Shop till you drop

I went to Zumba again today! This was really funny because all of a sudden there are all these guys in the class. Hip-looking guys. And here I am, skinny with no rhythm.

I actually found myself looking at myself critically in the mirror, thinking: I look like this boy.

I catch myself dancing bow-legged to try to make myself look curvier.

Oh well. I am in this to be healthy, not to be some great dancer. Before Zumba class I went shopping with my mom. And here is where I deserve a halo around my head: There were about 50 times when I could have brought Leonard Pennario into the conversation and I did not.

I just remembered last time I did and my mother got this look on her face like: Would you please never mention Leonard Pennario to me again.

So I did not. Anyway, first my mother and I ate at the Wehrle Restaurant. I had spanokopita and my mom had the fish sandwich. I stick with the tried-and-true but my mom, she is eating her way through the Wehrle Restaurant's menu.

In the middle of lunch my mother says, "I am thinking, this is my favorite restaurant."

I said, "I know for sure it is my favorite restaurant."

After that we went to Salvation Army and wandered around but did not buy anything. Picky, picky, picky.

The Wehrle is classic! It is funny because it has this German name but it is Greek. It has this classic '60s look. Here is a picture I found of the outside.

And here is the inside.

After the Wehrle we went to T.J. Maxx. I bought three packs of tights, three pairs each. One of them was fishnet! Hubba hubba!

Then we went to Supercuts where I got my hair cut. I love Supercuts. The girl who cut my hair at this one was Asian and we were talking about her husband and son, this being Buffalo where strangers talk to strangers. When we had fallen silent and she was concentrating on my hair I noticed the name on the haircutting station was Rosalyn Schwarzentrauber. Was that she? She must have married a German. His name is beautiful. According to my calculations it means the grower of the black grapes.

I would love to be the grower of the black grapes!

After that my mother and I went to Tops. I bought mussels and artichokes and all kinds of things. For some reason Tops had great prices on produce this week, which is a rarity. I got mushrooms, four packs, about $1 for eight ounces. And carrots. And turnip greens. My mom bought turnip greens too. I could not believe it. That is a vegetable only I eat. I love turnip greens but I did not know my mom did.

I almost bought a use-'em or lose-'em pack of little yellow squash for $1, and a pack of about a pound of parsnips for $1. I love marked-down produce! But then I thought, I might go to the Clinton-Bailey Market tomorrow. So I resisted. The funny thing was, the woman behind me at the checkout bought the squash and the parsnips. I was standing there looking at them on the belt. Wishing I had bought them. There is nothing like seeing someone else buying what you passed up to make you want it.

Anyway. My mom and I get back to her house and it has been hours and hours and you can tell all she wants me to do is go away. She wants to get in a nap before my brother George gets there.

I wanted to talk. "Mom, this red coat you're giving away, look, it fits me," I'm saying. "I'm going to take it, OK? You don't mind if I take it."

My mom was nice about it and all but you could tell she just wanted me out of there.

This crazy daughter! All she does is shop and eat and talk about this old pianist, who cares?

Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, who cares? Get out!

Well, I feel good because I knocked off errands. Got my hair cut, bought stuff for dinner, bought tights for work, now can deal a little easier with autumn.

It was a well-spent Friday!