A Story For You

I feel like i never write anything lately. At least every time i get on the blog that's what i think about. Then i never really have anything to say either, but i always have pictures-- so that's what this blog is: A Glorified Photo Album. At least lately.

But i have a story for you today, so hold on to your panties. or if there is actually a boy out there reading--hold on to whatever it is you choose to wear.

SO...

I had to make a quick grocery story run on Sunday after church. Turns out this is very popular time to do grocery shopping. So needless to say it was busy. So busy in fact it took a while to find an unused buggy.

Grocery shopping went fine, no crazy stories of strange people to avoid or children gone wild which is always good. And then I had to check out. For those of you civilians who are not in the know, all commissaries have baggers that work independently from the store itself and are only paid by the tips they receive. This is something i found strange at first, but now i just expect it and even appreciate my food being carried out and packed in my car--i can just focus on my kids and not worry about my rolling away buggy and food melting in the sun all the while my kids are crying because they are hungry and hot and tired.

So the point, i know, i am getting there. I load up all my groceries on the conveyor belt, the bagger flashes me a BIG smile and asks if i want her to bag my groceries. Side Note: i have actually never had a bagger ask this before, most assume you want the service and you must tell them in advance if you don't. So anyway, i smile back and say "yes" and she get right to work bagging all my groceries and then rolls her cart to the exit to move out of the way and wait for me to finish my transaction.

All seems well, UNTIL...the system will not accept my debit card...TWICE. The cashier says they have been having problems all day and it may be their system and not my card, which i have to agree with since i have already used it 2 other times that day, so i run it as credit and it goes through. This is GOOD, since i can pay for my groceries and not have to leave my groceries on the side and find the ATM, but BAD because i couldn't use the cash back option to get cash to pay my bagger. and of course, i don't even have a 2 pennies in my change purse.

SO, i get outside and am feeling very bad at this point because i am not going to be able to tip her. I debate for a whole half a second and feel the need to tell her before we go any farther, just to be courteous so it doesn't seem like i'm stiffing her at the end. So right outside the sliding doors of the very busy commissary i tell her that the system was glitching and i was not able to get cash back. At this time the big smile from her face vanishes before my eyes she completely stops moving forward and she stares me down. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO NEXT. Then without a word spoken she nods her head towards an empty buggy in the parking lot and i realize that she is telling me that she will not be going farther and i need to go get that buggy and take my things out of her cart. (yes they have special carts different from the buggies we use to shop with).

At this point I am so embarrassed that as quickly as i can i go get the buggy and switch over my groceries all the while people are walking around us because we are right in front of the door. When i finish, she grunts really loud and speeds away from me as fast as possible.

Geez, i don't know what i expected when i stopped to tell her about the cash problem, but i guess i expected her to still take out my groceries, maybe be a little irritated, but still do it. Not because i can't do it own my own, but because she did already have all my things in her cart. Boy was I WRONG! It kind of makes me never want to use a bagger again. I hope her little temper tantrum was worth the $2 I would have tipped her had i gotten the cash back.

What ever happened to kindness and understanding? Oh yeah, i forgot--i don't live in The South anymore.