The lamest of the lame

Anyway, I'd like to share with you this brief note for all retailers:

Dear Retailers:

It has come to my attention through an ill-timed visit to a shopping mall that spring has arrived ahead of schedule. I would like to point out that, as I check my calendar, winter lasts until March 21-ish, when the vernal equinox actually happens.

I would also like to point out that I was wearing mittens and a coat as I got out of my car in the mall parking lot, and that the wind-chill factor was somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 degrees here in the National Capital Region. (At least it was on the exposed top level of a parking garage.)

I don't know about you, but I am not yet ready for sandals, flimsy tees and capri pants in what I assume will be unflattering shades of pink, lilac and aqua. Please give the honorable season of winter the respect it deserves and allow it to last until the weather has truly changed. Give me one 60-degree day before you show me tank tops. Is that too much to ask?

*heart*

--Koog

Trip to the mall should have been uneventful. Basically I took Mom so she could buy a cell phone, but her lungs started freaking out as soon as we got out of the car, so I sat her down and got her a beverage, then I left her to breathe while I bought some lotion at Nordstrom. I returned after my purchase to find her feeling much better, because lo and behold she actually had her inhaler in her purse.

Trip home should have been uneventful except that it involved a stop-off at the Capitol Hill Safeway, where I wanted to pick up some more sport drinks. Capitol Hill is an expanding neighborhood. The pricey real-estate that used to be confined to a few blocks on either side of East Capitol has spread and spread, and yet the area is woefully underserved by supermarkets.

We have exactly one: the Safeway. The store itself is large enough, but its services are pathetic. No matter what time of day or night you go into the Safeway, it seems that you spend more time standing in line than you do shopping. I would say that only CVS is lamer, except that there are two CVS stores on the Hill, plus a pharmacy-only location.

And so, the lamest of the lame award for today, Saturday, February 3, 2001 goes to Safeway. Runner-up is my mom, who fell for the spiel about the extended service plan at Radio Shack. Second runner-up is me, for being puzzled at the behavior of retailers. That's just so silly I can't even say.

before - after