Five Things Mon Mari Doesn't Know About Holidays

For years mon mari and I traveled together.  Then we moved to Ireland/Andorra/France and it changed.  For the first five years I was still working in the U.S. and flew back and forth 5 or 6 times a year, by myself.  Mon mari would join me every two years or so.  Since I quit working I still make two trips a year; mon mari, every two years.  I have become accustomed to the way I do things on my own.  What I didn't realize before was how many things mon mari doesn't know about proper travel behavior:

He doesn't know how to behave on the plane.  He didn't have a single glass of champagne or wine; didn't catch up on reading or napping and didn't even eat the dessert (normally the only edible part of the meal).  What did he do?  Found the computer games on the monitor....Admittedly, it did keep him quiet for the entire trip....

He doesn't know how to shop.  Let's say that one wanted to buy a lavender sweater: He is of the opinion that in the first store that one actually finds a sweater in the requisite color that one should buy it....and leave all the other shops bereft of one's patronage!  I mean, we're in Minneapolis!  There have to be a million malls with a trillion stores each!  We have ground to cover; merchandise to finger; things to look at! There are SALES everywhere! I don't shop in France; too many things to do.  But when I'm here, visiting, I like to do it right.  I don't actually buy much, that's not the point.  One must look at everything to be sure the actual purchase (should it occur) is perfect.

He doesn't know how to behave in malls.  Yesterday he suggested we go to the Mall of America, you know, the one with 800 shops, an underwater aquarium and an amusement park in the center (see my Photo Album  - 'Malls in America').  I was excited.  Perhaps my first assessment was wrong and he did know how to shop.   No, he proved me right (as usual).  He wanted to see a movie,  The MOA has 25 theatres.  We saw 'Deja Vu', which was great....but we didn't need to see it at the mall on Thursday (a great shopping day) - we could have gone to the neighborhood theater on Sunday (horrible shopping day).

He doesn't know how to have lunch when on holiday.  Here we are, in the MOA, with 100 fast food restaurants of every nationality, 35 casual cafes of every cuisine and 10 fine-dining restaurants.  We have a choice of everything from dim sum to lobster tails.  Where do we go?  McDonald's.  Need I say more?

Finally, he doesn't know how to go to the premier supermarket in Minneapolis with a food blogger.  I planned on starting in the right-hand corner closest to the door and carefully going through it, aisle by aisle, looking, touching, drooling, making notes, etc.  He headed straight to the Chinese buffet for take-out (dinner) and was ready to leave in 5 minutes. 

Today we head over to Wisconsin to visit my family; small-town Wisconsin.  Resturants close, not for Monday night, but for the winter.  No cable T.V. and my cell-phone probably won't work.  Maybe I'll stop and pick up a video game for him.....

Comments

[Jann]

I think it's a guy thing...........

[mimi]

Men lack the shopping gene, that's true. But really, I think I would begin hyperventilating at MOA — just too much. I would actually be scared I'd go wild there.

About McDonalds, we went to one in France to keep mon mari happy. Did we order Croque McDo? Non, non. We had plain old hamburgers and fries.

My husband is just like that at American supermarkets. But he enjoyed LeClerc. Go figure.

Sounds like you're having a good time, Katie!

[Pam]

Well, if nothing else, he gives you great writing material! This post cracked me up!

Happy Holidays!

[Tracey in IN]

Hilarious--this is USUALLY my DH, too. But once in a great while he decides we should go to the mall as a family. With kids in tow. And then we end up spending 1/2 hour in Yankee Candles, because he and the kids must smell EVERY SINGLE CANDLE variety! I know that there are some I don't care for, so I skip them. Not the rest of the bunch.

Honestly, it is fun; a lot more fun than just buying the thing at the first store he sees. And this is a *must* for him on vacation. I guess he has a little of the shopping gene!

Hope you have fun on your trip!

[cookiecrumb]

It's funny. I mean, inflicting MOA on him? Shame! :D
I hope you're having a nice trip home.

[Katie]

He's much better if he knows I won't be buying anything....like windowshopping when the stores are closed..

[Mike Cook]

Katie,
I’m left scratching my head. I know you are criticizing “mon mari”, however after several careful readings of your post I must confess I still don’t see what he has done wrong.
Mike

[meredith]

I think mon mari spent the whole afternoon at Camp Snoopy with the girls the one time we went together, I don't think that exists anymore.

[Christine]

I'm in total agreement with Jann. It's a guy thing. That's why Mike is so confused.