have my REI visa to thank, mostly. 1% back on every gallon of gas I bought certainly padded my dividend a bit. So, the total I had to pay was $17.75, not bad for a brand new pair of hiking boots.
Of course nothing can go smoothly though. When I was originally rung up, the cashier applied the 20% off to the water repellent, saving me $1 instead of $32. That isn't anywhere near acceptable. But, I caught it before even leaving the door, and they were all kinds of accommodating, so it worked out in the end. I applied the first coat of waterproofing a few minutes ago. Now I just need to wait for it to dry, probably apply a second, and then let that cure... I guess in a few days I will be able to wear them. Good thing I don't have anything going for a bit.