Shopping

15
Dianne’s birthday is Wednesday and looks like snow tonight and perhaps off and on the rest of the week. Ahead of the cold front this morning the day was warm and sunny so I figured I would get out, fill up on gas and see if what I might find for Dianne. Make good time during the warmer morning weather and save m having to get in the cold and wet tomorrow or afterward. Besides with Dianne’s Mom and sister coming in this week, I have sneaky feeling things are going to be moving pretty fast all week long. Besides I am finding doing “Dianne shopping” eases me into the terror of Christmas shopping which I will begin in earnest next weekend.
Today I hit the mall: Dillard’s, Macys, Nordstrom’s etc. It was not chaos yet but I could sense the frenzy building. I found a parking place right off—this was a good sign. I did the stare down of a definitely able-bodied driver camped out in an “designate” parking area. He had a parking placard in his window. But, I could tell it was granny’s or someone else’s. He had the look, kind of shifty, ready to move if anyone challenged him on parking where he was. I glared all the way down to the ground. I almost got dinged using the cross walk “Really Officer that wheelchair guy came out of nowhere!” Luckily they missed or I dodged just right. Next through the food court and minions of holiday eaters, “ Don’t forget to stare, old wheelchair guy coming through” Lots of green hair and spiked do’s, leather and spikes; looking hopelessly out of place as they shop for the “straights” their punked out lives. I suppose its cool to be the family rebel but even rebels have family who need shopping for.
I bet I was a bit of a shock as I powered my chair up an down the aisles and elevators of the high end shopping Mecca’s. I only got caught twice in clothes trees, almost knocking over some really nice leather trenchcoats. I actually looked at a sweater in Nordstrom’s $240.00! $240.00 for a flimsy looking red sweater and $90.00 for shoes one sale. I was getting overwhelmed fast. I actually saw a lady pick up three of the sweaters and she did not flinch. Wow, I was out of my league, man, do these guys know how to spend. I exited the big N and got back into the mall proper and caught my breath. I was back to the almost “normals” again. Younger couples pushing double strollers over to one of three Santa photo ops I saw in different parts of the mall; Packs of non-English speakers heading over to Footlocker or any one of a number of wireless phone kiosks which have sprouted up all through the mall like toxic toad stools then there were all the seniors( sort of like me) sitting on the benches throughout the mall looking tharn and lost and slowly becoming more invisible then they already feel. And I realized there is no longer a bookstore, that I could find, in my mall! There is a Borders across the street but I hardly classify Borders as a bookstore. Borders is just a big whatever Borders. But not to have a bookstore in a mall seems almost un-American or maybe not and that is scary in and of itself. The most outrageous thing I saw on my holiday warm up: the Cinnabun in the food court has been replaced with a mini-Gold’s Gym is that too funny or what.