Thursday 22 November 2012

A busy day.

Today has been one busy day.   This morning saw a visit to my Physiotherapist, who (as always) found muscles I never even knew I had.  I am always sore for a day or two and then much more supple for the next five weeks until I go again.

Then, after an early lunch friend W called to collect me and we went to Teesside Park Shopping Centre.   Is there supposed to be a shortage of money?   Oh yes, I do know that there is terrible poverty in some places and that a lot of people find it impossible even to find enough money to feed their families, but there was no shortage of money at the Retail Park this afternoon, unless everyone is shopping on credit.

We had difficulty in finding a place to park.   In fact W, who drives a large four-track, finally backed into the narrowest of spaces in an absolutely fantastic piece of parking.   We were going just to Marks and Spencer, along with hundreds, if not thousands, of others.   The place was heaving and clothing and food were disappearing from the shelves faster than they could be restocked.

I came home with almost all of my Christmas present shopping done and with much of my Christmas food to put into the freezer -
turkey, ham, beef and lots of canapes to freeze and cook straight from the freezer.

Because there were so many people and I had plenty of time, I did look at people carefully to see if I could pigeonhole the sort of people who had enough money to spend in these times of austerity.
There seemed to be an awful lot of retired people - lots of bored men waiting about while their wives tried on clothes.   But then I saw a surprising number of young women with babies as well - so you never can tell.  It could be that because we live so near to such a huge army garrison incomes are not representative of the country as a whole.

Incidentally (apropos yesterday's post about mid life crises) I also looked if any of those bored men were wearing red trousers.   They weren't, but then I suppose those who were wearing such things would find better things to do than spend their afternoon accompanying their wives to Marks and Spencer.  

12 comments:

John Going Gently said...

I am hiding my red pants as I am riting this entry

Heather said...

If they were having a mid-life crisis they might have been shopping with someone else's wife! Glad you got most of yours done Pat - I did quite well today too and our favourite Sainsbury store was packed. We came home early from our day out as the wind was so strong - not a good day for travelling, and it has been raining quite hard again this evening. Luckily yesterday's rain has drained away - we are safe and dry halfway up a hill, but our surroundings are very soggy.

Cloudia said...

Slice of life such as I enjoy first hand at Ala Moana Shopping Ctr - largest open air mall in the world. People are the fascination there - not the goods.
Thanks for the reminder that elsewhere this is just a common blessed day of normal life and not a holiday-


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Reader Wil said...

Hi Pat! I hope you will have a long period without pain! Thank you for sharing your busy day! Next month I will be off to Australia again . This time my Dutch daughter and grandson will also go. We shall travel to Tasmania this time. My Australian daughter will join us there with her family. I am looking forward to being together with the whole family.
Have a great weekend Pat!

Irene said...

I will be doing spme Christmas shopping today and I am looking forward to it because the cause is good. I love the people I will be buying for. I doubt I will see many bored men because they will be at work unless they are retired and then they will be at a café while their wives shop. What is this about red pants?

Dave King said...

This is a time of year we both look forward to and dread. Doreen has a mobility scooter, and manoeuvring it through the packed aisles can be nigh impossible - especially as at this time of year the shops tend to put extra displays in the aisles! One of the best aspects, though, is the kindness and patience of the other shoppers - usually! (We do occasionally hear mutterings that such people should not be inconveniencing theme when the shops are busy!

Gerry Snape said...

I have warned Alan...NO red trousers!

Elizabeth said...

Red trousers?
Oh no! gosh!
Robert only wears black trousers or bluejeans.
Am I safe?

Lots of people rushing about here spending money left and right.
Today is "Black Friday" when the stores open up the Christmas holiday shopping season....by trying to get in to the black as against red.

So the moral of this seems to be BLACK=GOOD
RED + BAD

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for visiting. Hope those of you in the very wet areas are not suffering too much.

Pondside said...

Red pants?? On grown men?? I must do some research on this!

Gwil W said...

I have now posted my red trousers in the charity bin. They've only been worn once.

ArtPropelled said...

My bones are creaking a bit too after a visit to the chiropractor. Well done for getting most of your shopping done. I have so much still to do and think about. You've inspired me to go to Woolworths to make a dent in the shopping. Our Woolworth's is like your Marks and Spencer and sometimes stocks the same products.
I'll be looking out for men in red trousers :-)