Day 158: Cobblers

Shopping.  Friend's impending wedding forces my hand.  Throw money at a dress that I am actually likely to wear in civilian rather than nuptial circumstances.  Normally I leave it too late, panic sets in, and I buy something odd/depressing/horrific.  So feeling pretty proud of myself this time.

 However, there is still room to disgrace myself.  Rather than buying new shoes, I am choosing to 'renovate' some old ones (see - still leaving the door ajar for odd/depressing/horrific).  I have been to the cobblers.  I have bought some shoe dye (vintage 1970s by the looks of things) and some pink laces.  Tomorrow I will apply the dye - photo to come.    

I enjoy the conversation between two bored shop assistants, one of whom is (apparently) fasting for forty days.  Seems a bit late to the Lenten party.  That's all over now.  (Reminds me of the ex-colleague who chose to wear her 'Free Nelson Mandela' badge on the day he was freed.)

Shop Assistant 1: What would be the worst temptation for you?  Like, if the Devil was in front of you - what would he be holding?

Shop Assistant 2:  Any kind of cereal.

Shop Assistant 1:  Oh...  Really?  For me it would be fillet steak. 

Shop Assistant 2:  No.  Cereal. 

I'm not sure that SA2 is really fasting.  Sounds suspiciously like a low-carb diet to me.   

As I beat a hasty retreat from the shopping centre, I surprise a baby.  She's sitting in her pushchair, fussing a bit. The very moment she lets out a loud squawk coincides with my sudden appearance through a set of double doors.  She's startled, and stares, open-mouthed.  I clearly see the cogs move in her brain as she comes to a cause-effect conclusion.  She squawked; I appeared.  Like a badly-dressed genie.  She MADE me happen.  I walk off, and she cranes after me, hanging out of her pushchair in fascination.  I do not envy her the come-down when she realises her magic powers have deserted her. We've all been there.