Monday, February 13, 2012

MELTDOWN AT NORDSTROM'S RACK

The house was going to be shown Sunday (yesterday) between noon and one-thirty which meant we had to vacate.  We are getting rather good at being displaced, but I guess I had reached my limit, hence, the
Nordstrom's Rack meltdown -- you can read about it here:

Dh took ds to dh's office to put up art work (he has a new office and is decorating) - I took the girls, and we were going to barnes and noble (our new home away from home when our house is being shown) -- nordstrom's rack is next door to barnes and noble. I have been tring to run into NR for four weeks and get myself a new pair of casual flats for every day. I tell the girls, let's run into NR, I need flats - just flats and then we will go to B & N and get a coffee and do schoolwork.  I do wonder WHY? I am doing school work -- I went to school, I graduated college.....why can't I go to B&N and get a triple tall americano and read a mindless magazine?



Enter NR.  I am looking for what I want, and the two girls begin the parade of 'Isn't this cute -- it's my size.' Well, of course it's freaking your size -- why else would you be shoving it in my face. I repeat to them that I was buying shoes -- PERIOD. The entire weekend had already been one big spend fest for dd12 as she had cotillion, mani-pedi, hair trimmed, blow dry, new dress, pantyhose, lipstick & eyeshadow and make-up application at Elizabeth Arden where her hair was taken care of, etc. AND.......everything they were showing me was for much warmer weather -- it was 28 degrees here yesterday -- the clothes they were selecting were thin as tissue paper. I did explain that to them.  They did look at me as if I had lost my mind.  Hadn't I heard of 'layering?'  You know, tissue-paper thin fabric on top of tissue-paper thin fabric -- oooooh, cozy warm!



I continue to look at shoes -- finally find two pair and I go over to the 'knee high' section because it has been too cold to go without socks or something.



My phone rings -- -- it is DH. Hey, he says. You guys aren't at B&N so I just walked into NR -- I know you are here -- where are you?

I do consider diving under a carousel of clothes and telling the whitest of lies:  'Nordstrom's Rack?  What are you talking about?  We are at Barnes and Noble......the one in Reston!  Oh, ha-ha-ha, you looked for us at the one in Fair Lakes.'  Lord, forgive me.



I decide to be honest.  I look around and see him and wave. As he approaches me, both girls also find me and they are carrying no less than 20 items each of essentially 'cruise wear.' 'OM gosh!' DH says. 'Who said you could buy them all that stuff.' 'I'm not buying all THAT stuff.' I say. 'They are fantasy shopping while I get two freaking pairs of shoes.'  I am clearly STILL delusional at this point to think I am going to get out of the store with anything.....least of which might be what I want.



'WHAT?' both girls say. Now pouting.  They dump their stuff into the cart and stomp away in search of even more tissue-paper thin clothing dotted here and there with sequins........which no doubt to pre-teens aids in the seasonal transition of clothing from winter to, errrr, still winter.



DS11 comes over practically buried under long sleeved (thank heavens -- someone with a brain in his head), Ralph Lauren plaid shirts (which are essentially his uniform) -- but I usually only buy one or two at a time (they are 'marked down' to $36.  Now call me crazy, but I consider that a little high priced for a shirt for an 11 year old who has to be reminded to shower) -- he had about 6 of them.....shirts, not showers. 



'Mom!' (WHY is it always MOM? WHY not DAD?)

 'Look. They have my shirts. I am almost out of them -- we should get these today.'  I have a fleeting thought trying to fathom how one 'runs out of shirts,' but I quickly give it up. I take the shirts from his arms, and he sprints away calling over his shoulder: 'I'll be in the boys' shoe department.'



DH is headed over to men's shoes, and I follow him -- my cart is piled high, and my two measly pairs of shoes are buried.



By the time I negotiate my way to men's shoes, dh is wearing one very nice brown dress shoe and asking me what I think of it. I am Switzerland.  'It's nice,' I say, as neutrally as I can.  As neutral as the gorgeous pair of Tory Burch ballet flats I DID find in my size that are marked down from $350. to $49.67........THAT neutral.  He agrees -- I'm going to see what else they have, he tells me. Oh, he says -- how much is all that in the cart?



'WHOA!' -- I say -- I came in for a pair or two of shoes -- we are not taking all this stuff. Most of it is for spring and summer and looks like it is for a life-sized BRATZ doll and not coming anywhere near my house - except for ds' shirts, and he doesn't need a passel of Ralph Lauren shirts.



I continue:  'And, I don't know how much all this is -- my intention was to walk out with shoes and socks -- nothing else.'



'Oh' says dh.



'Don't we have an NR $20. gift certif at home?' Yes we do.  But I don't know where.  And, I don't say that I have a pretty fair idea of what all the crap in the cart costs and $20. isn't going to even make a dent in it -- the freaking little Kate Spade socks I selected to go with the TDF Tory Burch flats are $20.

 He says that he and ds (who has put three pairs of shoes in the cart at this point and says he is going looking at jeans) will run home and CALL me with the Certificate # so I can give them the number when I check out and get $20. off what I have now estimated to be $350. worth of merchandise NOT including my shoes.



By the time I say 'No - don't do that - we are not buying thise stuff. And I am not giving them a number when I get in line -- I don't want to feel like an a** if they won't take the #........' he is out of the store.  DS is giving me the thumbs up and waves as he runs off with his father.



I stood there. I take a deep breath, my hands are shaking. I feel tears welling up. I turn and say to the two girls, 'we are going home.' And I started walking out of the store. 'Wait!' they say. 'You didn't get your shoes.'

I continue walking.



We drove home -- 1.3 miles from NR.



I walked in the house -- 'What are u doing here?' says dh -- 'I'm getting ready to call you with the gift certificate #.'

I have not included any of what I said next.  Not.one.single.word.  It is better that way.



'Take the kids and go do something fun with them please,' I reply. 'Right now.'



'You didn't get your shoes,' he says.



'You all need to go and I need to be unavailable to you all the rest of the day. Do you understand?' I say.



And, they leave (I've given you the pleasant version -- I DID totally lose it with them.  Totally.  I was even able to work in the heritage of one's parents and the offspring of one's parents peers.)



I sat for hours and listened to the sound of 'silence' in the house -- no one picking or pecking at me. It was delightful.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Cuz, I am sorry you didn't get your shoes. Sounds like you need to go shopping alone!

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    Replies
    1. Mimi: 'ALONE' seems to be reserved for pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies -- not shopping. KWIM?

      Mariann

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  2. OMG. Yeah, I'd have lost it, too. Probably IN the store. And I'd probably have killed DH for suggesting that a $20 gift card would even BEGIN to make a dent in that wish list of clothing. Ugh. I hope you get your shoes soon!

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