Adventures in shopping: Target

The basket is balanced on the footplate, one foot in the basket

I didn't have much of a reason to be at Target last night, other than I wanted to just wander around.  Well, my spine was eight shades of unhappy, so I figured this was a good time to actually get rolling in the new wheels.

Thankfully my preferred Target is pretty darn accessible.  There are usually enough designated handicap parking spots with enough extra room for any equipment finagling, well lit, and pavement that's well maintained so I don't have any issues (like I did in Big Lots).  It was a bit snug getting through the security gate, which was a bit strange since my new chair is only two inches wider....and it made me wonder about power chairs and mobility scooters, not to mention various stroller configurations, a parent holding a child's hand, or folks using crutches...you know, folks that will end up taking up more room as they move through a gate.

So I roll on through, marveling at how much easier the new chair is to maneuver and how much better on my spine my foot placement is (the transport chair has swingaway footrests, which put my feet more out than under me, and sometimes just that placement causes issues.  The new chair has my feet at a more natural place, which also makes for easier maneuvering in daily life).  I grab a basket, and realize that my old way of balancing a basket on my feet won't work because of the footplate.  No worries, so I put the basket on the footplate and one of my feet in the basket.  The results are in the pic above (and pardon my grubby shoes...they are slowly dying, but are my favorite pair of "scuffies" that I own).

I wandered around clearance racks and almost was run into several times by people that weren't looking (because if you can't see over the rack, you aren't a real person? *shrug*).  I wove through the rest of the women's clothing looking for lightweight leggings to wear under skirts (because I'm giving up on pants, slowly but surely).  No luck.

I took a self-portrait using one of the mirrors at Target

I pretty much meandered through the entire store, just because I was happy that I could be mobile using the wheelchair.  For me, happiness is usually the precursor to silliness, so when I went past the home decor section with all the mirrors, I decided that this was an awesome opportunity for a self-portrait.  Honestly, if it wasn't for wheels, I would have been stuck at home, probably in my recliner on pain meds, and being agitated that I wanted to move but hurt too much to be able to do anything to relieve the antsy feeling.  Thank goodness for modern technology....and the opportunity for silliness and happiness.

My trip ended with the usual strange looks at the counter as I pulled a case of soda out of the basket and a bottle of multivitamins out of the basket.  Apparently the cashiers don't usually see folks using wheelchairs shopping independently, but after my cashier's initial reaction, it was business as usual as I pulled the pin pad down to be able to read it.

On my way and out the doors....whee!