پادکست – ویژه اعضای الماسی

Food for the Barbecue

 

I moved into the new apartment last month and decided to invite a few friends over for a house-warming party. I didn’t want to spend the day cooking, so I decided to have a barbeque. The food would be easy to prepare and I could cook it when my friends got here. But first, I had to go get a few things at the supermarket.

 

 

I got to the store and got a cart. I started out in the meat department. It wouldn’t be a barbeque without hamburgers so I bought some ground beef. I also picked up some chicken breasts and hot dogs. I skipped the seafood counter since I didn’t want to bother with fish.

 

 

Then, I was off to the produce department. I got some corn on the cob and a lot of vegetables for grilling for my friends who are vegetarians. Then, I was off to the bakery section. I needed buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs, and I also bought some cookies for dessert.

 

 

Then, I was almost done. I went down each aisle looking for the condiments— the ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. And, just before wrapping things up, I went to the liquor department and got some beer, wine, and soda. Nearly everyone I invited asked if they could bring something for the party and but I told them no. I would have plenty of food and drink.

 

 

That was it. I stood in line at the check-out stand, staring at the magazine rack full of tabloids, until the cashier rang me up. The shopping went off without a hitch. Now, all I have to do is clean my messy apartment. That’s the hard part.

Shopping at the Mall

I needed a new dress for a wedding I was attending next week so I went to the mall during my lunch hour. The mall had a big variety of stores, including two department stores so I was sure to find something that was just right. I found a space in the parking structure and entered the mall through the main entrance. This was right next to the food court.

Okay, where to start?

I headed to one of the two department stores. On the way there, though, I saw a nice dress in a window display of a women’s clothing store. I decided to go in. As I walked in, I saw a sales clerk hanging some shirts on a rack. She said, “Hi, can I help you find something?”

“Oh, I’m just browsing,” I said.

“Okay. Let me know if you need any help.” I told her “thanks” and started looking around the store. There were some nice sweaters folded on the shelves and some dress pants on the racks. I made my way toward the back of the store and found the same dress I saw in the window display. And, it was on sale! It was 50% off. I started looking for my size. There were plenty of smalls and larges, but no mediums.

The sales clerk was walking by just then so I asked her, “Do you have any other sizes in the back?” But, I was out of luck. This was all they had.

“But,” she said, “I have this dress in a medium and it’s been marked down, too. Would you like to try it on?” I said I did and followed her to the dressing room. She said, “My name is Cheryl. Let me know if you need anything else.” I tried the dress on and it fit perfectly. I liked the color, too.

I took the dress to the register. The sales clerk asked, “Are you ready?” I told her I was and she started ringing me up. The clerk told me the total and asked me, “How would you like to pay for this?”

“With my MasterCard,” I said and handed her my credit card.

She processed the card and asked me sign the credit card receipt. She handed me a copy and a bag with my new dress in it. She said, “There you go. I hope you like the dress. Thanks for coming in.”

I thanked her and left. I couldn’t believe I got my shopping done so quickly. There’s a first time for everything.