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!