“So, did you find everything alright today?”

I really don’t like shopping.  I know this may cause some to demand that the validity of both my X chromosomes be checked, but it’s true.  I have to be in the right mood.  When in the right mood, things are great.  When I’m not, it’s not a good experience for anyone.

Today was a good day.  Daddy said he would watch Claire, and I could go to Target.  I love Target.  I know that sounds contradictory, but it really isn’t.  If I have to choose a store to go to get necessities, I’d choose Target.  Target is not my first choice of a place to go without Claire, but we needed a lot of things, and he’s gone so many times that it is my turn.

So, how do you keep from checking the rear view mirror, knowing that you’ll just see an empty car seat?

As much as I love Target, I really hate how they arrange their store.  I didn’t go to the SuperTarget this time, I went to the AdequateTarget by our house.  They just recently remodeled this Target and almost made it a SuperTarget, but missed the mark.  What’s the point of remodeling if you’re not going to go all the way?

Anyway, I am happily walking around Target looking for the things on my list.  Today is a good shopping mood day.  See?  Shopping isn’t so bad!

Until… 

I can’t find the soft-soap to save my life.  Where could it be?  At least when Claire is in the cart, people don’t look at me funny when I talk to myself.  But, seriously, how hard should it be to find a large jug of soft-soap refiller?  It’s not by the detergent.  It’s not by the body soap.  It’s not by the cleaning supplies.  It’s not even in that weird random item aisle.

Finally, I give up and ask a red-shirted and khaki-panted person.  “Oh,” she says, “Did you look over here?”  She takes me over to the opposite side of an aisle I’d actually briefly considered, but didn’t see anything remotely looking like soft-soap.  Sure enough…there it is!  It’s by the mouthwash!  Obviously.  Why wouldn’t I have looked there first?

The one time they don’t ask me how my visit was, is the first time I actually had a witty response prepared about their wacky product placement.  Okay, that’s not true…I would have said, “Fine, thank you,” and it would have been barely audible over the screaming in my head.