The rain was pounding on our bedroom windows at 6:30 this morning. I had heard the wind pick up earlier in the night. It is January, an odd time of year for such a storm. We should be getting snow and not rain. The subzero temperatures of earlier this month have receded to a mildness more akin to late winter or early spring. I checked the weather app on my phone to see the temperature. It told me that the temperature was 36 degrees Fahrenheit at 6:30 a.m. on January 21st in the upper mid-west. Less than one hundred miles north of us, snow was falling and a winter storm warning was in effect.
It is a planned day off of school today for students, and a staff development day for teachers in our district. Yesterday, I made plans with my high school aged boys to get out for breakfast this morning and stock up on supplies for a new semester that starts tomorrow.
By 8:45 a.m. we were out the door! Luckily, the roads had not iced up yet, despite the rain continuing to fall. An office supply store was our first stop for new folders, paper, and notebooks. The clerk was decidedly out of it as he rang through three-quarters of our order before realizing he had not logged into the cash register’s computer. So, our transaction started again. I noted that a double – wide stack of post-it notes that was in a sale bin rang up at full price $20.06, instead of the sale price advertised of $10.00. When I questioned him about this, he was cavalier, stating that they must have been in the wrong bin. I told him it was clearly marked and there were others in a center rack, half way back in the store. The entire post-it display was marked 50% off. Still, “must be in the wrong place, as things get pretty messy back there” was the answer I got. In turn, my response was that I did not want them at that price. My high school senior who is employed by a large box store went back to check but returned to the register saying nothing. Perhaps, I was wrong. However, when we left he confirmed that indeed the post-its and everything on the rack was 50% off, clearly marked. So much for alertness, pride in one’s job, and customer service on a Monday morning.
From there, we proceeded to Panera Bread which was our democratically decided breakfast destination. Although there was no one in the restaurant, we were not greeted upon entering, even though there was a woman attending the register and looking right at us. I felt this was okay. It gave us a minute to decide what we would order. Upon ordering, she did not smile or appear happy in any way. We got our food and sat down.
Wow! We noticed the Monday morning doldrums from employees at both of the establishments we visited. I hope their day gets better. Ours was off to a great start! We headed home. It was still steadily raining. The proposed park next to our yard had newly running rapids rushing through its low spots. It was a sight we did not want to see. It can snow now. Anytime.
The Apples in My Orchard 