Shopping Spree for Me and Mom!

What is the difference between your friendly Home Depot and Lowe's employees? Well, my mom learned very quickly. We had the ads for Home Depot, but not finding a Home Depot in Norwich, we went to Lowe's with our ads. Our helper informed my mom that she had the incorrect paper, which we already knew, but the barbecue grill she wanted was in the Home Depot ad and she wanted to show the ad to the Lowe's friendly helper to see if he could find a grill similar to the ad she had. He was not impressed with our reasoning as he continued to express to my mom that Home Depot's ads could not be used in Lowe's. Alas, ..........

Well, this was too much for him to handle. We were serenaded with the qualities of the monstrous, high end grills that my mom could not even begin to move to the no end grills. These were like a tin can. Needless to say, we decided that WalMart across the street might have what we were looking for in grills.

Mom needed a new dehumidifier for her basement and we were given two sets of incorrect directions in finding the illusive dehumidifier. Mom was starting to worry about my ability to keep walking despite not finding a dehumidifier. I hailed a Lowe's fellow and asked him to stay with us until we found the dehumidifiers and he obliged us.

He was so sweet. He realized that I couldn't keep up with his speed, so he stopped to ask if he should slow down for me. I told him that he was very thoughtful, but he could continue on with mom and that eventually, I would catch up with them as long as I could see their backsides.

I arrived at the emplacement of dehumidifiers and after much discussion, Mom decided on the dehumidifier that she wanted. So, handy dandy, Brock put it in the back seat for us. Yeah! No grill, but we were ready to take on the moisture in the basement.

Off to Walmart to find a grill and oh, what fun as I asked a gentleman, who was intently studying the variety of grills, what he would recommend for a grill and why. Not one to be afraid of asking questions, I listened attentively to his run down on the advantages and disadvantages of each grill. One particular grill was on sale with enamel grates and a side burner that mom wanted to do bacon and corn on. Our expert griller conferred that it was an excellent buy as he had been to the friendly Lowe's across the street. He even offered to deliver the grill to mom's if she lived in Norwich. How sweet was that!

Well, mom decided on this particular grill and we made arrangements for the free assembly. We also purchased an empty propane gas tank, but was informed by a WalMart employee that we could not have the tank in the store while we were looking at phones to purchase, so that my mom could have 21st century technology. We needed the update for my call from Pittsburgh for you know what. Meanwhile, the employee took away our empty tank and said we would have to pick it up on our way out. WalMart has a policy to forbid tanks in the store due to a possible explosion. I realize it was near the 4th of July, but mom and I had no intention of celebrating in this fashion at all. So, off the employee went with our tank only to discover that it was empty, so another employee returned it to us. Yikes, what an ordeal. I am sure you are thinking, "Boy, am I glad we didn't go shopping with those two gals."

So, we managed to find our new, modern phones that we could barely understand how they functioned along with a bluetooth for my mom. Directions we need!!! Lord knows, we will be calling Europe by accident, but that is O.K. with me as I miss my France and her neighbors. I'll be back as Arnold Swartzingneager (sp.) proclaimed in one of his movies. I can't wait to go back and I shall. Give me new lungs and I am gone, gone, gone. But, you can come along, long, long.

Mom went to collect her car to drive it up to the door for me and all of our asundry purchases, only to find that I had set off the store alarms as the clerk had not taken the theft repellent devices off the phones. Meanwhile, mom had her head stuck in the back seat arranging our purchases as Joe yelled for her to bring him the receipt for the phones, gas grill tank, etc. My mom was so busy strapping in the dehumidifier with its own seat belt, she couldn't hear him. So, I told Joe that I would collect the much needed receipt from my mom and off I went.

Back I came with the proof that we had indeed purchased all the items in our shopping cart. Joe had to fill out paperwork, signing it and dating it. Why didn't they just take a mugshot? With my prednisone face and body, I am quite the sight. Not to mention, a oxygen cannula that is a prominent part of my face. Well, Joe managed to help us load our remaining products in the car. My dear mother strapped in the propane gas tank in the backseat with its own security belt. The dehumidifier and propane gas tank didn't stand a chance of going anywhere. Mom said that if we were to have an accident, she did not want me or her to get whacked in the head by these flying objects. I wholeheartedly agreed with her.

We stopped to fill the propane tank. I told mom that we should have taken a picture of me on oxygen in the front seat along with the backseat filled with a filled propane tank and dehumidifier strapped in. We concurred that others would think we were nuts. We had a great laugh together. My mom is the best. I love her dearly as she makes me laugh daily. She has such grace and strength.

My expedition to Lowe's, not Home Depot and Walmart was the first time I had been in a store in two and half years. What a way to celebrate!! Clerks chasing after us because of a possible explosion, setting off alarms, encountering helpful clerks and making mom's car safe for our ride home. Am I done with shopping? Heck no, I am just getting started. Turn me loose and who knows what will happen next at Home Depot, oops-Lowe's and WalMart. I'll bet the clerks will go and hide when they see me coming.

May your next shopping expedition be as fun as mine.