Tag Archives: Walmart

Upside Down Birds, Blah, Blah, Blah, Sewer!

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Today was an interesting but very irritating day. Dad and I decided to go to Walmart this morning to prepare for the incoming cold weather later in the week. I want to be stocked up on water, bread, milk…you know, the usual…for the cold winter months. Today it was pretty busy but it could have been worse… like the very day before an incoming storm. Holy crap. People think it’s going to be the end of the world if they don’t have bread and milk…wait, I just bought those didn’t I? Well, in my defense, we didn’t wait until the last minute to go out for supplies like other people do!

The drive (30 miles) was rather amusing, with Dad’s silly antics and questions like, “I wonder how many cows there are in the world?” and “I wonder if birds can fly upside down?” The latter acted out as if he were a bird flying…”Look at me! I’m upside down!” Like I said, amusing. Never a dull moment.

So, anyway Dad wanted to stop at the clinic to make an appointment to see a dentist. He’s been having trouble with his gums. He went in and I waited in the car. He came out surprisingly, with an appointment for this afternoon at 1:45. We had enough time to go to Walmart so we headed over to do the evil chore of shopping with the numerous rude morons that frequent that place. Hey, wait a sec… I frequent that store, too. But I’m not rude to anyone unless they’re rude to me and I’m definitely not a moron.

Thankfully, they had a scooter and I was able to get around the store without excruciating pain. Of course, there were always ‘pains’ lurking in the middle of the aisle or at the end of the aisle who were so oblivious to anyone or anything around them that I was forced to go around to the other end of several aisles, just to get what I wanted. I think that sort of ‘pain’ is inevitable in Walmart. I shudder to think what it’s like in Kmart!!

At the checkout line, I thought, what good timing to have found a checker with no one in her line! Ha. Lucky, my ass. That woman talked her damn fool head off and NOT to US, mind you. She was chatting with another woman behind her and wasn’t working very fast – in fact, she seemed to not be able to scan items and talk at the same time. She just wouldn’t stop yammering on. I had to say something. I admit it. I was rude. I said, “Can you work a little more and talk a little less?” She didn’t even freakin’ hear me! OMG. She kept talking, scanned a few items, started talking some more… She said to the other woman something about how her mom said blah, blah, blah… She actually said blah, blah, blah! So, what did I say? I said, “Yeah. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!” She was oblivious. I was pretty irate if you can imagine. When she was finally finished scanning and bagging, I asked, “What bag did you put the batteries in?” We needed some small button batteries of various sizes and I didn’t want them lost. That woman, her name was Judy, just kept on talking. So, I asked my question again just a little louder. She still didn’t hear me so I freakin’ raised my voice that may have been a holler, I don’t know. The whole time Dad was looking for the batteries. She heard me that time and found the batteries. I thanked her, I don’t know why. Maybe for such a swell time. Ha.

We still had time to kill before we went to Dad’s appointment, so we stopped at the library. I had to use the restroom so that’s where I went first. I swear. You will NOT believe this but when I went to wash my hands all of a sudden there was such a foul stench of sewer. Yes, you read that right. SEWER. I scooped up a little water and brought it up close to my nose. OMG. That stench was coming from the water! I dried my hands off and used hand sanitizer, not once but twice. When Dad used the restroom he said the same thing. Tomorrow I’m calling the Health Department.

At the clinic now for Dad’s dental appointment. He was pretty stressed to begin with but then the paperwork frustrated him even more. You know, all those questions they want you to write answers to but then when they call you back they ask the same damn thing so they can put it in the computerized files. I always tell them, “It’s on the papers I just filled out!” Dad’s too nice. He endures. When he came back out he said they were putting him on an antibiotic and sending him to a periodontist. Yay. That made him happy. NOT. His blood pressure was still high when we got home. Tomorrow he calls for an appointment.

At my age and with my chronic pain issues, I don’t have the patience for the bullshit we had to deal with today. From now on, I’m taking down names at Walmart. The good ones will be praised to the management and the bad ones? Well, use your imagination!

 

Walmart & Cousin Eddie

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I headed out to Walmart today but I had three strikes against me that never even occurred to me until I pulled into the parking lot. 1) It’s always busy on Friday, 2) It’s the 1st of the month/payday, and 3) there’s a storm coming in. Luckily, I thought, I just need my prescriptions and a few grocery items.

Now, let me give you a little perspective here. I live in a very rural town – actually Wikipedia describes it as an unincorporated community – of less than 200 residents. Our nearest grocery store is 16 miles away, in a town with a little more than 700 residents. Our nearest Walmart is 28 miles away, in a bit larger town of just under 3,000 residents. That town also has a grocery store, a few small eateries, auto parts store, several small locally owned businesses, a few gas stations, several banks, and many churches. It’s insignificant in comparison to towns with a much, much larger population. So, you can imagine our lovely Walmart to be rather pleasant and not too ridiculously stressful…..

…..Unless it’s a Friday, the 1st of the month, and there’s a storm coming in! I didn’t realize what I got myself into until I got there. I was lucky to find a disabled parking spot. I was equally lucky there was a scooter available inside. It was the last one, so I was very lucky! There were people everywhere. I think everyone in the county was in that store! 

I went to the pharmacy first, to pick up my meds. I was annoyed right away because after I paid, the pharmacy technician told me I had to step to the side window so the pharmacist could bag my purchase. Umm….I don’t know what the point of this is really, because the pharmacist didn’t tell me anything about the medications, nor did he look at the labels to see what they were. He looked at the receipt to see that I had paid for them, tossed them in a bag, stapled it shut and handed them to me. The pharmacy tech could have done that!!

Like I mentioned before, I had very little to pick up. On my list were vitamins, Dramamine, cat food, wine, rock salt, small ziplock bags, and a 6 pack of half-sodas. I figured it wouldn’t take long for me to gather those things and get the hell out of there!

Boy, was I wrong! Every stinkin’ aisle I wanted to go down had people blocking the entire path. I mean, literally standing in the center, not off to one side or another. There were some blocking one end or the other, having conversations with others. I almost ran over a few people, who saw me coming towards them but still stopped and blocked the path. I had to back-track a few times, thinking the path would be clear when I came back but that was a fruitless effort. I was in Walmart for an hour longer than I needed to be!

I know everyone has things they need to get done. People have jobs they can’t be late for, kids to get home to and meals to cook, someone to pick up from somewhere, errands to run, appointments to get to. I get it. I have things to do, too. Why can’t people be more aware of others around them? Why can’t they just be more courteous?

When I went to check out, all the lines were several people long. So, I just picked one. There was a man with 3 items who looked about as exasperated as I was and I told him he could go in front of me. I really didn’t mind but I swear, this guy was someone’s Cousin Eddie! You know, the cousin of Clark Griswold in The National Lampoon movies!

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He talked my ear off until it was his turn to check out and he was gone. When I got out to the parking lot, he was still putting things in his trunk and talking to himself. I tried to look inconspicuous so as not to draw attention. I swear, I must have a weirdo magnet attached to my hip or something! Seems to be every time I go somewhere, the weirdos all find me. Today just happened to be someone’s Cousin Eddie!

The People of Walmart

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No, I’m not going to belittle anyone who shops at Walmart. Why? Because I shop at Walmart. I have no choice. There’s not much to choose from where I live. It really chaps my hide when people put down Walmart and the folks who shop there. #1: Walmart is no better or worse than Target, Kohl’s or any other department store. They all have their positive aspects and negative aspects alike. #2: People are going to shop where it’s convenient for them. If they like a store, they will shop there. End of story.

Do I see people dressed funny when I go to Walmart? Sometimes. Do I see people with funny hairstyles at Walmart? Yep. Do I see ill-behaved children at Walmart? Definitely. Do I see socially awkward and ridiculous people at Walmart? Absolutely. Do I smell funny smells at Walmart? OMG yes.

It’s the same thing anywhere I go. That’s life. Truth be told, weird folks are everywhere.

But this post is about something more. It’s not about strange hairstyles, the clothing, the smells, the noise, weird behavior or anything else that you might find unfavorable. It’s about the genuine warmth of people. It’s about real people. It’s about people who are out there busting their butts working at Walmart (or Target, or any other store) who are really good people. It’s about the customers who are really nice and polite to other people. It’s time we stop focusing on the negative and look at the good right in front of our faces every time we go out.

This is a shout out to:

  • the people who smile as they pass even though they are having the worst day ever but can still be nice to others.
  • the woman who holds the restroom door open for you as she leaves.
  • the young man who asks you if you need help reaching something.
  • the employee who asks if you need help finding something.
  • the employee in electronics who answers every stupid question you throw at him.
  • the checker who works as quickly as she can and actually bags your groceries properly; the eggs are bagged separately and the bananas aren’t bagged with the canned goods.
  • the old man in the scooter who acknowledges he’s a reckless driver with a huge toothless grin on his face.
  • the woman who realizes she’s blocking the entire aisle and apologizes as she moves over.
  • the mothers who keep their children from running amuck and disturbing others.
  • the cart collector who helps you get your groceries in the trunk and then takes your cart back to the store.
  • the stock clerk who picks up the 40 lb. box of kitty litter (without being asked) and puts it in your cart for you.
  • the person who lets you go in front of him/her in the check out line.
  • the employee who goes to look if there’s new stock of something that seems to be unavailable on the shelves.
  • all the folks who say please, thank you, and excuse me.

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Thank you for being the light in someone’s day. Thank you for your hard work. Thanks for your kindness, generosity, and for being the good in this world. We need more people like you!

Not Such A Good Idea

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Image Copyright Being Aunt Debbie

Today, my daughter, my son, the 2 grandkids and I went to Walmart. We had a few things to pick up like milk and stuff for burgers tonight. Doodle Bug was a bit tired of riding in the cart and daddy took her out to let her stretch her legs. As we were standing in the check-out line, Doodle Bug decided to crawl under the basket and lay on the rack near the wheels. We were very mindful of where her little hands and fingers were. I’ve seen kids get their fingers ran over while riding below like this and I didn’t want her to get hurt. We weren’t moving though, just standing in line. The problem was, that her little legs were skinnier than the bars on the rack and her little legs got stuck in between. She was STUCK and not a happy camper! Her daddy helped her out and all was fine in the universe again. It was fun while it lasted!