I Think the Mayan's Missed the end of the World by one Day...

After 43 years of marriage my husband can still surprise me. Today was such a day.  We had made plans to finish our Christmas shopping today. After coffee and a weather report we headed out the door.  I thought we were going to Fulton. When we reached the overpass and turned onto I-70, I asked Tommy why we were going the long way to Fulton.  He replied, "We aren't going to Fulton."  Crap!!  He's changed his mind I thought. Then he spoke words I never in a hundred million years expected to hear come out of his mouth, "We are going to Columbia to the mall."

I was drinking a sip of coffee and nearly spewed all over the dash. I said "We are going where???"  He repeated, "To the mall"

 The plot thickens, he said smiling, "We are going to get your Christmas present. Besides I want you to see how pretty the mall is".  I had forgotten he took a friend of ours over there to sign up for the military. I was shocked, speechless and wondered who took over Tommy's body last night while we slept.....and I wondered how much money this new man had:)

True to his word, we were at the Mall in about 30 minutes. We beat the craziness by about an hour. People were still doing their morning exercise walks. Others were sitting on benches drinking coffee and reading the newspapers.  Santa had arrived and little children were getting their pictures made. Everywhere I looked were bright lights, 12 feet reindeer, Christmas trees and flowers. It was commercialization at its best. I have to admit it was beautiful.

We were having so much fun. We took pictures of each other. People were smiling at us. They could tell we were having fun. I thought about having our picture taken with Santa Claus, however the line was already forming. I didn't want to tire Tommy out by waiting. I was also worried about the 'man' who had taken over Tommy's body. I didn't know when the 'real' Tommy would show up, demanding to go home.

We did the next best thing. We made pictures in one of those little booths where you get the pictures instantly.  The last time we did this was 40 years ago. It was simple to operate. We put our quarter in and posed silly and the photos slipped out of a slot in a minute or so.  I still have those pictures somewhere.

Today's experience was totally different. What used to cost 25 cents now costs $5.00 and is all computerized.  So you have a pretty good idea how this one went. Tommy doesn't know anything about computers and on a good day I am scary at best.

We sat down on the little bench....and I do mean little. Of course we are neither lean or 20 so we took up all the room and then some.  We put the $5.00 in too soon.  There were lots of gadgets to read, push, pull and look into. We picked a Christmas photo background. We never knew when the pictures were taken. Out of 9 photos, we received 3 and they look like mug shots.  Tommy is looking up in the air saying something and apparently I am trying to see what he is talking about. It was a total waste of $5.00 and worth every memory we made.  We were laughing so hard at the mess we had made when we finally received our photos.

The booth was located in front of a massage store. A little oriental girl was standing in the door watching us. I asked her a few questions but she wasn't any help.  When the pictures were done, she ran over to see how they turned out. After looking at them she laughed and said, "No, No good pictures---you need a massage". She was right but today wasn't a day for a massage.

Tommy picked up my present and soon we were ready to go back to Fulton and finish our shopping.  Today was fun!!!  It was a memory making kind of day.

As I was riding back to Fulton I remember thinking, " The Mayans missed the end of the world by one day." When Tommy Carter volunteers to go to the Mall shopping-- there is something big going on in the universe.  I still have 59 minutes to see what happens.  I am betting I go to bed and sleep like a baby.  Not a bad way to end an era or a good day.