Consumer nation

I left Michelle Singletary's column up on the computer for mom to stumble upon. Instead, she (mom) started recounting the various stores she just has to shop at today, including AJ Wright, where yesterday she bought some gadget about which she said, "oh, this is what this is for! I thought it was something else." To which I said, "it would be good to start reading the specifications before buying things. But I digress.

Mom: If we go to AJ Wright, we could go for a walk.
A.: You could go for a walk anyway. We're going for a walk by the Publick Theatre (not far from mom's favorite shopping center), Wendy's coming to get me this afternoon.
Dad: Wendy's here?
A.: Yeah. Today is her mom's birthday.
Dad: Say hi for me.
A.: Will do.

Dad, to his credit, asks about my friends all the time. Mom does sometimes, often the same questions (where is Wendy, again? what is she doing there?). But maybe I'm not being fair. She does care... she's just distracted.

Dad: I remember New Year's last year-- it was hard to tear you two away from the crosswords.
A.: Yes, if it had been up to me this year, it would have been harder to tear me from the board games, but my lame friends wanted to watch that slimeball of a being that is Ryan Seacrest.
Mom: Which river? I'm afraid the path won't have been cleared.
A.: We actually walked there on New Year's Day and it was fine.
Mom: Where?
A.: Where I run.
Mom: On Soldier's Field Road?
A.: No, that's where we're going today.
Mom: Near the AJ Wright, or near the Stop & Shop?

This is the best we can do for designating walking paths??

A.: On New Year's Day, we walked near Stop & Shop.
Mom: When?
A.: Right before they dropped me off.
Mom: And that's where you're going today?
A.: No, today we're going near SFR.
Mom: Where you run?
A.: Mom!

Mom knows perfectly well where I run, because she walks there while I run. She'd just rather ask questions to which she won't remember the answers than stop to process the information that has been provided.

Mom: You shouldn't have bought pots. They have some great ones at AJ Wright.
A.: [Shrug]