The Joys of Marriage X

Shopping: Neither Robin nor I are shoppers. I'm sure my kids can remember all those times when we had to stop at the mall and I'd say, "let's get what we need and get out." Robin teases me that I enjoy shopping when he knows I don't. I guess it's something women are supposed to like and he thinks I should fit into that category. Maybe because I have a weakness for shoes and perfume.

Alas, shopping is a necessity, especially grocery shopping, which I detest. On the rare occasions when Robin will accompany me to get groceries, I regret that I invited him. For one thing, my grocery bill is higher. He picks out ice cream and chips and car magazines. The worst, however, is his own attitude of "get in, get out."

My reasoning on this subject is simple: we are here, we might as well get what we need and not have to come back anytime soon. Oh no, not for Robin. "Is it on the list?" "No, Robin, certain things don't make it to the list because they are standard, we get them each time we go." "Well, let's go home. You can come back tomorrow."

Tomorrow??? We are at the store, the items we need are a few aisles over and he thinks I should drive home without them, only to return the next day and pick them up. That doesn't make sense to me. If I don't care for this chore, why not get what I need now and delay having to repeat the same chore? This falls into the same reasoning I pointed out in a previous post about how he seldom fills his Jeep when he stops for gas. The bottom line is he wants to get out of the grocery store and it doesn't matter to him if I have to go there alone every day of the week.

Shopping at the mall isn't as bad with him, but it still ties me in knots. He's really doing nothing wrong, but I feel the pressure to hurry and get him out of that horrible environment. And, still, he asks if the things I'm looking at were on the list. "Didn't we come to look for a silver purse? What are those nightgowns for?" I explain that since I'm going on a week-long cruise with a friend I need more nightgowns. "But you told me we were shopping for a silver purse." I give up.

I've concluded that shopping in pairs should consist of two good friends. Leave hubby home to watch football. When you show him all the purchases, he will assume they were all on your mental list when you entered the store. And you can shop in peace. There won't be a pair of hands steering you away from the perfume counter or shoe department. Robin has an extensive gun and knife collection. I guess they just appeared here one day. Surely he didn't go shopping for them!