Pandemic Adventures

 Sometimes stories are too funny not to record.

Elizabeth came up to me one evening and mentioned in a low voice that she only had one bra that fits comfortably and could we please go shopping sometime soon?  Sunnyside has a very limited selection of shopping options (I'm looking at you, Walmart) so I opted to take Elizabeth with me to Yakima.  The high school had "Grace Week," which is 5 school days with no new work assigned and a chance to turn in past-due assignments in a last-ditch attempt to bring the number of students passing their classes up, around the time of Thanksgiving break.  It felt like a lot of free time for the high school-aged kids, but it did mean that I could take Elizabeth shopping during the before lunch hours of the day.  

We went to Target and headed straight for the underwear department.  We had an idea of the sizes to find so that Elizabeth could try several on and see what would work best for her, comfort-wise.  She is pretty particular about things feeling soft and not restrictive on her body, and bras can be a bit fiddly.  The options for wire-free and scratchy lace-free weren't fabulous but we found some options in some different styles, regardless of the color.  Online ordering can come to the rescue once Elizabeth finds a style she likes.  

We made our way down to the fitting rooms only to find carts parked in the walkways and a sign that said "Closed."  Then I remembered that the governor had put restrictions on public places again and dressing rooms were out of the question due to the rising Covid case numbers.  

Well then.

Sunnyside doesn't have good clothing options and Yakima is only a little better.  Dressing rooms are closed anywhere we might go.  It's a solid 35 minute drive home from Target and I didn't really want to drive all the way back to Yakima another day to return what didn't fit.  So I asked Elizabeth if she'd be ok with using our minivan as a dressing room.  Mind you, this wasn't a "shirt off, shirt on again" quick change.  It was down to the birthday suit in a public parking lot.  She did not look excited about the suggestion, but I promised I would drive the van over to the outer reaches of the parking lot and Elizabeth reluctantly agreed.  I reminded her of the times we've changed into swimsuits in our car and told her it wouldn't be so bad.  This would be a story she can tell her kids someday.

I think she rolled her eyes at me.

So, we got in line and paid for the 5 bras.  We moved the minivan to the back of the parking lot by an out of business shop.  Our van has built in shades that we pulled up in the middle and back rows of seating, and Elizabeth sat on the floor and settled in.  I sat in the driver's seat, facing forward, and gave Elizabeth as much privacy as I could.  

In the end, only one of the bras suited her.  Another fit fine, but burgundy was a little too much color for underwear in Elizabeth's opinion.  (I would happen to agree.)  So I returned 4 bras and we resolved to do some online shopping for the rest.

Why is shopping for underwear so complicated?