Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Mall Rats


Lily and I have become mall rats this shopping season.  By that I mean that we have been to the mall three times in the last week! (enter primal scream!)

Today, since I had at least three separate tasks to accomplish on separate wings of the mall, I ventured into our sub zero frozen garage looking for my sleek, impressive, three wheel running stroller behind which, I assure you, NO running has ever taken place.  Couldn't find it anywhere!  I finally saw a tire sticking out of one of the narrow middle storage shelves, and sure enough, my space saving husband had disassembled the thing and stored it away until next summer....or until we have grandchildren....or until...never. 

Anyway...no stroller for Lily today.  Bribery was in her future.  We call it Plan B.

One of my tasks was to drop off my favorite boots for repairs at:


The German Shoe Repair Shop
right there in Maplewood Mall!  Who knew?
$11.95 to get the heals blacked and the heal nubs replaced.
Only an hour!  Perfect!
Here's the website if you are in this area and want great shoe repair service: 

  We determined (the bribe was) that if she could hang with me and stay by my side while I did all my errands, then while my boots were being repaired, I'd take her on the carousel which graces the very center and hub of the mall (ie....you can't avoid it.)  Here it is in all its glory:



OK.....I can't find a big picture of it on the internet...sorry.
The carousel doesn't just have your typical horses that go up and down; no no no...it also has little mini carousels that you get into and spin like teacups!  UGH!

She's never even NOTICED them before, but his time, instead of heading right upstairs to the upper level, she kept going and hung a right right into the torture chamber.

THIS IS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE SAID NO.  But we were the last ones on and everybody was waiting, and I decided I was man enough.  I wasn't.

All was ok, although I couldn't believe how fast the thing was spinning UNTIL I got the bright idea to close my eyes and tip my head to the side.

NEVER EVER EVER close your eyes and tip your head to the side while riding a spinning teacup on a turning carousel when you've had nothing but coffee that day and are in a sweater and a wool coat and have blue eyes and are human and and and...
JUST NEVER DO IT!

It's a good thing my boots were going to take an hour....

...an hour to rip off my coat and scarf and deeply regret that I had worn a cozy sweater with a shirt underneath as my body began pouring out what I can only describe as a fainting sweat

...an hour to go sit with my head between my legs on the bathroom bench

...an hour to splash cold water on my wrists...don't ask me why I thought this would help...

...an hour to go and try in vain to restore my blood sugar with lo mein and pepsi (wince)...

...an hour to stumble back to the shoe shop to reclaim the dratted boots...and somehow drag myself, Lily, five bags and my almost like new boots home where I have spent the last hour in fetal position on the couch.

Oh have I ever learned a lesson.

I hope that your shopping and Christmas preparations are going well.  My New Year's advice is to love one another...and stay away from carousels.  Stay far far away.

3 comments:

Dana said...

funny story ~ good storytelling!!! hope you've fully recovered :) the mall itself can leave me feeling woozy ...

Chris said...

Well Suzanne maybe what you discribed about how you felt after the Tea Cup adventure is what Lilly feels like when she has to go shopping...

Suzanne said...

Chris perhaps you are right! Dana...I'm better, but I think I have developed a psychosymatic response, because the moment I think about the carousel...I feel dizzy and sick!!! Now you know what you are dealing with when you are dealing with me!...or my daughters....