Adventures in Shopping

Today was exciting, but then again, shopping is always an adventure for me because I am a calamity magnet. :)

I went shopping to "Ross – Dress for Less" because I needed to look for a dog bed and bowls for the dog my sister just acquired. They have had a decent selection of both on times I've been there previously, so I thought this a great place to start. Unfortunately for my sister (or more truthfully, her dog) I got sidetracked and ended up shopping for me instead. As I arrived they had just finished adding new items to the ‘new arrivals’ rack of designer label clothing. I got sucked into the Tommy/Ralph/Liz Claiborne vortex and didn’t get out for a good two hours. I found and bought some great clothes, as well as some stinkers, which are going back tomorrow. I hate fitting rooms without the rear-view mirrors. That’s great if it looks good from the front, but it needs to have a good view from the rear too, or else, why buy it?

While I was shopping, I had the usual bizarre encounter. I was standing at a 4 sided rack looking at a sweater. This woman walked over and began looking at the sweaters directly across from me. I put a sweater back on the rack just as the woman held up a sweater and said “isn’t this the one you were just looking at?”

I glanced up as she said again “isn’t this the one you were looking at?”
It wasn’t, but I just said “that’s really cute.”
“This one, right?”
I said again “that’s really cute” at the same time as her friend behind me said “Yes, I think that’s it.” I casually moved away, snickering to myself.

Classic Sharondarella encounter, as is this next one, which occurred in the next store: Target.

I recently acquired a few pieces from Rachel Ashwell's Simply Shabby Chic line carried at Target. (The stuff is adorable, in case you haven’t seen it.) But I was missing a few items and I thought I’d see if this particular Target had them in stock, so in I went. However, a pit stop was needed, so I headed that way before beginning the shopping experience.

I went in and saw there were three stalls: two normal sized ones and one oversized, handicapped one. I peeked underneath and could see feet in the first two stalls so I went over to the handicapped one and tried the door. It was unlocked so I pushed the door in and recoiled in horror at the sight of a woman who was obviously occupying the stall, and was at that very moment in the process of bending herself into a pretzel in the attempt to reach the toilet paper. “OH! I’M SORRY!” I backed out and pulled the door, simply mortified. The woman in there said “that’s okay.” as if it was no big deal, which really, it wasn’t, I was just relieved she also thought it to be not a big deal. My nightmare would be opening the door and have someone scream; it’s happened to me before, but that’s another story. Heee-heeee!

Meanwhile, I stood there, praying that one of the people in the other stalls would finish before the woman in the handicapped stall, because I didn’t want to have to apologize again. Luckily for me, one of the other stalls freed up and I scurried inside as soon as the other occupant vacated. In case I haven’t mentioned this in previous posts, it’s a given that “I’m sorry” will be carved on my tombstone because I’ve been brought up to apologize for everything! Luckily I didn’t have to more than once this time. ;D