I went with my wife and her mother to shop at Serramonte today.
My wife was not insistent on me going but something in the tone of her voice made me feel as if it would please her if I went along. I really did not want to come along. But I acquiesced as usual and dressed up for the day's activities.
It's a good thing for her 87 year old mother to get out of her apartment from time to time. She's boxed up in there without any social life to speak of. When she get our, she uses a motorized wheelchair called a "Go-Go" to get around when we are out. So my wife and I assembled it in the parking lot at Serramonte and away we went.
My wife likes to shop at XXI. I hate hanging around while she rifles trough racks upon racks of clothes. So we decided to part ways and touch base by telephone when we were ready to all come together. Her mother had already whirled away in her Go-Go.
I wandered up and down the rows upon rows of stores and little shops. I came upon a jeweler and the thought occurred to me to buy her a replacement chain for her necklace that holds the little "key to my heart" charm. She had ripped it off in one of her furies but I found it and it and it's broken chain some time afterward. I bought the longest gold chain they had which didn't cost and arm and a leg. I suspected it was too short but decided it could be traded in for a longer one at a later date.
I continued my meanderings and stopped by a Verizon booth. I was quite taken by the iPhone 4 on display which was only $299.99 with a two-year contract from Verizon. I already have Verizon and wondered if I could get the phone for the low price advertised. There was only one salesperson on duty and he was busy with other customers. I wandered away and received a call from my wife.
We met at some central location in the mall which, incidentally, was close to the Verizon booth. By now the salesperson was busy with someone else. I mentioned my wish to my wife. She barged into the other people's conversation and asked my question. The answer was, "no," the low price was only if you signed a new contract with Verizon. I was crestfallen. My wife said something snotty but I forget what it was now.
We managed to hook up with her mother and the three of us went out an entrance so that the two of them could smoke a cigarette. I froze in the wind. When they were finished we returned to the warmth of the mall and proceeded to Target.
My wife wanted a toaster oven for the kitchen. I still don't know why we need one. We bought a number of other small items including some groceries. We all got separated at Target and after I found my wife she was frantic to know where her mother had gone. The acts like her mother is a small child that much be watched at all times. She found her waiting at the door for us. She asked me to stand in line while she picked up a few items.
I recognize this trick of hers. I stand in line and when it comes time to pay she knows that I will pay even though it is her responsibility to do so. So I refuse to stand in line for her anymore. When she asks me why I wasn't in line I blithely reply, "Because you hadn't returned yet." This aggravates her but I don't care.
It turns out that with big wide eyes she complained desperately that she didn't have enough money to pay the bill so I ended up paying for a large portion of it. I can't stand this anymore. From now on I am going to take my own shopping wagon and buy my own stuff and the hell with her.
We managed to pack up the car and left to eat at a restaurant in the mall called, "Elephant Walk." Or at least I think that's what it is called. There was the usual fumbling with the menus which I tried to ignore. By now my tolerance level for the frantic bullshit of the day had almost reaching point. After a lot of pointless discussion we made our orders. I sat silent while the two of them talked gayly about their day.
I was pretty solemn at dinner. I didn't initiate any conversation. I didn't like being there. I had not liked the whole day and wished it had never happened. I made up my mind in silence and ordered it when the waiter returned. They talked merrily with one another about the food and would one want a bite of the other's. It turned out neither did. I didn't offer up any of my food. I wanted to be left alone and at some level I think they both understood this.
We ordered dessert. I got an enormous slice of coffee ice cream which boggled the eyes. They shared a fruit cobbler. I contributed some of my ice cream to their dessert. To my own amazement I finished the dessert served to me.
My wife left us momentarily to go to the ladies' room and (of course) smoke a cigarette. She is a worse slave to cigarettes than I ever was. She returned and we were all herded to the front door. There her mother and I waited until she could pull the car around. We disassembled the Go-Go and loaded it into the back of the little station wagon. I crammed myself into the tiny space in the back seat be hinder the driver's seat that nevertheless had a working seat belt. When everyone was finished we left to return home.
I got the thankless job of carrying all of the bags and the stupid toaster oven all the way back to my apartment from the lot where my wife had parked the car. I didn't quite throw it down on the kitchen floor but I let it fall from my arms in exhaustion. I left the dining room to go to the bedroom. There I slowly (and painfully — I need a Vicodin) changed into my house clothes.
My wife returned and changed, too. She modelled the two new tops she had bought at XXI and they look nice on her. Then she jumped on the bed in anticipation to see what I had bought her from the jewelry store. She was crestfallen to see it was only a gold chain, and too short at that. I told her it was bought to replace the one that had "broken" before.I asked if I had saved the receipt so that we could get a refund. I mumbled something like, "Yes," and thought to myself, "How fucking thoughtless." I think I'll keep the chain for myself.
I hurt all over and I am mad as hell. I need to leave the solace of writing in my diary and crumple into the bedroom.
My wife was not insistent on me going but something in the tone of her voice made me feel as if it would please her if I went along. I really did not want to come along. But I acquiesced as usual and dressed up for the day's activities.
It's a good thing for her 87 year old mother to get out of her apartment from time to time. She's boxed up in there without any social life to speak of. When she get our, she uses a motorized wheelchair called a "Go-Go" to get around when we are out. So my wife and I assembled it in the parking lot at Serramonte and away we went.
My wife likes to shop at XXI. I hate hanging around while she rifles trough racks upon racks of clothes. So we decided to part ways and touch base by telephone when we were ready to all come together. Her mother had already whirled away in her Go-Go.
I wandered up and down the rows upon rows of stores and little shops. I came upon a jeweler and the thought occurred to me to buy her a replacement chain for her necklace that holds the little "key to my heart" charm. She had ripped it off in one of her furies but I found it and it and it's broken chain some time afterward. I bought the longest gold chain they had which didn't cost and arm and a leg. I suspected it was too short but decided it could be traded in for a longer one at a later date.
I continued my meanderings and stopped by a Verizon booth. I was quite taken by the iPhone 4 on display which was only $299.99 with a two-year contract from Verizon. I already have Verizon and wondered if I could get the phone for the low price advertised. There was only one salesperson on duty and he was busy with other customers. I wandered away and received a call from my wife.
We met at some central location in the mall which, incidentally, was close to the Verizon booth. By now the salesperson was busy with someone else. I mentioned my wish to my wife. She barged into the other people's conversation and asked my question. The answer was, "no," the low price was only if you signed a new contract with Verizon. I was crestfallen. My wife said something snotty but I forget what it was now.
We managed to hook up with her mother and the three of us went out an entrance so that the two of them could smoke a cigarette. I froze in the wind. When they were finished we returned to the warmth of the mall and proceeded to Target.
My wife wanted a toaster oven for the kitchen. I still don't know why we need one. We bought a number of other small items including some groceries. We all got separated at Target and after I found my wife she was frantic to know where her mother had gone. The acts like her mother is a small child that much be watched at all times. She found her waiting at the door for us. She asked me to stand in line while she picked up a few items.
I recognize this trick of hers. I stand in line and when it comes time to pay she knows that I will pay even though it is her responsibility to do so. So I refuse to stand in line for her anymore. When she asks me why I wasn't in line I blithely reply, "Because you hadn't returned yet." This aggravates her but I don't care.
It turns out that with big wide eyes she complained desperately that she didn't have enough money to pay the bill so I ended up paying for a large portion of it. I can't stand this anymore. From now on I am going to take my own shopping wagon and buy my own stuff and the hell with her.
We managed to pack up the car and left to eat at a restaurant in the mall called, "Elephant Walk." Or at least I think that's what it is called. There was the usual fumbling with the menus which I tried to ignore. By now my tolerance level for the frantic bullshit of the day had almost reaching point. After a lot of pointless discussion we made our orders. I sat silent while the two of them talked gayly about their day.
I was pretty solemn at dinner. I didn't initiate any conversation. I didn't like being there. I had not liked the whole day and wished it had never happened. I made up my mind in silence and ordered it when the waiter returned. They talked merrily with one another about the food and would one want a bite of the other's. It turned out neither did. I didn't offer up any of my food. I wanted to be left alone and at some level I think they both understood this.
We ordered dessert. I got an enormous slice of coffee ice cream which boggled the eyes. They shared a fruit cobbler. I contributed some of my ice cream to their dessert. To my own amazement I finished the dessert served to me.
My wife left us momentarily to go to the ladies' room and (of course) smoke a cigarette. She is a worse slave to cigarettes than I ever was. She returned and we were all herded to the front door. There her mother and I waited until she could pull the car around. We disassembled the Go-Go and loaded it into the back of the little station wagon. I crammed myself into the tiny space in the back seat be hinder the driver's seat that nevertheless had a working seat belt. When everyone was finished we left to return home.
I got the thankless job of carrying all of the bags and the stupid toaster oven all the way back to my apartment from the lot where my wife had parked the car. I didn't quite throw it down on the kitchen floor but I let it fall from my arms in exhaustion. I left the dining room to go to the bedroom. There I slowly (and painfully — I need a Vicodin) changed into my house clothes.
My wife returned and changed, too. She modelled the two new tops she had bought at XXI and they look nice on her. Then she jumped on the bed in anticipation to see what I had bought her from the jewelry store. She was crestfallen to see it was only a gold chain, and too short at that. I told her it was bought to replace the one that had "broken" before.I asked if I had saved the receipt so that we could get a refund. I mumbled something like, "Yes," and thought to myself, "How fucking thoughtless." I think I'll keep the chain for myself.
I hurt all over and I am mad as hell. I need to leave the solace of writing in my diary and crumple into the bedroom.
Sounds like you didn't listen to your instincts, you should never have gone with them.
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