I was bracing for all the churchbells, the honking, perhaps even some horses clomping down the streets... Not really. It wasn't that remarkable. Certainly quieter than in June... Everyone knows someone getting married it seems but they're all over...
Anyway, I ended up back at Plumy Park for a birthday party. I was there on the phone last November when Suzette told me about Anat. So I got to go back there on the anniversary of the London bombings! It went all right. I wanted to call Suzette but my sister-in-law is coming with her kids and between straightening up and fitting the birthday party...I just didn't manage it.
Summer officially started for us on Wednesday. It rained and I was sick. So much for any fancy plans I had to kick things off.
Thirty years ago when most teenagers are running up debt in the local department stores, my mother was begging and pleading me to go out shopping with her to buy "anything". I have always really, really hated shopping. This is someone who grew up in California, the Land Of Nice Salespeople, not to mention big clean stores, some with piano players. Shopping might not be my cup of tea but Norstrom's makes it as palatable as possible.
Fast forward 30 years. Sharon still hates shopping but now I'm 20lbs heavier and in the Land of Horrible Salespeople. Printemps, which looks more like to me like a Soviet building site. You take your items to the till. There is a big sign that says "Till" ("Caisse" in French actually, but I translated there). Sometimes there is a big line. Sometimes Sharon doesn't bother...if I even got that far. Usually, I check out the line first before even looking at any items. If the till line doesn't look too grim, usually the prices will force me to take flight.
Sales? Only twice a year, July and January and the stores become bedlam. This is actually a law. For someone who hates shopping in the best of circumstances, doing it in a pushy crowd with service nowhere to be found is out of the question.
Daniel, in sheer desperation, calls in The Forces in the guise of his friends' wife Béatrice. Béa used to buy for a small boutique. Béa loves to shop and is legendary for it. Béa calls, and calls, and calls...I keep trying to change the subject. Not be home? She calls Daniel who tracks me down. Béa is 19 times nicer than any French salesperson. She pins me down on a date. I'm still sick. I'm desperate to get out of it but with Daniel calling and sounding a bit firm on the subject. "You NEED clothes. Béa called me again..."
The garderie couldn't take Davina. Undeterred, Béa says to bring her. Daniel had already taken the other two, Talia not happy because shopping is a big thrill to her (I can't fathom how I gave birth to that child sometimes. I think hanging out with Béa before pregnant somehow resulted in some sort of egg-exchange because she even have Béa's hair).
Davina is very active. Béa is very patient. She actually gets the clothes and gives them to me in the cabin. She brings me 40's (yeah right). I grab some 44's and 46's. They turn out to be tents. 42 works fine (which isn't too horrible since I'm 5'8 1/2") I keep trying to put my original clothes back on. I get a couple of tops and a pair of pants with shiny things on it which she has to wrench my arm to get me to buy. I hate shiny things.
She takes me upstairs to get a store credit card. It's hot and the lady is asking me about how long I've been at Credit Mutuel and if we are homeowners... I get the card and continue shopping. I try to look at household goods but Béa keeps me on track, dragging me back to the clothes. She lures with the the additional 15% off the day I get my card.
Then, if no one believes that this woman is the Queen of Shopping, she manages her pièce de resistence. We shop for swimsuits. She assures me that I "just have a stomach". Yeah right. I did draw the line when she brought me a bikini to try on. I did walk out with two swimsuits.
We start at 1:30 and finish at 6:30pm. I actually had to beg her to stop. I just couldn't look anymore, even after changing scenery from Printemps to Galleries Lafayette.
I've decided that shopping with Béatrice is slightly better than going to the dentist. Less "ick" factor but more tiring and longer...
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