Shopping as punishment

"I think I'll cook lasagne today," Rick said before we were even out of bed Saturday morning. It was his day to cook.

I imagined him laying the noodles in the lasagne pan and the sauce bubbling on the stove, but only for about 40 seconds.

I realised that he was speaking in code.

The real message was we were going to the great Italian restaurant in Perpignan.

More than fine with me. I love eating there and the kitchen will be as spotless as we left it when I get back.

I thought we could stop at Conforama and pick up the office chair he so badly needed (5-10 mins.) then go to Gifi for the towels, pillows and clothes rack we needed (20 mins. max if we split up). Everything we need to buy for quite a while in one single quick horrible experience.

He had other ideas. He had several places he thought he might look for the chair to make sure he got the right one.

I don't think so.

I can't imagine going from store to store to look for anything. I can't imagine spending more than a few minutes in a store.

We discussed it.

For him -- shopping in a store or mall is chilling out.

For me -- it is punishment for something I must have done wrong in a previous life.

He explained that if he paid too much or wasn't happy with the chair, he'd think he hadn't done enough research.

"What about that time stolen from my life in a store that I can never get back?" I countered.

We didn't go to Conforama. I really want him to get that chair because the one he is using is NOT good for his back.

I did suggest that we stop at the Depot Vente, the used furniture store. We've bought things we really like there such as my desk, chair, cabinet, four dining room chairs and a dining room table that we really like for about 185 Euros (US$207). We also did it in under a half hour. We like what we bought even a year later.

I once furnished a whole apartment in Ikea in less than an hour going through saying, I want that, that, that, that, although I did spend another half hour eating in their restaurant. I never regretted anything I bought, only the hal hour I lost in the store. I don't regret the time spent eating the salmon.

As luck would have it the people at the depot vente had an office chair. It was the one the woman was using in her office but Rick found it comfortable and adjustable and it cost just 40 Euros.

We then discussed Gifi. I said as long as we were in and out of that store within 20 minutes, I was okay with a stop.

"What if we don't find towels we like?" he asked.

"Then we get what we don't like or go without."

He suggested he take the responsibility of buying the towels and pillows.

Whew...saved. Of course, no matter what he buys, I'll accept. That's the price of not having to go into a store.

I can pay that.