I learned something new today: I should not go shopping without my kids. Why? Because kids keep you focused. Kids are the perfect excuse to dodge and avoid the stalls in the middle of the shopping centre. The pop-up booths where they lunge at you as you walk past and thrust flyers into your hand, or try and rub strange smelling hand cream on you.
I posted on Facebook the other day, a fantastic response that a dad uses when he is approached by these pop-up booth people. He tells them he can’t stop because the kids have to go to the toilet.
Brilliant. Perfect excuse. No one is going to try and delay you from taking a child to the restrooms. They don’t want pee on the floor near them.
Today though, I went to the shops by myself. There was a pop-up booth.
I didn’t have my kids with me. I didn’t have the excuse of having to deal with a stinky nappy, or a seven year old that drank way too much water.
I didn’t have a shield. I was day dreaming. And I was scoffing eating a Turkish Delight chocolate bar – because when you don’t have your kids with you, you can eat chocolate during the day and not have to share it.
As I took the last bite of the chocolate bar, a Chris Hemsworth look-a-like suddenly stepped into my vision and I was momentarily and utterly distracted.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Australian hunk that is Chris Hemsworth, also known as Thor, this is what he looks like.
Now imagine that, dressed as a fire fighter, and you’ll begin to understand why I was so distracted and caught off-guard when I was simply walking to Kmart…
While enjoying my chocolate bar, walking at a pace not dictated by small children, and daydreaming, I had inadvertently walked past a pop-up booth selling fundraising calendars. Calendars featuring supremely fit and attractive fire fighters. And one of them was standing in front of me.
I panicked and suddenly felt like a dorky teenager who was being spoken to by the hottest guy at school.
I was not prepared for this. I felt like an absolute idiot.
He mentioned something about fundraising calendars for the hospital’s burns unit. I honestly don’t know what else he said after that. I was blinded by the dazzling smile and arm muscles achieved by serious hours in the gym and a physical job.
I tried to say “no thanks”, but somehow instead, I opened my wallet, gave him some money (no idea if I gave him $20 or $50, either I gave him the correct amount or I just paid for someone else’s calendars) and ended up walking away with a somewhat racy calendar. Quite likely, blushing like a moron.
For all I knew, he could have sold me a calendar from 1995. Or signed me up to support a dodgy charity that looks after crickets who have escaped being eaten by a spider.
That’s how ridiculous I felt. Totally embarrassed by my inability to form a coherent sentence and speak to another human being.
When I got home, I told my husband what had happened. He thought it was hilarious.
Fifty shades of firemen.
I now have a calendar that could be described by some as soft porn, sitting on the kitchen table. I’m sure it would breach some sort of workplace sexual harassment rule if I took it to the office, and I don’t think it looks quite right on the fridge next to the kids’ artwork and family photos…
Have you ended up buying something from a pop-up booth just because the sales person was insanely hot and you got all flustered?
Do you have a fire fighter calendar?
Make sure you’re following Life, kids and a glass of red on Facebook for more giggles and snippets of silliness.
Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT.
Life, kids and a glass of red 
Bahahaha! At least it was for a good cause 🙂
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Absolutely! More fundraising organisations should use this method, they’d make a bucket load of cash 🙂
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Oh we needed this on camera. A visa moment huh
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I’m glad there was no camera to record my humiliation! 🙂
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You can send me the calendar! I would love that calendar! I would have loved to be you and be approached by a hot fireman! I am very enthusiastic about this post!!!! Haha.
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Bahahaha! I can laugh at it now, but so embarrassing at the time!
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haha at least you met a cute fireman 🙂 My girl would probably keep me away from those booths, mostly because she is running every which way that I am too busy chasing her to actually do any shopping… good for keeping on budget because I never get to buy anything lol
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No browsing or window shopping when I have my kids with me, its all about staying on task! Bonus though that Chris Hemsworth has a doppelgänger!
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Oh that is a funny story. Sorry, laughing with you..not at you. I think the kids’ excuse is brilliant. Hope you enjoy the rest of your (calendar) year! Denyse. #teamIBOT
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Feel free to laugh at me, my friends and husband certainly did! 🙂
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Ha ha! That’s hilarious!
On another note, when I go shopping by myself I talk to myself. I blame it on years of always having someone in a pram or trolley.
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I talk to to myself, too! Thankfully I was scoffing chocolate at the time and not talking to myself, or I would have come across as a raving lunatic 🙂
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I want a soft porn firefighter calendar and to be accosted by a Thor look alike!
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Bahahaha!
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Two words: BLOG GIVEAWAY.
Love this post!
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Glad you loved it!
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Oh that is too funny! I agree with Emily – blog giveaway!
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Bahahaha. Nice work! What shopping centre is this?! I’ve never been approached by a Thor lookalike at my local shops.
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Perhaps I should call the NSW Fire Dept and tell them to send the fire fighter calendar models to more local shops 🙂 They’d make a bucket load of sales!
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BAHHAHAHHAHHAHA! Dude, nothing could have stopped me if I was on my way to Kmart. Kit Harington himself could be standing their nude and I’d probably not notice. I love Kmart.
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Gold! Not sure if I love Kmart that much though 🙂
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That is a very clever sales tactic, having Thor accosting women outside of Kmart. I think I’d react in much the same way!
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I’m pretty sure their sales have been boosted since I told my girlfriends about it! They were determined to “support the charity” AKA ogle at Thor…
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Nope I have zero tolerance for interrupters. I think I told a firefighter to eff off once, but to be fair (to me) he was half stalking me through the shops and I was PO’d by his behaviour.
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Haha! I totally have one of those calendars. Mine is even signed by the hot firey I purchased it from. I have it hanging on the wall in the kitchen and the first time Mr 6 saw it he said ‘I don’t think you’re supposed to fight fires without a shirt on Mum’.
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I completely understand. I would have probably paid $1000. Firefighters make me go weak too 😉
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Oh this made me laugh. It’s hard to resist a man in uniform so I prob would’ve done the same. I do however LOVE shopping without the kids even if it means I come home with soft porn or have signed myself up to some gym with no intention of ever going 😉
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Oh I always feel so awkward walking past those booths. I try to avoid eye contact and just say “Sorry, no thanks”…which is hard when they ask “Do you care about the environment?” or something similar. Never thought of kids being a great excuse!
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Maybe keep the calendar for ‘special occasions.’ I don’t even know what that means. I could take it off your hands if it’s really making you uncomfortable……
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Easier on the eye than your average chugger and look on the bright side, you have 12 months of eye candy to look forward too! Plus it’s all for a great cause so that’s money well spent!
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Oh this could so easily have been me – I am a complete sucker for Chris Hemsworth or any Hemsworth for that matter and try as I might to not make eye contact with the pop up booths… I get suckered in EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! xx
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Why is Thor not hanging out where I shop??? Honestly, I think you did the only thing you COULD do… HILARIOUS post!! Love it so much. 😛 Pinning and tweeting, and so glad you stopped by #FridayFrivolity so I could have a laugh!
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Featuring you this weekend!! 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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Looks like both Sarah and I featured you on the #FridayFrivolity party this week. 🙂
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