2000-09-03 - 21:15 MDT

September 3, 2000

Errands

Heather says to me this morning, "We have to go see (xxxx)." -- Our oldest daughter, at her assisted living home. A usual Sunday thing. "But first we need to do an errand." We go to our nearby supermarket where she cashes a check and I try for my usual months worth of quarters for the laundry machines at our apartment. Oooo hooo, what a Dumbo. Two rolls of quarters on Labor Day Weekend ? "Sorry, we are out of change," said by a self satisfied smirking clerk. Oh, well, should have known better, forgetful me, but I want to do some family washing Monday while everyone else is still out of town. We made a quick trip up to Safeway so Heather could pick up a sale item there. And so back to the parking lot without quarters.

Heather said, "We're right across the way from Walgreen's and we have some coupons for stuff we need. Into battle mode Bastion ! She tells me what she wants me to get and I leaf through the sales pages at the store and tear out the needed coupons. Then the search for the wanted items. I don't know if is a quirk of the store or what, but the items I am hunting always seem to be in odd places or behind higher priced stuff. I buy the stuff Heather said to get, asked for quarters, got the standard answer, went out to the car and got my book out of the glove compartment that I am slowly working through at supermarket waits and Clinic waits. Sit down and become engrossed in the story until Heather comes by ready to go out. The only place to sit outside is right in the sun, so I asked her, "Have you checked your sales slip yet ?" It is usually a half hour job for her on our first of the month visit. Receiving a negative I said, "I'll be sitting in here and when you're ready to go let me know." Twenty seven minutes later in she comes in and goes to fight the sale price war with the establishment. She won the battle this time coming out with seven dollars plus change refund. I loaded the plunder in the car.

Then down to pick up daughter and take her to her favorite place of all, McDonald's for her usual burger, fries and soft drink (her preference), today I opted for the nine piece Chicken McNuggets and a chocolate milk shake. Daughter eats slowly, so we were there for a bit. I left there with my McBelly Mcfull. We took her to her abode and passed the time of day with her co-residents, gave her a hug and good bye.

Back in the car Heather said, "Oh, I need to stop at Hobby Lobby." We stop there and I read. She hopped back in with her purchase and brightly said, "We gotta go to Costco." How could I complain about that, our large quantity consumables are purchased there, I was faced with starvation if we put that off. I went in with her, book under arm, grabbed a buggy and hunted for the stuff she has difficulty finding or reaching up for. Put that in her buggy and went out to the snack area, snacked on a Churro and a cold drink while helping Alex Delaware solve a mystery. While waiting on Heather I went over to the little admin. stand near the snack bar and asked if they had quarters, the lady opened the drawer quickly and shut it quicker and with that, "Boy are you stupid look on her face she told me that, "No, we don't have any quarters at all." She went on to some length instructing me in what I already knew but had been too dopey to do. I thanked her and went back and sat down right near there. After awhile I saw an employee approach the stand with a key in his hand, so I was right behind him looking over his shoulder when he opened the drawer -- sure enough they had quarters out the ears in there. I said something to the effect, "Oh, I see that you have a bunch of quarters there, I need two rolls, here is my membership card and here is a twenty dollar bill." Oh, what a sneaky, snakey conniver Bastion is. As he handed me the quarters I thanked him profusely and apologized for needing quarters on a holiday weekend. As I turned to go back to my seat and book, the woman who had refused me was giving me a furious crusty that almost burned my ears off I returned her look with a smile. Thus to the car after her trip through the checkout stand.(My vertical time is limited both to time and travel, and lines kill my back), so she does the footwork without complaint, bless her.

Then what ? Oh yeah, a stop by the gas station out there with the cheapest gas in our end of town where we replaced the fumes in the tank with gasoline. Place is always crowded, so we waited there. The pumps there now have the credit/debit card mechanisms so you serve yourself quickly and then join the line behind the customers who have to pay at the window to get out. Sheesh, I forgot, we tried the new fueling station at Costco and after sitting in line there the magic machine said they don't serve my Visa debit card issued by Bellco. Damn, I was too tired and grouchy to go in and pitch a fit, so to the cut rate station previously mentioned.

On the way home I had to make a pit stop. Then uneventfully home, getting a grocery buggy and taking the results of shopping up the elevator to the apartment for Heather to unload and put away.

So, today was a very successful day for us, really, everything accomplished we sat out to do.

But yesterday was a bad day in the corral, Heather and I each spent a lot of time trying to find items we needed. I went to the old tried and true Radio Shack, where it always has been (not all businesses stay in one place and some don't even stay in business) and after waiting in line to speak to a clerk I was told, "Oh, we are out of that item and don't know when the next shipment is coming -- Yeah right, the boss probably forgot to order them in. On my side everywhere I went they either didn't know what I was talking about or were out, out, out.

While going into a shopping center where Heather needed to go, I spotted an Office-Max, waddled in there, asked for what I needed and the lady looked at me and said, "How many do you want ?" I replied, "Two'll do." She reached behind her and put them in a baggy, handed them to me, I paid and left. Got back to the car just as Heather returned having been successful in her search. A whole day spent weathering the search for -- satisfaction !

Somedays, I feel that, "I shudda stood in bed." I think that maybe most men don't handle frustration well when they have the cash in their pockets and can't get what they need while running errands.

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