Men and Shopping

I wish i knew what it was about men and shopping. There is a raging stream of question that comes to mind as i write the previous sentence.
1. Why do they get to fall short in regards to shopping.
2. Why is it deemed 'cute' when men are seen out shopping (in particular, grocery shopping)
3. Why do women prefer to shop more than men - what is the physiological connection?
4. Why would the woman typically look for what is on sale and the male typically looks for what they like and buys it?

I hate to shop---hate it with a capital H. This includes grocery shopping as well. Christmas shopping is 95% online and i *do* take pride in not knowing the layout of the local mall. Shopping with all four kids is altogether another story. During this past year, when john was absent for most of it, our cupboards ran as close to bare as they have ever been. Each night, i somehow made it to the grocery store to get the night's dinner or i made something on the fly for the kids and i had something menial later on. BUT, this is not why I write today.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. John went to the grocery store early in the morning (and he noted upon his arrival home that there was not one woman in sight, the aisles were speckled with men)and on my request, picked up 'donuts' for all so that he didn't have to make breakfast before he headed off to work. The time honored tradition on special occasions is that john makes his eggs benedict and cinnamon french toast. Knowing he would be in a time crunch, i asked to make it an easy morning. The man brought home three filled grocery bags of 'donuts.' Pop tarts in all flavors, cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, pull aparts, sugared cereal and the wrong kind of baby soy milk for sidney accompanied his ride home.

Our family is keen to John's shopping history and we expect no less. Ask to pick up eggs, we get two bags of eggs and anything else in the dairy section. Ask to pick up a bell pepper, we also receive grapes, cucumber, banana, and fresh deli bread...whether we need it or not. This. "I am not sure what to get, so i will get one of everything" mentality has played it's role on many occasions. So, we unloaded the three bags of breakfast items, laughed and carried on.

Which brings me to yesterday afternoon. Talking on the phone to john, i say, "I am taking all 4 kids on some errands and we will eventually end up at target (4 kids in target??? how do you ever get out), let me pick up supplies for dinner. I think we should have chicken enchiladas since we have all this extra cheese (John went to the store to get supplies for nachos one evening and thinking that it would be more convenient to get pre-shredded cheese, he purchased a 2 pound bag of cheese....i don't use pre-shredded cheese at all when i cook. but now we have it...a lot of it). I come home from Target and as i brought up the bags of 'dinner supplies' to the kitchen, i saw a grocery bag; a full grocery bag, staring back at me atop the kitchen counter. This is the flow of conversation ---oh my husband knows me better than i know myself.

"John!! What is this bag doing on the counter? Did you go shopping?"

"Yes, remember our conversation? You asked me to go to the store to pick up everything we will need for dinner?" replies the husband.

"What?? (pause) John?? (in exasperation), I just spent the last couple of hours with the kids and I brought home dinner stuff...i ne---ver told you to get dinner!" Clearly upset, and the day is waining on me.

"Yes you did. (john smirking a bit now) You told me to pick up some chicken and make sure to get some cheese."

"CHEESE??? You picked up cheese?? C'mon, do you know how much CHEESE we have in this house!"

He is laughing a bit by now. And i take this as an affront and am ready for battle. For those of you who know me well, you can imagine the tone.

I walk over to the grocery sack to investigate this communicative blunder and pull out the top box of pasta (not sure why he would be buying pasta, if anything , we are never low on pasta). I take it out of the bag and notice the box, mixed in with all the other grocery items that he recently pulled from the cupboard before my arrival home. In the box was a Toshiba Mini Notebook laptop that I am currently typing on now.No cheese, but a new laptop. A while back, Sidney pulled down my laptop from the couch and broke the screen. I have been stationed at an external monitor for quite some time and am unable to move my work around the house. This is small enough to travel with us to Europe and very cool.

There are great benefits to being married to a computer geek. One year, I received some computer memory for an anniversary gift.

Anyway, that is my story. Thanks for listening.