Handbags, purses and toolboxes, oh my!

Never send a man to do a woman's job. You'd think I would have figured that out by now, but I haven't made my quota of mistakes just yet. Somehow I got it into my head to buy my friend a handbag. It seemed simple enough. I've never had a problem buying toolboxes, cabinets or file folders, so how hard would it be to pick up a handbag? "I would like to buy a handbag for a friend, please." "What kind of handbag," the smiling sales lady asked helpfully. "Uh...one that carries stuff in it, I suppose. Is there any other kind?" "There are very many kinds," SalesLady enthused. "There is at least one for every occasion and several for every personality. What is your friend like?" I tried to think. Unfortunately, the only thought that wandered into my cerebrum was that maybe I should go across the street to the hardware store and just buy her a sturdy 205-piece socket set on sale for $74.99. "Is she a bit wild?" SalesLady probed. "If so, we have these exciting leopard print handbags. They are perfect for howling out on the town." I tried to picture a leopard wandering into the bookshop caf