HOW MUCH??? (Part 2)

So Thursday I was the "good dad" and helped chaperon The Kid's volleyball team to an event way over in Billings. I had three girls in my car, the coach had three girls in her car, and one other went over earlier with her mother.

So, we have seven young teenage girls going to the Big City for a volleyball tournament. I arrived about 5:30. The coach had some technical difficulties (trying to make a "quick stop" in Bozeman, getting lost in Billings getting to the motel [not her fault, Billings is a mess on a good day, and worse when it's under construction]), so she showed up about 45 minutes after us. We got them checked into their hotel room and what do you think these seven young ladies from Itty Bitty, MT want to do in Big City, MT?

If you said, "Mall," you would be right.

After some driving adventures in Billings, we finally arrived at the mall. The first thing we did was tell the girls what time to be back at the designated exit. The second thing we told them was to buddy-up. Three of the girls went off one way, and the other four and two adults when another.

The next thing I told the girls was that if they insisted on dragging me through the mall, it would behoove them to get me fed so I wouldn't get grumpy on them. So we ate.

And then we shopped.

Actually, we only hit one store -- D.E.B. I have no idea what that stands for, but they were having a clearance sale on prom dresses. So we shopped for prom dresses, and I was the designated, all important, male/dad voice of reason.

The girls could try on all the dresses they wanted and I would give them an honest, up front answer that their own dads probably wouldn't do. It worked out beautifully. And my own daughter found a dress that she absolutely loved.

She brought it up to me and said, "Can we buy this?"

"Um . . . No. I didn't come to Billings to be hauling home prom dresses."

"But it's only $5."

"Five bucks??? Honey, if that fits you and you like it, I'll buy it right now."

It did.

She did.

And it was 25 percent off.

We left Billings with a $3.75 prom dress.