The very worst time during the week to try to run errands is on your lunch hour during the business day.
It's really the very, very, worst time EXCEPT FOR SUNDAY.
Today, I had to do a relatively simple task: return two pairs of pants to a department store for one of the kids because "I don't like the way they feel". Simple, yes?
NO!
The line up in the department store for a cashier was about 10 people long. And when I say 10 people, what I really mean is 10 grandmothers from every culture, colour and background imaginable. And each one had her item, her problems with the debit card, or a better, bigger more earnest explanation of why she deserved the extra 10 or 15% off.
All this, while I am waiting with a male child in the line.
You know how men hate shopping? Well, boys hate it even more. And explaining "if you want to have clothes to wear, someone needs to buy them" just doesn't cut it with kids. Funny, it doesn't work that well with the husband either.
Anyway, the granny immediately in front of me had to have been about 75 years old. She was wearing jeans, running shoes and a light jacket. Her hair was teased way high up, dyed jet black and her make-up was elaborate, bordering on clownish.
She showed me the dress that she was putting on hold until tomorrow, because "it's going to be marked down tomorrow". Now, I have no idea how she got her inside information, but I decided to just run with it.
I nodded sympathetically and said "good idea".
She said "I have to get it, even though it's for only one night and even though it's very matronly, but I'm not paying $136 bucks for it."
Now, this dress was sleeveless, and the upper part was entirely sequins-it was SPARKLY. And, it was made for relatively subtle views of decolletage. If I were to wear such a frock, I would consider it rather daring, evening wear.
Matronly?
Gotta love hot to trot grannies I guess.
Anyway, the moral of my Sunday afternoon is two-fold:
First: never go to department stores on Sundays, and second-never pick the self-check out line up at the library even if there are only two librarians at the 'full service' check out because the self-check always has more morons in line.
You're welcome.
