My dad says, “50 is the new 90.” I say shopping is the new TV. Today just for something to do we headed out of the house to drop some cash, which we rarely do.
First stop: The bread store. We are now a family who buys 10 loaves of bread at a time, plus various buns, cinnamon bread and French bread.
Next stop: JC Penney Home Store for a mattress/box spring, recliner and a round of pillows for everyone. Aron’s had our only chair for about 16 years. It eats remote controls, so one day in a postpartum fit I tuned the chair over, cut a big slit in the bottom of the chair and retrieved my beloved remote. It will be on the curb with a FREE sign on it soon. I’m not even messing with
freecycle.
Before kids, Aron and I would spend HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS looking for the perfect sofa sleeper, shades, dresser. The problem is that I have retro taste and am cheap. He likes to buy classy, nice things (to put in our ‘80s decorated house). We don’t speak the same language. I am missing the girlie decorating gene. He apparently has mine.
Today I made it clear we needed to do this QUICKLY. He could’ve gone shopping without me, frankly. Because I JUST DON’T CARE that much about stuff like that and don’t enjoy controlling children in stores. He shopped for the mattress; I found a recliner in 10 seconds. My criteria: cheap, indestructible, thick fabric. We can buy nice furniture when our kids have moved out and then spend our days yelling at the grandkids to get off the furniture. I’m thinking plastic covers and plastic carpet runners. JUST KIDDING!
I, who hates to shop, got some kitchen towels since most of mine are fit to be burned. Here’s one:
I’ve actually considered buying an APRON. I watched a lot of
Swingtown last week.
Let me stop here to do a plug for
freecycle.org. Signing up is a pain, and you may get a ton of e-mail, but it is worth it when you so easily can get rid of a mattress to someone in need or post something that YOU want. I have posted that I’m looking for a laptop computer. Every writer should have one, right?
Last stop: Pizza Shoppe for dinner. WHY WHY WHY do restaurants have a bell that goes off when someone comes and goes? Kids LOVE those things. They are an instrument of annoyal (nominate that word for the next edition of Webster’s). Is it so hard to just BE at the front to SEE if customers come in? Must be.
Tomorrow = 2 things we didn’t get to do with Aron all summer: the zoo and the drive-in.
