I was dropping off a load at the local Goodwill Emporium today. When we moved here from Georgia I bet we lugged about twenty comforters, blankets, quilts and bedspreads along with us. I'm tired of seeing them stuffed everywhere and having to wash them when someone uses one for some random reason.
I also got rid of a lot of clothes, boots and jackets we'll never wear again in Forida weather. I also tossed out the little cabinet I'd been using on the back porch for plants and grill accessories. I looked around Goodwill since that's where I picked up the little cabinet about seven years ago. I didn't find anything but started smiling to myself the minute I walked in the door.
You could kidnap me, blindfold me , put me on a plane or in the trunk of a car and take me around for hours then walk me into a randon store in a random town in a random state, and I'd know exactly what store we were in before removing the blindfold if you happened to choose a Thrift Store.
How come all our old junk combined has that one distinct funky smell when all displayed in one big room together?
It's not that it's a bad smell, just a distinct smell and not often confused with another smell.
Go figure.
So after the Goodwill Scentporium I went to one of my next often visited haunts, Aldi.
It's like Whole Foods and Walmart had a baby together on a no frills budget.
Once you get over fixating on name brands and realize how good the brands are which they do stock, you can relax and enjoy the pleasantries of an Aldi check out line.
They don't play. You gotta be ready and have your cards on the table (conveyour belt) the minute the cashier removes that bar separating your order from the one in front of you. Aldi products have bar codes on almost every side of a package or item for easier scanning. They can zing through an order in no time, not stopping to bag but rather simply toss into another shopping cart, leaving you to the task once you've cleared the line and paid.
I love it!
They also charge a quarter for a shopping cart and get your quarter back when you return it to the corral by the front of the store.
Love that even more!!
It's not like your gonna run into a Kardashian in Aldi or even people who speak the same language as you but is an even playing field where every person, no matter what, is welcomed.
I always keep my reusable Aldi shopping bags in the back of my car, they don't provide plastic or paper bags either.
Maybe my favorite thing!!!
So today I only picked up three or four items but always take my bags in anyway. You never know what they'll have at a great price. I've picked up large, washable dog beds for twelve dollars and they hold up extremely well.
There were only two cashiers open, which is fine, the way they whisk you through the process.
Then it happened. I heard someone mumbling on a cell phone in front of me, loud enough to understand the nonsense of the conversation whoever ahead of me was having...in a checkout line, at the cash register on a busy Friday afternoon with about ten people behind them.
Then I spotted her.
She had her cell crooked between her cheek and shoulder and was getting her change purse out of her front pocket as she told everyone what time she'd be "Gettin' there" for dinner...she only had two more stops to make and the rain just let up.
Shut.The.Front.Door.
So we're all standing there waiting on this tiny older (about my age) woman who has never heard of the phrase "Lemme call ya right back" and the cashier is patiently staring at her as well. The old woman finally covered the microphone of her cell and said "I wanted to pay cash, what do you want me to do?"
The cashier (a younger girl) politely said "I'm sorry, I thought you heard me say that would be forty two fifty."
The old broad, skinnier than me with a long gray ponytail, separated by four different scrunchees down her back, making Crystal Gayle look like Sinead O'Conner said "Naw, I didn't" and slowly counted out her bills, all the while still chatting about her day to who ever was (or wasn't) listening on the other end.
Next up was the Asian lady in front of me...nice, efficient and ready to speed up everyones' progress. The Latino lady behind me had her three items in one hand and money in the other.
I started to get tickled just thinking about it all. When I get my own self tickled, it gets worse before it gets better. The more I think about it, the more Iwant to laugh about it.
So it quickly became my own turn.
Old Chick was still accross the way trying to get situated to carry her things to her vehicle, finally making a slow exit.
As the old chick slowly pushed her cart out the front door, with the cell still crooked in her neck and still yacking away about absolutely nothing. I looked at the young cashier who breifly glanced at the older woman leaving and very seriously said "Well in her defense , it did seem like a pretty important phone call"
The sweet young girl kept scanning my items, shrugged her shoulders and said "Guess it coulda been".
By the time she started to get the words out I was already slowly shaking my head, smiling and told her I was totally kidding and that had most certainly not been an important conversation she was having.
Just stop, observe and listen to people every once in a while.
Sometimes you witness something hilarious or sweet. Sometimes you witness something pretty upsetting or disappointing. Sometimes you meet random really great people and try your best to stay away from random idiots along the way. Every person has a story, some are really worth hearing, some need to be heard and some seem to never be heard.
I may not have life all down pat, but have lived a pretty good story, so far.
Till Next Time, COTTON
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