Walmart

Today I made the weekly foray into town for provisions, which usually means a stop at Walmart. I pulled into the parking lot to see that apparently everyone in town plus the residents from every neighboring county had the same idea. At times like this in the past, I've decided to go on a different day or to go elsewhere. However, my pantry was bare, and I didn't have any coupons for the other grocery stores, which usually means spending significantly more money. In addition...Walmart is on my side of town, and for some reason EVERYBODY decided to get out and drive around Mountain Home today. I didn't want to battle the traffic...even if I do have to pay .08 cents more for a can of beans. I wonder if there was a parade I missed? Was the President in town? A dog show? In any case, I just wanted to get my stuff and get home, so I descend into the open maw of double doors, only to realize that they are... remodeling.

What? Why is it necessary to remodel Walmart? I just found where things are, and this was already the most jacked-up Walmart I've ever seen. But I muster my courage and soldier on. While trying to find a certain hook-latch contraption for the chicken coop, I could hear the old people, and they are not happy. I can completely understand. While I find it exceptionally annoying that they're moving everything around, I have grown begrudgingly accustomed to these inconveniences. But, I can only imagine what it's like for a person who grew up in the era of small stores, friendly sales people, and not having to tramp all over tarnation to get a simple light bulb. When going shopping was an enjoyable outing, not a task I usually lump in with "scrubbing the toilet."

I was browsing the area where I thought these latches might be, when I heard a loud and gravelly, "GOOD GOD-ALMIGHTY HERE I CAME ALL THE WAY OVER HERE FOR A COTTON-PICKIN' FLOOR HEATER AND THEY'VE GONE AND MOVED EVERYTHING AROUND!!!", coming from behind me. I turned to see a very red-faced old man shuffling up the aisle cussing a blue streak and glaring. I got out of there. Perhaps I should have helped him find the floor heaters, but for all I know they are now kept where the Pharmacy was, and he looked like he had it out for anyone under the age of 65. And I did find my latch...where the plumbing supplies used to be. As I made my way over to groceries, I heard many more of these exclamations. It's amazing that Walmart has us so over a barrel that they can tick us off this much, yet we're still shopping there.

After getting my groceries in record time, I head for the cashiers and picked the shortest line. I either have a knack for picking unfriendly cashiers, or they are just mostly unfriendly. Again, I can understand. Walmart cashier is probably not first on most people's list for a job.

I knew I'd just ruined my cashier's day when I plopped down my resuable shopping bags. Now, I purchased these bags at Walmart...they sell them so fast they can't keep them in stock, yet I NEVER see anyone else using them! I think they're great...not only do I avoid the Mt. McKinley stacks of white plastic in my pantry (you can only use so many for wastbasket liners), but the resuable ones hold 5x more AND they sit up in your car! Not only do my canned beans stay put instead of rolling into every corner of my car, but I can now get everything in the house in 1-2 comfortable trips instead of 50 with the plastic cutting into your hand. But who's using them besides me? I can't believe everyone's not using them...I mean besides the environmental benefits, they are just way more practical. The only drawback is carrying them into the store...but since they fold up nicely, they are definately less of a pain than a purse. I guess another drawback are the looks you get; "Look at you with your holier-than-thou reusable shopping bags...obviously a liberal Democrat (which I am most definately not) AND an environmental wacko who's too good to use regular shopping bags..."

Which is funny, because in a lot of places, especially toward the coasts, I hear there is a lot of peer pressure to use reusable bags. Here, you're an oddball.

But back to the cashier - this lady wasn't happy. Apparently, they're not quite as easy to fill as having a ready-to-go plastic bag on the turntable thing. She gave me a look, sighed, took a bag, sighed, and started filling it. Then I proceeded to make her even unhappier. You can get a LOT of stuff in those bags...last trip to Walmart I had an Asian cashier who stuffed those suckers full, and seemed to get the fact that I was using these bags to AVOID the plastic ones. Today's sourpuss cashier was only filling them half full. She then tried putting stuff in a plastic sack, and I said (smiling), "Think you can get more in there?" And she gave me another look, sighed, and proceeded to fill the reusable bag. Toward the end of my purchases, she again filled two plastic sacks. After I paid and had my cart full and she'd started on the next customer, I removed the items from the plastic sacks and found spots in the reusable sacks, and replaced the plastic sacks onto her turntable. I got another glare. I smiled and proceeded to the parking lot...where I got more odd and questioning looks on the way to the car. I'm getting used to it...I just smile and nod.

Moral of the story? I dunno...go to Walmart at midnight.