Very few of my excursions end simply. Usually they involve a story, or drama, or aliens from outer space, or achieving the impossible. Today's adventure followed this pattern. The mission was simple - procure a small freezer for Sam and Lynnette. After studying the Sunday newspaper ads, it was decided that Electronic Express had the best deal. So after family brunch and a nap, I headed off for the store.
I patiently waited until Lamar was finished with his current customer and came over to the freezer of my desire. He checked his inventory and then told me the bad news - the only one left in the store was the one on display. However, if I wanted to wait until Wednesday when the truck came in, I could get one then. I told him I'd let him know and then I left the store.
My next destination was the hhgregg store that was about six doors down. There I waited by the small freezer department until Earl came over to help. We discussed the merits of the various models, I chose one, and Earl went off to check inventory. Of course, none of them were available in the store, however if I came back tomorrow, I could have my pick because the truck would be in then. Earl said that he had a freezer that was promised to somebody, so he checked to see when Somebody was coming in to get it. Unfortunately that would be tomorrow, and Earl was afraid that if Somebody came in to get his freezer before the truck came in, Somebody might go all ballistic if his freezer wasn't there. I decided to go elsewhere, so Earl gave me his business card and told me not to give up on them.
I then decided to go to the Sears Outlet Store, which is about a mile down the road. Once inside I wandered around in the "returned due to cosmetic damage" appliances, finally happening upon the sole small freezer. Ruby came over to help me, and we discussed the freezer. Of course, it was the only one, and the cord looked like it had had the lid shut on it a few too many times, because the black cord cover had a few nicks in it. Not wanting to burn Sam and Lynnette's house down, I opted out of Sears and said good-bye to Ruby.
My last option was Home Depot, which was back a mile to my original address, just across the road. I strolled back to the appliance department and found a freezer. It was $20 more than the other freezers, but I did a quick cost-benefit analysis, and decided that it was worth the $20 in terms of my valuable time and gas money. Soon Fred came up and I asked him if he had this freezer in stock. He said he thought he had one left and thought he had just seen it. He asked me to accompany him to check, which I thought meant we would be headed back to some stock room. Apparently not, as the freezers are stored on top of the plumbing aisle. Fred tells me to go get a flat cart outside and bring it to the end of the aisle while he goes to get a cherry-picker to get the freezer.
I got the cart and return inside to my appointed spot. By this time, Fred had cordoned off the aisle and had the cherry picker hiked up to the top of the aisle. I wait around, then wait some more, and then wait some more. After a while, I hear Fred say, "Um, ma'am?" I look around the corner and see Fred and the freezer perched on top of the cherry picker. Fred says, "I'm stuck."
Fred calls several associates who punch certain buttons and turn things off and on. When they can't help, more associates come and help. At some point, Buford comes up and has to wait because he needs some plumbing paste (or something like that) which is located on the aforementioned closed aisle. He is very nice and waits until Fred tells Associate Joe to let Buford in to get his paste. If only he'd told Buford to pull his shirt down so I didn't have to witness his rather amply belly protruding from underneath his over-halls.
Meanwhile, Gertrude and Maxine, Home Depot checkout ladies, offer witty banter with Fred and with me. Finally Fred tells one of the other associates, "I'm on the clock, but this lady has been waiting. Go get another cherry picker."
They do, and before too much longer I have the freezer on my flat cart, remembering Maxine's admonition that if I lay it flat in my car to transport the freezer, then I need to keep it upright for twelve hours before I turn it on. I push the freezer to the checkout (along with the Paula Dean magazine I was reading while waiting, hoping that Molly will find some recipes to use once she has a kitchen).
Bobbie-Lynn scans my items and then asks if I have a Home Depot card. I explain that I did a few years ago, but cancelled it. She then says that if I apply for one (no annual fee), she will give me $50 off the freezer. Done. I now have a Home Depot card. I pay, Dude loads it into the Sequoia (on the side which means letting it sit for twelve hours before I turn it on), and soon the freezer is at its new home.
So what did I learn from today? That sometimes it pays to be patient. For today, I met a lot of nice people, I ended up with a quality freezer, and I got a great deal that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't waited.
Oh, and I'm a Home Depot card holder. I'm moving on up!!
_____________________________________________________________________
Today's blessings: Family pancake breakfast at the Doik; salespeople at every store; afternoon nap; Logan's dinner brought by Steve, Maribeth, and Molly
