Wednesday, August 26, 2009

shopping challenged

My dear daughter Katie. I love her like crazy. I think she loves me. At least, she says it at the end of every phone call.

But we have a problem. We're severely shopping-challenged. It isn't funny. We are really, really lacking and I'm afraid it's genetic.

My mom hated shopping. Placing orders from the J.C. Penney catalog thrilled mom no end. Had she been here for the advent of online shopping, she'd have gone berserk.

I suppose I didn't help the situation. We'd enter a store. I'd look around. "Have you found anything?" she'd ask. "No," I'd mumble, annoyed with her and myself. Clothing stores were always so ... full of clothes I didn't like. Or something.

Now it's Katie and me. Tonight, after an appointment at the Apple Store (that is so odd: an appointment at a computer store?), we wandered into Forever 21. Ever experienced it? Here it is, bullet-style:

- very, very large.
- very, very full of clothes for very, very young people.
- very, very randomly organized. Or not organized. I kept trying to locate sweaters from jeans from tops. No order whatsover.
- very, very loud. Rap to rock to rap and not one song did I know. For crying out loud, how can a shopper think with music blaring?

Katie and I were like rats in a maze. I'd start a little dancing and she'd quickly move away from me. We couldn't make decisions because we couldn't hear each other.

And soon our eyes glazed over and her previously-broken, recently-fixed nose began to throb. "Oh, my nose: it's time to go." What the?? Now the kid has a shopping meter nose.

See what I mean? Shopping is just not our thing.

8 comments:

The Hallers said...

bahahahaha! That is just great!! and a good explanation of the store as well. I would like to emphasize the lack of organization, but I've seen the workers and I must give them credit, many times they are trying to organize...but with 1000000 teenage girls in the store at all times, it must be hard!

Great post, thanks for the laugh! :)

Jenny Haller said...

Oh dear. My mom would sit outside of forever 21 until I was at the check out line...then she cane in. Its a stressful store...esp at Easton (which is a huge one!). Shopping online at Forever 21 is much much easier (and peaceful!).

Karen Dawkins said...

And Nathan... loves Forever 21! And can shop, no problem. Maybe it's because the guys' section is smaller. Or, maybe he got the shopper "jean"!

We were talking last night about how easy school shopping was 20+++ years ago. Pick out five new outfits in July, put them on layaway, and pick them up the week before school :)

Anonymous said...

Can't stand being in that store for all of the reasons you listed.

But in agreement with Jenny, online F-21 is easy, and there are many sale items. We pretty much do all American Eagle and F-21 online in the clearance section.

Also, F-21 prints John 3:16 on the bottom of their shopping bags, so don't boycott them :-)
-d

Dan said...

I despise that store! But Jenny likes it so I must comply. =)
You and Katie are so funny...I think I was always a more patient shopper than you two combined! =)

Barb said...

Dan, I think you should take a cue from your mother-in-law!

Yeah, K and I are a sad combo...

Lori said...

My girls LOVE that store. I stay home. :-)

Anonymous said...

Genetic is right! Janet brings clothes home for me to try - how spoiled is that? And on the rare occasions I am roped into going with her, I become physically exhausted (yawning etc) within 5 minutes - life is too short to spend it shopping. Pat