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!