Cleanup on aisle five

Here I am meandering through the many galleries around Pioneer Square with my mom and my aunt who are visiting from out of town. They like gallery stalking, and I'm okay with browsing too. My mom shops art the way she'd hunt for a bargain at K-Mart. "Ooo.. $5500.. I don't think so.. nope!", wet with sarcasm. "Oh.. $90,000? Not today, I don't think!". She makes some comment about the price for possibly 3/4th of the pieces she looks at. I'm wondering if she's only looking at the prices - if the art is of any consequence at all.

I'm looking at some picture in the front of a gallery and I hear this loud ka-BANG-BOOM and look up to see that my mom, in the back of the gallery, has taken the top off of a $14,000, beautifully carved, wooden box with a difficult to miss "DO NOT TOUCH" sign on it- AND DROPPED IT. I wonder what would even possess her to want to take the top off? Did she think there was more carving inside? Did she think they were hiding another piece in there? I stepped away from the picture I was looking at - slowly - and slipped out the door as quietly as possible.

I guess I shouldn't be dreading spending time with my own dear mother, but can't seem to stop myself.