elfs | But I Is A Consumer

After a lovely New Year's Eve where I sat around with Omaha, Lisakit, and Yamaraashi-chan to watch movies (Kouryou-chan was at a friend's house, having a New Year's Eve game night), I spent most of January 1st sitting around doing very little. The 2nd, on the other hand, I shopped hard.

I bought Yamaraashi-chan her other Christmas gift, a starter guitar which she has promptly forgotten despite begging me for months for it. We got more pyjamas for her after triapsing all up and down the mall. I replaced my shaving soap (Col. Conk's Bayrum, which I love for its quality and the smell). I fed them at the food court. That kind of stuff.

Yamaraashi-chan is becoming a real girly girl. She wants to shop. She didn't want to leave the mall until "we at least stop at Hot Topic!" Okay. She drooled at all the Twilight stuff, and I observed that Stephanie Meyer is going to be a very rich woman when this is all over.

We were in Radio Shack buying something when Yamaraashi-chan observed, "I used to hate coming to the mall."

"Yeah, like I do!" Kouryou-chan said. She does hate the whole process of shopping, and begged and wheedled with both me and Omaha to be allowed to stay home and not have to go "boring shopping" with her Dad and her sister.

"But now I don't mind it so much," Yamaraashi-chan continued. "In fact, I kinda like it."

I said, "You know, kid, in four or five years, you and your friends will come on the weekends to the mall, buy Starbucks and Jamba Juice, and just hang out, look at pretty things you want and can't afford, and spend all day here."

"Really?"

"Yes, and you know why guys will come here?"

"To shop?"

"No, to look at you and your friends."

"No way!" Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

The woman behind the counter, who had to be in her mid-20s, laughed and said, "Your dad is absolutely right. You should listen to him." It's nice to be backed up by complete strangers. I think it frustrates her that her parents are paying attention. We're not supposed to do that.