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Friday, December 18, 2020

Shopping the Old Fashion Way

 

Shopping the Old Fashion Way



 It seems like everyday there is a package dropped by our front door.  Mrs. C does her shopping on-line.  It is not just Christmas time, there are packages delivered year-round.  Half the time Mrs. C does not even remember what she ordered.  It is like Christmas all year long.

Me…I’m not that much at ordering on-line.  When I do, Mrs. C helps me with it.  Otherwise, I am a go-to-the-store shopper. 

I shop the old fashion way.

This year Mrs. C asked for a particular item for her Christmas present.  She gave me a picture of the item from a catalogue and even a $10 off coupon from “Best Buy.”  At another time she pointed out a store where I could make the purchase and use the coupon.

I remember her pointing it out, I do not remember the store or where it was.  Obviously, it was “Best Buy” as that was where the coupon was from.

The other day I decided to go and buy her present. 

Now of course I will buy other things, but this present she will like, the others will probably miss the mark.

It is the trying that counts…Right?

Anyway

I checked Siri for the nearest “Best Buy.”  There were three. I saw one was Woodridge Avenue and asked for directions.  I asked for Woodridge Center Mall.

Siri sent me to the center of Woodridge Township.

About 30 minutes later I figured out how to get to the mall.

Once in the Mall I looked for the store.  There was a “Best Somethingorother” store, but not a “Best Buy.”

I got back to my car and asked once again for directions to the nearest “Best Buy.” It was only one mile away.  Siri provided directions, but for some reason she was not talking.  Driving and watching a map on a phone is not one of my skill sets.

At rt. 1 the map said turn left.  At 100 feet from the store without a “Turn right now” instruction from Siri, and multiple entrances from multiple stores, I drove by the “Best Buy” store.  It took me a half hour to negotiate a U-turn on rt 1.  It was the middle of the week during a pandemic and traffic still screamed Christmas.

In reversing direction on rt. 1 to get to the store I missed the proper U-turn and out of frustration made an illegal turn which based on a cacophony of honking led me to believe that many shoppers were not feeling the Christmas spirit.

Screw them, I was now on a mission to buy Mrs. C’s present at “Best Buy.”

As I was making the left turn again, I saw a huge sign on a building across the street, BEST BUY.

What the heck, there are two stores within a mile radius?

As I was pondering this, I managed to once again miss the “Best Buy” store that Siri wanted to send me to.

“CRAP!!”

This time traffic was even worse and it took me almost an hour to be able to make another U-turn.

I once again found myself at a light with Siri insisting, I turn left and proceed to the entrance that was disguised by a zillion other entrances to the wrong stores. 

No way; right ahead was the store with the giant “BEST BUY” sign.  I was going to the sure thing store.

Well, Siri did not like that store because it was the OLD BEST BUY store and now being demolished.

Fifteen minutes later I finally found the correct “Best Buy” entrance.  “Best Buy” is a pretty big store.  The item I was looking for was a tiny item.  Best Buy employees were as hard to find as the item.  I finally did find someone and after another 1/2 hour of shopping, Mrs. C’s present was in my hand.

It then was a 30-minute wait to make my purchase.  Seems the pandemic has not stopped shoppers, but it has put a crimp in people willing to work checkout for minimum wage.

On the way home I got a call from Mrs. C

“Where are you it’s been over four hours!”

You don’t want to know; but never send me to Woodbridge to shop again, traffic is a zoo and the roads are confusing as heck.”

“Woodbridge?  Why Woodbridge?”

“Because that is where the nearest ‘Best Buy’ store is.”

“Best Buy?  I told you ‘Hand and Stone’, it is only 5 minutes away.  I pointed it out to you.”

“Well, I didn’t remember where we were, and the coupon says ‘Best Buy’.”

“Hand and Stone accepts Best Buy coupons.”

“Like I’m going to know that?”

“Did you at least get what I asked for?”

“What? And spoil the surprise?”

 

Next year I am going to only shop on-line and let Mrs. C walk me through it.  What the heck, she’s never surprised anyway.

Shopping the old fashion way sucks!

 

 

 

10 comments:

  1. I really hope you got the right item, so you don't have to go return it the old-fashioned way.

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  2. And that is why I decided to keep it simple this year and give cash to the very few we shop for. And that is also why I'm glad hubby and me years ago decided not to exchange gifts with each other :) Merry Christmas!

    betty

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  3. Admire how you hung in there Cranky. Can't remember when I shopped the old fashioned way and thanks to your account, I may never. Like Val said, sure hope you don't have to take it back:))

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  4. If I can shop online I'm in. I hate to shop. Groceries is about all I an do.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ☺

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  5. I m so looking forward to going back into a store. Touching things, smelling things, thinking about the sale are what many women love, and silly us took it for granted. It’s just not the same feeling with “add to cart”, but it is more efficient.

    GPS can be a problem. I still rely on maps.

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  6. I think Siri and Alexa are both dimwits, haha. At least you got the item! And I hope Mrs. C loves it. Romeo kind of sucks at buying gifts and being "romantic". But he can build me a great spice rack that is mounted to the inside of the pantry door, a bookshelf, a great bench for the bedroom, and a new headboard. He cooks and cleans house (I'm still working but he's retired). He is a treasure! And I have no idea what to get him this year :)

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  7. Congratulations on finally getting the item, and i agree, next year order it online. Best Buy is online, after all.

    Traffic makes me want to lose my religion more than anything else on Earth!

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  8. With so much Covid still in your country I sure as heck wouldn't be old-time-shopping! I'd be online. I used to love old-time shopping, wandering the stores, looking for just the right things for this or that person. now I just get everyone a gift card from their favourite store and post them off in plenty of time.

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  9. Shopping habits are changing fast. On-line is catching on here in the UK with many stores closing.

    God bless.

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  10. Think of the shopping trip as an outing, much like the explorer's of yore. Where's your spirit of adventure?

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