[Welcome, CarTalk visitors! For more automotive mishaps, you can go here. Or here. But, seriously? This site is really all about the vomit. And the mice. Oh, yes - and the somewhat strange kids, too.]
Larry agreed to go to Target with me this evening to look for a birthday present for Brian. He was doing his typically male thing of backing into a parking space instead of going into it the normal way (he likes to show off, because I am too spatially-challenged to ever be able to back into anything)...anyway, he was busy impressing me with his driving skills when I noticed that a woman in a van right behind ours was mouthing some words at us, and the intent of these words did not seem particularly friendly. Maybe because she had been aiming for that same parking spot. I was fretting over the possibility of an embarrassing altercation in the store; but Larry wasn't worried - he had a plan. "Don't worry," he told me. "If she starts yelling at us, we can pretend we don't speak English."
I just wanted to buy some stupid Lego thing, not audition for the Theatre of the Absurd, you know? Next time, I'm going to Target by myself. And parking the way one is supposed to park. The non-confrontational way.
Anyway, after much discussion and back-and-forth (in English), Larry and I agreed on which Lego kit to purchase. When we got home, I proudly showed it to David for his approval. And he informed me that Brian already owns that particular set.
At least I know what my kid likes, right?
At least your husband was parking where someone else actually wanted the space. Mine parks out in timbuktu....
ReplyDeleteLynn appropriated my exact comment-we like to cruise by every logical parking place so that no one dents the 10 year old Explorer!
ReplyDeleteScary sign when you don't know what you already have. Funny!
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that MY kids (and I only have 2) probablly woudn't even know which ones they already had,
KEEP BELIEVING
Oh, the irony of it all. I suppose it could be worse, you could have shopped all over town for left handed scissors for your daughter, meeting with success in the last possible place, only to come home and find her cutting things with her right hand. That reminds me, I have to return a transformer to Target too. I hate that parking thing. Showoff guys. You'd think my husband was handicapped the way he circles looking for the closest spot in the universe. I try to park where there's plenty of space around me so I don't hit anyone.
ReplyDeletemaybe next time send hubby and son to get bday present. You can stay home and blog!! hehe
ReplyDeleteI couldn't park by pulling in backwards for my life. Well, OK, I'd TRY for my life, but I'd probably smash a few cars up.
ReplyDeleteI've got an award for you (I feel like such a nerd! As if admitting to playing D&D, video games and watching sci-fi movies weren't nerdy enough already....) on my blog, if you would be so kind as to drop by!
I like the ol' turn into one space but drive through to the one in front of it. I have a Suburban that I lug all my kids around in, and for some reason it seems easier to back into a parking space at the beginning of the shopping trip than to back out of a parking space at the end of the shopping trip. I think it has something to do with all the kids that go shopping with me. By the end of the trip, I have no brain left!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I was particularly proud of myself for finding two DVDs to give my husband for his birthday. These were movies we had seen in the theater, and I was sure he would like the gift. He did, I had already given him the exact same two movies for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, are we supposed to remember EVERYTHING?!
I don't understand the whole "men backing into parking places" thing either. However, the "not speaking english" trick does work. I have a friend who visits here from a foreign country, and she was able to get out of a traffic ticket by pretending to not speak english.
That's reason enough to learn a foreign language.
All those Lego sets look the same to me! My son is into Bionicles and I swear he's got everyone of them. If he receives a duplicate now, he smiles and says, "Don't worry, I'll just use it for spare parts."
ReplyDeleteAnd as for my husband, he's a horrible backer so I never have to worry about that!
Oh, it drives me crazy when people back into spots, mostly because it takes so much longer and blocks the lane of travel for an unreasonable amount of time. Is it REALLY that hard to back out of a spot? (And I know nothing of Larry and his driving; but, you brought the whole backing-in thing up....)
ReplyDeleteTheatre of the Absurd. Excellent. I'd have loved to have seen that.
ReplyDeleteI love Larry's solution. I know some sign language and have often thought of using that in such an instance. I did the Lego thing too with my son. Like you, I bought an exisiting set so I saved them for some child's birthday present - a gift stash.
ReplyDeleteI do the same darn thing but with cards. I look and look, cards are such a pain in the butt. Especially trying to find ones for my dysfunctional family. And then I think I have found the perfect one only to have that person or someone else in my family belt out "You gave that same card to ME!" I blame them.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby also does backing up thing. Very weird.
My husband thinks parking has to be an art form. Park the freakin' car. We also park out in the middle of no where and do a psych evaluation on the owners of each car parked next to us based on their car thus resulting in the chances of them breathing on our old piece of crap car.
ReplyDeleteInteresting trick, pretending not to speak English. That could be useful in a variety of situations.
ReplyDeleteI think your husband is brilliant. Pretend you don't know the language. I have to remember that one!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember which stuff my son has either. They all look the same!
ReplyDeleteLove the title of this post. Why is it that for parking guys like to back in, but for other activities the opposite is true? ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Target parking lot always seems to be full of the crazies. I actually had a lady chase me down all the way into the store once screaming, "Oh no you didn't!" at me because I inadvertently plopped my 11 month old into the shopping cart she was apparently intending to use. She had no kid, but her gallon size Icee was pretty heavy, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteIt always gives me great satisfaction that I can parallel park anywhere and my husband can't at all.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. Now when my kids scream at me, I'll just say, "Que?"
ReplyDeleteThose Lego people mess with a mother's short-term memory. There must be a better way.
ReplyDeleteThat Larry. He's a problem solver.
Lol. My husband does this all the time and I actually CAN park my van, sideways, forwards and backwards. This is a VERY weird guy thing....
ReplyDeleteI gotta do a Target run soon...
I'm just impressed that your husband went to Target with you! Mine screams in fear whenever I mention that I'm going and would he like to join? :)
ReplyDeleteI can't back in anywhere either. Parking normally is a daily challenge for me! :)
Those Lego things all look alike. Who would know?!
ReplyDeleteI can't back into anything either. I hate it when I have "words" with someone from my car and then we end up in the same line at the post office or something. AWKWARD.
Haha gotta be careful what language you choose though. In FL I could do Spanish b/c not many people there were Spanish speakers. If I tried that here I'd be in trouble, everyone's bilingual. I'd have to do French. I actually did that the other day, but the only French I know are some poems I memorized, so I just started quoting poetry at them. Mwahaha.
ReplyDeleteHa! theatre of the absurd. Funny.
ReplyDelete"At least I know what my kid likes, right?" You crack me up!
ReplyDeleteI think Larry is rad.
ReplyDeleteTry backing into a spot this time of year
ReplyDelete