Monday, July 7, 2008

WalMart

First of all, I hate WalMart! I will avoid going there whenever possible and the last time I went in was probably a year ago when my iron quit and I had to have one that very day. But Saturday, I had to venture into one and it wasn't a totally unpleasant experience but there was some drama.

Our microwave at the cabin is ages old and takes 7 minutes to heat tea so I knew we needed a new one. I planned on going to WalMart because I figured it would have the most choices at the best prices. Plus, it was 4th of July weekend and it might have been having a big sale on them. In addition, in Prescott, Joann's is right next door to WalMart so I could kill two birds with one stone.

WalMart had about 8 micowaves to choose from with varying prices. I knew the dimensions of the old microwave but could not find the dimensions of any of the WalMart ones on the boxes. Because I didn't have the purse with my tape measure in it, I had to go find one in WalMart. Thankfully, this WalMart still had its fabric department since so many of them have phased them out. I find the fabric dept. and rip open a tape meaure knowing I will have to pay for it as well but that was no big deal. What's one more tape measure when I probably already have 10?

So I return to the microwave dept. and measure the ones I'm interested in. Of course, they were all much bigger than the old one. So this required a call to the cabin to ask Tom to measure the size of the little table that holds the microwave. With those dimensions in hand I return to trying to decide on a microwave. Once again, most of them are even bigger than the little table. Hemming and hawing between them I finally find a box containing a microwave that isn't on display. When I started twisting the box around to see if hopefully this one has the dimensions, the whole bottom of the box opens dropping the microwave on the ground and almost on my foot. Of course, I couldn't just leave it there without telling anyone so this sent me once again trekking through the store to find an employee. Luckily, I found one two aisles over who told me not to worry about the one on the floor. Fortunately, since it was now open, I was able to measure the dimensions and it turned out to be a little smaller than all the others so I bought it. I didn't even have to wait in line to pay for it.

I get it back to the cabin and was looking at the instructions which strongly recommended against using a three prong adapter on this particular microwave. Because the cabin is so old, this is the way we have to use a few electrical appliances. Now the whole electrical system will probably have to be upgraded just because of one microwave.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are too funny - this sounds like my shopping trips to Lowes Home Dept etc.

Granny J said...

The part that amazed me is that the Iron Springs WallyMart yard goods department carries almost as much material as does the nearby JoAnn. In fact, I was very disappointed the first time I ventured into the JoAnn's. As for the WM, my problem is that it always costs me at least $100 when I dare to enter.

quilteddogs said...

Lynn:
I guess I know where things are located at the big box hardware store and I'm there more often than Walmart.

Granny J:
What a surprise. I love your Joann's up there. It has way more items, including fabrics, than my local one here in Phoenix. How are Big Lots and Tuesday Morning in that mall?