shopping

It was a toss up between fashion island and south coast plaza. I chose the latter because they have more stores from which to choose, air conditioning and fewer children running about. In one of the first stores I entered I had already found the perfect dress. What luck! Unfortunately, they did not have my size. I proceeded to walk to every other store that I knew was not too outrageously expensive [this isn't the highest grossing mall in the country for nothing, afterall] and one hour later I wanted to claw someone's eyes out. People here are unique in many ways, one being they have absolutely no manners. I can be suffling through a rack of clothing and someone will walk up to the other side and start rummaging, jerking clothes around as though I am not even there. Complete disregard for others. I smile with an "excuse me" and wait for them move to the next rack to continue my quest. Out in the hall, people will just walk into you and say nothing and at one point I was literally crashed into without so much as a pause of acknowledgment. The "excuse me" came from me but they were paying no attention. Again, I keep smiling to set a good example, to encourage them to be more polite next time they bump into someone in a crowded store. The last stop was the store with the perfect dress... maybe I could MAKE it fit. When I arrived, my size was there but with a large rip in the side. I was going to buy it anyway and sew it up myself. I asked an employee first if they had any others. She said no, but they have a shipment that came in downstairs that would be out on Monday. I asked if she could put one on hold. "No." I asked if I could put the ripped one on hold just in case and then I would buy the other one when they came in. "No. We can only hold merchadise for one full day." I asked if I could buy the ripped dress and then later exchange it for the non-ripped dress. "No, because we do not take back damaged material." Awww fucking goddamn it! This entire senario was completely illogical in my mind. I place the damaged dress back on the rack so they could sell it for full price to some poor bastard who doesn't notice it is ripped and left the store, taking the chance that I will come back Monday for new arrivals.

By the time I got home I was so frustrated and upset I think my roommate was a little scared of me. Half way through my sandwich I was calm and so over the rude population of southern california. I was able to take a few steps back and realize there are more pressing issues in the world than whether or not I own that dress. Ah... to have perspective once in a while.

Moral of the story, never shop on an empty stomach.