3265 Christmas Shopping

If there's anything worse than shopping with toddlers, it's shopping with your husband. My shopping gene has shriveled (I think that happens around the time you stop producing eggs) and my husband never had one. He strolled 10 paces behind me gazing at all the decorations at Tuttle Mall yesterday. I'd stop and let him catch up, then he'd fall back again. He needed new athletic shoes at least a year ago, so we decided to go to the New Balance store. We were shocked to see that the only shoes that weren't coal black, or red and green with neon lights, were about $125. And they had no arches. The young man who waited on us said that was the trend so they sell inserts for arch supports. Huh?

So we left and stopped by Penney's. After three times ignoring him when he said, "Let's go, there's nothing here," I found an 8D that fit him perfectly for about $50. Yes, 8D. We are not big people. We also have problems finding furniture that fits us. I wear an 8.5 AA shoe, a size that is virtually impossible to find except on the internet. And I won't buy something if I haven't tried it on. My theory is Americans' feet are spreading to accomodate their girths, or the fact that they've grown up wearing athletic shoes. Thirty years ago I could try on 4 or 5 pair in my size and make a choice by color or style. A year ago, I was down to one or two--if it was ugly, I bought it anyway. Recently when I've walked through shoe departments scanning the sizes, there were no narrows in any size.

When we got home, he wrapped his present and put it under the Christmas tree. Maybe he can't shop, but he's a darn good wrapper.