For my money, or rather lack of it, the best workday to sneak out for lunch is Thursday. There’s an early uplifted feeling of the weekend, without the Friday rush to get work done before goofing off. It’s also the day to catch Sonic Lunch, the free summer concert series in Liberty Plaza; with the summer waning, free events would be harder to find, so I soaked up every bit of them like I do the late-August sunshine. Armed with a 10-dollar bill, I hopped on the bus, Liberty-bound.

The attitude and ethos of outdoor events always appeals to me. The beatific attitude of people enjoying the basic tenets of music and good weather, the chicanery of shaded spot thievery—and best of all, the bring-your-own-food mentality. Le Dog, intuiting that a summer concert is the perfect opportunity for street food, offers a Sonic Lunch Special: soup, a turkey dog and lemonade for $6. However, I was leery of dropping half my cash for food yet again — and as long as it was still hot in the shade, a snack would do. I moseyed up to the small red shack next to Mr. Kim’s and got myself one turkey dog with a load of onions and mustard, my cheapest lunch yet.

The square was crammed with people; some ditching work, some walking by, some dutiful fans of the band. Martin Bandyke gave a short intro; it was strange to see the actual person behind the disembodied voice through my radio, and that he really does wear that hat. After enjoying the music and petting a few dogs (I can’t resist, ever), I looked for some entertainment, a bit dizzy that after a full hour, I still had most of my 10 left.

My sister’s birthday was coming up, and I was determined to spend my remaining cash on her present. I wanted to make a simple but decent purchase; one that doesn’t say “I’m on a spending limit,” but rather, “It’s not much, but it’s not nothing.” ACME Mercantile drew me in much the same way 826 had: with its bright colors and wild array of random objects. I squealed upon finding a deck of playing cards with a different cat breed on every card (I had no idea there were more than five, but there you are); my sister is starting veterinary school and will need flash cards. Also, two words: cat poker.

The cards were 20 percent off, so that left me with a little under $3. I resisted buying yet more pins at the checkout (rebus buttons are my weakness), and struck out to see what else I could take home.

I realize I am inviting pointed objects be thrown at my head for this, but: I have never actually entered the Dawn Treader bookshop. Everything I have ever purchased from them has been on a rack outside the door. Today my luck did not hold: unless I wanted every copy of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, I was going home empty-handed. I noticed more racks just within the door—one dollar each, as usual. With tax, I could get two.

The first was easy: I selected Pride and Prejudice because the Dover Thrift editions remind me of my college days, and this one’s peacock wallpaper cover did not disappoint. I dithered over a fairly worn copy of Davis Sedaris’ Barrel Fever, but opted instead for the ostensibly innocent yet vaguely homoerotic drawings of the Gigantic Dinosaur Fun coloring book. I was now out of money—fortunately, since I love the smell of old books so violently that only copious amounts of Benadryl kept me from offering rent.

Turkey dog - $1.50 Playing cards - $5.59 Secondhand books - $2.12 Photo: Sonic Lunch in Liberty Square

Sarah Smallwood is a freelance writer living and working in Ann Arbor. She is currently rewriting her first novel, keeps a daily blog at The Other Shoe and hosts a podcast at Stuff with Things. She can be reached at heybeedoo at gmail dot com.