Shopping Spree

Last week we went to a big department store to buy some wedding presents from their registry. After making our selections, we carried our merchandise to the cash register. The young hyper lady behind the counter told us if we use our credit card for that department store, we would get a special discount offer.

Anna said she could do that, so she dug into her wallet and pulled out that department store’s credit card. The sales clerk began the transaction only to find we hadn’t used our credit card there in over a year, thus causing the account to close. The young sales lady said that was even better! We could set up a new account and get even a bigger discount on our purchases plus anything else we bought that day. It was an offer hard to refuse. She recreated a new account and gave us an umbrella for doing so!

Anna asked me was if there was anything I needed. I said, “Want or need?” On their display was a stack of Vivitar 210HD video/still cameras. The sign said it was marked down to $69.99. I don’t need a camera since we have three cameras that work great. I found that my small palm size Flip Camera goes unnoticed, just like its owner. I have taken the best pictures of people not concerned about a camera glaring them in their face that I couldn’t do with any other type of camera. There are no adjustments or hardly anything else to do – truly a point and shoot. The same button starts it that stops it. It is a gift that I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of and intend to get a whole lot more.

However, I am a gadget man. The Vivitar camera with zoom lens and handle was calling to me. I think we can use both movie cameras – to back the other one up and a bunch of other reasons.

The young cashier rung them up and said the camera was $99.99 marked down from $169.99. I said the sign said $69.99. She flipped over to the display and studied it a second or two and flipped back to say she could understand how I mistook the sign. They would honor the price I perceived it to be, which was $69.99 plus the new card one day discount, which knocked the camera down in the $40.s. Not bad.

She had already rung it up with the price as $99.99 (with discounts to follow), so she had to call a manager to come and approve her action. The manager came over and didn’t even look at the transaction, then told us of a super buy they had on flip flops. They were just flying out the door!! We left the merchandise with her so she could wrap the wedding presents while we wandered thru the store looking for stuff to buy at the super one-time discount. Anna bought some clothing and a purse - what woman doesn’t need another purse?

When we returned, only one present was wrapped. It seems as soon as we left a hateful woman showed up to misuse our perky little sales lady as her personal shopping girl, asking at one time, “Do you speak English?” She spent her time trying to please the old biddy, later telling us she enjoyed hateful customers since she really felt sorry for them. There is no reason to think she couldn’t speak English. The young lady is a college student that spoke Southern just as well as me!!

She happily finished wrapping the presents long after her lunch break. We filled out a comment card to show our appreciation for all the help she gave us. What a joy to meet such a pleasurable youth!

You Say "Tomatoes"

And I say "‘maters."

A few days ago I dropped by Krogers Grocery Store to buy one or two items. Before going inside I stopped still at a display they had in front of the store. Tomato pots!

They had rows of what looked like tomato bushes in little pots for sale for $12.99 each. They also had pepper pots, which had small red and green peppers, but my main focus was the tomato pots.

For $12.99 hmmmmm? I walked around looking at each pot. Each pot had a lot of tomatoes just ready to be picked.

I heard a faint “Eddie” come from deep within the bushes. They were calling my name.

I wondered if the tomato plants would produce $12.99 worth of tomatoes. A little elderly lady was studying the pots too. I asked her if she thought it would produce $12.99 worth of tomatoes.

She had a yankee accent. That little old lady talked faster than a used car salesman. She said each one had $12.99 on it now. She said that was the best way to get them, just pluck them off the bush when you wanted one… no wedding, no hassles or anything. She picked out a pot and went and got a grocery cart.

I wondered if she moved here to be near her grandchildren or did she move here because her husband got transferred here many years ago and they fell in love with the area and decided to stay. Then I thought, “what does it matter?”

Somebody else came by and picked out a tomato pot and a pepper pot and left. I panicked ! They were going like hotcakes!

On impulse I picked out a nice fully loaded pot too.

We have been eating a lot of tomatoes lately. Although, I am glad I didn’t get the peppers, my stomach can only take so much.

Hissy-Fit Discount

Today is Wednesday. Today is Senior Discount Day at Krogers’ and Publix grocery stores. 5% discount off for just being an old fart. That is a good deal.

I think to qualify for senior discount you need to be age 60 or over. But, no cashier would dare ask you. Sometimes if they think you look like you might qualify they give it to you anyway, without even asking.

Maybe each cashier has had painful experience of being told off when asking someone did they qualify for a Senior Discount.

I remember one time at Krogers the cashier asked a lady if she qualified for the Senior Discount and she hit the roof. She screamed that she had never been so insulted in her life. She had a real hissy-fit.

The manager came to the cashier rescue and calmed the hateful lady down. I think he probably gave her a gift certificate to get her to stop her blasted raving like a lunatic.

Which made me realize that every day his Hateful Discount Day.
If you complain and scream loud enough the manager will materialize and give you some type of Squeaky-Hinge-Gets-the-Oil-Award.

I need to point out that often a shit-fit or hissy-fit in a store needs to happen to straighten out a problem that other-wise might go unnoticed by the managers.

I was wondering does a store manager really want this type of customer in his store. The type of person that will fly off the handle any moment and cause a disruption? Probably not.

So, I suggest an award that will make everybody at the store happy. Go ahead and give them the hissy-fit award of monetary value, life a gift certificate… but don’t give it for freebees in your store. Give them a gift certificate to your competitor’s store across the street.

Shopping

Yesterday, while out shopping we went by a store that specializes in beads and stuff. You can have necklaces made to suit your own taste with many items to choose from. As I was walking around poking around looking while Anna was dealing with a salesperson I saw that this was an old warehouse at one time. High ceiling, big fans up high, and in big heavy metal pipes and things. The sales person did not look over 20 years old. She was also very timid – not outgoing at all. The other girl there was more busy smooching with her boyfriend than actually working. And their was an older female there, that I think was the owner who seemed to hover near us to make sure the young lady dealing with us was doing fine. She must have because the older lady did not barge over and take charge. Then, I figured the two girls were the daughters of the owner.

In a short time the sales girl / daughter warmed up. I like to see people we deal with happy, not depressed.

I noticed on a long table in the back were three or four women taking a class of making their own necklaces. I saw one of them had a pattern board of some kind and going by when placing her links. They have classes to make your own that they charge a fee then at the class you have to buy material’s don’t you? It is a win-win situation, for them anyway.

It is a warehouse and it is behind the bowling alley. I asked the girl helping Anna did Nun-Better Cabinet Shop used to be there? She said yes, they have been there for nine years. She said the Nun Complex was there before they were.

Nun-Better Cabinets or the Nun-Complex, as she said, was owned by Barney Nun, a very religious man. He also monetarily backed my father when he ran for public office. Buna Walker ran for sheriff and Daddy ran as his chief Deputy. They lost.

We also went to Aldi Groceries. I may be misspelling Aldi – I am not sure. It is a grocery store chain based in Germany that seems to be opening every where. Things are normally very cheap there. But they don’t have sacks, they don’t accept checks or credit cards.

You also have to pay a quarter deposit to get a shopping cart. The carts have a little thing on them and first you have to insert a quarter in the thing to release it from the group of carts it is in. When you return the cart to the same group, when you push your cart to fit it in the next cart it pushes your quarter out.

When we arrived at Aldi’s an Asian lady in the parking lot was just putting the last item out of the cart into the car when I thought I would save her some steps and I offered her a quarter for her cart. She took it.

When we left and I emptied the cart another Asian lady appeared and asked me if she could take my cart and save me some steps. I said sure, but you will have to pay me a quarter.

She looked puzzled. I think she was thinking she was offering the man a favor saving him some steps and he wants to charge me a quarter for my good deed? I quickly showed her the edge of the quarter and told her it will come out when she placed it in the cart stack. She caught on very quickly, and said that was a very idea – they didn’t have to pay someone to go out and pick up carts in the parking lot.

Wednesday continued

I forgot to mention that Wednesday after my doctor’s appointment and getting my Brandi’s Famous vittles to go and after eating those unmentionables grinded up and reshaped into hotdogs, I went shopping at Krogers. Wednesday is Senior 5% Saving Day. I now have to go to a newer Kroger because the older I went to closed down.

I prefer to pick my cashier – some of them, especially the news ones, seemed to get fussy over coupons and such. I picked one that used to be at the old Krogers and transferred to this newer Krogers.

Most of the employees from the old Krogers who transferred most of them came to this one, it is only two miles down the road. But there is one old employee at the old Krogers I haven’t seen. She was a little old woman who was mentally challenged. I always tried to speak to her and she always slapped me on the back and laughed like a wild maniac.

Her and a sacker, also mentally challenged would arrive at Krogers each day by a special county paid for “Twinkie Bus” who transports the mentally challenged to their jobs each day. I think it is a good program.

I haven’t seen her since the old Krogers closed down, so I asked the cashier about her. She said she is at the East Lake Krogers now. She told me that Krogers has a Starbucks and one day she was in there and she saw her sitting in Starbucks alone taking a break. She asked her how did she like her new job and she said she liked it but she didn’t know anybody, she didn’t have any friends.

It is hard being an outsider, and probably even tri-fold harder if you are different from the rest. I mentioned cliques not no ago – I bet she does feel terribly excluded. The cashier almost cried when she told me. I almost cried too.

As I left I noticed the next door Walgreen’s Pharmacy was having flu shots that day. I hurried home and put up the frozen foods and returned to Walgreen’s thinking it would take a few minutes to whip in and get my shot and whip out. Wrong!

I stood in a long line two hours.

Interesting to note a young lady in front of me told me she was seven months pregnant. She was Caucasian. The nurse’s assistant went down the line asking was anyone on Medicare, if so we must fill out a certain form. I raised my hand and so did the young pregnant lady in front of me. Then, the same assistant went by asking if anybody was on Medicaid and the lady in front of me raised her hand again.

She was on Medicare and Medicaid and under 25? She used a very expensive looking cell phone to call her fiancé’ to tell him (at that point) she had to stand in line for another hour and an half. So, she wasn’t married, pregnant and on Medicare and Medicaid. She also had on expensive new clothes. She was very polite and cordial but I bet she knew how to play the system like a violin.

Maybe we can hire her to go through our papers to see just what we are not getting that we are entitle to.

Chasing Dogs and Buying Jewelry

Not only are we having technical problems. I am tired.

We shopped over 12 hours yesterday to replace Anna's jewelry she lost on our recent trip. When I solo shop I go straight to what I intend to buy, make a quick decision, plunk my money on the counter, pick up the item and leave. With Anna it is detailed studying and when you find something, then you try to deal, or bargain for it. She does well with the Pakistanis and dark skin Gypsy looking people. Or they make her think she got a deal anyway.

And it drained all my energy.

And today we have to get her ready for her business trip she is taking Monday to Illinois.

Also yesterday, we picked up my son's dog Belle at the dog motel. When we picked her up the lady from the back said, "Are you sure you want her?" She said Belle thinks she is always competing to bark the loudest. When she brought her out, it reminded me of a bucking wild bronco. Boy, was she wild. She would stand up and wiggle, to try to wiggle out of her collar.

We took her outside and got almost to the car when she stood up and wiggled just right and got loose from the collar and leash. Belle has always been the type of dog that you could never trust to take off running. As far as I know she has got loose three other times and each time it has taken a number of people to catch her.

This time she broke loose we were at the intersection of two busy 4-lane Boulevards. My heart sank. I knew Belle was a gonner. Either by escaping or by getting ran over.

Before I went off chasing her I opened the back door of our car so it would be easier to put in the car if I didn't have to wrestle with her and try to open the door at the same time.... that is IF we caught her, which is a big IF.

I went around the side of the car and she went around the car the other way and jumped into the car and sat on the back seat.

No problem!

Shopping For a Treadmill

Yesterday we spent 9 hours in the area visiting a bunch of exercise equipment stores looking for Mr. Right Treadmill. If I am counting my fingers right we went to 8 stores, maybe 9.

Our objection was to find the best for the lowest…. Or the most for what we were willing to pay. Anna was armed with printouts from Consumer Reports on-line comparison charts.

The first store, a discount store, there were nobody around that give you any information, and it appeared they didn’t have but three very low graded types of Treadmills, and one of them was only partially assembled, so I am not sure I should counted that one or not – maybe it did teach us one thing, don’t go to a discount store if you want to talk to a salesman that should have all the information.

The second store we visited had a salesman to give us his full attention and he had all the answers. His machines seemed a little on the expensive side. And he smirked a lot at us. By his body language and his smirking I could tell he thought we were funny with our Consumer Reports and questions. However, once, when lifting an end of one of the machines to show us the space saver quality the body strain caused him to fart. Then I got to smirk. He who smirks first, gets smirked at last – or something like that.

Another fitness equipment store the salesman gave us his total attention, the only thing he had no attention to give. He was a muscle-bound jock who I think only had the expertise in weight lifting. He kept telling us wrong information on the machines we were asking about.

We went to a big sports discount store that had a big selection, but could not find anyone to spend some quality time with us, so used the restroom and left. Besides, they had a big delivery and assemble fee, which all the stores seem to have.

We went to a couple of other stores, including a used sports equipment store and could find nothing that met our requirements in performance or out of the wallet.

Then, we visited a Nordic Track store in the mall. The sweet innocent looking college girl was working on her pre-med paper because it wasn’t very busy. She showed us the a treadmill that did all we required and it was nice and sturdy. The delivery and assembly charge is free. We bought it. It should be delivered one day next week.

Unless of course, that sweet innocent college girl took our money and ran.

O'Henry Kind of Story - But True

While shopping at the mall before last Thanksgiving Anna saw a pocketbook at a leather store for $59.99 and decided to buy it. Then she read a sign there saying if she bought that item from that table, then she could buy a 2nd item 50% off. She couldn’t decide what else to buy so didn’t buy anything.

A week before Christmas, we went into the same leather store with intentions of buying the pocketbook. The price had been changed to $99.99. Again, we left the store without buying it.

A few days after Christmas we returned to the leather store and she found the same pocketbook. This time it was $69.99, ten bucks higher than the first price. Anna said it would surely come down to $59.99. Again, we made our exit.

Yesterday February the 4th, we were in the Leather Store and the pocket book was marked back down to the original price of $59.99. Anna noticed a bent place in the leather strap. The bent place was probably caused by Anna picking it up trying it out many times. She could not see paying for a damaged pocketbook. We left without buying the pocketbook.

There is an O’Henry story there someplace.