Friday, December 17, 2010

The Coming Deluge

We were able to walk down by the beach yesterday, after having skipped beach walks in favor of the Westfield Culver City Mall on Tuesday and Wednesday when the weather turned nasty. Yesterday we squeaked in a walk under partly cloudy skies. It may be our last walk on the beach for a few days, as the weather people are warning of a new major storm system moving in.

Sure enough, when I woke up this morning, the skies were all clouded over and grey. While it has not yet begun to rain, the skies look as though they could open up at any time. All of which means we will be returning to the Mall again today and probably this weekend also.

Did I mention that I am really starting to detest walking at the mall? There are only so many observations one can make about the economy sucking and only so many times one can see empty storefronts, overweight shoppers, unnecessary garbage before it all starts to blend into one giant ugly mess. I predict that the retail sector is going to plunge after the holidays - how many athletic shoe companies, cell phone providers or fine jewelers does a country need, after all? Right now, it is obvious to me -- less obvious to Alma -- that there is an excess of supply and a shortage of demand. The retailers can keep up pretenses through the end of the holiday season. But, based on what I see on my walks in the Mall, very few shoppers are buying anything other than necessities.

Alma and I walk daily not just for her art or for material for my blog. We walk daily for exercise. And our efforts have paid off. Alma and I have each lost about 15 pounds since we began this latest regimen. However, keeping the pounds off requires that we walk each day, no matter what the weather. We have put off doing any Christmas shopping for each other until now, so these next few days, our Mall visits will have a purpose beyond strictly exercise.

I hope the sun and decent weather return soon, though.

1 comment:

  1. This is when I am very happy that I can add a comment to this thing. I want to repeat that he and I see things differently at the mall. I get tired of walking at the mall too but not for the same reasons and I don't think things are nearly as grim as he paints it.

    I dislike how hard the mall floors are they make my collapsing ankles ache, the beach is so much better for that reason. I also hate the way that stores like Victoria's Secret heavily market this image of womanhood that most of us could never meet or live up to nor should we as the models are pratically annorexic! I feel completely alienated by such marketing. I cringe every time we pass the larger than life posters of these women in the store fronts.

    I do however see plenty of people walking around with a lot of bags from stores were they have clearly just made purchases. I do wish that people would consider a little more thought and restraint to show that things aren't quite as much 'business as usual' this year when so many are dying in our names and loosing homes and jobs. If anyone has visited my web site you will see that I'm not in favor of mindless consumerism, haste makes waste.

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