Shopping

I took my mom food shopping this evening.  Usually she does the food shopping.  She likes to shop.  I hate to shop.  But I needed to drive her.  She’s been using my commuter car since we scrapped her old wagon.  Last weekend she ran my car into a cement planter at the church.  She did quite a bit of damage, then drove home without looking at the damage to make sure the newly flattened tire on the newly bent rim being rubbed by the newly mangled bumper was destroyed.  I confess to being short on Christmas spirit last weekend, particularly when she neglected to mention the incident until I asked her to pick something up for me.

So I finally bought her another car this morning, pictured.  It arrives Wednesday.  Small, safe, solid, and inexpensive to insure and maintain.  My own redneck version of the Lexus “December to Remember” ads with the expensive lacquered machine in the driveway wearing a giant bow.  Maybe I’ll take out some curling ribbon and put a little bow on the antenna.   

 

Back to the shopping…  I asked the checkout girl if it was normally that busy on a Sunday evening.  She and the bagger looked at each other, then studied me for a moment, and said “It’s dead tonight.”  I’ll go back under my rock now.  Oh well.  Mom then suggested that I bring the car around for the groceries, as it would be easier to make the turn from the exit up by the store.  Apparently she was unimpressed with my standard parking methodology.  Pull into the parking lot, take the first spot you see then walk.  I agreed to get the car, deciding to swing left and around the rows so I could get lined up at the curb at the store.  There was traffic in the direction I chose.  Traffic that was keeping me from getting around and back up to the store.  My language took a bad turn, Christmas spirit meets construction site.  If Rudolph had been there his nose would not have been the only thing turning red. 

Home again.  Christmas spirit is returned, courtesy of olives and rice thins purchased at the market.  If I could have found the damn gluten free croutons I’d be downright angelic right now.