Well, Pat and I took the plunge today and went to the cities to tackle our Christmas shopping. This is a dreaded chore for us because both of us just hate the crowds which is why we moved out to the more tranquil setting that we did.
We went shopping at our old stomping grounds. A city where him and I lived just before we moved out here. What a madhouse. No, I'm not talking about the mall but the parking lot. It took us about 1/2 an hour to find a parking spot.
Yes, this is surprising to us because we avoid the cities at all costs. At times I look at the highways and feel like we're back in California and there simply is no respect on the roads either. Today was absolutely no exception to that. I am one to moan and groan in my vehicle when an idiot driver steals a parking spot or slinks in front of our car after we have been waiting for what seems like hours just to get 5 feet. So today was just another of those days.
We went to the mall. Man, we must be turning into cavemen or something because neither of us can recall a time when the parking lot was full. We are not ones to mind walking a distance but even those spots were full. And with the fresh snowfall, well, the lot was just a jumbled mess!
I cannot even recall all the aisles we turned down that were like getting through a maze. It was insane. And we turned down a one way aisle going in the right direction only to be met face to face with a man speeding down that aisle right towards us. Pat was ready to blow a gasket and I was about ready to get out and ask this guy if he knew how to follow the direction of the parked cars. Frustrating.
We wound up backing out of that aisle, then we drove about 50 feet a few aisles down and I saw reverse lights and I, being the backseat driver quick told Pat to go left there, that car was leaving. Of course by this time him and I were about ready to just say screw this and leave. Well, Pat turned down the aisle and said, "Oh, sh**, they aren't backing out, there's no way out of the other end!!!!" When he said that I wanted to quietly open my door and flee because it was my hairbrained idea to turn down that aisle in the first place. He laid his head on the steering wheel as I watched this car back up, pull forward, back up, pull forward trying to get itself situated so it could drive out. I looked at the other end of the aisle and couldn't believe how these people had parked their cars!!!
As I spanned down the aisle it looked like a funnel...all I could say was, 'Hey, park right there Pat, look...." While he was counting to ten trying to keep the day in perspective and I was scanning the aisle I pondered how all the cars closer to us were parked and noticed that along side of us there was only one-car-parking and as I looked further there were two....hmm, well, there was plenty of room for us to 'make our own parking lot' so we did. It was amazing that no one had noticed this.
He took only a moment to catch on to what I was saying and off we went and voila, we had one driver laugh at us and give us a thumbs up and got a parking spot close to the entrance as well. And we didn't even create a maze in which people would have to work their way around. That in itself was cause for a pat on the back!
I wondered what lay ahead for us in the mall but was pleasantly surprised that the people were all very polite. There's just something about the Holidays I think that people are on the same page or something when in a shopping mall. We were in an out within an hour and a 1/2. I half expected our vehicle to be laden with dents and such or some sort of ticket but it was safe and sound. Of course a vehicle parked next to us and rather close to the drivers side door which caused a little maneuvering on Pat's part to get out.
We drove away and both sighed and were really glad to be on the road to our peaceful little town, until I reminded Pat that I needed to go to the grocery store.....
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