Yesterday, San Francisco's first Bloomingdale's opened. My work schedule prevented me from joining the ravening hordes for more than ten minutes, but I did see enough to know that I will soon be drooling over and petting the goods - until some eagle-eye salesperson notes my thin wallet and rabid eyes and boots me out. I goggled at the Chloe boutique and stroked the Marc Jacobs boots - boots I had previously seen only on the internet. The internet, though I love it dearly, is not terribly tactile.

More thorough report to come.