Christmas Shopping

Well up till now I haven't felt overly Christmassy, so I decided to venture down to the local mall to take in all the Christmas excitement. My gosh it didn't take me long to remember all the things I hate about Christmas and why I stayed here instead of jumping on a plane and flying back to Winnipeg to punish myself at Future Shop.

It started off with me having to park at the equivalent of Home Depot if I were shopping at Polo Park. Frankly I don't mind the walk, particularly on a day when its not overly hot. After darting through traffic I finally made it into the mall. I walk in the door and there is one of those makeshift stores in the middle of the aisle. Although unlike Canada, the people who work at these (well call it a boutique to sound all.. oh I don't know) Boutiques are very aggressive and don't just sit on a chair in front of a cash register, rather they pull aside unsuspecting victims and try and guilt them into buying something. With that all said its rather easy to avoid said people by putting your head down and walk them as fast as you can. Not today for me... nope I decide to look up at the most inopportune time and make direct contact. "Excuse me sir... excuse me sir.. can I talk to you for a second?" Me bring the gentleman that I am, I stop rather then storming by.
Aggressive sales lady: "Sir do you have a special lady in your life?"
Danny: "Yes but they are in Canada"
Aggressive sales lady: "Oh you must have someone here?"
Danny: "Nope"
Aggressive sales lady: "Girlfriend?"
Danny: "Canada"
Aggressive sales lady: "Mother"
Danny: "Canada"
Aggressive sales lady: "Sister, auntie, neighbour"
Danny: Looks at watch to divert attention and bolts to the boys room hoping no to be found.

After the initial fiasco I decide I want to go grab a coffee, so I walk towards the coffee shop, but it is far too busy, so I know the whereabouts of a coffee shop that is in the middle of on of the large department stores that is always dead. As I enter the department store a woman is walking out and sets of the alarm. She stops and retreats and I assume she is going to head back to the register. Nope, she decides to go through the detector in case the initial alarm was a false. Ok I can understand a second attempt (actually I can't but...), but nope alarm goes off again. Still no retreat to the register although this time through the alarm rather then walking at a normal pace she umps through, fourth time slowly goes through, fifth time she put her right foot in and then her left foot and shakes it all about, but nope alarm still blaring away. At this point I've stopped to see if she is going for the 10 tries because clearly after 10 alarm sets off the magnet deactivates itself.

Its at this point that I hurry off to the coffee shop, pick up a coffee and get the hell out of dodge because clearly if given the choice between ) not feeling overly Christmas like or B) Getting into the Christmas spirit by being fueled with rage at shopping mall I will pick A.

I think to day is the third time that I can remember feeling a bit homesick while in Adelaide. The first was a few weeks after my university graduation when after some pondering I figured it may have been a good day if I could have been there and gone for lunch and what not. Second time was Greg's wedding and today the third time was the get together at Carlos & Murphy's. Could have been a very fun time. Although when Erin e-mailed me she said she had wished it was better, but that it was interesting.. interesting hey?? That can certainly mean a lot of things... were people grumpy? Not getting along? Nothing to talk about? Who knows maybe I read it the wrong way. Although I sat back and thought about the group that was going and I realized that the one common denominator between this group of people is me and I wasn't there... oh well I do hope everyone had a blast. My heart sunk a little when Erin said it was interesting as I was living vicariously through the group that went and wanted everyone to have a good time.

WANKER OF THE WEEK

• I could say the woman and the alarm, but thats too easy and it was kind of funny. I'll have to go with my neighbours. They must smoke three packs of cigarettes a day. Has nobody told them that smoking is no longer cool? Is it because they are addicted to smoking that they do it? Yes I assume so, but I am also addicted to chocolate and coffee and I don't have 30 of either every day!!

THINGS I LIKE THIS WEEK

• Two.. two days of rain MWAH AH AH AH AH...
• Car was making a funny sound the other day.. sort of a hissing sound when I accelerated. It sounded like a belt was loose or something (fan belt maybe?), but now it isn't making that sound any more. As far as I'm concerned.. fixed!!

THINGS I DO NOT LIKE THIS WEEK

• The car clearly isn't fixed and it has either gotten worse and that it is why its stopped making the sound or it has temporarily fixed itself in a calm before the storm like moment and will return with a ferocity not seen before.