On Christmas Shopping

This is my favorite memory of Christmas shopping.

Several years ago, before Frank realized that he could skip Christmas by skipping town, Frank and I found ourselves at a Super Target on Christmas Eve morning. For those of you who have never seen a Super Target, its a really big Target, that sells groceries. This Super Target is across the street from the AstroDome and the two parking lots are similar in size and stature. The Super Target does share it's parking lot with a Sonic Drive In, though.

Not surprisingly, the Super Target contains a full service Starbucks. Frank and I were waiting for our holiday, syrupy lattes when a man walked up with a five year old in his shopping cart. The little boy was wearing a helment. This was not some sort of therapeutic helment and it didn't appear that the man had deemed the dangers of riding a shopping cart to require a helment. In fact, it did not appear that the man had given any thought to the risk posed by letting a child ride in the basket part of a shopping cart: you know, not the part for kids, the part where your stuff goes. It seemed like maybe this child just always wore a helment the way some kids wear capes.

So the man walks up to the counter and asks for 3 shots of expresso with some ice. The little boy is using his fingers to shoot imaginary bullets at other shoppers. The barista asks if the man wants his expresso iced. He replies, "Just put a few ice cubes in there. I just need it cool enough to drink. My partner and I (he points to the little boy) have some Christmas shopping to do."