GONE SHOPPING; The Sequel........................................

You really didn't think I was going to buy shoes and not share the joy now did you? I know I can be mean, but not mean enough to do something like that. Sooooooooo...

We were about five minutes away from the shoe store when I said to my youngest, "Man! It is 8:09, they have probably made their first sale and we aren't even there yet." Imagine my astonishment when he arrived at the parking lot and there were only about twenty or so cars in the lot. Thirty percent off clearance AND TRIPLE points, I thought there would be a line of people waiting to get into the store, but I guess people don't sense a great deal when they are shown one. I have to admit that I was not unhappy that I didn't have to deal with crowds.

My youngest was a great helper, getting me the boxes off the bottom shelf (it is still a bit painful to bend over, especially with the belly brace on), and carrying all the boxes over to a place where I could try on the shoes. Since my addiction to What Not To Wear, I have been dying to buy some pointy toed heels to make my legs look longer. I found some perfect ones today; (short) brown boots, (short) black boots, slate blue, camel snake skin, and black heels! All with pointy toes and two or so inch heels that I swear to gosh are comfortable (I know this for a fact because I had to wear the brown boots right away, and did the rest of my shopping in them), who would have thunk it? I got those five pair for me for $135.00, and two pair of loafers for (my) Mister for $100.00. BUT I SAVED $538.00, and don't make light of the TRIPLE points that I earned. I know guys shoes HAVE to be more expensive because men buy less shoes in general, but I feel a little bad that that is the way things are. Do you think the price of men's shoes would be lower if they all had twenty or more pair in their closets like many women do? Anyway, I am a happy, happy girl, with happy happy feet!

After the shoe store, we had time to go to the fabric (craft) store and I found some containers that will work great for next years Christmas presents. I was also able to re-stock my wide ribbon supply at seventy percent off, and this is a good thing.

After this I had a doctors appointment and he took my other drain out! Are you getting the happy, happy, happy theme that keeps running through this post? Not so fast...

You know those coupons that they put in the ads for so much off a purchase of so much to get you in the store? Well, I ran into Macy's while my youngest went to Wet Seal, to see if they had any good sales. While I was in there, I saw one of my resident's sons, and he ask me if I wanted his coupon as he didn't find anything to use it on. You know me and coupons, of course I took it. I couldn't read the fine print(my eyes are old I guess), and I had a couple of questions about it, so I left the item I wanted to use it on on the shelf and went to a check out line to ask my question. It was a time sensitive coupon, and by the time I got to the front of the line it was to expire in about three minutes. Before asking my question about what it could be used on, I first ask if it would still be valid after noon since I had used my shopping time to stand in line. The person at the register told me she did not know, so I ask if she could page a manager and ask them that question. I then stepped over the the side and waited for my answer.

About three minutes later, the cashier whipped around and out of nowhere says to me, "You know the managers are all back up right now." Blame it on the pain medicaton I don't know, but I felt as if she had slapped me. I replied, "I'm just waiting. I didn't think I was being intrusive standing here." It wasn't what she had said to me, but the way in which the words were delivered that made me feel as if asking my question was wasting a manager's precious time. But I am the customer, right? So taking care of my needs is a great use of time isn't it?

A couple more minutes go by and another cashier comes up. Not knowing if this was a manager or not I began to ask her (her identity) and the other cashier cut me off to say to this woman, "She's standing there waiting to talk to a manager to see if she can use a coupon and she doesn't even have anything to purchase She hasn't even shopped for something, and she wants to know if she can still use the coupon." I tell you I felt down right dirty listening to her talk about me in the tone of voice she was using. She had played judge, jury, and prosocuting attorney, and boy was I guilty of some crime in her mind. Right at that moment, a manager called, said yes I could use the coupon over the next several minutes, and I went and got my item and went to a different cashier to purchase it.

While I was standing in line to make my purchase, I was still disturbed by the way I had been treated and decided I needed to share my experience with a manager. I went to customer service, and when the manager arrived to talk to me I began by saying, "I wanted to let you know how I was just treated," and then burst into tears. Totally blaming this on the pain medication too! The manager was very sweet and understanding, waiting for me to calm down and then listening to me with her full attention. I felt a thousand percent better after getting it off my chest. Maybe because she agreed with me that I should not have been treated that way, but mostly I think because I felt heard.

I am sharing this adventure with you for a couple of reasons. I have no idea what the cashiers story was. Was she having a bad day? Does she hate her job? Was her behavior her nomal personality? Did she have any idea her delivery of what she said would wound me as it did? Would this same exchange have bothered me as much on a different day? Did I unknowingly come across to her in a way that pushed one of her buttons? Whatever the answer to these questions, the point is that when feelings are involved there is the potential that things of this nature will happen. We all need to be on gaurd as to the way we are presenting ourselves, least we be the one inflicting pain on someone knowingly or unknowningly.

Beyond that, remember that if you don't like the way someone is treating you, you have the right and responsibility to stand up for yourself and your feelings. You have the right/responsibilty to say, "I don't like the way your behavior makes me feel, and this is what I don't like about it." How else can we expect anything to change?

BTW... Yes! The discounted shirt I purchased WAS worth the adventure. It makes my new boobs look really, really, good, so I ended up with happy feet AND happy boobs!

And don't forget the (bonus!) TRIPLE points.