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Friday, January 11, 2013

I know this is petty, in the scheme of things, but ...



How can you possibly have a bad day shopping?  What's that saying?  A bad day shopping is better than a good day at work!  Well, this particular day, I think I would have rather been at work.  In a coal mine.  Aged 6.

The beginning was great.  It was a 40 degree day, but I was in an air conditioned car and about to go into a air conditioned shop.  No problems there.  Even got a parking bay undercover - should have known there was going to be a price to pay for this stroke of luck later on.

I met with Son#1 girlfriend, Ms A.  We always have fun at IKEA!  Passing the long line of mums and fidgety kids lined up for the play room, we both commented that we are glad that wasn't us!  (I had a little secret wish it was, her as Mum and me as Grandma, but only for a nano second, broken by a high pitched whining).  Despite school holidays and the office area being overrun by Mums day dreaming about kids going back to school with perfectly Swedish organised desks and bedrooms, it was not too crowded or chaotic.

Ms A and I did a few more shops, had a food hall lunch that was passable and went our separate ways, both a little weary but satisfied we had done a good days gathering - our inner cave lady would have been proud.

On my way home, I had one last errand to run. We had bought a new kettle with some Christmas vouchers we were given.  It was a lovely Sunbeam Cafe Series, to match all my other appliances.  Except it didn't.  Match that is.  When I got it home, it was red not silver like all my others!!  Dang.  So here I was, in Myers to exchange it.  Simple.  Except it wasn't.  Simple that is.  I had lost the receipt.  Upending my handbag, my purse, my pride - it was nowhere to be found.  I think the sales guy was so embarrassed for my lack of dignity as I almost wept, that he said no worries, he would exchange it without a receipt as the box had been unopened.  (it had been, that's how I discovered the RED kettle - but I was not about to spill the coffee beans). 

Feeling a little lightheaded, and on a roll with my new silver kettle, I decided that while the sales were on I would buy a new pillow (my feather one really did need replacing) and on the way out I saw my favourite dinner setting, the Royal Doulton 1815 range, on 60% off!!!  There was this lovely serving platter - cream, little handles, 60% OFF!!  Three seconds later, I was watching the chap wrap it in tissue paper while I held my Visa card enthusiastically waiting to swipe. 

Off down the escalators, past the perfume counters ... and it happened.  One minute I am feeling rather pleased with myself and my shopping prowess, the next, a kind man was helping me up from the floor and asking if I was OK?  All I could say was, 'my shoe ... my shoe broke!'  He looked at me with a mixture of concern and fear, saw I was OK and took off. 

My shoe had completely broken, so I had no choice but to take it off, which meant the other one had to come off too as they were a little high to walk with only one.  Barefoot, and shattered, I was in no mood to go shoe shopping now, so I shamefully walked out the shinny, bright Myers and to the carpark.  I could hear something odd, so stopped and examined my bags.  The creamy white platter, was in a millions pieces, still wrapped in its tissue paper!

I think  they call this 'pride comes before a fall'?  Or maybe its more like 'middle aged women should not wear wedge high heels when shopping'?

Either way, I now have lost my favorite shoes and did not even have a chance to kindle a love affair with the platter.





They are sitting on my new potting bench, I don't have the heart to throw them in the bin!

8 comments:

  1. What a day!! All you can do is laugh, although you probably don't want to hear that right now, still it is a great excuse to get a new pair of shoes :)

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  2. Oh no, I would have been devastated! Don't throw out the platter, mosaic it onto a pot plant so at least you can appreciate it in some form.

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    1. Great idea! I can do it on my new potting bench ;-)

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  3. That is devastating, I feel your pain. Yes you will laugh one day, but bargains broken, bad luck. Hope you are okay after your fall. I too had fun in Myer, not intentionally shopping but came out with $400 of Royal Doulton glassware. Really I wasn't intending to shop but you know ho hum!!!!!! xx

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    1. I think that's the worst thing Rae, when you break a bargain - it like you won, but then find out it was a mistake! Maybe best if we both stay away from the shops for a while ;-)

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  4. Damn you Supersoft. You are usually so reliable! That is about the suckiest shopping trip ever.

    I was amused about your comment about the Grandma dream and then the wailing. Such things always make me think of that scene in Father of the Bride Part 2, where Diane Keaton looks out the window and all she can see are happy families and Steve Martin looks out his side and spies nothing but tantrums and torture!

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    1. Yep, Supersoft sure let me down. They trick you with their comfort.

      LOL. Love your comment about how we all see things differently, so true.

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