It's like this - when my friends and I went shopping, we saw something we liked, it was on sale, we bought it. Did it for more years than I care to remember.
No hassle shopping.
Yesterday those same friends, K and Sue went to Carson's. First off, I make sure they know I have coupons.
"Don't buy anything without a coupon! 20% off, or $20 off if you spend $50! I have a little one for $10, too."
So, we go our separate ways. When we were young, we'd never do that. We'd stick together like a pack of wolves. (maybe more like a pack of cows, grazing? I can't believe we're the same size when physically we are built so differently.)
K is going to a wedding next weekend and needs jewelry. I'm looking to spend my coupons even though I really don't need a damn thing.
Sue calls me over to K when she's ready to purchase. She's already had the sale rung up by this much older woman. The salewoman is very slight with prominent features - close-set eyes, hooked nose and that burnt out blonde hair that is suppose to hide her grays. (She's close to 80 if not more.)
She asked K if she needed a box for the jewelry and K told her "No."
She was bent over that cash register, concentrating so hard! Total came to close to $100. Sue and I gasped. Then I remembered the coupons.
"K, you're not spending that much, are you? And did you forget I have coupons?"
K tells the saleswoman, "Oh, can you take off these earrings? I really don't need this second pair."
Saleswoman gives her a look and is saying, "Ok but then I have to delete this and start all over."
She seems to think that's going to sway K to change her mind. Like K's gonna tell her, "Oh, I couldn't let you do that. I don't want you to go to all that trouble!"
In the meantime I notice the floor has some kind of crunchy cereal spread all over it. I wouldn't have paid much attention to it but it was slippery as well as crunchy. I could feel my feet losing it's grip and held on to that counter so as not to slide.
The saleslady starts again. I give her the $10 coupon. She rings it all up and it still comes out to over $50.
I exclaim, "Oh wait, don't use that coupon! I have a $20 coupon we could use."
Now the saleslady stares at that new coupon in exasperation. She reads it thoroughly, trying to find a loophole to get out of once again deleting what she just rang up.
The once over she gives K is, to say the least, withering, especially when Sue decides to explain how we used to have such a hard time getting K to buy anything for herself. She'd never buy. We're so happy she's finally spoiling herself after all these years. Yadda yadda yadda ....
You see K lost a shitload of weight these past years.
"I have to delete this again. It'll be the fourth time."
We all know it wasn't the fourth time, but we let her get in her licks. She turned to the cash register and slowly, very slowly, puts in the information, waiting for us to startle her with another demand. We turned away from her. Yeah, we were laughing. She could hear the crunching of that cereal as our feet pulled our body first away then back to face her again.
When she finally returned to the counter she ask K how she wishes to pay. K pulls out a credit card and now that poor woman's eyes are bulging. She grasps that card, wishing it would miraculously change. She also glanced down at that cereal mess we've spread out even worse than before.
"I can't use that card. You're purchase has to be on a Carson's card!"
"I don't have one."
Before she had a chance to stroke out or worse, Sue pulled out her Carson's and said, "Use mine."
The sale was finalized. The saleslady put the jewelry in a box. (Yes, K did say she didn't need one, but who was going to bring that up now?)
We quickly exited out the South doors, with the alarms beeping. Sue's package - as usual. I could only imagine that saleslady watching and probably thinking, "I knew there was something wrong with them!"
All I could think is, what ever happened to no hassle shopping? We use to be so good at it!
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