More Minnesota Doings

Hello,

On Monday Leroy and I went shopping because Leroy needs new shoes and there is a store close to Brian that often has shoes that he likes at a good price. We took Olivia with us to give her an outing and lower the number of people in the house. Well she fell asleep soon after we got started. I was driving Brian’s car since that is where the car seat is. The roads were slippery and I have not really driven much since we have been back in the US. I was quite uncomfortable with the unfamiliar car, roads, and slippery slush. We made it to our destination without mishap, but grumbling from me. Of course the cold woke up Olivia. I felt badly about that since it was not a long sleep for her and I knew we would all be happier if she slept longer. After all this effort Leroy did not find any shoes he liked. More grumbling came from me.

On the same trip we had been asked to return things at two different stores for one of our children who will remain nameless. Neither Leroy nor I like to return things but since we were out it seemed practical. I somehow have the feeling that returning items is an imposition to the store. Miriam tells me that is a silly thought, but it seems to be buried deep in my soul. My mother hated to return things, if we did not like something that was just "tough". I can still remember a coat that I did not want to be seen wearing. I was old enough that I wore it for more than one season. Horrors!

Before we entered the first store I asked Leroy if he would return the items. He very firmly refused. When he is so forceful I know there is no hope for talking him out of that so I returned them. It was not so bad, no one made any remarks or whatever I might have been expecting. Leroy had a list of things that we needed to purchase for Brian so we did that too. He took Olivia in the cart with him. She was the perfect traveler for which we were grateful.

The other item to return was at a store that has a difficult to exit parking lot. Again I asked with little hope, "Would you return this and I can stay out here with Olivia so it would go faster?" He said, "Yes." Miracle? He was quick and for some reason traffic was light allowing me to get out of the lot without trouble and we were soon back at Brian’s warm house.

In a few minutes Leroy came into the room and announced, "Would you believe that I have the recite for the return, but not the gift card?"

So that meant another trip back to the store that is only about a mile away to see if we could find the card in the parking lot or if not if they would cancel that one and issue another. Leroy refused to go. I reluctantly said, "I will go, but I do not like it." Just so the world would know.

Miriam emphatically insisted, "I will drive, ask and get this done if someone will watch Nora." So that is what happened. I went along since I had already planed to be out. We did not find the card, but since we had the recite it was easy to get a new one.

Night times were easy because we play games as a group and that is good, no running around in the cold.

Paula