It snowed last night! How lovely! I got up at 4:30 and saw a beautiful blanket of white covering the lawn, the trees, the pavement--
Wait a minute. I'm an old lady and I'm supposed to think snow is a nuisance at best and a menace at worst. Guess I forgot to whine and complain about it. Okay, it'll be annoying when Susan and I go for our walk, but for now--
it's beautiful!
Last night, I idly asked Pat about some background on his parents and he was vague about it. Called his brother, Bill, talked to SIL, Regina, and was delighted to hear they had just been contacted by their elderly cousin, Eileen. She sent them pictures of Mr. and Mrs. M., wearing medals they won in a dance contest. Bill and Regina's daughter, Amy, will duplicate them and send us copies. Pat then remembered his parents had been in a dance club that met every Friday night in Philadelphia. I knew Mrs. M. played the organ in Wannamaker's in Philly and that Mr. M. played the violin, but didn't realize they danced. Looking forward to the photos.
Wider, Sort Of: Drove to Ace Hardware in Pomona yesterday to buy Resolve, the "dry" carpet cleaner recommended by Good Housekeeping. (In front of Pat's chair in the living room, the light grey carpet is badly stained. He can't make it into the kitchen to eat, so I give him his and dinner there.) The article in the magazine said it costs $6.99 and on-line, it was listed at the same price; however, you spend an equal amount on postage, so forget that. Couldn't find it at Acme or Shop 'n' Bag, and discovered it's sold at Ace, about 15 miles away. Got it, but when I went to pay, found they were charging $8.99--with tax, it came to $9.62! That reminded me why I quit going to the Ace Hardware that used to be nearby: Their prices were ridiculous. Hmm...maybe that's why they went out of business a few months ago.
I actually want to wax philosophical about this. People often bemoan the disappearance of the "little" stores, shut out by the biggies. Ace is a worldwide chain (I saw one in Singapore) and hardly a mom-and-pop, but I guess it's the neighborhood hardware for some. I'm sure The Home Depot and Lowe's underprice it, and boo-hoo about that, but why should I pay considerably more for the same damn thing at Ace? I complained to the cashier--and was met with utter indifference, of course--then to the manager. If possible, he was even more utterly indifferent. He listened, looking right at me, and simply nodded twice. If a head can shrug, his did.
This, it seems to me, illustrates our whole economy and our media-shaped conception of it. Business are in business to MAKE MONEY. How come we can't seem to understand that? They don't give a rusty nail about whether I'm happy with their service, or if I drive a total of 30 miles to Ace Hardware just to be ripped off. All those ads and commercials that show a kindly, helpful employee whose day is made if he can assist in meeting your needs--are crafted by highly paid ad execs and psychologists who know just what buttons to push to separate you from your money. They love you to believe Ace Hardware cares about your satisfaction--or if you live or die, for that matter. However, once they tear the money out of your hands, you could rot in the gutter for all they care.
Okay, Ace, you got your extra lousy two bucks, but I'll never walk in your door again.