What is that all about, you ask? Well, this is my new mantra, thanks to roadiepig. That guy is just way to cool for his own good. He can take any lousy situation and end up singing, I swear!

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If you read yesterdays entry, about my shoping, you will remember that I bought two sets of dishes. Well I didn't quite tell you the rest of it. So, as Paul Harvey would say, "Page Two"

I crossed the great divide. If you are under the age of 40, you will have no clue as to what I am talking about. If you are 40 - 50, you may. If you are over 50, you probably do. Crossing the great divide is when you are thrust headfirst into the "Next Generation". No, I'm not talking about Star Trek. I'm talking about age here.

As I got to the checkout line, I was holding one set of dishes in one hand and one in the other. These buggers were heavy! I asked the girl in front of me if I could "PLEASE" put them on the counter. She moved to one side for me. Another young girl, about 21 was standing there with a dollar bill in her hand. She wanted change and was waiting for the cashier to open the drawer. It was one of those type that won't open unless there has been a sale.

I wrote out a check for the dishes and as I handed it to the cashier, I told her I would need to take one of the carts to the parking lot because the dishes were to heavy to carry both at the same time. The girl waiting for change spoke up and said she would help me to the car with the boxes.

Now if I were say, 35 and she had said she would give me a hand, I wouldn't have given it another thought. But like I told my sister later, it was HOW she said it. She sorted of tilted her head to the side and bent just a tad forward. Then she smiled and said,

"I can help carry them out for you."

She wasn't offering a peer some help. She wasn't offering a buddy a hand, no. In her patronizing little voice, she in essence was helping the little old lady across the road! The only thing missing was her girlscout uniform!

I, of course, took her up on it. I am not one to cut off my nose to spite my face. I carried one and she carried the other to my car. I guess it could have been worse. She could have stripped my dignity entirely and grabbed them both.

I thanked her and got into my car. I sat for a moment contemplating all this. I sadly came to the realization that to a 20 year old, I am now over the hill. I'm old. At 49, I have crossed that thin line between Hot Mamma and sweet little old lady. Again, it could be worse. Consider the alternative.

And now you have "The Rest of the Story.

I am not letting this bother me. As I said in the beginning of this entry, my new mantra: