Frankly,

I'm going to spend 5 minutes whinging about things. Oh, nothing serious. Just stuff that has made me grumpy this weekend.

On Thursday night, we went to Home Depot (which I hate). They had low flow toilets on sale. (As an aside, you know that you are really, truly an adult when you get excited because a low flow, dual flush toilet is on sale). Anyway. We get to Home Depot, we find the toilet, we go to buy the toilet, and there are no cash registers open. Only those stupid self serve checkouts. (And I'd like to point out, the American chains have the stupid self serve checkouts. The Canadian ones don't, just sayin') Now, maybe you've noticed, but to use the ever loving self checkouts, you actually have to be able to lift and scan the item.

I had a toilet. In 2 pieces. (And why do you buy toilets in 2 pieces. It's not like there's an option of having the bowl or not). And these 2 pieces are heavy. Finally get everything checked out, and realize they've billed me the wrong price. So I go and see the girl who is supposed to be the self service checkout help, and she can't do anything to help me.

So I go to the returns desk. Who inform me that the sale starts on Saturday, and can't I read their advertisements.

Dear Home Depot:

Why yes. I can read. Also, I can type. I can type an email to your store manager, pointing out how incredibly rude your staff are, and reminding said store manager that there are 5 Home Depot's in town, and I will be shopping at any of the other 4 from now on.

****
I go to Michaels on Saturday, because they have a 25% off sale, and I would like some nice fall decorations. I get garland and some pumpkins and a sign and some silk flowers and a basket, and some leaves, and some scrap booking stuff, oh, probably a hundred dollars worth, and I get to the till and I can't find my 25% off coupon. I'm holding up the line, digging it out, and I can't find it. I had a 50% off one item coupon, but I gave it to a little boy, who wanted the skull, so he could play Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he only had $10, and the skull was $15, and so I decided to help him out. Anyway, I couldn't find my stupid 25% off coupon. And your store policy says that you don't keep them at the till.

Dear Michaels:

It would cost you $1 to print out the 25% off coupons to keep one at each till, for when customers realize they forgot them. Your policy of not keeping them cost you $100, plus the time for your staff to return the items in my cart.

Penny wise and pound foolish, not just an aphorism for your grandmother any more!

You listened to me, so I'll happily listen to you in the comments.