Random - From the Mall

Had to venture into the mall today but I made it out alive and without stabbing anyone.  Which is a bonus.

1) Why no jammies?  I went to 4 stores before I found a pair of pyjamas and a housecoat for Lego Boy.  Forces conspired against me - not the right size, everything in polyester that felt like he'd be sleeping in a plastic bag, graphics that were all sports-related and he's not a sports guy at all.  Why is it so hard to buy a pair of pyjamas?

2) I miss Zellers - Our Zellers has closed to be replaced by Target.  I used to get a lot of shit at Zellers - toys which meant I didn't have to step foot in the Toys R Us, stocking stuff, underwear, socks, pyjamas (see above).  But the Target, which I've heard is similar to Zellers, has not yet opened and won't until the spring.  Now I know bugger all about retail, but it doesn't seem to make much business sense to miss out on the biggest spending extravaganza of the year. 

3) The music - Oh, dear Lord, the music.  Incessant.  In every store.  I'd walk from one store to the next and hear a different version of the same bloody crappy Christmas song.  It took all my self-control not to run screaming from the building.  And don't get me started on the way the Christmas carols, you know, the religious ones about Baby Jesus get butchered and jazzed up.

4) Try to follow your own advice - I figured out a lot of years ago that when I see something in a store that might be a good thing for someone to buy it, right then even if was August because sure as hell it wouldn't be there when I went back for it.  A few weeks ago, I saw the Best Gift Ever for Lego-Boy and I didn't buy it because, well I don't really know why but I didn't, probably because it wasn't December and I wasn't yet thinking about Christmas and today when I went to get it, and you guessed it, it wasn't there and they had none in stock. Shit.  Moral of the story: Follow your own advice.

5) You are not 5 - I saw an old woman wearing a Santa hat. She thought she looked fun and festive and maybe a little funky.  She looked stupid.

6) Pack It in Lady- An old, non-English speaking woman was trying to use the debit machine in one store.  It took her about 5 minutes and 4 attempts and the cashier explaining with less and less patience and more and more volume how to use to fucking machine before she finally decided to use cash.  I did manage not to laugh at loud, just a quiet little snort to myself.

Hopefully, I won't have to do that again.