both friday morning AND saturday morning found Beth and me at the mall. part of our anxiousness to prod the economy forward, into the guts of tomorrow. stores were offering discounts and time-limited sales, you CAN'T beat the savings!!! ne'er before had I been to the mall on the day after Thaksgiving, which, I read in Scopes.com, is NOT the busiest sales day of the year. it may be the busiest with hordes out pressing flesh, but not the moneyest. so that shows to go you. we found parking in the same county, so the hordes hadn't quite gotten the message about helping the US economy in its time of need. 1st adventure was bras for Beth. since I wore my glasses and Beth forgot hers, I got to paw the merchandise for the right size. does it get any better than that? and standing in line with the selection while Beth darts off for socks. poked thru the Levis selection while serenaded by a door alarm that wasn't about to be hushed. a stop at men's fragrance to enter in a contest offering Carlos Santana signed bongos as prize. should I stop here to note that I am writing here New York prose? yup, NY School of Prose, Massachusetts Division. Beth stopped at a makeup counter, and got the whole treatment. the sales person there, a sweet Russian woman, practically shooed me away for fear I'd gather too many female secrets. I did toddle off for a run down the main mall lane. where the pushcart folk resemble moray eels as they lunge at you with their dreadful calling plans and appliances that steam away wrinkles. I popped into a music store and looked at iPods (forget the music). our 2nd visit to the mall began with a purchase of a coffee maker. Beth saw glass bird ornaments. over the last few years we've accrued a monster array of Xmas ornaments. Crate and Barrel offers these brightly coloured ones that appeal to my taste: this side of gaudy. down the escalator to the thumpthumpthump of trendy clothes. I mean the music, some manner of techno, the pride of drum machines. down the escalator from there, and do I hear bagpipes merging from the dance beat? sure and begorrah! a designer from Waterford Glass was in the house ready to sign your purchase. a fellow in green kilts was playing the warpipes to keep everyone amused. the cosmetics saleswoman greeted us as we passed. Beth showed her a glass bird, which the woman cooed over. Beth gave one to her. then we went to the music store because those iPods... I got a Shuffle for myself and wanted to get the next size up for Erin but they were out. when I finally got it all figured out at home, I listened to "Omaha" by Moby Grape, and I was really home.