A Shining Moment

That Sound You Hear? » Let's Find Out by John Berry
Current MP3 Count » 4,771
Big News » Italian dog owners beware. If you don't walk Fidotini at least three times a day, the man is coming after you. A new city ordinance in Turin requires the walkings under penalty of €500 ($650). No, it's not a joke. Italy's a puppy-lovin' nation, no doubt.

Now, today's story...

It occurs to me that I was incredibly out of it when I posted yesterday. I never explained the thing I initially set out to explain — the U.S. map at the bottom of the sidebar. I kept finding tangents and just rolling with them, never making my way back home. Things will be different today.

First of all, the point of the map is to show where I've had visitors from within the continental United States. It may be self-evident, but I feel I should explain. The states that are colored in (green) are those that I have had visits from. I might also note that if Alaska and Hawaii were part of the map, they would be green also.

Once I get the map completely filled in, I'm gonna do something. I don't know what yet. Something to celebrate. As you can see, I'm more than halfway there now, but we'll see what happens. Maybe you can help me figure out what to do. Comment with some ideas.

Yes, well then. Okay. Yeah, I don't really want to tell this story, but it's just too weird to keep to myself I guess. I was cajoled, tonight, into going back to the grocery store to grumble about $1.49. Yeah, I know.

So this is how it went. This afternoon I ran over to Albertson's while I was in Brandon. (I drop by the house every Saturday because laundry is free.) It should be noted that among other things, I'm not entirely fond of grocery stores. And that's nothing personal, I'm not fond of any stores. They all want to take my hard-earned money. I mean my money.

Still, I went because I have to eat. And because I can't eat out for the rest of my life. No, it's true. I really can't. So off I went to buy things like cereal and chips and frozen dinners and all. And I thought I'd done a bang-up job for someone who loathes such a task.

It was after I got home that I discovered my rookie mistake. I noticed at the bottom of my receipt what read, "You could have saved $1.49." Could have?! Are you kidding?

It turns out that while I personally don't have a "preferred customer" card, my mom does and if the girl at the checkout had asked me, I could have just given her my phone number. Well none of those things happened.

So my mom starts prodding me to return to the store and complain. And, believe it or not, get my money back. Oh, yes. This is something I really want to do. Absolutely.

And then my grandma decides she wants ten scratch-offs, so now I figure I can go without feeling like an idiot, that being trying to get $1.49 back from a massive grocery store chain.

I walked in the store and went to the lotto counter, which fittingly enough also served as the customer service desk. I swiped $10 in tickets and proceeded with my complaint. But I couldn't look the woman in the eye. I pointed out the $1.49 in savings I "could have" had and flashed my grandma's "preferred" card at her, and low and behold that buck-and-a-half was returned safe and sound.

Boy, do I feel better. It was a shining moment. Like, here, I have nothing better to do than gripe about— I'm not saying the amount again. It just makes me sad.

And if you thought that was the end, you're wrong. Just to smite me, the universe had a little fun with me. Remember those 10 scratch-offs? My grandma handed me one. So I scratched it and it was a $25 winner. Come on. I would've said it was all worth it in the end, but it wasn't my $25 to keep. It was my $25 to wave at as it flew away. Now even the universe mocks me.

I have nothing more to say on the subject. Do you detect bitterness? In fact, you do.

Choose The Chosen: Tomorrow is Sunday and you know what that means. Another new chapter of The Chosen will be published. Just for you. Because I know how much you love to read it. Don't try to deny it. I see right through you. Tomorrow's story centers around a character you've never met before: Ava Lang. She's a chemist having a bad day. I hope you enjoy it.